Sunday Snippet: Severing Ties

Still battling the generalized blah left over from the flu. The good news is that I got lots of sleep with naps and getting to bed earlier. The bad news is I'm behind on work projects but I should be able to make up my lost time this week. Fingers crossed anyway.

Had a decent week with television. I caught two episodes of Chicago Med and the second one made me sad. It's kind of the first time I've been hit a little sideways by one of the plot lines.

Enjoyed a holiday episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I always find it cool to see how the holidays look in the middle of summer for shows set in New Zealand and Australia. Also started the fourth season of the show and, once again, I love seeing recurring characters pop up when I least expect them.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness and actually enjoyed how it ended. It's another one I'd forgotten.

Watched another arc of Classic Who. I'll be honest, Teegan rather annoys me but I think the character will end up growing on me. I do like Five a lot.

UFO Conspiracies had an interesting episode focused on fireballs. I enjoy seeing how other countries handle sightings.

Caught two episodes of The Muppet Show. Elke Sommer and Sylvester Stallone were the guest stars. I enjoyed the Stallone episode more than I thought I would.

Skated through the season two finale of Prime Suspect. I'd forgotten how awkward and messy that episode ended up being.

Watched the season four finale of Peak Practice. I'm getting into the new partners and I'm glad Andrew is sticking around. Looking forward to starting season five.

Caught another Master Class with LeVar Burton. He talked about podcasting during this lesson and I have an interest in starting one at some point. I got some great information about how to approach the idea.

Enjoyed another episode of Inside the Episodes: The Witcher. Episode ended up being one of my favorites and I loved the behind the scenes insight.

Watched London Live: Jennifer Hudson. I think I like Berlin Live better, but I enjoyed the music from Jennifer.

Caught some New Rugrats episode shorts and a special cast episode. Oddly, there was some footage from episodes I haven't seen yet so I'm hoping that means new ones are on the way at some point. I'll be starting a rewatch of the classic show in the next week.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Severing Ties, a novella that has an established couple breaking up and finding their way back together with a little help from their small-town neighbors.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lucky Block and Booker Severn provide all the crazy antics their small town can take. But when they finally sever ties, the community pulls out all the stops to show the couple they belong together.

And a snippety peek…

Lucky's lips turned up in a sad smile. She turned and walked away, her gait slow and steady. She kept her head level and met every eye in the bar room on her way to the exit. She crossed the threshold and didn't look back. Booker didn't follow and she breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't deal with his forced civility, and it wouldn't be freely given—not anymore.

Sliding behind the wheel of her car, she blinked rapidly. "I'm not going to cry. I won't." She jammed the key into the ignition and started the engine.

Her face flamed with delayed embarrassment. "Nothing like creating a spectacle with a public breakup." Her forehead hit the steering wheel. I'm so stupid.

Needing some distance between her and Booker, she exited the parking lot and drove back across town. She stopped at a tiny wine shop in a strip mall and picked out a bottle of vino. Halfway to the checkout, she turned a snagged another one.

Handing over her debit card, she thanked the cashier then stuffed her purchase under her arm. "Two bottles should get me totally drunk." She definitely wanted to drown her sorrows.

Because her heavy heart felt completely empty and, along with surprise, she discovered sadness. "Never thought about how I'd feel if I lost him lost him." And, dammit, she should have.

Her family had no staying power. They didn't put down roots or make long-lasting connections. Instead, they packed up and moved out, leaving broken snags behind.

Pulling into her drive, she cut the engine. "And I can add one snarled mess to the pile." Not a proud moment but not completely unexpected either.

She got out and slowly walked along the paver stones leading to her porch. By the time she got the door unlocked and stepped inside the foyer, tears threatened again. She didn't resist this time, carrying the wine into the kitchen and grabbing a glass. Hot trails scalded down her cheeks unchecked and Lucky made her way to the couch where she set the bottle on the coffee table then headed for the bathroom to retrieve a box of tissues.

Settling on the sofa, she tucked her feet under her thighs, poured a glass, and slowly sipped. "Here's to severing yet another tie."

Weirdly, I'm having fun with this one. Lucky and Booker need a little help to realize they're perfect for each other.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin