Vodka and Chocolate Drops: A Blueberry Springs Sweet Chick Lit Contemporary Romance

by Jean Oram

  Amber could feel her friends watching her, wondering who Delia was, but being too polite to ask. So far.

  “She does look a lot like me, doesn’t she? Uncanny,” she said, struggling to refrain from blurting out the exciting truth. “I’m going to try these on.” Amber waved the dresses and hightailed it to the fitting room before her valve broke and her mother’s secrets leaked out.

  In the fitting room she took several deep breaths, relieved she hadn’t said anything, but worried that she’d somehow given the others something to go on.

  She tried on a dress. The style was flattering, but the fabric too flowery. Looking at the chosen items she began to doubt her plan. She wasn’t even sure what would catch Scott’s eye. Plus she needed to be able to wear the dress down the streets of Blueberry Springs without everyone knowing she was up to something. The plan was to woo Scott to the point where he couldn’t say no. To the point where he’d realize just how serious she was.

  “How does it look?” Wanda asked.

  Amber opened the door and did a twirl for her audience. Jen scrunched up her face, while Mandy gazed thoughtfully.

  “Size and style are right, but it’s not quite you,” Wanda said, turning to dive back through her racks.

  “Where’s Nicola?” Amber asked.

  “Trying on a red number.”

  “Ta-da!” Nicola said, popping out of the change room next to Amber’s. “What do you think?” She did a twirl and curtsy.

  “You look hot.” Amber tried not to let her jealousy show. The dress did all the right things for her friend, somehow shaving her hips into proportion with her small waist and chest. “Between the weight you’ve lost and this dress, you are going to turn heads.”

  “I’d better lock up Devon,” Mandy said. “He’ll never stop drooling over you.”

  “Oh, your brother doesn’t scare me,” Nicola said, checking the dress in the mirror.

  “Nicola!” Wanda clapped her hands together, staring at her. “It’s perfect on you.” She flung a dress at Amber and turned away. “I also have it in midnight blue. You have to try it. It will be incredible with your blond hair.”

  “My brother should scare you,” Mandy said. “That man needs stitches or casts every five months due to his daredevil ways.”

  “He’s pretty cute,” Amber said. “You should set him up with someone, Mandy. That might tame him. Keep him alive a little longer, too.”

  Mandy laughed. “Good luck. He’s going to be a bachelor forever.”

  A look crossed Nicola’s face and Amber felt as though she’d missed something. That was the problem about being away for a few years and then having your head up your butt. She didn’t know what was going on any longer, even though Nicola had lived in Blueberry Springs only since January.

  Jen, still sitting, but now with her chin propped on her fist and eyes closed, looked as though she was drifting off. So much for the common sense element helping out if needed.

  Mandy held up a new green dress Wanda had brought, along with the midnight-blue one for Nicola. “This is nice. Same style as that one, different fabric. Not quite so cotton candy.”

  “May as well try it,” Amber said, casting a glance at Nicola, who was still admiring herself in the mirror. “You need to buy that,” she told her, “in every color they have. It’s stunning.”

  A few dresses later, Amber had a simple A-line dress in emerald green she figured would do the trick. As she eyed her reflection, butterflies stormed her stomach. Could she simply practice saying the words, close her eyes, and deliver them? Problem solved? Man captured?

  She whispered to the mirror, “Scott Malone, I love you to bits.”

  “I’m so telling Scott,” Nicola teased from the room next door.

  “Yeah? Then I’ll tell Todd you love him.”

  Silence.

  “Nicola?”

  “Yeah? What? I’m fine!” she chirped.

  “Are you decent? Expect a visitor,” Amber said, unlatching her side of the fitting room partition, ready to swing it open to make one big space, like brides did when trying on large dresses. “Unlatch your side.” She rapped on the wall. “Nicola?”

  She heard her friend open her side and the wall swung like a door.

  “You okay?” Amber asked. Nicola looked pale and worried. “What happened with Todd?”

  Nicola rolled her eyes and slipped her jeans on under the dress. “Nothing.”

  “But you love him, don’t you?”

  “Let’s just say I crossed the line and it didn’t work out the way I had envisioned.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I kissed him. And I haven’t seen him since.”

  For the first time Amber worried about the validity of her plan to woo Scott.

  * * *

  Amber smoothed her dress, fidgeted with the loose updo she’d copied from Pinterest, and tried to summon her courage to knock on Scott’s door. What if what had happened to Nicola happened to her?

  She’d kissed Scott, then not seen him for a few days.

  What if she’d crossed the wrong line at the wrong time?

  What if leaping from best friends to lovers wasn’t in their cards?

  She took a huge breath, willing herself not to turn away. It was time to take action and put herself out there. Nicola’s sitting around moping wasn’t getting her anywhere, was it?

  Amber opted for a burst of rapping with her knuckles before ducking into Scott’s front entry.

  “Scott? Are you home?” Silly question. Of course he was. He was one of the few people in Blueberry Springs who locked their doors when not home. If it was unlocked, he was home.

  “Ever heard of an invention called a doorbell?” The groggy voice came from the living room couch. Scott sat up looking adorably disheveled—if indeed a cranky man the size of a bear could be called adorable.

  “Shut up. I’m taking you out for supper.”

  He perked up and Amber saw a flash of the old Scott. Curious, fun-loving. Not all serious and telling her what-was-what all the time.

  “Where to?”

  “It’s a picnic.” She held up the basket. She had homemade potato salad, cucumber sandwiches, brownies from Mandy’s restaurant and apple cider from Brew Babies.

  “That’s not taking me out,” he said, falling back against the cushions to finish his nap, arm slung over his eyes.

  His lips, visible below his elbow, were pursed and tempting, and she stared at them, wondering what it would be like to kiss them again. Would their kisses always be amazing? Or had it simply been the element of surprise that had made their first kiss awesome?

  And why was he shutting her out instead of acting as though the one thing he’d wanted for all these years was finally going to happen—them? Maybe he’d changed his mind or didn’t like the way she kissed.

  He hadn’t even noticed the dress, and that she was making an attempt. She stood over him, determined to make him see her.

  “A picnic is taking you out. It’s romantic. It’s sweet. You wanted me to show you I’m ready to do this thing. I’m ready.”

  “‘Do this thing.’ You are so romantic.” He pulled down his arm to give her a wry frown and did a double take. “What are you wearing?”

  “A dress.”

  “Why?”

  “I just said…” Her voice wavered. This wasn’t how it was supposed to work. He was supposed to sweep her up into his arms or something. Not be a belligerent, question-asking, I-want-romance dude. It felt as though everything was falling apart and she didn’t know how to fix it.

  First Russell, then trying to keep her sister a secret. Trying to find her father, who didn’t even know she existed, plus tell her mother about Delia. And now Scott. It was something about Amber. She was broken and she left brokenness in her wake.

  She had naively thought finding her sister would help her piece her life together and figure out what she was missing. But she was unchanged. Still the same person.

  She still
wasn’t in the place she wanted to be in her life and she had no clue how to get there from here.

  But right now she had a choice. She could fight or she could run.

  “The hardest part about moving away from home was not seeing you every day.”

  It was the truth, a truth she’d never shared with anyone. She hadn’t missed home, or even Benny’s pie. It had been Scott who had made her homesick. Fifteen times a day she had to stop herself from running back to Blueberry Springs to talk to him in person.

  But it was more than that. She needed a man like him in her life. Someone to give her gentle pushback when she needed it. Someone to point out where she was steering herself wrong. Someone to lean on when things got tough. Someone to laugh with, to share humor and love—her life.

  She needed Scott.

  “Do you love me?” she asked.

  Scott stared at her for several full seconds before she couldn’t take it any longer. Placing a hand on his chest, she leaned over him, kissing him. She nibbled on his bottom lip, tugging a low groan from him. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her on top of him, her body in line with his. It felt good being held tight against him. Safe. Happy.

  Scott sat up suddenly and she thought he was going to move them somewhere more private. But instead, he deposited her onto the cushion beside him and dragged his hands down his face, looking as bothered as though he’d just kissed his best friend’s gal.

  “What?” The single word sounded insecure, and not nearly as light and carefree as she’d intended.

  “I like you, Amber.”

  Like? The word was a final, well-placed dagger to her already staggering heart.

  “But you’re not ready for this. When this happens…” He faced her on the couch, his knee pressing into hers. He pointed to his chest, then hers. “It’s going to be huge. Knock your socks off, never look at another man ever again kind of special. You understand?”

  Okay, wow. This version of Scott was knee-weakening in a tie me to the bed and ravish me until I can’t take any more kind of amazing.

  She nodded in agreement, hating herself for giving in, wishing she could find a way to make this happen right now, because she had no clue how to be more ready in the way Scott wanted or expected.

  He tipped her chin up so she was forced to meet his eyes.

  “You don’t wait for the woman of your life and then blow it by starting before she’s ready to love you in the way you need her to.”

  The intention and intensity in his gaze overwhelmed her. Nobody had ever said anything like that to her. Not even her ex the novelist. She felt pinned to the spot by the intensity of Scott’s love and emotion, his strength and determination and his willingness to wait for exactly what he wanted. On his terms.

  The way he talked about who they could be was intoxicating. He really believed they could be that incredible together. The stuff of legends.

  She wanted to believe it. She wanted to lean into him, test his strength and see how long before she became completely lost in him.

  He took her hand. “Believe me, Amber. We’re going to be worth waiting for. Once you’re ready.”

  A feeling of dread settled low in Amber’s stomach. If they were waiting for something she was supposed to do, she feared she would never figure it out, and that their time as a couple would never come.

  Chapter Seven

  Amber checked the arrivals board at the airport one last time. Her mother should be at the baggage carousel by now. Had she missed her flight?

  “What time was your mom supposed to arrive?” Scott asked, glancing at his watch. Amber slipped her hand into his and he gave her a look.

  She was ready and he needed to see that. There was nothing left for her to do. She was proving it right here, right now.

  “Amber,” he said gently, removing his hand from hers.

  She was already doing her best not to kiss him; what more did he want? For her to strangle all the other women she’d seen admiring his broad, muscular build? Would that be what it took for him to see that she was serious about this? About them?

  Amber caught a glimpse of a couple walking and laughing, shoulders bumping as they moved toward the baggage claim. That was what she wanted. With Scott. She blinked and looked again. The man was John Abcott. With a woman who was tanned, beaming, and looked at least five years younger than her mother.

  Except it was her mother.

  Spotting Amber, Gloria broke away from John, schooling her smile as she came over for a hug.

  “Did you have a good trip?” Amber asked.

  “Wonderful! I need to do this more often.” She tugged John over. “And look who I ran into!”

  Scott and John shook hands. “Do you need a ride?” Scott asked.

  “Marisa’s coming for me, but thanks. Oh, and there she is.” John pointed to the dark-haired girl, who was Amber’s age. “Lovely to have vacationed with you, Gloria.” He gave her an affectionate look.

  No. There was no way. Amber glanced at Scott to see if he was picking up on anything. He was watching them, too.

  “You vacationed together?” she asked her mom, who was positively moon-eyed.

  “Hmm? Yes. Same cruise,” she said, studying the bags going around on the convertor. “I think that one’s… no, not mine.”

  Amber studied her mother, who was way too focused on identifying her bag.

  “Something happened on the trip,” Amber said.

  “What?” She started, turning a shoulder as if to block her daughter. “Oh? No. Nothing.”

  “You’re different.” Amber stepped closer, as though she would be able to smell the truth on her mother’s clothes and be able to identify exactly what had happened to make her so happy. There was no way she could be in love. Not with John, anyway. The two of them were as unlikely as him being Amber’s father.

  Although John and Gloria had dated when they were younger. Maybe the cruise had ended up being like one of those long-lost-love-reunited specials she saw on TV.

  She almost laughed out loud. Talk about unrealistic.

  Gloria pointed to her suitcase and Scott plucked it off the conveyer.

  “Did she stay out of trouble, Scott?” her mother asked.

  His mouth twisted with amusement. “Almost” was all he said as he moved ahead with the suitcase, allowing Amber and her mother to fall in behind him.

  Amber seized the opportunity and blurted out, “Mom, I met someone who I think is my sister.”

  Her mother stopped short.

  “I was looking through online databases and I contacted a few people on a whim. A woman named Delia Whitehart replied and I think she’s my sister. She is quiet, thoughtful, caring, smart, patient, successful, and lives in a gated community in Dakota. I met her and we have the same hands. And a dog. No, we don’t have the same dog. She has a dog. Named Sasquatch. And she has a husband and no kids, and they run their own company. She’d like to meet you and she’s been to Blueberry Springs. We look alike and I think Benny might have figured it out, but I asked him not to breathe a word.”

  Scott rolled his eyes at Amber and sighed.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said to her mother, barely daring to breathe. She hadn’t meant to blurt out everything all at once, but she was nervous and afraid that her mother would interrupt and kibosh the entire topic, banishing the subject of Delia forevermore if she didn’t get it all out at once for her to consider.

  “You’ve met her?” Gloria finally said.

  “She’s really nice.”

  “They named her Delia?”

  Amber nodded, feeling as though she could break into tears at any moment due to the stress of anticipating her mother’s ultimate reaction. This could either bring them closer or ruin everything. Amber had crossed a line, stepping out in a way she never had before.

  Scott gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and she let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Amber’s applied to the government adoption agency for confirmation that Delia
is indeed her half sister,” he added, his voice calming, reassuring. “Meeting Delia was truly an accident. We were scoping out the scene before Amber proceeded any further with her emails, and had a run-in.”

  “This is…” Gloria said quietly, taking a few small steps away “…this is a lot to take in.”

  Amber wasn’t sure if her mother was mad, indignant, relieved, or none of the above.

  “She’d like to meet you, if you’re ready for that,” Amber said, trying to keep a leash on her mouth. “But I’ll do whatever you want me to. I’ll tell people she’s a cousin. Tell them the truth. I can wait. Or introduce you. Never see her again. Whatever you need.”

  She struggled with her emotions, not ready to give up the sister she’d only just found. But if finding her sister meant losing her mother, she’d choose her mom any day of the week from now until the end of eternity.

  “I would have liked to have discussed this, Amber.” Her mother’s voice was careful, controlled.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I should have waited. I should have asked you first. I honestly didn’t think this would happen. Not so fast.”

  “I didn’t, either,” Scott added helpfully.

  Her mother gazed at Scott for a long moment, then sighed and nodded, her expression softening.

  “Amber, my Amber.” She wrapped an arm around her, looking so much older than she had only minutes ago. “How do you manage?”

  Amber bit her bottom lip. This was the moment. The tipping point where Gloria would make her decision. The decision that would alter everything.

  A sister.

  No sister.

  Her mother finally began walking again, slowly, so she could stay connected with Amber.

  “I’m glad you found her, but I fear I’m not quite ready for this.”

  * * *

  Nobody was talking to her.

  Her mother had been silent for two days and Amber hadn’t dared try to broach the subject or even say hello, for fear of interrupting whatever her mom was working out in her mind.

  There was nothing from Russell about the trailer—John had passed on the message about Blair days ago.