Sunday Snippet: Harshing the Calm

Yikes. What a week. We have a new president, which I'm rather thankful for. I hope things slowly get back to at least an even keel. I spent two evenings in two different emergency departments and got to play Dr. Mom with my daughter after she took a spill while riding her rip-stick. Also got some health screening done. It's been a little crazy for the first week of a month.

Didn't get much television watched. I viewed my usual fare on Ovation and caught a few more episodes of Silent Witness. Also ended up catching a few episode of Death in Paradise, which I enjoyed.

Had a great conversation with my brother about shows we've both watched. We're fans of Australian dramas and recommend anything new we've come across to each other.

That's pretty much it for television this week. I might be back on a semi-regular schedule soon.

Tonight's post is from Harshing the Calm, a novella that touches on one of my favorite tropes … getting back together or reunion romance.

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…

Gentry nodded, even if his words stung a little. She wanted to lash out, but something shifted. Getting pissed off never helped. And … she wanted to prove Rayce wrong. They would be very good together.

She swirled her mug, blowing across the top. "I get it, Rayce. We can't pursue anything unless there's trust between us." They'd lost that somewhere along the way.

Rayce grunted. "Yeah, exactly." He set his cup aside and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Gentry took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes in bliss. God, how did he always manage to brew a perfect pot? She didn't realize how much she'd missed him. But she definitely wanted a second chance.

Setting her mug aside, she went to grab her phone. "So, let's work on the trust thing. Starting with dinner?" She glanced at her calendar. "Say next week. Wednesday seven-ish?"

Rayce cocked his head. "What if you have to go undercover?"

Gentry's lips quirked. "If I do, I'll let you know by Monday. Our new sergeant is a lot more organized and usually gives us forty-eight hours' notice." A big part of their previous issues stemmed from her constantly evolving workload and their incompatible schedules.

Rayce's eyes went wide. "Wow. That's a big change."

Gentry snorted. "Yeah, tell me about it. But … I don't have as many shifts at the last minute." Oddly, she appreciated having more control over her schedule.

Rayce agreed to the tentative date. "Wednesday works for me." He paused a moment. "And the same goes, if I land a case, I'll let you know as soon as possible."

Gentry moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. "We'll have fun." She couldn't wait.

He tilted her chin up and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Sounds great." He checked the time and eased away from her. "I'd better go. Need to stop by my place for a change of clothes." He ducked into her room to grab his phone and shoes.

Gentry found a to-go cup and filled it. Least she could do since he'd made the terrific coffee. Rayce exited her room and grinned when she lifted the cup and walked to the door.

She pressed it into his hands. "For the ride home." Standing on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips over his.

Rayce caught her nape with his free hand and kissed her back, letting the embrace get a little hot. When he eased away, his eyes were dark and stormy, but not with anger. Nope, his gaze held the hot and sexy passion she loved to see.

He pushed the door open. "I'll see you on Wednesday. Wanna meet somewhere or should I pick you up?"

She made a quick decision. "Let's meet at Jaspers over on Market." Might be playing things a little safe by meeting, but she didn't want to fuck up this second chance.

Rayce lifted a hand in farewell. "See you then." He turned and headed down the sidewalk.

Gentry closed the door and leaned against it. Excited and nervous, but most of all, happy to have bumped into him last night.

This story is fun. I love writing the back and forth between the characters!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin