“No books,” Mum says under her breath, pointing.
I do a double take. They have gotten rid of my books. Even the tourists have put them away. There are no birthplace of Lynn Marino posters, nothing; it’s like the last few weeks never happened.
“No talk of her. No whispers, no gossip. Lynn Marino does not exist.”
I gape at her. “How on Earth did you manage that?”
“We have skills, don’t we, Lorelei?”
I jump, whipping around to find Lorelei smiling smugly. Her ninja skills aren’t rusty at all.
“We do indeed. Come, we need to go to the bookshop.”
We get to the shop and walk in with me almost trembling in trepidation. Sofia smiles when she sees me. I edge deeper into the store and turn in a massive circle. There are no Lynn Marinobooks. No displays, no pictures, no teasers. Nothing. It’s all gone.
I stand there, my heart feeling so full, I don’t even have the words to tell them how grateful I am.
“I love you all.”
“Of course, you do; we’re awesome,” Sofia says smugly.
“Come on, we’re having coffee,” Lorelei says.
I’m led to the couches at the back of the store, and my anxiety grows with the way Mum and Lorelei keep looking at each other. Asher comes in, sets the coffees down, and with a jaunty salute, escapes. I kind of envy her but relax a little when Sofia joins us.
I spot a frame above the counter with a scrap of black material. I swivel my head and stare at Sofia.
“You did not!” I say and burst into loud cackles.
She grins. “Every time he comes in here, he has no idea that my triumph is right there in his face.”
I don’t think there is anyone in Sunshine Cove who knows that the material in that frame is a pair of underwear we stole when we were fifteen years old.
“Raiders of the Lost D’arc.”
I hold out my fist, and she bumps it.
“Uh-huh, are you two finished?” Lorelei asks. They are both well used to our nonsense.
“Yes, we’re good. Proceed with the lecture.”
Lorelei sips her coffee. “There’s no lecture. This is a lesson.”
“In what?”
“I want you two to help us organise the next matchmaking event.”
I look at Sofia, and she looks at me. We burst into laughter. This is some kind of elaborate joke; it has to be.
Mum and Lorelei wait us out, watching us with small satisfied smiles that turn to irritated frowns as we continue giggling.
I wipe tears from my eyes and look at Lorelei. “Now, what did you really want to talk about?”
“I’m serious, you two are taking over.” A thread of anger makes her tone sharp.
“We are not!” Sofia exclaims crossly.
“We’re moving online; it’s going to be a business, so I want you two and Julia to do the last two events with me.”
