Read Champagne and Lemon Drops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance for Free Online Page A

getting a break. That man had to get his
stuffing together, because if he didn't and she let him off early,
they'd surely end in divorce. She wasn't going to let him toss the
turkey in the oven until she was sure he had his stuffing
together.
    "Beth, dear?"
    Beth looked up from her CDs at the elderly
woman with flyaway hair. "Yes, Lauretta?"
    "You know Wolf and I used to have fights. We
always found the best way to work through those rifts was to stay
together under the same roof and work through it." She reached into
her mouth and adjusted her dentures. "You and Ozzie love each other
very much. You can't let that kind of thing go."
    "I'll take that into consideration. Thanks,
Lauretta," Beth said, quickly matching up CDs and cases in order to
escape before others gathered around to add their advice.
    Footfalls lacking her patient's
characteristic shuffle echoed across the large room and loafers
stopped at the outskirts of her scattered music pile.
    "Good morning, ma'am," said a deep voice.
Beth looked up to see Nash nodding to Lauretta.
    Lauretta gave him a slight nod and slipped
away, calling out, "Remember Beth. Same roof. Happy together
forever."
    "Getting love advice, are you?"
    Beth let out a half laugh. "Yep. Everyone
has something to say. I didn't realize so many couples have had big
fights. Blows my mind." She gave her head a slight shake, making
her curls tumble over her shoulders. She flicked her hair back and
accepted the cracked CD case Nash was passing her.
    "Still using CDs? You could ask the
acquisitions committee for an MP3 player. Convert this over to
digital. Make some playlists."
    Beth glanced up and was struck by the
nearness of Nash's bright blue eyes. He smiled and she tried to
ignore the extra heartbeat that thrummed inside her chest. Which
was silly. It had only been days since Oz had asked for a break.
She was in no position for heart thrills.
    She obviously needed to get more sleep.
    "I could help if you want," he offered.
    "I already have an iPod. It doesn't work."
Sometimes men didn't understand that old technology was easier,
cheaper, and faster. And harder to lose.
    "Oh. Uh, I was wondering... are you hungry?"
He ran a hand through his perfectly groomed hair, each strand
returning to its proper place. "I was angling to grab lunch before
heading back to my clinic. Would you care to join me? A side of
conversation with my cafeteria gruel always makes it more
palatable."
    She studied him through her lashes and
stuffed a few CDs in the basket. He gave her a confident, disarming
grin and waited.
    "My treat. Simply sustenance and company."
He handed her another CD.
    "When?" Beth replied reluctantly. She tipped
the Ella Fitzgerald CD into the basket, wanting to snap it in half
as punishment for all the dance memories it brought back. Damn that
Oz. She shoved the basket onto her cart and faced Nash.
    "Now?" he asked, his eyebrows arching
hopefully.
    "Yeah." Why the hell not? She had to eat.
Besides, she could use a friend who wasn't invested in her
relationship like half the town seemed to be.
    He laughed. "Not exactly the enthusiasm I
was hoping for, but better than eating alone. And besides, we can
arm wrestle over who gets to drive and claim mileage for our outing
to Dakota tomorrow."
    She laughed despite her
mood. "I don't know, City Boy. Think you can out-wrangle a country
girl?" She watched him stand, his scrubs momentarily outlining his
fit quads. God, she was such a pushover for a good pair of quads.
When Oz was still playing high school football he had amazing quads and some
nights, she used to fall asleep dreaming of where those muscles
ended and what they might feel like pushed against her in moments
of passion. And now she knew—and they were even better than in her
fantasies.
    Nash laughed and squeezed her bicep. "Hmm. I
dunno."
    She flexed her muscles and grinned.
Laughing, she pushed her cart back against the wall and pushed him
toward the door. "Come on, let's get there before they're