Perhaps Ernie can't get a fruit (9)
I believe the answer is:
nectarine
'a fruit' is the definition.
(I know that nectarine is a fruit)
'perhaps ernie can't' is the wordplay.
'perhaps' indicates anagramming the letters.
'ernie'+'cant'='erniecant'
'erniecant' with letters rearranged gives 'NECTARINE'.
'get' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for nectarine that I've seen before include "Peach-like fruit" , "Trace nine to a kind of peach" , "Variety or mutation of a peach" , "Smooth-skinned variety of peach" , "creating a sort of jam" .)