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Tea For Two
Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2011)
by Trish Perry
Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them in their teen years. They've both had scrapes with the local law.
Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack. Counselor Tina Milano meets weekly at the tea shop with her women's group. Milly encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before they get in even hotter water. Milly never thought things might heat up between Zack and Tina. Or did she?
Tina's connections with the Middleburg police department prove a mixed blessing for Zack and his kids. Both her best friend and old boyfriend are officers on the force.
And when Tina's women's group gets wind of her personal pursuits and clashes, they want to help. The group's meetings at the tea shop take on a slightly different flavor. Tina wonders who, exactly, is counseling whom.
Although heroine Tina Milano and her women's group are mentioned in The Perfect Blend (the first book in this series), Tea for Two is where we meet her and hero Zack Cooper. I knew I would write this book while I wrote the first, so it was fun to plant a passing mention of Zack and Tina while I wrote Steph's story in The Perfect Blend. By the time I was able to write Tina and Zack's story, I was eager to unfold their lives, conflicts, and love. I hope readers will be eager to experience what happens to them!
A word from our Author: I started writing short stories—pretty bad ones. And I started taking creative writing courses to round out my degree. So I was in classes full of people just like me—lousy writers. But we were learning!
Then the Lord led me to a local writers' group, Capital Christian Writers, and the contacts and friends I made through CCW enriched my personal life and my writing life more than I can measure. Through CCW and through reading just about every book and magazine ever published by Writer's Digest, I started catching on. Now I'm writing full time and man oh man do I love it.
Before the writing began, I worked for attorneys in Washington, D. C. I worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. And I was a stockbroker. A horrible stockbroker. How do people do that? Take responsibility for other people's financial futures? Yikes. I'm perfectly happy to take responsibility for the amount of time any one person wants to spend reading my books. If you enjoy the experience, then know that we both enjoyed it together. I love that about books.
In the midst of all that fretting over other people's money and writing about other people's lives, I racked up a few personal experiences myself. Some good, some bad, but all part of God's plan. Now I'm an empty nester living in Northern Virginia. My brilliantly funny son is in college. I have a savvy, gorgeous grown daughter, a charming son-in-law, and an amazing grandson.
Watch the Book Video:
Excerpt of chapter one:
Tea For TwoHarvest House Publishers (April 1, 2011)
by Trish Perry
Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them in their teen years. They've both had scrapes with the local law.
Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack. Counselor Tina Milano meets weekly at the tea shop with her women's group. Milly encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before they get in even hotter water. Milly never thought things might heat up between Zack and Tina. Or did she?
Tina's connections with the Middleburg police department prove a mixed blessing for Zack and his kids. Both her best friend and old boyfriend are officers on the force.
And when Tina's women's group gets wind of her personal pursuits and clashes, they want to help. The group's meetings at the tea shop take on a slightly different flavor. Tina wonders who, exactly, is counseling whom.
Although heroine Tina Milano and her women's group are mentioned in The Perfect Blend (the first book in this series), Tea for Two is where we meet her and hero Zack Cooper. I knew I would write this book while I wrote the first, so it was fun to plant a passing mention of Zack and Tina while I wrote Steph's story in The Perfect Blend. By the time I was able to write Tina and Zack's story, I was eager to unfold their lives, conflicts, and love. I hope readers will be eager to experience what happens to them!
A word from our Author: I started writing short stories—pretty bad ones. And I started taking creative writing courses to round out my degree. So I was in classes full of people just like me—lousy writers. But we were learning!
Then the Lord led me to a local writers' group, Capital Christian Writers, and the contacts and friends I made through CCW enriched my personal life and my writing life more than I can measure. Through CCW and through reading just about every book and magazine ever published by Writer's Digest, I started catching on. Now I'm writing full time and man oh man do I love it.
Before the writing began, I worked for attorneys in Washington, D. C. I worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. And I was a stockbroker. A horrible stockbroker. How do people do that? Take responsibility for other people's financial futures? Yikes. I'm perfectly happy to take responsibility for the amount of time any one person wants to spend reading my books. If you enjoy the experience, then know that we both enjoyed it together. I love that about books.
In the midst of all that fretting over other people's money and writing about other people's lives, I racked up a few personal experiences myself. Some good, some bad, but all part of God's plan. Now I'm an empty nester living in Northern Virginia. My brilliantly funny son is in college. I have a savvy, gorgeous grown daughter, a charming son-in-law, and an amazing grandson.
Watch the Book Video:
Excerpt of chapter one:
CHAPTER ONE
Zack Cooper wasn’t your typical male, and he knew it. He couldn’t simplify life by innately compartmentalizing its various issues. If something was wrong at home, that something tried to go with him when he left for work. And this rainy June morning, while he drove a delivery to Millicent’s Tea Shop in downtown Middleburg, that something felt like a passenger sitting right there in the front seat of his truck. Or maybe like two passengers, since his teenagers, Dylan and Sherry, were what was wrong at home.
He pulled his truck up in front of the tea shop and hurried to remove and keep dry two boxes of produce from underneath his truck bed’s tarp. A chatty group of women walked toward the front door and blocked his path toward the shop’s back door, so he waited for them to file into Milly’s. He would have tipped his baseball cap were his hands free, but they didn’t seem to notice him, anyway.
Most of the ladies shared umbrellas, squeezing together to avoid the rain. The lone woman at the end of the group, while the last to enter, somehow seemed in charge. As she neared Zack, she tilted her umbrella back to look at him.
“I’m sorry. Excuse us.”
Zack experienced a momentary ability to compartmentalize. The kids were nowhere in his mind, just for that instant. Neither was work.
This was one great looking woman. Exotic, with that dark hair and those warm brown eyes. Even though he hadn’t said a word, her lips tugged into a subtle smile, and she looked at him as if he had the driest wit imaginable.
On the contrary, he stood in the rain, holding fruit, and struggled to string words together. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I mean, yes. Or, no. No problem.”
Her eyes twinkled at him right before she turned and entered the shop.
He shook his head and spoke aloud. “Real smooth, there, Zack.” He headed around to the rear of the building.
Milly didn’t answer the back door right away. Zack figured she was up front in the dining area, greeting the same ladies he had just passed. She expected his delivery this morning, though, so she probably unlocked the door for him. He shifted the boxes to one arm and was about to reach for the door knob with the other when he heard a sweet young voice from behind.
“Who’s that handsome farmer? Locked out, are you?”
Zack turned to see Jane, Milly’s assistant, dashing across the street toward him. He grinned at her as she tossed back the hood of her slicker and shook her fair, red hair. Like Milly, Jane always managed to sound upbeat. And both of them were from somewhere in England, so Zack always loved listening to them talk.
“Morning, Jane! I’m not sure if it’s locked. Haven’t tried the knob yet, but Milly didn’t answer. I knocked with my elbow, though, so she might not have heard me.”
Jane jangled a set of keys out of her purse, even while she reached for the knob. “Ah, there we go. Not locked.”
Zack lifted his chin at her. “After you.” The moment the door opened, he could smell the irresistible pastries freshly baked or still baking in one of the shop’s ovens. He wondered if Jane could hear his stomach grumble. He’d missed breakfast this morning.
Milly walked back into the kitchen and broke into a warm smile as Jane and Zack entered.
“Sorry I’m late, Milly.” Jane removed her slicker and swiftly exchanged it for an apron. “I’ll never get used to how timid drivers get around here when a single drop of water falls from the sky.”
Milly set a serving tray on the counter and pointed to a mat near the door. “Mind you dry your shoes off so you don’t slip, Jane. You’re just in time for Tina’s group. Would you mind bringing them a pot of English Breakfast? Tina’s asked for a tray of the apple-cranberry scones. To start, anyway.”
Jane prepared the teapot, cups, and saucers. “Is Carmella with her today? I saw her over the weekend, and she said she didn’t care how early in the morning they were meeting or what else they were ordering, she planned to get some of your little berry shortcakes before leaving.”
“We’d better go ahead and whip up some cream, then.” Milly turned her attention to Zack. “Oh, Zack, I’m sorry. Here, here.” She patted the counter near the sink. “Set those right down. Such a wet morning for you! Do you have time for a cup of tea?”
She turned away and poured a cup without waiting for his answer.
“I appreciate it.” Zack set the boxes of berries, cucumbers, and watercress on the spacious counter. He was always impressed with how tidy Milly’s kitchen was, considering how much she produced in it. He removed his hat and tucked it in his back pocket. “Had another one of those mornings with the kids. Didn’t get to enjoy my morning coffee, so I could use the caffeine.” He took the delicate cup and saucer from her as if they were priceless museum pieces.
“Milk?” She stepped to the refrigerator, but he waved her off.
“No, this is great.” He glanced toward the kitchen door, the one that led into the dining area. “You’ve got a good-sized group already, I see.” He wasn’t about to ask outright about that woman he saw earlier, but he wondered if she was Tina. Or Carmella.
“Yes, this is one of my regular groups. We have a few groups that come in on a scheduled basis.”
He watched her prepare a three-tiered tray with lacy paper things and what he assumed were the scones she mentioned. His stomach growled again, and she looked up at him.
He grimaced. “Sorry.”
She smiled and pulled a chair over to the counter. “Have a seat, young man. Something tells me you missed more than your coffee this morning.”
Zack obeyed her, and she placed one of the scones on a fancy, flowered plate and retrieved a bowl of dense cream from the refrigerator.
“Here, now. You start off with that, just as my ladies out front are going to do.” She spooned a generous portion of the cream onto his plate. “We call this clotted cream. Use it like butter, only more generously. I think you’ll like it. And if you want to try the little berry shortcakes Jane was talking about, you’ll have to stick around a few minutes. Interested?”
He shook his head as he bit into the amazingly perfect pastry. “Mmm.” Apple cranberry. His new favorite combination. He quickly swallowed and washed it down with tea. “Can’t stay, no. But wow, that’s something!” He held up what was left of the scone. “I need to make a few more deliveries this morning before heading home. I got off to a late start.”
Milly had resumed her work, spooning the thick cream into a serving bowl. “You said the kids gave you a rough morning. Is everything all right?”
He shrugged his shoulders as he swallowed another warm, savory bite. Without his asking, Milly placed another scone on his plate. “Thanks, Milly. No more after that. I really have to go.” He sighed. “I don’t know. Seems like one day Dylan and Sherry thought I was terrific. Their hero. And then suddenly I’m the enemy. We don’t seem to be able to get through a single conversation without getting into an argument.”
“Typical teenaged issues?” Milly stopped working. “How old are they now?”
“Dylan’s seventeen. Sherry’s fifteen-going-on-get-lost-Dad.”
Milly smiled. “I’m sure they—”
Jane walked back into the kitchen. “You have those scones, Milly? Oh, great. Thanks.” She took the tray and bowl of cream from Milly and grinned. “I was right. Carmella’s already talked several of them into adding the shortcakes to today’s order.”
“I’ll get on it.” Milly turned toward the refrigerator, and Zack stood. He hadn’t finished his scones, but he had taken up enough of her time.
“Let me get out of your way, Milly.”
“No, hold on a minute, Zack. Sit and finish. I want to give you a few goodies to bring home to the kids. We’ll have them calling you a hero again in no time.”
He smiled and sat for awhile longer. “Thanks.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know how much of the problem is teenaged growing pains and how much of it is the aftermath of their mother’s leaving. I’ve never dealt with teenagers before.”
Milly nodded and placed several pastries in a box. “I wondered about that, too. How long since Maya left?”
“Four years ago. Still not a word from her, but I’ve heard through the grapevine she’s moved on from the guy she left with. Different guy now. I can understand her leaving me. I just don’t know why a mother would leave her kids like that.”
Milly placed the box on the counter. “I imagine Dylan and Sherry wonder the same thing. Poor dears.”
Zack’s cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his shirt pocket. “‘Scuse me, Milly.”
His caller ID made him frown. It was smack in the middle of the school day.
“Dylan? Aren’t you supposed to stay off the phone during school hours?”
“Um, I’m not at school. I, I need you to come get me.”
Zack stood. “Now what? Please tell me you didn’t skip class again.”
“Dad, I’m at the police station. I’ve been arrested.”
Zack Cooper wasn’t your typical male, and he knew it. He couldn’t simplify life by innately compartmentalizing its various issues. If something was wrong at home, that something tried to go with him when he left for work. And this rainy June morning, while he drove a delivery to Millicent’s Tea Shop in downtown Middleburg, that something felt like a passenger sitting right there in the front seat of his truck. Or maybe like two passengers, since his teenagers, Dylan and Sherry, were what was wrong at home.
He pulled his truck up in front of the tea shop and hurried to remove and keep dry two boxes of produce from underneath his truck bed’s tarp. A chatty group of women walked toward the front door and blocked his path toward the shop’s back door, so he waited for them to file into Milly’s. He would have tipped his baseball cap were his hands free, but they didn’t seem to notice him, anyway.
Most of the ladies shared umbrellas, squeezing together to avoid the rain. The lone woman at the end of the group, while the last to enter, somehow seemed in charge. As she neared Zack, she tilted her umbrella back to look at him.
“I’m sorry. Excuse us.”
Zack experienced a momentary ability to compartmentalize. The kids were nowhere in his mind, just for that instant. Neither was work.
This was one great looking woman. Exotic, with that dark hair and those warm brown eyes. Even though he hadn’t said a word, her lips tugged into a subtle smile, and she looked at him as if he had the driest wit imaginable.
On the contrary, he stood in the rain, holding fruit, and struggled to string words together. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I mean, yes. Or, no. No problem.”
Her eyes twinkled at him right before she turned and entered the shop.
He shook his head and spoke aloud. “Real smooth, there, Zack.” He headed around to the rear of the building.
Milly didn’t answer the back door right away. Zack figured she was up front in the dining area, greeting the same ladies he had just passed. She expected his delivery this morning, though, so she probably unlocked the door for him. He shifted the boxes to one arm and was about to reach for the door knob with the other when he heard a sweet young voice from behind.
“Who’s that handsome farmer? Locked out, are you?”
Zack turned to see Jane, Milly’s assistant, dashing across the street toward him. He grinned at her as she tossed back the hood of her slicker and shook her fair, red hair. Like Milly, Jane always managed to sound upbeat. And both of them were from somewhere in England, so Zack always loved listening to them talk.
“Morning, Jane! I’m not sure if it’s locked. Haven’t tried the knob yet, but Milly didn’t answer. I knocked with my elbow, though, so she might not have heard me.”
Jane jangled a set of keys out of her purse, even while she reached for the knob. “Ah, there we go. Not locked.”
Zack lifted his chin at her. “After you.” The moment the door opened, he could smell the irresistible pastries freshly baked or still baking in one of the shop’s ovens. He wondered if Jane could hear his stomach grumble. He’d missed breakfast this morning.
Milly walked back into the kitchen and broke into a warm smile as Jane and Zack entered.
“Sorry I’m late, Milly.” Jane removed her slicker and swiftly exchanged it for an apron. “I’ll never get used to how timid drivers get around here when a single drop of water falls from the sky.”
Milly set a serving tray on the counter and pointed to a mat near the door. “Mind you dry your shoes off so you don’t slip, Jane. You’re just in time for Tina’s group. Would you mind bringing them a pot of English Breakfast? Tina’s asked for a tray of the apple-cranberry scones. To start, anyway.”
Jane prepared the teapot, cups, and saucers. “Is Carmella with her today? I saw her over the weekend, and she said she didn’t care how early in the morning they were meeting or what else they were ordering, she planned to get some of your little berry shortcakes before leaving.”
“We’d better go ahead and whip up some cream, then.” Milly turned her attention to Zack. “Oh, Zack, I’m sorry. Here, here.” She patted the counter near the sink. “Set those right down. Such a wet morning for you! Do you have time for a cup of tea?”
She turned away and poured a cup without waiting for his answer.
“I appreciate it.” Zack set the boxes of berries, cucumbers, and watercress on the spacious counter. He was always impressed with how tidy Milly’s kitchen was, considering how much she produced in it. He removed his hat and tucked it in his back pocket. “Had another one of those mornings with the kids. Didn’t get to enjoy my morning coffee, so I could use the caffeine.” He took the delicate cup and saucer from her as if they were priceless museum pieces.
“Milk?” She stepped to the refrigerator, but he waved her off.
“No, this is great.” He glanced toward the kitchen door, the one that led into the dining area. “You’ve got a good-sized group already, I see.” He wasn’t about to ask outright about that woman he saw earlier, but he wondered if she was Tina. Or Carmella.
“Yes, this is one of my regular groups. We have a few groups that come in on a scheduled basis.”
He watched her prepare a three-tiered tray with lacy paper things and what he assumed were the scones she mentioned. His stomach growled again, and she looked up at him.
He grimaced. “Sorry.”
She smiled and pulled a chair over to the counter. “Have a seat, young man. Something tells me you missed more than your coffee this morning.”
Zack obeyed her, and she placed one of the scones on a fancy, flowered plate and retrieved a bowl of dense cream from the refrigerator.
“Here, now. You start off with that, just as my ladies out front are going to do.” She spooned a generous portion of the cream onto his plate. “We call this clotted cream. Use it like butter, only more generously. I think you’ll like it. And if you want to try the little berry shortcakes Jane was talking about, you’ll have to stick around a few minutes. Interested?”
He shook his head as he bit into the amazingly perfect pastry. “Mmm.” Apple cranberry. His new favorite combination. He quickly swallowed and washed it down with tea. “Can’t stay, no. But wow, that’s something!” He held up what was left of the scone. “I need to make a few more deliveries this morning before heading home. I got off to a late start.”
Milly had resumed her work, spooning the thick cream into a serving bowl. “You said the kids gave you a rough morning. Is everything all right?”
He shrugged his shoulders as he swallowed another warm, savory bite. Without his asking, Milly placed another scone on his plate. “Thanks, Milly. No more after that. I really have to go.” He sighed. “I don’t know. Seems like one day Dylan and Sherry thought I was terrific. Their hero. And then suddenly I’m the enemy. We don’t seem to be able to get through a single conversation without getting into an argument.”
“Typical teenaged issues?” Milly stopped working. “How old are they now?”
“Dylan’s seventeen. Sherry’s fifteen-going-on-get-lost-Dad.”
Milly smiled. “I’m sure they—”
Jane walked back into the kitchen. “You have those scones, Milly? Oh, great. Thanks.” She took the tray and bowl of cream from Milly and grinned. “I was right. Carmella’s already talked several of them into adding the shortcakes to today’s order.”
“I’ll get on it.” Milly turned toward the refrigerator, and Zack stood. He hadn’t finished his scones, but he had taken up enough of her time.
“Let me get out of your way, Milly.”
“No, hold on a minute, Zack. Sit and finish. I want to give you a few goodies to bring home to the kids. We’ll have them calling you a hero again in no time.”
He smiled and sat for awhile longer. “Thanks.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know how much of the problem is teenaged growing pains and how much of it is the aftermath of their mother’s leaving. I’ve never dealt with teenagers before.”
Milly nodded and placed several pastries in a box. “I wondered about that, too. How long since Maya left?”
“Four years ago. Still not a word from her, but I’ve heard through the grapevine she’s moved on from the guy she left with. Different guy now. I can understand her leaving me. I just don’t know why a mother would leave her kids like that.”
Milly placed the box on the counter. “I imagine Dylan and Sherry wonder the same thing. Poor dears.”
Zack’s cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his shirt pocket. “‘Scuse me, Milly.”
His caller ID made him frown. It was smack in the middle of the school day.
“Dylan? Aren’t you supposed to stay off the phone during school hours?”
“Um, I’m not at school. I, I need you to come get me.”
Zack stood. “Now what? Please tell me you didn’t skip class again.”
“Dad, I’m at the police station. I’ve been arrested.”
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