Sunday Snippet: Open Shelter

Had a family wedding this weekend and it ended up being terrific weather, kind of warm but the venue had air conditioning and it cooled off in the evening and the mosquitoes weren't awful.

Had another weird mix of a week. Got a lot of writing done and several new projects on the horizon I prepped for. Not a bad week for television either.

Started out with a new episode of Blue Heelers. Didn't quite finish it up yet, but I'm over halfway through.

Watched another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I'm still enjoying this one. I'm a little on the fence with Zelda but I'm kind of invested in finding out what happened to Sabrina's parents. And Harvey's dad is a total ass.

Caught the second class on graphic design in the Master Class series I started. This one focused on typography and ended up being pretty interesting and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Started the Ready Room episodes for Picard. I enjoyed Wil Wheaton's mix of insider knowledge and uber-fan vibe. Looking forward to more of these.

Watched another Passionflix holiday Quickie. The Package ended up being another fun elevator setting. I'm a fan of being trapped with nowhere to go and having to deal with a bad day.

Caught another episode of Chicago Med. I'm really happy I'm finally able to watch this series from the beginning. A heartbreaker of an episode but happy at the end.

Watched the series two finale of No Offence. This ended up being a really terrific season. I'll look forward to starting series three this week.

Also started the first part of a Silent Witness two-parter. I vaguely remember this one and the next episode marks the end of series ten. We'll be getting into the seasons I've watched before.

Caught the final episode arc for season fifteen of Classic Who. Leela stayed behind on Gallifrey so I'm assuming there'll be a new companion when I start sixteen this week.

Started the second season of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. The first episode opened with a deep dive into Nazi secrets surrounding unidentified flying objects. I've seen quite a few of those clips on another program but it's interesting to see how different experts interpret things.

Watched two more episodes of The Muppet Show with Milton Berle and Rich Little as the guest stars. Lots of fun to have the comedians interact with the muppets.

Also started a new episode of The Hardy Boys. I had a long conversation with my brother about the show, which he recommended. I enjoy the intrigue and clues and I love how the brothers interact with each other and their friends.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Open Shelter, a novella that gives long-time friends a chance to pursue something more.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jay Hestwick meets Weslee Noss at the open shelter his mom operates and sees through her sarcastic rogue front to the scared kid underneath and decides to be her new best friend. Fifteen years later, Jay runs the program and Weslee comes home, ready to assist, but she doesn't realize she's bringing a dangerous menace out of hiding now that she's back.

And a snippety peek…

Jay studied Weslee while she unpacked her satchel. "Big Bertha's happy to have you back." The woman insisted on cooking them dinner then ordered them back to Weslee's office while she got to work.

Weslee glanced up. "I missed her. There's something about the combination of grandmotherly warmth mixed with the drill sergeant vibe I've never been able to find anywhere else but here." She chuckled.

Jay nodded, understanding exactly what Weslee meant. "When she considers you one of her own, she's not bashful about making it known." Bertha wore a lot of hats for a lot of people.

Weslee put some files in the desk then settled behind it. "You and she are all I have now. And I'm glad I've got both of you." She smiled. "Should we tell her she doesn't need to matchmake?"

Jay shook his head. "And ruin her fun? Nah. Let's give her tonight." He'd be reluctant to admit Bertha's dinner idea took some of the pressure he'd put on himself off.

He wanted Weslee's first night back to be amazing.

But he didn't quite know what his next step should be.

She tilted her head to one side. "What are you worried about?"

He blinked. "How did you know I'm concerned about something?"

She arched a brow. "Master's degree, remember?" She got serious. "And I've known you forever even though I've been gone for a while."

Jay didn't want to downplay anything. "Thinking about later … after dinner." He shifted in his seat, his confidence from earlier a little off.

Her lips curved in a half-smile. "As in your place or mine?" She got up and came around the front of the desk.

Jay huffed out a breath. "Pretty much." He leaned back in the comfortable chair. "I mean being on the same page is terrific, but I didn't really think past letting you know I'm interested." He met her gaze. "Kind of pathetic, right?"

Weslee pushed away from the desk. "Not at all." She moved to sit on his lap. "In fact, it's one of the things I love about you. You're confident without being arrogant." Her lips brushed over his forehead. "A lot of men with your background can't pull that off. They're assholes because they didn't have your mom or Big Bertha in their life." She rested her head against his. "I, for one, am glad, because between the three of you, I had a safe zone when my mom went off the rails and I eventually learned how to function with normal people."

Jay's arms went around her. "I'll never forget the day you arrived here." She'd been sarcastic, snarky, and used swear words in every sentence.

At the age of eight.

Weslee groaned. "God, we were a mess. My mom's … boyfriend … dumped us at the front door, peeled rubber, and never looked back." She shook her head. "And thus a pattern was established."

Jay rubbed her back. "You went through a lot. My mom took to you right away." The same way he had.

And she'd seen what he did under the surface of the rogue daughter—a scared little girl who'd never admit her fear and would fiercely protect herself and her mother.

Weslee chuckled. "She was horrified I knew how to swear better than most sailors." She eased back. "I'm so sorry you lost her."

His heart gave a twist. "Me too. But her legacy lives on here."

Weslee lifted her chin. "And in you."

Jay nodded. He'd taken over at the shelter two years before her death and hoped to continue improving on her passion project. Adding Weslee to the staff definitely counted.

"Hey. You two gonna come out and break bread with me or what?" Bertha poked her head inside the office.

Weslee laughed and scooted off his lap. "Wouldn't miss it. Whatever you made smells wonderful."

Bertha basked under the praise. "Stroganoff and fresh bread. And a salad from the extra produce our veggie guy dropped off." She turned and started for the kitchen.

Jay got up and fell into step beside Weslee.

She put her arm around his waist. "Let's make it your place … mine's not livable yet. I have zero furniture."

Jay grinned. "My place it is."

I'm excited about this one. I love friends to lovers, especially when there's not a secret crush—although those are fun too.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin