Sweet Tea & Wedding Rings Read online

  Also by Rachel Hanna

  January Cove Series

  Waiting For You

  The One For Me

  Loving Tessa

  Falling For You

  Finding Love

  All I Need

  Secrets And Soulmates

  Choices Of The Heart

  Sweet Love

  Faith, Hope & Love

  Spying On The Billionaire

  Second Chance Christmas

  The January Cove Series Books 1-5 Box Set

  South Carolina Sunsets

  The Beach House

  Sunsets & Second Chances

  Fireflies & Family Ties

  The Inn At Seagrove

  The Wedding At Seagrove

  A Seagrove Christmas

  Lighthouse Cove (Coming Soon)

  Sweet Tea B&B

  Sweet Tea Sunrise

  Sweet Tea & Honey Bees

  Sweet Tea & Wedding Rings (Coming Soon)

  Sweet Tea B&B

  Whiskey Ridge

  Starting Over

  Taking Chances

  Home Again

  Always A Bridesmaid

  The Billionaire's Retreat

  Whiskey Ridge Boxed Set Books 1-3

  Standalone

  Back To Us

  Blue Ridge Christmas

  Wisteria Island (Coming Soon)

  Sweet Tea & Wedding Rings

  Rachel Hanna

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Kate scooped a spoonful of Sweet Charlene’s Honey out of the jar and dumped it into her cup of tea. She loved drinking out of these antique cups that Mia said belonged to their great grandmother. They were so delicate that she was afraid she’d drop one and break it, but she adored looking at them with their little blue flowers. Smaller than modern tea cups and coffee mugs, they barely held a few sips, but she didn’t mind refilling her cup when needed.

  Today’s tea was a blend of autumn flavors with hints of orange and ginger. A longtime coffee drinker, she’d started enjoying more hot tea now that they owned a honey company. There was just something about tea with honey. It was soothing to her soul.

  “Care for some tea with your honey?” Mia joked. She was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking her own cup of tea, although she still preferred coffee.

  “You’re one to talk! This isn’t nearly as potent as that sweet tea you drink with practically every meal. I’m surprised you aren’t bouncing off the ceiling all the time!”

  Mia laughed. “You get used to it when you’re raised that way. Momma used to put sweet tea in my baby bottle. In fact, I have a picture of me walking around with it hanging out of my mouth, clutching that little rubber nipple with my front teeth.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “Have you been checked for diabetes?”

  “Oh, hush!”

  “Coffee, I need coffee…” Evie said, stomping down the stairs, her fluffy bunny slippers not helping to soften her footsteps. Her hair, sticking up all over the place, showed what a fitful night of sleep she’d apparently had.

  “Sorry, sweetie, but we only have tea this morning.”

  Evie glared at her mother, her eyes red. “Seriously? Who drinks this much tea?”

  “I think it’s better for you,” Kate said.

  Evie groaned. “I need coffee. Stat.”

  Mia stood up and took Evie’s hand, leading her to the breakfast bar. “Sit down. I’ll make you a cup.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Mia. At least someone around here loves me.”

  Kate chuckled. “Yes, you really live a rough life. Why are you so tired, anyway?”

  “I can’t seem to get my sleep schedule back on track. At Dad’s house, the kids would stay up until all hours. Now, I need to get back on schedule before school starts next week.”

  “Good idea,” Mia said as she poured water into the coffeemaker.

  “Do we have guests?” Evie asked, laying her forehead on the counter. She always asked, mainly so she knew whether she had to be on her best behavior or could walk around the house looking like a troll.

  “Nope. Our busy season is over until after Halloween, so we probably won’t see many people these next few weeks while school starts back. Gives us time to work on the honey business and take a break from the summer rush,” Kate said, carefully washing her teacup and then setting it on the drying rack.

  “Good.”

  “Not good,” Mia interjected. “We need guests to pay money so we can keep this place open.”

  “Don’t worry, sis. The new business is doing pretty good, so it will take up most of the slack until we get more reservations.”

  “Still, I wish we could get our name out there more. This is a B&B, after all. With no guests, we’re just a big, costly house.”

  “Coffee…” Evie groaned again as she lightly tapped her forehead on the counter.

  “It’s coming,” Mia said with a laugh. “Hang in there.”

  Just as Kate was walking toward the living room to sit down, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. “Hello?”

  “Is this Kate Miller?”

  The voice on the other end was female, and she sounded very official. “Yes, it is. Who is this?”

  “Hi, Kate. My name is Carmen Spencer. I’m the editor of Grits And Glory Magazine.”

  Kate froze in place. Grits And Glory Magazine was the premier southern magazine, having been founded just two years previous. Everyone raved about the travel, decor and food related articles in the magazine, and it was a coup to be featured in it. But she had no idea why this woman was calling her.

  “Oh wow. Nice to meet you,” Kate stammered, feeling like an idiot.

  “And you as well. Listen, we’ve heard about Sweet Charlene’s Honey and sampled it recently.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. Turns out one of our interns was visiting family in your area this summer and picked up a jar at a festival. She brought some back to give to our taste testers and then to me. It’s amazing!”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “I mean, I’ve always thought that honey is honey, you know? But there’s something different about this honey. What’s your secret?”

  Kate laughed. “I guess we just have good bees.” What a dumb answer, she thought to herself.

  “My reason for calling is that we’d like to do a feature story in the magazine.”

  “Really?” Kate’s excitement caught Mia’s interest. She slid a cup of coffee over to Evie, who had already dozed off with her head on the counter.

  “What?” Mia whispered. Kate waved her away.

  “Yes. But it would require one of our writers to come stay at your B&B for a few days to interview you and take some photos. Would that be possible?”

  Kate’s cheeks hurt from grinning. “Absolutely!”

  “Great. How about sometime late next week?”

  “That would be fantastic. We’ll have a room ready!”

  “Okay, great. I’ll send you an email with some details and confirmation. Sound good?”

  “Sounds wonderful. And thank you so much for calling!” As Kate pressed end, she stood there stunned.

  “What was that about?” Mia asked.

  Kate smiled. “Our lives are about to change.”

  Mia stared out over the mountains in front of her. They never ceased to amaze her
. The best description she’d ever come up with was a blanket of blue carpet. That’s what it looked like to her. Of course, those blues and greens would soon turn to yellow and orange as fall approached. She loved when that happened too. It meant more tourists, which was great for business, but it also gave her such a sense of peace.

  Her mother had loved fall, with its crisp temperatures and beautiful views. They would often drive up and down the adjoining mountains, taking in each view like they’d never seen it before. She had photo albums full of pictures of her and her momma standing in front of those views. The tourists they met along the Blue Ridge Parkway were always more than willing to snap a photo for them. How she cherished those pictures now.

  “What about this one?” Travis asked, holding his phone in front of her. She pulled her gaze away from the landscape in front of her and looked down at his phone.

  “That one is beautiful. I love how you captured the orange color in the sunset and that purple tinge the mountains sometimes get in late day.”

  Travis smiled. “You’re sounding like a real art critic.”

  “What can I say? I’m a woman of many talents,” she said, laughing. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “Want me to name some other talents you have?”

  Mia shook her head. “No. I want to eat this picnic basket full of food I made. I’m starving!”

  They sat at one of their favorite spots overlooking a valley, a patchwork quilt underneath them. It was still warm enough to enjoy a picnic, even in the late afternoon. In a few weeks, that wouldn’t be the case.

  “What’d you bring?” he asked as she opened the enormous picnic basket she’d gotten as a Christmas present from Kate.

  “Well, I made Momma’s famous chicken salad with walnuts and pineapple.”

  “Yum.”

  “I put it in these pita pockets I bought. And I brought potato salad with that tangy mustard dressing.”

  “Sweet tea?” Travis asked, hope in his voice.

  Mia stared at him. “Who do you think I am? Of course I brought sweet tea!”

  They both laughed. “I’ve missed you lately. Sorry I’ve been so busy taking pictures.”

  “You never have to apologize for following your dreams, Travis. You know I support you.”

  “Another reason I love you.”

  “I am super lovable,” she said, handing him a pita pocket filled with chicken salad.

  “I do have some news.”

  “News?” She took a bite of potato salad and remembered her momma immediately. Charlene could make anything, and potato salad was one of her specialities. Mia thought she was finally getting the hang of it.

  “A gallery in Atlanta wants to buy some of my photos.”

  “That’s fantastic!” Mia said, almost choking on her bite of food. She washed it down with a sip of tea. “Which ones?”

  “There are a few, actually. We’re having a video meeting in a few days to choose the ones they want to display.”

  Mia grinned. “This is a big deal, Travis! I’m so proud of you!” She leaned over and hugged him tightly.

  The longer they were together, the more she could never imagine her life without him. When he’d come back into her life, she wasn’t totally sure of where their relationship would go. Maybe some things in the past could never be undone. Turned out that their new relationship was better than anything she could’ve hoped for.

  “Thanks. By the way, this chicken salad is amazing.”

  “If I can make it half as good as Momma, I’d be happy.”

  Travis chuckled. “You know, you don’t have to turn into your momma to be an amazing woman in your own right.”

  “I guess so. She’s just a hard act to follow.” She looked off into the distance again, remembering the time that she and her mom had sat in the very same spot one Easter. They’d had no guests at the B&B and decided to have a picnic. For hours, they’d eaten and talked and even played a few games of Scrabble. She sure missed her momma right now.

  He reached over and squeezed her hand. “She’d be so proud of you, Mia. And Kate, too. I know she’s looking down and smiling at both of you.”

  “I hope so.”

  Evie leaned back against the rough bark of the tree. She was glad to be back in her favorite spot overlooking the mountains. Cooper had built her the coolest tree platform, and she’d missed it over the summer while she was staying with her father in Atlanta.

  “So, you’re telling me they literally had no trees?” her friend, Dustin, asked.

  “Not a one. Well, they had a little one they’d just planted, but God knows it will take twenty years to get tall enough to be called a tree.”

  “What’d you do there?”

  “Went to the zoo. Watched movies. Played with my new siblings. Looked at stuff on my phone. Nothing major, really.”

  “Are you glad to be back?”

  She nodded. “I am. I had fun with my new extended family, and I got to spend some good time with Dad, but this is my home now. I love it here.”

  Dustin laughed. “I guess it’s pretty cool. But when you grow up here, all you want to do is leave as soon as possible.”

  “You want to leave?”

  “Yeah. When I graduate, I’m going into the Army so I can travel the world.”

  “Aren’t you scared of going to war or something?”

  Dustin shrugged his shoulders. “Nah. Not really.”

  “I would be.”

  “What do you want to do when you graduate?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve got a couple of years to think about it.”

  “My mom says it will be here before we know it.”

  “Scary thought. I’m not ready to be an adult yet.”

  “Well, it comes whether or not you’re ready. You need a plan.”

  “What if my plan is to stay here and help with the B&B?”

  He shook his head. “There aren’t enough people staying here to give you a job, Ev. You’re going to need to go to college or something.”

  “I’m not really the college type,” she said, sighing as she laid down against the cool planks of wood. It was getting near dinner time, and she expected to hear her mom calling for her at any moment.

  “What type are you then?”

  She giggled. “I have no idea.”

  “Better start thinking about it,” he said, laying down beside her as they both stared up into the thick leaves at the top of the tree.

  “Too much pressure. I’ll think about it later.”

  Cooper walked to the other side of the lot. “So you want the driveway to come out over here, right?”

  “Yeah.” Mr. Pope was a man of few words. Older than dirt, he had finally bought the piece of property by the river that he’d wanted for most of his life. Now, he wanted to build a log cabin on it, and Cooper had been happy to snatch up the opportunity to build a house. Normally, he built decks and smaller buildings, but he was looking forward to spreading his wings a bit.

  Thankfully, he’d been best friends with Mr. Pope’s grandson in high school, so he’d gotten a referral. Even though Danny now lived in Austin, Texas, they’d connected on social media and one thing had led to another.

  “And you want a wrap-around porch and deck overlooking the river?”

  “I like to fish.”

  Man of few words for sure. Cooper had had a hard time getting much conversation out of the old man, but as long as his checks went through, he didn’t mind too much.

  “Me too. Trout fishing is good on this part of the river.”

  Finally, a slight smile. “You like to trout fish?” He eyed Cooper carefully, his big, bushy eyebrow raising higher, pushing his deep forehead wrinkles ever upward.

  “Sure. I’ve caught many fish in that river.”

  “You didn’t strike me as a fisherman. I thought maybe you were one of those feminine guys. What do they call them? Metro…”

  “Metrosexual?”

  “That’s it. I saw it on a news s
how once. Them guys like to be all fashionable and smell nice. Some of them even get manicures! Anyway, I just don’t understand a fella that don’t like to fish. I don’t mind smelling like a day at the river! I was never much of a hunter, but fishing is required for mountain men like us, I do believe.”

  Cooper struggled not to chuckle. “I think I can agree with that.” Even though he didn’t agree with a lot of old Mr. Pope’s assessment of men who liked well manicured fingernails and not smelling like fish, he knew arguing would not change his mind. Plus, Cooper had never considered himself a “mountain man”. He couldn’t grow a beard to save his life, and plaid flannel shirts weren’t currently occupying his closet.

  “You think you can meet my deadline?”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Good. I want to be in my new house as soon as possible. I probably don’t have many years left, and I want them to be right here on this river.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” Mr. Pope asked, looking at him carefully.

  “Not sure what you mean?” Cooper said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

  Mr. Pope eased himself up onto the tailgate of his old red truck. It had been manufactured in the late seventies, and even though he’d obviously restored it at some point, the tailgate was already rusty again. “Do you know what it’s like to be my age and just now chasing your dream?”

  “I guess not.” What else could he say?

  “It feels… sad. It’s exciting, but I feel like I wasted a lot of years doing what everyone else wanted me to do, you know?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Pope looked down toward the river. “I may not get a lot of time on that river, maybe a few years if I’m lucky, and I take those blasted pills the doctors keep pushing at me. High cholesterol, my fanny… Anyway, you young folks need to chase those dreams early.”

  “I’m trying…”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Excuse me?”