Teaberry Invitational Read online

  Teaberry Invitational

  A Teaberry Farm Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery

  R. A. Wallace

  2019

  Author’s Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, dialogue, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Material in this book is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice from qualified professionals. The author has no connection to any software or website mentioned.

  © 2019 R. A. Wallace. All rights reserved.

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter One

  The final bells of the day brought with them the blissful chaos of high school students exiting the building for another day. It wasn’t that Renata disliked the students. On the contrary, she’d devoted her life to doing everything she could to support their success. It was just that some days presented more obstacles to that success than others. Today was one of those days.

  It wasn’t all bad, of course. There had been moments here and there that had taken her by surprise in a good way. She received the happy news that one of the school’s most impressive prodigies had excelled on yet another standardized test at the national level. At only thirteen, Bella Prescott easily competed with students across the country who were years older.

  “Try not to look so happy.”

  Renata turned to find Gavin Jefferson, one of the math teachers. He was watching the students gather their things and exit the building, just as she and many others were doing throughout the school.

  “Some days, the final bell seems to be later than others,” Renata said with a wry grin.

  “Funny how it works that way, isn’t it?” Gavin nodded to a group of students as they passed.

  “You heard about Bella?” Renata asked.

  His grin was immediate. “I did.”

  “Don’t pretend to take credit for that one.”

  He knew she wasn’t serious. “I do not. There are days in my class when I have to beg her not to answer my questions.”

  It was Renata’s turn to grin. “Tough problem to have.”

  “Yeah, but some of the students act like they don’t need to know the answers as long as there are others like Bella to give the answers for them.”

  Renata saw a young girl walking alone down the hall directly for them.

  “Hmm. Looks like my day isn’t over yet,” Renata murmured.

  “I’ll leave you to it then.” Gavin nodded to the young student as he began walking away.

  “Dr. Engels, my father wrote a note for me.” Maya Lin held out the note.

  Renata read it quickly. “Are you sure this tournament is important enough to miss your classes for a week?”

  Maya’s response was both quick and silent. It wasn’t the first time Renata had seen that stubborn look on the young girl’s face. She decided to try a different tack.

  “You understand that you will still be expected to submit your coursework even though you aren’t attending classes, right?”

  Maya nodded but her eyes showed a hint of uncertainty.

  “You’ve already been struggling in some of your classes, especially math,” Renata pointed out. “What about trying to attend some of the classes during the week? Would it be possible to sit through the first few classes or the last few classes during each day?”

  Maya didn’t take long to consider and reject the idea.

  “It’s not really possible to predict when another team is going to finish ahead of you or when you will be finished. I also have to keep track of what else is going on and they expect me to interact with the media.” Maya gave a shrug. “The other players will all be there.”

  “The other players aren’t fourteen and still in high school.”

  Renata had tried that argument before. She knew it wouldn’t work now either. The stubborn look returned.

  “Have you considered trying to work with a tutor to help with your grades?” Renata asked.

  She knew the girl was bright. Why it rarely reflected in her grades was something she hadn’t figured out yet. She watched as the uncertainty returned to Maya’s eyes.

  “Please tell me you’ll at least consider it?” Renata asked as Gavin walked toward them again on his way out of the building.

  Maya glanced at her math teacher as Gavin Jefferson walked by.

  “Don’t forget that you need to turn all of your missing homework in by the end of next week, Maya. It’s worth fifty percent of your grade for this session,” Gavin said.

  Renata saw Maya’s shoulders slump as the young girl turned to walk out of the building.

  ***

  Caitlyn parked her delivery van and climbed out. As she walked toward the front door of Anderson Florist, she saw Ross McMann emerge from the next door over.

  “All done with deliveries?” he asked as he pulled the front door of her shop open for her.

  Caitlyn entered in front of him. “I am, thanks. You guys are good to go.”

  Her mom tossed an empty water bottle into the trash can.

  “I took a couple of phone orders for you while you were gone,” Susan said as she came from behind the counter.

  “Music to my ears. You two have a nice game,” Caitlyn said.

  “A few rounds of golf and dinner with friends on a beautiful spring day,” Ross said as he opened the door for Susan. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  “Tell Mindy and Clive I said hello,” Caitlyn called to them.

  “It does sound like a great way to spend an afternoon,” Susan agreed as she walked toward her car.

  Ross got into the passenger side and fastened his seat belt. Once Susan was strapped in, he twisted around to watch for traffic.

  “You’re good my way,” he said.

  “Looks like traffic in town has picked up.” Susan signaled to enter the lane.

  “Do you think the people from the golf invitational are showing up already?” he asked.

  She looked around the sidewalks. “It’s possible. It’s the first year we’ve hosted it here. I’m not sure anyone knows what to expect with it.”

  “I can see players wanting to check out the town in advance of the tournament,” he said.

  Susan made a noise of agreement. “I understand the town is expecting quite a bit of people from this. It isn’t just the players. It’s also their families, then there’s the media, the announcers, and the spectators.”

  “I’ll bet the golf course has hired a lot of extra caddies and other support staff.”

  “No doubt. There are the bungalows there too and a hotel. I’m sure a lot of people involved with the tournament will be staying right there at the course so that probably meant hiring more temporary staff,” she said. “They have to be completely full up out there.”

  “And the restaurant already did a good business under normal circumstances. I imagine they’ll be swamped for the week o
f the tournament.” Ross pointed. “Watch the guy over there. It looks like he’s lost.”

  Susan slowed at a crossroad and watched as a car sailed past in front of her.

  “Good call. He never even slowed down and he had a red light,” she said.

  “Are we good for more practice tomorrow?” Ross asked. “I want to get in as much practice as we can before the tournament starts.”

  Susan glanced at him quickly. “Are you worried about how we’re going to do in the tournament?”

  “I’ve never been in one before,” he confessed.

  She smiled as she made a turn. “That makes two of us. Maybe Mindy and Clive can give us pointers when we play with them this afternoon.”

  “Good idea. They’re definitely the experts when it comes to competing. Clive has mentioned several different tournaments they’ve played in over the years.”

  ***

  Wes Lowry looked at the group of kids entering the small shop at the golf course. Each year, the club hired a new group of employees to act as caddies for the season. Although some returned regularly and worked for the club every year, there was typically also a new group that needed to be trained before they could be turned loose.

  Each year, that group was assigned to Wes. As the on-site golf instructor, he also took on the duties of training the caddies. When he’d first taken the job of instructor, he’d hated the idea of having to train the caddies. It didn’t take long for him to discover that it was actually one of his favorite parts of the job. In addition to teaching them the game of golf, he also had to instruct them on the nuances of the course, yardages, and how to advise the players.

  The small group walking toward him now had just come straight from school. After greeting the group of young men and women, he passed out assignments. Most of the group dispersed to hook up with the names they’d been given. Wes turned to the two closest to him.

  “Did you two have a chance to eat yet?” Wes asked. He knew the answer when the two looked at each other.

  “I came straight from school,” Cole said.

  “Me too,” Tucker added.

  Wes pretended to scowl at them. “You aren’t going to be any good to me if you’re starving. Go see Pat and get one of those quick to-go dinners she makes up for you guys. I scheduled you both to caddy this afternoon. You’ll need to be on your toes.”

  He followed them out of the Golf Shop and watched as the two joked with each other on their way over to the restaurant. He knew they would be back shortly with takeout containers that Pat had the kitchen make up for them. They would devour the contents and be done within minutes.

  His attention was drawn to the parking lot as a vehicle pulled in. He recognized it immediately, of course. His partner for the Teaberry Invitational climbed out of the passenger side and waved to the driver as the car pulled away. Wes waited where he was until his partner joined him.

  “Are you ready for a little practice?” he asked. “We need to whip another one of the new caddies into shape.”

  Maya gave him a confident smile. “Sure. We’ll see if they can keep up with us.”

  ***

  Cole entered the restaurant through the side of the building with Tucker following. He nodded to some of the staff as he passed through. He found Pat near the front station where she greeted customers.

  “Hey, you two. How was school today?” Pat asked as she came from behind her station.

  “Good, thanks.” Cole liked Pat. She was probably around his mom’s age but she treated him like just another employee.

  “Here for some dinners?” She didn’t really wait for an answer. “I believe you have your choice of chicken or beef today.”

  They both called out chicken as Pat went to the kitchen to get the takeout containers. When she returned, they passed over the few dollars they were charged for the meals. Both knew it was a steal given the amount of food they would find inside the container.

  “I could get used to this,” Tucker said as they walked back outside.

  They sat at a picnic table in the back under a tree and ate quickly. Cole was finished first and stood to toss his garbage in the can.

  “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late,” Cole said.

  He looked at his assignment. Ross McMann and Susan Anderson. He wondered if Susan was any relation to Caitlyn, the lady florist.

  Tucker was right behind him. “Mine says Mindy and Clive Hostetler.”

  They found the foursome a few minutes later.

  “I hope we’re ready for this,” Tucker said under his breath.

  Cole felt the same way. He didn’t want to make a lot of mistakes. He hoped whoever he was assigned to had patience.

  The foursome was facing away from them as Tucker and Cole approached. As soon as they turned around, he knew which couple he was assigned to. The one woman looked exactly like Caitlyn.

  “There they are,” Susan said. “It looks like we’re ready to go. Which one of you is assigned to Susan and Ross.”

  Cole stepped forward and shook hands as the couple introduced themselves. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tucker shaking hands with the other couple. He was glad that he was assigned to the woman he assumed was Caitlyn’s mom. She had the same blue eyes that Caitlyn had and the same friendly smile.

  “Clive, Mindy. How good to see you here. Trying to get a little extra practice in before the tournament?”

  Cole turned toward the voice. He recognized the man by sight but didn’t know his name. He’d seen him around several times in the past week.

  “Jay Kerns. Do you know Ross McMann?” Clive said as he motioned toward Ross. “I’m sure you’ve met Susan Anderson?”

  “I don’t believe I have,” Jay said as he greeted the two.

  “Jay is one of the sponsors of the Teaberry Invitational. We have him to thank for next week,” Mindy explained.

  “Very impressive,” Ross said.

  “And very good for the community,” Susan said. “The business owners appreciate your efforts.”

  Jay raised both hands. “I’ve been trying to lure a tournament to Teaberry for years. I’m just glad we’ve finally managed to pull it off. We need those business people in town to make all of the visitors happy next week. That way they’ll be sure to come back.”

  “I’ve no doubt the town will pull together,” Susan said. “This opportunity is too good to let go.”

  “I’ll leave you four to your game,” Jay said with a wave. “I’m sure I’ll see you next week.”

  Cole watched as Jay Kerns walked away. He heard Clive Hostetler talking to Tucker as they readied to get started.

  “I understand Jay will also be one of the guest announcers next week during the tournament,” Mindy said to Ross and Susan. “Having a television crew here filming is going to be pretty exciting.”

  “Or a little nerve wracking, depending on how you look at it,” Susan said with a laugh.

  Cole couldn’t imagine having to play golf in front of a large crowd of people and television cameras to boot.

  Chapter Two

  Now that the framework and the walls were in place, it was easier to visualize what the addition would look like. Megan leaned back against Dan, her tea mug cradled in her hands.

  “You were right. I wouldn’t have been able to deal with all of that,” she said. “I’m glad we’re staying upstairs until they finish.”

  “They’ll be knocking that wall down altogether pretty soon.”

  Dan motioned toward the exterior wall of their bedroom. The windows had already been removed. The holes that once held them were covered with plywood.

  Megan took a sip of her decaf tea and imagined it. “Maybe we should put another shade tree back here when they’re all done.”

  She straightened and turned around to look at him. He was studying the yard behind the house where the new addition was being built.

  “Not a bad idea. Maybe put a swing set up over there.”

  She smiled at the thought as she began
walking slowly around the house to the kitchen door. He walked beside her and took her hand.

  “I have some work to do on web sites today,” she said. “I’ve been wondering though. Do you think it would be a good idea to create one for Gabe?”

  He paused for a moment. She saw the surprise in his face.

  “For his garage?” He began walking again. “Well, yeah. That’s a great idea. He needs the advertising. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

  “No, it would be fun. For me, developing a new web site is like opening a brand new box of crayons. I get that same feeling of excitement every time.” She laughed when he made a face at her. “I know. It sounds silly. But, to me, there’s nothing like a blank piece of paper and new box of crayons. The possibilities are endless.”

  He opened the kitchen door. “I don’t understand your excitement, but I know from personal experience that your web sites bring in business.”

  “I’ll probably need a lot of information for it. I don’t really know much about running a garage for one thing. What I was really thinking about was positioning him as the go-to place for the new off-road trail.” She set her tea mug down on the counter and slid his jacket off her shoulders.

  “That would be great. He’s been talking a lot about custom truck builds and repairs. Whatever I don’t know, we’ll get from Gabe.” He helped her finish removing the jacket and slung it over the back of a chair.

  “I might learn more about when the off-road trail will be ready. I have a meeting with Jessilyn today also,” she said as she turned to the kitchen sink to finish cleaning the breakfast things.

  “I hope it’s soon. It isn’t something I plan to spend a lot of time with, but I know Gabe is pretty excited about it. I have to finish getting ready.” He slid behind her and kissed her neck. “Thanks for thinking of it. Making a web site for him is a great idea. I just hope he puts the effort in that’s needed to succeed at what he wants to do.”

  ***

  Maya Lin walked slowly down the hall toward her next class. She wished she didn’t have to go to school. Maybe if she could do well enough with golf, her father would agree to pull her out and let her study at home.