Sunday Snippet: Ghost of a Chance

Kind of a crazy week. Honestly, 2020 can hurry up and be done. Thankfully, only a few more months.

Not a bad week for television. I finished up the first season of Silent Witness and got a running start on the second. I'll have it finished up this week.

I got to catch the behind the scenes video for Dirty, Sexy Saint. Really enjoyed the actors in that movie.

Also started a series of videos about casting runes. It's a topic I've long been interested in and I'm having fun learning about the practice.

Last but not least, I finally got to watch the series finale of Strike Back. There's so much I want to say about this episode! First and foremost, a heist. Seriously. That was actually a lot of fun. The double cross was also a nice little wrinkle. Breaking things down from the beginning. I loved how Coltrane got out of the gulag. Having Wyatt there and their banter was so awesome. I mean, who else but Coltrane would take a detour during a carefully planned escape? And horses! Excellent. Having Novin take on the entire casino security force also proved to be a wild ride. I'm going to miss her a lot. Loved the beats between the characters when she got back to the apartment and almost took out Wyatt.

The heist itself ended up being an awful lot of fun, with the exception of Gracie getting shot. The boat ride out ended up being beautifully filmed. Then, to find out the big reveal about the, well, I guess it's not really a double cross for the section twenty team, more a double cross of the Russians and Albanians and I love the double meaning behind the comment, "They'll never stop looking for us." Anyway … probably in my top five moments is when Coltrane blithely takes Arianna out then strolls nonchalantly past the pool boy. But my favorite moment is at the very end when the trio heads out to go their separate ways. I mean there can't be a heist episode without the going-off-in-different-directions pan out. Very reminiscent of shows like Leverage or Hustle. Good stuff. Seriously good stuff.

Some final thoughts … the only thing I would have loved as much as the actual ending would have been Coltrane finding Zarkova and / or Wyatt and Novin heading out for lots of adventures. The shipper in me will definitely let my imagination run wild on that front.

Also thoroughly enjoyed the Strike Back Declassified for the series end. I love shows that put behind the scenes or inside looks together for their fans. Having those extras is always a lot of fun, especially when the characters have become like second family.

And … that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Ghost of a Chance, a novella that has a friends to lovers theme with a side of guilt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valerie Queen and Jay Pennyworth meet through Chad Adsworth, Jay's best friend. When Chad is killed in a plane crash, Valerie reunites with Jay after five years. When the chance meeting leads to a long discussion, they end up spending the night together … but the specter of Chad hovering between them may be more than they can overcome.

And a snippety peek…

Valerie finished taping the box for an online order when the bell over the door rang. "Be right there!" She printed the address label and stuck it on the carton.

Straightening her blouse, she headed for the main floor but paused. "God, I hope it's not the last guy I went out with." Okay, more like hooked up with.

She'd been lucky only three people over a five-year period wouldn't accept she only wanted to scratch an itch. But the latest one? Didn't want to take their one-shot deal as the end.

Shaking her head, she continued onward. "Haven't heard from him for at least a week." Hopefully, that signaled the end of his courtship attempt.

She entered the main section of the store and stopped short, shocked to find Jay browsing titles by the window. Rooted to the spot, her hungry gaze drank him in. He hadn't changed much. His face had filled out a little more and he'd added some muscle to his already broad shoulders. A burst of lust quickly unfurled. She blinked and licked her lips. Then came the question … of why he stood in her store?

He turned and his lips curved in a sexy grin. Her heart stood at attention then did a happy dance.

Valerie finally reacted, moving forward. "Jay? Oh, my god, how are you?" She tried to remember what she'd worn today then thought fuck it, why should she care?

Jay greeted her. "Hi, Val. You look … incredible." His gaze swept over her.

She tingled from head to toe, kind of pissed about her reaction. Five years, dammit. But only one night. An incredible one she hadn't forgotten.

Val found her voice. "Are you on leave? How did you find me? And why stop by now?" Gah! Shut up, Val.

Jay flushed. "I'm at loose ends, actually. I'm done. Mustered out." He stopped and shook his head.

Val's eyes widened. "You left the military?" She really thought he'd end up going career. "What are your plans?" A million more questions crowded her brain. Why did you take off? How come you never contacted me? Where the hell were you for five years? She ruthlessly squashed those at the bottom of the pile.

Jay's lips quirked. "Right now? Dinner sounds good. Are you free?" He propped a shoulder on the bookshelf.

She blinked, surprised by the invitation.

He pressed on but held up a hand. "Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm in town for an interview and thought I'd look you up while I'm here." He glanced away. "The dinner thing kind of popped out. Please don't feel obligated."

She recovered, shaking her head. "No, actually, I'd love to meet you." She glanced at the time. "How does O'Shea's sound? Six o'clock?" Within walking distance, she could get there quickly after she closed.

His lips curved. "O'Shea's? I'm glad it's still around. Six o'clock is great." He turned to leave. "I'll see you there." He sent her another heart-melting grin.

She lifted a hand in farewell then made her way to the sales counter. Grabbing hold, she took a moment to let reaction set in. Holy hell. Jay Pennyworth dropped in out of the blue and he looked amazing. If she didn't get her heart rate under control she might have to skip dinner.

Dinner.

Val moaned. "Shit." She wanted more than one meal with Jay.

 

I love writing friends to lovers couples. Val and Jay are fun and seeing how they navigate trying to start a relationship is a treat.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

 

Skylin