Sunday Snippet: Reflex Reaction

Ugh. Had a rough week in general. My work project is coming along nicely but we had storms blow through and lost power a couple of times, which kind of harshed my vibe in a big way.

I got less television viewed but I did get to finish out the second season of the Passionflix original Driven. Man … what an ending. I'm truly excited for season three next year.

I did catch another episode of New Rugrats. I'm thoroughly enjoying this show and I'll state for the record that I hope there will be another season. So much fun.

Watched a full episode of Chicago Med and started another one. I'm not sure about the new head of Rhodes's department but their interactions are very interesting.

Got another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries out of the way and one of my favorite things about this show is how we see some familiar faces from other episodes pop up. I really like that, especially since they were suspects before in a different case. Very cool.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Interesting concept on this one and I vaguely remember bits and pieces from the episodes but can't remember how things got resolved. I'll look forward to seeing the second part.

Enjoyed another arc of Classic Who. Interesting concept and the resolution ended up being something I didn't expect. Hope to start a new arc this week.

Caught another episode of UFO Witness and rather enjoyed it. This one had a regression so an abductee could maybe remember what happened to him. Ended up being pretty interesting to watch.

Watched two episodes of The Muppet Show with Liberace and Marisa Berenson as the guest stars. Enjoyed both.

Still loving McCartney 3, 2, 1. I always end up being blown away by something every episode. It's also a lot of fun to watch Paul pick up an instrument and play or see him sing along at the mixing board. Love this show.

Enjoyed another Master Class with LeVar Burton. This lesson focused on the imagination being our superpower. I love listening to LeVar talk about storytelling.

Started an episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and … well … I didn't finish it. I really enjoy most of the characters, especially Hilda and Ambrose, Doctor Cee, Theo, Harvey, and Roz. I like Nick a lot. Even the weird sisters are often entertaining. But it really bugs me how Sabrina started out being decent at communication and now she massively sucks at it. The whole asking for advice then doing the exact opposite—without a really good reason other than it's what she wants to do—is starting to annoy me enough to stop watching for now. I might come back to the show eventually but there are other things on Netflix I'd like to get to so Sabrina can wait for bit.

Watched another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Man. I'm starting to really love this show. There's a lot of nuance, which I enjoy and I like trying to figure out if Lorca is an asshole or a genius … or both. Michael intrigues me to no end. I love mix of Vulcan logic with human foibles. She's such a cool character.

That's pretty much it for the weekly viewing update. Tonight's post is from Reflex Reaction, a novella that features a messy reunion between two characters and the hard road they follow to work things out.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Rory Crame longs for more than her small hometown can provide. She escapes, leaving her childhood sweetheart, Gib Larrison, behind. Seven years later she returns, older and wiser, with a better appreciation for what she walked away from—especially Gib, who doesn't seem at all interested in rekindling their romance.

And a snippety peek…

Gib Larrison took the shortcut from the state route through the beginning of the business district that would take him uptown. "I hate running late for a staff meetings." But he's had a breakthrough with one of his patients. "Even if it made her appointment run long."

He drove by the old service station and did a double take. The realtor sign no longer listed the place for sale, instead proudly displaying its sold status.

"I wonder who bought the old place?" Good to see the rejuvenation incentives bringing some life back to this part of the city.

The college town used to have a mix of industrial professions along with the academia-related work, but they'd gone through a rough five years with three of five outlying factories shutting down. A shift from those factory jobs to some touristy businesses had started coming in.

Gib's inner voice snarked. "Someone once told you the town didn't offer much once the factories started pulling up stakes."

Gib snorted. "Yeah, well, she might have been right, but we're bouncing back. If she'd stuck around, she'd see the downtime didn't last long." And he wouldn't get sucked back into a rewind of the past.

Reliving those memories had kept him from moving forward way too long. He finally got back out and into the dating game. No easy feat when he refused to go the social media-app route. He preferred face-to-face introductions. Reading people came with his job as a physical therapist. So much time saved by gauging interest in-person rather than sifting through online profiles, which tended to be misleading at best.

He huffed out a breath. "Probably why I've been with less than half a dozen women in four years." He had plenty of opportunity—if he wanted to date patients, which he shied away from.

And, hell, he'd admit being gun shy. He'd his future planned, had the person he wanted to spend it with. Too bad she didn't want the same thing. Rory Crame struck a match and lit fire to goals and dreams. She left him standing in cinder ash wondering what the hell to do next.

"Damn you, Rory." Taking the turnoff for the medical complex, he headed for the hospital parking lot.

He couldn't count the number of times he'd said those three words over the last seven years, usually after something or someone reminded him of her. Finishing his physical therapy graduate program gave him a reprieve, but building his practice and reputation put him into contact with people who knew them as a couple. And they were all curious about how he'd moved on.

"More like whether I moved on."

He'd put himself out there again. But he still struggled. Rory burned the bridge—he didn't trust anyone of the opposite sex for a long time. Not after Rory—

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Nope. I don't go there anymore." A therapist he worked with gave him tools to cope with the betrayal and he'd be fine.

A knock on his window gave him a jolt. Mava, a pretty nurse from one of the ortho doc's offices stood next to his car. He put the window down and quirked a brow.

She tilted her head. "Are you okay?" A note of concern entered her gaze.

Gib lifted his chin. "Yeah, I'm good. Running late, obviously." He cut the engine.

She smiled. "They haven't started yet. Dr. Osgood had an emergency consult. He's on his way."

Gib rolled the window up and got out. "My last appointment ran over. Did they send you to find me?" He shut the door and leaned against the car.

She laughed and blushed a little. "No, not really. I came to hopefully catch you on the way in." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Are we still on for tonight?"

He flashed a smile. "Absolutely. I'm looking forward to trying your cooking."

She grinned. "Terrific. I'm excited to have you over."

They walked into the medical complex and headed for the conference room. Mava took her spot at the table and Gib went to get some bottled water. The reminder of his date with her did a lot to dispel his maudlin memories of Rory.

He liked Mava a lot. He'd moved slowly with Mava—coffee, brunch, a pops concert, and a few nice dinners at two different restaurants. Then they had an evening in where she put the moves on him. They'd spent the night together at his place and he enjoyed waking up with her.

As for more … maybe. He'd been feeling an urge to settle down but he'd had that notion before. With Rory. He didn't trust his decision-making skills when it came to women. Not anymore.

Doctor Osgood finally arrived and Gib shifted his focus to work. Taking a seat across from Mava, he sent a quick grin her way. No need to rush anything but he looked forward to having dinner with her tonight.

This is probably the opening story to a three-book series. Two of my side characters are being very vocal about wanting their own features.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin