Rum and Raindrops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

coffee, the hot liquid spilling over the top, burning her hand in a painful but welcoming distraction.
    She needed to leave. Every second in front of this man was allowing him to edge under her worst fears and worries. She had been ninety-eight percent sure she didn’t start that fire. Now she was about nineteen percent sure, meaning there was a whole lot of room for her confidence-gnawing doubt to take hold.
    “It looks as though you might not be buying Wally’s store when he retires after all.”
    She whirled to face him with a glare. How did everyone in town seem to know every tiny thing about her? “I am a trained nature guide with many certifications. And…and I have insurance!”
    “Does it cover burning down Blueberry Springs?”
    Jen drooped. Of course it didn’t. It only covered clients such as the judge so they couldn’t sue her if they got hurt. There was no way her premiums would cover burning down the town.
    The judge’s expression turned almost sympathetic and his voice lowered as if giving advice. “There’s already been several hundred-thousand dollars in damages and firefighting costs, Jennifer. You need to proceed with extreme caution in the coming days.”
    She clenched her mouth shut, working to keep her cool.
    “Communing with nature. What a joke,” he scoffed, stepping away. “The funny thing is,” he paused, looking to the smoky sky, “you can’t put a price on the trust of your fellow citizens. Or your reputation as a guide.”
    “I took every precaution in putting out that fire,” she snapped. If her hands hadn’t been full, she would have poked him in the chest she was so angry. “I didn’t have to register to use the park that weekend. I could have done like twenty percent of the population does and just gone for it. Don’t you think it’s more likely that an unregistered user started that fire? Someone who doesn’t follow rules? Someone who starts a campfire without a proper fire pit?” Her hands shook and her voice trembled. “I put that campfire out by the book. I was more than careful; I was anal retentive. I double stacked my fire pit with rocks. I hauled extra water from the creek to put it out. I stirred my wet ashes. The clearing is bare with no overhanging tress, and the ground wasn’t dry enough for underground fires.”
    She tipped her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. All these people. Their houses. Their businesses. Their everything. This beautiful town that had saved her…
    She had to prove she didn’t start that damn fire. And she needed to do it now.
    “It wasn’t me who started that fire.” Her voice quavered, and she hated herself for appearing weak and vulnerable.
    “I’m sure justice will be served,” he called out as she walked away.

    * * *

    Jen’s heart did a lopsided gallop as she hurried across Wally’s store. If someone could guarantee she’d never see Judge Radcliff ever again she’d do a little jig on Main Street for all to see.
    She focused on the window that looked into the staffroom—an area that was actually just a fat hallway between the store and Wally’s small office. A few more steps and she’d be in the room’s safety. A few more steps and she could curl up with chocolate and caffeine. The only thing that could make it even more soothing would be a splash of rum and the latest edition of Backpacker .
    “Jen,” Liz called, appearing from behind a paddle rack.
    Jen jumped, squeezing her to-go cup, sloshing more coffee out the lid. Served her right for not using her reusable insulated cup. She was going to have nothing left by the time she got to the staffroom.
    Liz was the town’s second in command on the gossip circuit, losing out the number one position to her older sister, Mary Alice. While Liz may have heard it all through the newspaper and law firm where she worked, Mary Alice saw it all run through her convenience store and wasn’t bound by confidentiality, giving her a leg up over her sister.
    “Saw you