Page 76 of A Promise Through Time

“Tea. Do you remember Sara? She wanted me to say hi from her,” Elle nodded. “When I was at Breaghacraig, Sara made this wonderful tea and I had an idea that maybe I could open a little tea shop here in town.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Elle said, taking the note from her hands.

“It is, isn’t it?”

If anything was going to get Tina out of this funk, it would be this. She’d throw herself into this new venture and it would help her to forget about Donal, or at least make it so that she could get through a single day without tears.

“Well, let’s get to work on it,” Elle said. “I haven’t got anything to do right now, so it’s perfect timing. We’ll need to check First Street and see if there are any shops available and then we can go in search of the perfect herbs for the tea.”

“What do you think of making it a little book shop, too? You know, maybe used books. People could come in for some tea and scones and they could read books right off the shelf or even buy them.”

“Great idea. And you could do a fancy high tea in the afternoons. You know, with little tea sandwiches and petit fours.”

Tina was actually starting to feel excited about this. “Yes, I’m doing it.”

“I’ll call our real estate agent. Maybe she can help locate a shop.”

“I’ll finish up here,” Tina said, as Elle headed off to tell the rest of the family.

Chapter 17

They found the perfect spot for the tea shop in a cute little building right in the center of town. There was a vacant shop next door and on the other side was a beautiful antique shop. Tina and her family spent the next few weeks painting and decorating the space. She made parcels of Ayla’s blend and stocked the shelves with it. She tried other blends and if she liked them, she ordered what she needed and put them out for sale as well. She worked with her mother on the food. Bobby Carrera was more than happy to be involved. She made scones, muffins and an assortment of other items that would go perfectly with the tea. Small tables were set around the shop and bookshelves were filled with used books they got from friends and neighbors. They would also encourage their customers to leave used books for others to read.

On opening day, Tina was beside herself with excitement. This was what she needed. It would keep her busy now that her job as tour manager was over. Everything about her shop remindedher that she was a strong, resourceful woman and she was doing exactly what she wanted to do.

There was a line of customers waiting for her to open, which only confirmed her decision to open a tea shop downtown.

“This is amazing,” Elle said. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Me, too,” her mother chimed in. “Look what you’ve done in a few short weeks.”

The men of the family all tried to stay out of the way of the customers. Her brothers took turns manning the cash register, while Tina, her mother and Elle visited with all their customers. Hamish stood outside the shop greeting people as they entered. He wore his kilt for this special occasion, knowing that women in this time seemed to love it. And it wasn’t just the kilt they loved, they seemed to love him as well.

The local paper showed up and interviewed her for a series of articles they wanted to do on local businesses. Even more exciting was the fact that everyone was happy with their tea and her mother’s baked goods. Customers were telling her how happy they were to have a place to go that was dedicated to tea. There were so many coffee shops in town, but because many of them didn’t drink coffee, they were overjoyed to have their own special place to enjoy their favorite beverage.

Ayla’s Blend was flying off the shelves and received rave reviews from those who tried it. People were intrigued with the fact that it was from an authentic medieval recipe, which was reflected in the packaging. Everything was going perfectly in her life, except that Donal and Elena weren’t here with her. The sadness she felt thinking about them was overwhelming, even after all this time. Her first day had been a success, but she was happy that the last customers were leaving so that she didn’t have to keep up her cheery appearance.

She locked up the shop and noticed that someone seemed to have rented the empty space next to hers. It would be good tohave neighbors on either side of her, she thought as she got in her car to drive home. At some point the pain she felt on losing Donal and Elena would have to diminish, wouldn’t it? She wasn’t so sure, but for now at least she had something to occupy her mind for several hours every day. It would all be okay, she had to believe that.

What happened when she went home was another story all together. There, alone in her room, she was consumed by her loss. She hadn’t quite come to grips yet with the fact that she’d never see them again. She tried everything to forget them. She even tried telling herself that it had all been a dream and they’d never been real, but remembering the feel of Donal’s arms around her and the way he had loved her, always brought her back to reality. Her senses betrayed her. If she closed her eyes and thought really hard she could feel his touch, his kiss, his presence. Her nose picked up the scent of pine and leather wafting through the air and she thought of him. There were times when she thought she could hear his low whisper in her ear and she would turn expecting to find him. But he wasn’t there and he never would be. She should try harder to forget him, but she didn’t want to. He’d always hold a special place in her heart and she was going to have to accept that.

***

Over the next few weeks, Tina noted the progress next door. They were working hard to complete whatever was going in there. The windows were covered with paper, so she couldn’t see in and there was no sign up to give her a clue. She’d have to wait and be patient, two things she was terrible at.

Then one morning, she was out front watering her plants when she heard a familiar voice.

“Tina?”

She didn’t look up. No. It couldn’t be, but it sounded just like him.

“Tina,” he was standing right next to her. “Look at me.”

She lifted her eyes to see the man she never thought she’d see again. “Donal! You’re here!” She was in his arms before he could say another word.

He held her tight, kissing the top of her head. “Tina, I’ve missed ye so.”

She couldn’t speak. Was this real? Was it really him?