Free Whiskey and Gumdrops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance by Jean Oram

big chicken."
    "Well, if you want to be the woman I know you want to be, this is your shot. Take some friggin' money from me and fix up that damn building and be happy. See that sometimes taking a goddamn risk leads to something really fucking good in your life." He poked her chest with a finger.
    She rubbed the spot he'd poked and frowned, cheeks burning. "I won't take that kind of risk with your money, Frankie."
    "What? I'm not good enough?" He thrust his shoulders forward. "You have to do everything on your own?"
    "Look." Her hands clenched into tight bundles by her side. "I'm not willing to ruin our friendship. I'll happily be a waitress forever if it means keeping you as a friend. I'd rather do anything than hurt you."
    "Too late on that one," he muttered.
    Mandy's eyelids flicked closed and she fought for control. "Frankie..."
    "Why won't you accept my help, Mandy? Why won't you accept me?"
    "Because—" she opened her eyes and gripped his face, staring him in the eye, needing him to understand "—you're the one thing I can't afford to lose."

Chapter 6

    She'd show him who was chicken. She wasn't going to turn out like Gloria. She could totally accept help. He just couldn't see it because he had his own case of chickenitis. She'd do this new career thing. She was woman, hear her roar, dammit.
    Taking a side street, she marched up to her friend Jen's rickety three-storey apartment building, a former rooming house. Jogging up the outside stairs, she knocked on Jen's door.
    "Who is it?" Jen called through the door.
    "Mandy." She blinked and made sure her eyes were dry and waited for the door to open. And it didn't. "Um, can I come in?"
    "I'm in my PJs."
    "So? I'm in my hideous uniform and have had a rather stiff drink, followed by a fight with Frankie. So who the hell cares? Well, unless your jammies are a thong and a see-through t-shirt. No offense, but I really don't want to see that."
    The door unlocked and swung open a few inches, Jen's round face shooting her a wary glance. "What?"
    "For Christ's sake, do you have a man in there or something?"
    "No!" Jen opened the door further.
    Mandy rolled her eyes. "You're still such a city transplant. Who locks their doors or asks who it is before opening?" Mandy strode past her friend. "Okay. Idea." She clapped her hands and spun to face Jen again. She paused and raised her eyebrows at Jen's short Tweetie Bird nightie. Jen put her hands on her hips, daring Mandy to say something. But Mandy wasn't about to mess with the strong gal. Even if she was wearing something she probably should've given up around her eleventh birthday.
    "So you know how you've started doing those excursions out into the wilderness with Wally's sports shop?"
    Jen nodded. "Um, yeah."
    "Food is a problem, right?"
    Jen gave her a frown. "You mean, like, keeping it from the bears?"
    "No, I mean getting some in the first place. Healthy food." Mandy rubbed her forehead. That whiskey and Coke was muddling her head. The idea had sounded half decent in her head.
    "Well, we usually just brown bag our own meals and snacks."
    "But maybe it's not always nutritious and good fuel or whatever, right?" She squinted at Jen.
    "Um. Sometimes, I guess. I haven't really paid attention to what others are eating and when they sign up and ask about food, I give them suggestions. I actually have a few food ideas on the blog I just started. I can write down the URL if you want."
    Mandy rolled onto the balls of her tired feet. "What about doing one better and offering your clients pre-made lunches?"
    Jen paused, head tilted. "Wouldn't it be kind of hard to take Benny's meals all the way out to the woods? Sometimes we go out really far and—"
    "No," Mandy said impatiently. "I mean, what if I —like, my own business kind of thing—made sandwiches and salads and healthy snacks like homemade granola bars and trail mix or whatever makes your clients go gaga."
    Jen nodded slowly. "Yeah. Maybe. How much would it cost?"
    Mandy paused.