A Cuppa Trouble

  A CUPPA TROUBLE

  Book Two in the CafFUNated Mysteries

  By

  Angela Ruth Strong

  A Cuppa Trouble

  Published by Mountain Brook Ink

  White Salmon, WA U.S.A.

  All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.

  The website addresses shown in this book are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of Mountain Brook Ink, nor do we vouch for their content.

  This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

  The author is represented by and this book is published in association with the literary agency of WordServe Literary Group, Ltd.,

  www.wordserveliterary.com

  Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

  © 2019 Angela Ruth Strong

  The Team: Miralee Ferrell, Nikki Wright, Cindy Jackson

  Cover Design: Allison Phythian and Indie Cover Design, Lynnette Bonner Designer

  Mountain Brook Ink is an inspirational publisher offering fiction you can believe in.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Author’s Note

  Sneak Peek at Book Three

  Dedication

  Aimee, I’m so glad you were my very first friend

  and that we are still friends today.

  Acknowledgments

  I’m surrounded by so many people who have held my hand through hard times, cheered me on in good times, and forgiven my mistakes in confusing times. This list could get super long, so I’ll keep it simple. Besides my family, friends, publisher, literary agency, writing group, church, and readers, who I will continue to thank with every book, there are two people I want to specifically acknowledge here:

  Lissa Forrey is one of the best listeners I’ve ever met. It’s only appropriate that she inspired my character Billie, who teaches communication skills to Tandy and Marissa in A Cuppa Trouble. I also appreciate how understanding she is when I accidentally call her “Billie” from time to time.

  Paul Nobrega was a trainer for Focus Seminars. He not only taught me in the training room, but he’s made himself available to help in my own personal growth…and in the growth of my characters. His philosophy is as brilliant as his live tweets on award shows.

  I truly believe we become stronger when we are there for each other, meaning it’s taken more than my husband to make me Mrs. Strong. Thank you all.

  Chapter One

  “I’m turning on the heat.” Tandy rubbed her hands together while standing behind the brick counter tucked underneath the loft that would soon hold Marissa’s frou-frou tea parties. “And I don’t mean on the espresso machine.”

  Marissa flipped the sign from closed to open in the bay window of their new shop, Caffeine Conundrum, on their first day of business. “You may get the early crowd with all the Type A personalities to buy your coffee, but this afternoon, the dignified tea drinkers will come in to try my crumpets.”

  Tandy arched her eyebrows. She hadn’t realized she was going into business with an elderly British woman. “You made crumpets? No wonder we don’t have any customers yet.”

  Marissa wrinkled her nose at Tandy before staring out at the falling snow. “It’s this weather. Beautiful but dangerous.”

  Marissa might as well have been describing herself. Tandy’s business partner had already spilled water and slipped in the spill that morning. Tandy refrained from making any jokes because the large wet spot on Marissa’s rear pretty much said it all.

  “Someone’s coming.” Marissa turned and dashed straight into a chair. Thankfully she caught herself against a table and was able to join Tandy at the counter without injury.

  Tandy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing as she peered outside to discern whether the first customer Marissa noticed would be a coffee or tea drinker. “Oh…” She pointed toward the tubby man turning the corner. “He’s wearing coveralls. He’s mine.”

  Marissa tossed her long blonde waves over a shoulder. “You underestimate my skills as a sales lady.”

  Tandy rolled her eyes. Would the men of Grace Springs really start drinking tea because the hostess was gorgeous? She’d like to think better of men than that.

  The door swung open with a gust of icy air, and the man in question stomped his feet on the mat.

  “Jumpsuit George.” Marissa greeted him with all the energy of all the green tea in all the world. “You’re our first customer.”

  The man took off his gloves and looked around at the wood floors, white walls, brick accents, exposed beams, metal table tops, and fenced off corner for canine customers. “The place looks nice. I expected you to make it more girly, Marissa, but I’m glad you didn’t. Then it would be awkward for me to stop in for my morning cup of joe.”

  Tandy adjusted the messy bun on top of her head, ready for business. “Large black coffee?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Marissa narrowed her eyes at Tandy before beaming up at their first customer. “The ground floor has more of an urban feel to it. Upstairs will be decorated with chandeliers and roses for those who appreciate classic taste. It’ll open this weekend on Valentine’s Day.”

  Tandy would avoid going upstairs at all costs, except, of course, for The Dating Game they’d be hosting on opening night as a fundraiser to fight heart disease. She and Greg would have to go up there to show the town that they were the closest couple in Grace Springs. Even if Marissa and her boyfriend were rom/com cover material.

  She grabbed a mug. “For here or to go?”

  “I need it to go.” The man cleared his throat and faced Tandy, his hazel eyes widening in what she assumed to be relief that she’d gotten him out of talking about roses and Valentine’s.

  She returned the smooth white mug to its tray in favor of the paper cups they’d had designed with their company logo of a coffee bean next to a tea bag. “Headed to work?”

  “Yep.” The man removed his beanie to scratch his balding head. “This weather may be bad for your business, but it keeps me hopping. I already pulled a car out of the snow this morning, and I’m in the middle of towing it to the body shop. I can’t believe anybody would try to drive a vintage Corvette in these conditions.”

  Marissa laughed. “Randon Evans?”

  Warm steam condensed on Tandy’s hand as she poured her favorite brew. From what she remembered of the local hipster’s bragging, he’d purchased a vehicle based on it being rated best-in-snow. “I thought he drove a Subaru.”

  The tow truck driver shrugged. “He does, but it appears he doesn’t know what to do with all the money he’s making from his phone app software, so he started collecting cars. This one is really impressive. I checked it out for
him before he bought it. It’s the prototype built of the very first Corvette ever made. All steel body. Worth a pretty penny. A shame he left it stranded on the side of the road when it got stuck.”

  “Good night.” Tandy couldn’t imagine having such money, but she imagined that if she did, she wouldn’t spend it on something so ostentatious.

  A timer rang in the kitchen behind them, and Marissa pivoted on the stacked heel of her burgundy boot to check on whatever buttery-scented concoction she had baking. Crumpets couldn’t smell that good, could they? “Wait one second, and I’ll let you be the first to try my crumpets.”

  Maybe they were actually tasty, but once Marissa disappeared into the back room, the man rolled his eyes and muttered, “Do I have to try it?”

  Tandy fitted a plastic lid to the cup and handed it to him. “I think I like you. I’m Tandy Brandt, by the way.”

  The man took the cup and sipped. “I think I really like you. I’m George Knibbs.”

  Marissa’s boots click-clacked into the room, and she held out a shiny new plate with a small, thick, bubbly-looking pancake in the middle. “I call him Jumpsuit George because…” She motioned to his ensemble. “I surprisingly like the color of this jumpsuit. Navy is the new black, you know. Tandy, you should try it sometime.”

  Tandy clicked her tongue. “Black is the color of coffee. You can’t go wrong with black.”

  George took another sip. Probably fuel to make a quick getaway. If the man didn’t want to discuss Valentine’s, then he definitely didn’t want to discuss fashion. “Marissa, like I’ve been telling you, if anyone is going to try something new, you need to try a jumpsuit. They are comfortable, and also, if you’re wearing a jumpsuit, it wouldn’t matter if you spill tea on yourself. I’ve got an extra one out in my truck if you want.”

  Tandy turned sideways to face her business partner and grinned. “Yeah, Marissa. Try a jumpsuit.”

  Marissa shot her a pseudo scathing look before pretending to ignore her. “I don’t want to keep you any longer, George, as I know you’ve got work to do. Shall I put this crumpet in a bag?”

  George lowered his chin and voice. “Sweetie, I really don’t want to try your fancy flapjack any more than you want to wear coveralls.”

  Marissa blinked. Or could she be fluttering her eyelashes? “But it’s good. I know you’ll like it if you try it.”

  “Back at ya.”

  Marissa stood taller. Her eyelash flutter hadn’t worked. “Fine. Get me the jumpsuit, and I’ll put the crumpet in a bag.”

  George tilted his head in what appeared to be confusion. Apparently he’d never thought this day would come. But then, neither had Tandy.

  She shooed him into action. “Go, George, go. Before she changes her mind.”

  George shrugged a shoulder. “A deal’s a deal.” He set his coffee down and headed out the door to retrieve the coveralls in question.

  Marissa leaned closer as soon as he was out of earshot. “Do you think he said that part about spilling tea because of the wet spot on my jeans?”

  Tandy pressed her lips together to hold back the belly laughs rumbling around inside. “Perhaps. But even if he didn’t, you have to consider how much money a jumpsuit could save you in dry cleaning.”

  Marissa eyed her up and down. “That’s really why you always wear black, isn’t it?”

  Tandy twisted her lips in thought. She’d never considered wearing anything other than black, but if she wore a lighter color, would she suddenly realize she was as messy as Marissa? “You know if the jumpsuit is black, I’m gonna wanna wear it myself, right? It’ll go with my motorcycle boots and leather choker.”

  Marissa’s cappuccino brown eyes widened in horror.

  The bell over the door chimed, and Tandy spun to see what color jumpsuit George had brought Marissa. Only it wasn’t George at the door. It was Connor, wearing his tool belt and a hairstyle that either required a lot of hair paste or naturally looked that messy when he rolled out of bed. Knowing Connor, he’d never even heard of hair paste before.

  Marissa clapped at the sight of her boyfriend. “This customer is mine.” She grabbed a paper cup and opened the mini-fridge for milk. “Connor, I’m going to make you tea the way they make it in Chile. Miss Universe taught me at that pageant I judged last month. I want to know what you think before I add it to the menu.”

  Connor eyed the milk dubiously then slid a quick glance Tandy’s way.

  Tandy placed a hand on her hip. “He doesn’t count as your customer if he doesn’t pay.”

  “Connor counts double.”

  Marissa had no idea how true her statement was. Tandy grabbed a paper cup to combine regular coffee with a shot of espresso, knowing the beverage Connor really wanted to drink was called a Black Eye. Once the contractor finished their renovation, he wouldn’t have an excuse to use a paper cup anymore, and the two of them wouldn’t get away with their secret little exchanges.

  Marissa worked beside her, steaming milk. “You giving yourself an extra shot of espresso to keep up with me?”

  Tandy fitted the lid to her cup and held it by her heart rather than take a sip. “Everyone needs espresso to keep up with you.” Especially Connor.

  Marissa filled her cup three-fourths full with milk then added tea from a floral tea pot with a jarringly bright turquoise spout. She handed the cup to Connor and stepped back with a proud smile.

  Connor nodded thanks, his gray eyes sparkling at Marissa. It was cute to see how much the man adored his girlfriend despite how different they were. He didn’t even have to say a word for his infatuation to show.

  Marissa nodded toward his hands. “Aren’t you going to try it?”

  Connor didn’t move. “I don’t want to burn my tongue.” Impressive how quickly he came up with such a great excuse, though it could also be true.

  A snort escaped before Tandy could stop it.

  Marissa looked over her shoulder. “What?”

  George returned. Saved by the bell.

  Tandy pointed to the jumpsuit in George’s hand. It was brown, which would almost be worse than black for her business partner. “Connor doesn’t know what you are trying yet, Marissa.”

  The other woman’s gaze landed on the garment folded in George’s hands, and she visibly recoiled. “Connor has work to do in the loft.” She stood on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Go ahead, honey. I’ll come up later to find out what you think of my tea.”

  Connor didn’t go anywhere. He looked from person to person, and once George gripped the shoulders of the coveralls to let the legs unfold toward the ground, the confusion on his face morphed into curiosity. “I’m in no rush.” He leaned against the counter.

  Tandy joined him. As Marissa stepped toward George, they were free to switch cups behind her back. They did so with practiced precision. Connor soundlessly clinked his cup of coffee against the cup of tea in Tandy’s hand and took a gulp.

  His shoulders relaxed. Tandy knew that feeling well.

  George held out the jumpsuit.

  Marissa pinched the edges gingerly and lifted it away from her body like a dirty diaper.

  The bell over the door chimed again, announcing Billie, the older Asian woman who owned the antique store across the street. “Wow, you girls are busy already, and it’s barely seven a.m.”

  “Hi, Billie.” Tandy didn’t consider one paying customer to be the definition of busy, but Billie was always completely genuine in her optimism. Tandy loved her for it.

  Marissa would love her even more for this distraction. “Yes, we are busy. George, I’ll have to try your jumpsuit on later.”

  “Sure.” George sent Tandy a smug smile. He obviously didn’t believe Marissa for a second. “I’ve got to get back to work too. Congrats on the new shop, ladies.”

  Tandy waved. “Thanks, George. Nice to meet you.” She would have preferred he stayed and made Marissa model for them, but as this was the grand opening of Caffeine Conundrum, she should focus on her job. She rou
nded the edge of the counter and lifted her cup toward the waste basket to free her hands for taking Billie’s order.

  “Tandy,” Marissa hissed, stopping her in her tracks.

  Tandy glanced up, her muscles flexing with a surge of adrenaline. Perhaps residual panic from when their lives were threatened in this very building a couple months ago. Though, at the moment, Marissa was likely only horrified by the thought of wearing a jumpsuit. “What?” Tandy asked anyway.

  Marissa jutted her chin toward the cup in Tandy’s hand, mistaking it for the cup of coffee she’d thought Tandy made for herself. “Aren’t you going to drink that?”

  Oops.

  Connor covered his mouth as if to hide a grin then escaped up the stairs. If he let Tandy take the fall like this, she’d be better off giving him a real “black eye.” But she’d have to deal with him later. Right now she needed to think fast.

  What could she say? “I’ve already had two coffees this morning, and I’m starting to feel nervous.” Completely true. Though her jumpiness wasn’t from caffeine so much as from the thought of Marissa finding out what was inside her cup.

  Marissa crossed her arms, her new jumpsuit hanging from one hand. “Do you not remember the rant you went on when I almost threw away a couple of your leftover coffee beans? You said it was wasteful, and we needed to cherish our goods the way we want our customer to cherish them.”

  Yes, Tandy had said that. But she hadn’t been thinking of tea at the time. Of course, Marissa didn’t know she was holding tea. “You’re right.” She pulled the cup back to her chest. Now what?

  “What are you going to do with it?”

  Tandy paused, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to appease this monster to save Connor’s soul. “Drink it?” she guessed.

  “Only if you think it’s worth drinking.”

  Gah. Tandy was cornered by her own words. Slowly, she raised the cup to her lips.