Read Online Rum and Raindrops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance by Jean Oram - Free Book Online
Authors: Jean Oram
Tags: Chick lit, Romance, Contemporary Romance, romance series, Women's Fiction, small town romance, women's fiction humor, nature guides fiction, Jean Oram, Blueberry Springs, women's fiction single women
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adventure.
“When was the last time you talked to your mom?” Amber asked, leaning close, peering at Jen.
“It’s been awhile.” She gritted her jaw and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. This whole conversation was getting ridiculous. “Look, can we talk about something else?”
“You should talk to them,” Mandy said. “Life’s short. I know it’s not my business, but this is obviously something that time isn’t taking care of for you.”
Jen let out a long, slow breath. These girls wouldn’t understand. Sure, Mandy’s parents had been through a divorce, too, but Mandy had obviously done fine and moved on. They hadn’t used her as a weapon against each other, ripping her to shreds, then discarding her when she refused to play along. And Amber, hell, her mom and dad…well, they’d never even been together, but the man was still in Amber’s life. There was more than enough love to go around that girl several times over.
No, Jen was on her own and always would be. She pushed away from the bar and stood.
“So?” Mandy asked, grabbing Jen by the arm. “The canoe trip? Are you going to tell him he can’t come?”
“Not in your mouth,” Amber said quickly. She tipped her head back in contemplation. “Not the first time. Too intimate. Although pretty good for blackmail.”
“Why’d we even invite you?” Mandy asked, giving her a playful shove. “You’re disgusting.”
“I can’t afford to give him back his deposit,” Jen said. “I used it on advertising, which was obviously a big waste since I’ve apparently burned down the area instead.” Jen looked over at a table where some Blueberry Springs residents were enjoying a drink, relaxed, not appearing to be one bit worried that if the wind turned this place would be burned to a crisp within days. She quickly turned away and dropped her head in her hands. Why had she decided not to run, again? And now she couldn’t. She’d been officially asked by both Rob, the Scott, to not leave town. “When are they going to put out that damn fire, anyway?”
“It takes awhile,” Mandy said.
“Assuming I’m not in jail, and the forest hasn’t been completely destroyed I’m going to have to take him on the trip. There’s no choice.”
The door to Brew Babies opened, bringing with it faded daylight and the scent of burning forest.
“It’s out!” Mary Alice yelled breathlessly, her eyes shining bright. “Jen’s fire is out!”
“What?” Jen popped off her stool and stared at Mary Alice. “It’s what?” She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She was stuck, waiting for Mary Alice to move. Say something. Anything. Repeat what she thought she’d heard.
Oh, please.
“It’s out!” Mary Alice gripped Jen in a bear hug, heaving her up from her spot on the floor. Something in Mary Alice’s jingling bra poked Jen in the chest as she bounced her up and down.
Jen pushed herself away, gripping Mary Alice’s arm, watching for signs of a bad joke. “Are you for real?”
“As real as the lack of hair on my husband’s head.”
Jen turned to her friends and pulled them into a massive hug as she danced around in a circle, tears streaming down her face. It was out. Blueberry Springs was saved.
“This round is on me!” Jen yelled.
The group let out a whoop and Jen blinked. Shit. She shouldn’t have done that. She was going to need that money for the cost of firefighting if she didn’t find that old truck and the person who had been driving it out at Raspberry Creek Park. And right now, that felt darn near impossible.
CHAPTER 3
Jen glanced over her shoulder and out her open office door, spotting Wally.
“Need me up front?” she asked, turning to face him fully. She paused, half spun around. Rob. Rob standing behind Wally.
Crap on a stick. This couldn’t be good.
She’d enjoyed the past two and a half days of there not being a fire. Of dreaming of a future where she wasn’t clad in orange, hoping someone would bake a
“When was the last time you talked to your mom?” Amber asked, leaning close, peering at Jen.
“It’s been awhile.” She gritted her jaw and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. This whole conversation was getting ridiculous. “Look, can we talk about something else?”
“You should talk to them,” Mandy said. “Life’s short. I know it’s not my business, but this is obviously something that time isn’t taking care of for you.”
Jen let out a long, slow breath. These girls wouldn’t understand. Sure, Mandy’s parents had been through a divorce, too, but Mandy had obviously done fine and moved on. They hadn’t used her as a weapon against each other, ripping her to shreds, then discarding her when she refused to play along. And Amber, hell, her mom and dad…well, they’d never even been together, but the man was still in Amber’s life. There was more than enough love to go around that girl several times over.
No, Jen was on her own and always would be. She pushed away from the bar and stood.
“So?” Mandy asked, grabbing Jen by the arm. “The canoe trip? Are you going to tell him he can’t come?”
“Not in your mouth,” Amber said quickly. She tipped her head back in contemplation. “Not the first time. Too intimate. Although pretty good for blackmail.”
“Why’d we even invite you?” Mandy asked, giving her a playful shove. “You’re disgusting.”
“I can’t afford to give him back his deposit,” Jen said. “I used it on advertising, which was obviously a big waste since I’ve apparently burned down the area instead.” Jen looked over at a table where some Blueberry Springs residents were enjoying a drink, relaxed, not appearing to be one bit worried that if the wind turned this place would be burned to a crisp within days. She quickly turned away and dropped her head in her hands. Why had she decided not to run, again? And now she couldn’t. She’d been officially asked by both Rob, the Scott, to not leave town. “When are they going to put out that damn fire, anyway?”
“It takes awhile,” Mandy said.
“Assuming I’m not in jail, and the forest hasn’t been completely destroyed I’m going to have to take him on the trip. There’s no choice.”
The door to Brew Babies opened, bringing with it faded daylight and the scent of burning forest.
“It’s out!” Mary Alice yelled breathlessly, her eyes shining bright. “Jen’s fire is out!”
“What?” Jen popped off her stool and stared at Mary Alice. “It’s what?” She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She was stuck, waiting for Mary Alice to move. Say something. Anything. Repeat what she thought she’d heard.
Oh, please.
“It’s out!” Mary Alice gripped Jen in a bear hug, heaving her up from her spot on the floor. Something in Mary Alice’s jingling bra poked Jen in the chest as she bounced her up and down.
Jen pushed herself away, gripping Mary Alice’s arm, watching for signs of a bad joke. “Are you for real?”
“As real as the lack of hair on my husband’s head.”
Jen turned to her friends and pulled them into a massive hug as she danced around in a circle, tears streaming down her face. It was out. Blueberry Springs was saved.
“This round is on me!” Jen yelled.
The group let out a whoop and Jen blinked. Shit. She shouldn’t have done that. She was going to need that money for the cost of firefighting if she didn’t find that old truck and the person who had been driving it out at Raspberry Creek Park. And right now, that felt darn near impossible.
CHAPTER 3
Jen glanced over her shoulder and out her open office door, spotting Wally.
“Need me up front?” she asked, turning to face him fully. She paused, half spun around. Rob. Rob standing behind Wally.
Crap on a stick. This couldn’t be good.
She’d enjoyed the past two and a half days of there not being a fire. Of dreaming of a future where she wasn’t clad in orange, hoping someone would bake a
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