Chapter 1 Rose
Present Day
“Bye Wilfred!” I yell out to my beautiful cockatiel, blowing him a kiss. Running out the door I snag a granola bar and stop in my tracks at the scene before me. The morning fog rolls like waves over the lake, swirling and dancing in an intricate choreographed design. Glancing up and down the distant shoreline, I’m struck by how quickly summer is moving in. The grass is greening up, birds are chirping, and the air finally has a warmth to it after months of the bitter cold. Savoring my stolen moment, I soak in nature’s beauty, breathe deeply, and hop into my warmed-up car.
Even after living here for all my life, being on the shore of Lake Superior always seems to catch me by surprise. Tourists love the views, the nature, the summers, but they don’t always get to experience the ways the lake changes—the sheer enormity of her, her moods, her angry storms, her strength. At least today it looks like she’s calm and gorgeous.
I need to message Elle about setting up another hike or kayak trip.
Taking the longer, scenic route down the coast, I decide to take a few extra minutes to breathe in more of the lake’s peace. It will likely be my last moment of quiet before the rush of the day ensues. My little store is one of the big loves of my life, but it definitely makes my days a little crazy.
When I started dreaming of opening my own tea and book shop, I knew I wanted it to be in town. While I don’t love being around people too much, and prefer the company of the lake and trees, I love when others get to be together, enjoying community, and just never imagined things would take off like they have.
Growing up, my favorite memories were those of my family or friends spending time together at home, or near the lake. So, it was important for me to create a place where the locals can come to mix with tourists, to read, get together, talk, drink tea (of course), and thus, Morning Tea Bookery was born. I try to have a little of everything: different book genres, tea types, bakery items, and more, so everyone can find something they love.
A glance at the clock tells me I’m late, as my car pulls into the gravel parking lot, hitting what seems like every pothole along the way. Looking up, I see Lucy standing by the door. Her dark eyes flash to the car and she waves, smiling, somehow, with her entire body. Her sweater and fleece are pulled tightly around herself, covering her plethora of intricate tattoos, and her feet shuffle around to keep warm.
“Sorry I’m late!” I yell as I grab my things and hustle towards the door.
Her brows are slightly furrowed and I can’t decide if it’s from the cold or something else I hadn’t noticed. She’s usually so bright and cheery no matter what, so I give her my best “I’m sorry” look and hope she forgives me for running behind.
“That’s okay, how are you?” Lucy gives me another of her amazing smiles and holds one of my bags as I search for my keys. Maybe I imagined the eyebrows . . . “Did you see how pretty she is this morning?” She angles her head towards the lake.
“I’m good. And yes, it’s a gorgeous day.”
Lucy nods. Once the keys have been located in the mess I call a purse, I quickly unlock the door and let us in, turning on the fireplace for some added warmth.
“I promise to get you your own key one of these days. Would you like Jasmine again today, or Earl Grey?” I ask as I fluff some cushions on one of our couches and open the blinds to let in the morning sun.
“I’ll do Jasmine, I think. Thank you.” Lucy gestures to some boxes sitting on one of the tables. “There’s an order of those new teapots and that book you had on backorder sitting over here.”
“Perfect. If there’s time before we open, let’s try to get those out.” We both shuffle around in tandem, jumping right into prepping for customers.
“No Wilfred today?”
“No, I think I’ll bring him in tomorrow though.” Wilfred and I found each other right after I finished college. I was heading home, planning out everything for the shop, and was overwhelmed and wanted a distraction. He helped me through it all and added a little beautiful chaos to my days. Now I can’t imagine a day without his precious squawks and chirps.
I hired Lucy as my assistant a few months back and she has been a godsend. She’s so on top of things, organized, and great with customers. I always thought it would just be me running the shop, but when things got busy, I knew I couldn’t handle it all by myself anymore. Lucy and I were roommates for all four years of college and were inseparable. She loves the North Shore and I knew she was interested in living around Raspberry Falls after traveling post graduation, so it was a perfect match—even if it was a few years later than Lucy would have liked. It’s been great having her around again and she fits right in, like she grew up here, too. Once she moved up, she also instantly took to my cockatiel, Wilfred, which only confirmed what I already knew. He only likes the best people after all.
“Hey, did anything odd happen while I was gone?” Lucy asks suddenly, making me jump a little. I raise an eyebrow, eyeing her over the box of books and kettle I’m filling.
“Oh man, in my rush I completely forgot! How was your trip? Did you get that new tattoo while you were in Duluth?”
“No, I think I will next time . . . So, nothing out of the ordinary here?” She looks away and busys herself with lighting a candle and setting out our pastry delivery. My nose takes in the glorious smell of the buttery croissants and scones.
“Nothing I can think of.” I sigh, feeling a little exasperated with everything left to do before we open. What would have happened, anyway? Nothing happens here. “Was something supposed to happen?”
It’s her turn to raise her eyebrows at me now. Eyes moving around quickly as I give her a knowing look. She’s hiding something, I’m sure of it. “No, just wondering.” She sighs as I move on to stocking our teas and getting our new books on the shelves. Before I even finish, Lucy unlocks the door and the bell on our door rings with the day’s first customers, including one of my dearest friends.
“Hi, Chloe! Here to pick up your weekly order?”
Her dark, curly hair bounces as she walks up to the counter. She always looks put together, but today her maxi dress and gold hoop earrings are on another level.
“Yes, please! And some of those new almond lavender scones if you have them from the bakery. Where’s Wilfred this morning?”
Chloe’s eyes flick to Wilfred’s cage and she frowns sadly, her eyebrows bunch in disappointment. She owns the inn just down the road with her family and always likes to have an assortment of our teas and baked goods on hand for her guests. It helps both of us out—her guests are happy and it brings in more business for me as well.
“I was running late and couldn’t get him ready to come in this morning. Probably tomorrow though. How are things at the B&B?”
“Good, just busy with the warmer weather picking up. Everyone and their mother is trying to get up here right now.” She looks around at our quickly filling lobby and giggles. Lowering her voice, she asks, “Are you still coming tonight? I picked up some wine.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. Kate’s, at eight, right?” Chloe and my other closest friends are planning a get-together at Kate’s house tonight. Nothing big, just a little wine and friend time. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together and a smile appears on my face just thinking of getting to see everyone again. We’ve all been through a lot of changes since we were kids and it has meant so much to have a supportive group of friends to stick together through all of life’s changes. It will be good to see them again.
Chloe nods before adding, “Thanks, Rose. See you later.”
Waving goodbye, I set about prepping for the rest of the day. My mind circles back to the conversation with Lucy, what could she have thought would have happened while she was away? I’m about to ask her about it again, but quickly forget when more guests step up to the counter.
Guess it’s going to be that kind of day.