Sunday Snippet: Harshing the Calm

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. And if you're not a dad, happy weekend!

It's been a long week with back and forth temperatures that always wreak havoc with my allergies. Bleh. But… not a bad week for television viewing. I started out with more Mutant X and followed with Endeavor and Midsomer Murders.

Then I hit The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I'd forgotten how dramatic Derek's entrance to the fold was. I'm also a little more than halfway through Constantine and I liked the fallen angel episode.

I finished up The Batman season four and really enjoyed the series. I think there might be a few more episodes floating around but I'm not sure. I caught several episodes of Classic Who up through the third episode in the Key of Marinus arc.

Pensacola Wings of Gold isn't half bad. Fits in with my military-themed shows of Strike Back and Band of Brothers. Chicago Fire is just over the midway point and I'm hoping to finish out the season soon. I caught Sense8's "Demons" episode and really enjoyed it. It's not as hard to keep things straight as I thought it would be. Really, a great show.

Loved seeing Hurst go down on Blind Spot. I need to mainline some episodes because they're getting close to expiration. This makes me a little angry. I realize the season is over but, honestly, unless the DVD is going to be released within a month, keep the episode live, dammit. Just saying.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Harshing the Calm, a novella about breaking old habits, living outside a comfort zone, and learning to appreciate both.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gentry and Rayce have a volatile past, one they walk away from to start over. But old habits are hard to break and when their paths cross again, they discover they can repeat their mistakes, or change and grow into something so much better.

And a snippety peek…

Rayce tried to focus on Catie's animated story. A rookie beat cop, she enjoyed every new situation and loved to share each one. Rayce appreciated her enthusiasm and gumption. But… he'd had many of the same experiences, albeit seven years ago.

A lucky break put him on the fast track to making detective and he'd landed in major crimes two years ago. A lull in her chatter had him seeking her gaze. She observed him, her eyes wise for someone so young. Rayce could kick himself for letting Gentry's antics distract him.

He finished off his drink and placed his hand over Catie's. "Wanna get out of here?" The atmosphere still reeked of possessive ownership.

Catie gave him a quirky smile and nodded. "Sure." She gathered her phone and keys from the table.

Rayce held her hand and she followed him through the throng of noisy patrons.

Once outside, she slipped her palm away from his. "It gets easier, you know?"

Rayce glanced her way. "You're what? All of twenty-one?" His lips quirked, hopefully taking the sting out of his words.

Catie chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm young." She angled her head toward him. "But seriously, Rayce, I was the queen of high school drama. Going through two years of college and then the academy opened my eyes. I'm not the only person on the planet and it certainly doesn't revolve around me." She made a snorting noise and rolled her eyes.

Rayce reached out and grabbed her hand again. "You're pretty terrific." He squeezed her fingers. "And I'm sorry. Being around Gentry just irritates me, but not because I still want her." No way did he want her.

Catie wrapped an arm around his waist. "Rayce, I get it. The breakup may have happened six months ago, but she's got a bold personality and would be hard to forget." Her voice lacked snark or sarcasm, stating a known fact.

Rayce snorted. "She's definitely an in-your-face type." He absolutely didn't manage to keep his response scorn-free.

Catie bumped his shoulder. "Like I said, it gets easier." She nodded toward her car. "My place? I work three to eleven tomorrow." Her eyebrows waggled suggestively.

Rayce turned to face her, tipping her chin up and meshing his lips with hers. "Your place sounds great."

She handed him the keys. "Why don't you drive?"

He unlocked the doors and opened hers then went around and got in behind the wheel. Spending the night with a sweet, sexy woman sounded exactly like what he needed. Gentry Cain could have her ballplayer.

Rayce got the better deal tonight.

I'm actually having a lot of fun with this one. Sometimes it's nice to challenge my perceptions and see what shakes out.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin