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

"Well," she said carefully. "It would depend on what you wanted. Healthy eating isn't cheap, but if you ordered enough, we could make a profit—both of us."
    "I don't know," Jen said slowly.
    "It would make your excursions different from what Jojo's doing in Derbyshire."
    "Yeah..."
    "I'd do everything. You don't have to think of a thing. I can make up the meals and bring them to you. And all you—"
    "What about food allergies and sensitivities and stuff like that?" Jen perched on the end of her couch. "I'd have to have forms or something."
    "I can make forms. And menus!" Her hand shot in the air, inspiration hitting her full-force. Her mind conjured everything from business logos to killer sandwich ideas.
    "I'm not sure either of us are ready for this, Mandy." Jen chewed on the corner of her thumbnail. "I'm still sort of figuring everything out, you know?" Jen gave her ponytail a sudden jerk, tightening it. "I'm barely meeting the minimum number for my excursions. I don't see how you can make it affordable with my small numbers. My needs would be too inconsistent."
    Mandy crossed her arms. "I can find a way to make it work."
    "Not if you're starting out." Jen shook her head. "You can't work for nothing and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to provide enough to keep you going." Jen gave her a thoughtful look and rubbed the bags under her eyes. "Have you considered catering—parties or weddings or something bigger like that?"
    Mandy scrunched her nose. She wasn't really big on the whole catering idea. Too stressful with all the last minute preparation caterers had to do. She'd give herself a heart attack. She needed something a bit more slow and steady. And making some lunches here and there would at least let her feel like she was doing something with her life besides waitressing.
    "It's so much work starting your own business, Mandy." Jen disappeared behind a half wall and reappeared with two small tubs of ice cream. She handed one, along with a spoon, to Mandy and flopped onto the green sofa. "Way more than you realize." She started ticking things off on her fingers. "You need to register your business, get bank accounts, advertise, arrange equipment, get insurance, fill out a pile of government forms, and get loans for money you didn't even know you needed. You end up with about eight-hundred lists just to stay half-organized, and on top of it all, you still have to show up for your regular shifts." She gave Mandy an apologetic glance. "I just don't think I can add another element right now. Maybe after I've done it for a full year. Then maybe we could work out a menu and figure out how to make money without charging everyone fifteen bucks a sandwich."
    Mandy blew out a sigh, making her bangs flutter. She scooped a big spoonful of chocolate into her mouth, giving her instant brain freeze.
    If she wanted to make something of herself, she would just have to have to plug her nose, shut her eyes, and dive right off that plank.

    * * *

    Mind spinning with legal clauses, investor score sheets and lingo she'd never even heard before today's franchise research, Mandy flopped on her mother's couch, happy to be engulfed in nothing more than comfy, worn cushions and soap opera dramas. She grabbed a gumdrop out of the plastic bag her mother had spilled open beside her on the coffee table and sucked off its sugar coating.
    "How did you get the big scratch in your fender?" Mandy asked.
    "Shh," her mother scolded, her eyes glued to the television screen.
    Mandy pulled her ringing phone from her jacket and answered it.
    "I fixed your taillights," replied the gruff voice.
    "Dad?"
    Mandy's mother shot her a cold look and Mandy popped off the couch to take her call in the other room, as she was fairly certain her mother could and would kill her ex through Mandy's phone with her icy glare.
    "They were spotty," her father explained, "so I put in those big bulbs while you were at work yesterday. They were easy to find—they're more common than