Sunday Snippet: Just Dance

Whew. It's been a long week. Can't say it's been terrible, more a constant state of busy. I did manage to take care of several personal life things that I've been putting off so that's a bonus. But I've also been scattered all over the place and that makes me bananapants.

Ohio is gearing up for another weather event where we have 84 degrees today for the high and by Monday, the high will be in the low forties. The barometer hates me right now. Also planning for power outages because when the temperature shifts that much in twenty-four to forty-eight hours and thunderstorms are thrown in, things tend to happen. Wind shears, lightning strikes, flash floods that take out trees. Yeah, definitely hope for the best but prep for the worst.

Work projects have been stacked up with more coming in. I'm very happy to be busy! I finished up a proofread of a terrific nonfiction book, got through a copy edit that ended up having some possibly big consistency concerns. Set up the start of a manuscript proofread to start this week and scheduled a read through of a manuscript that I'll be doing a developmental edit on. I have a few odds and ends that I'll be working on wherever I can also.

Did not get a lot of viewing done this week. Didn't have the bandwidth and needed to focus on work projects. Also ended up having a very productive writing week.

I did finish up Foyle's War and I enjoyed rewatching. I'd forgotten how reluctant Foyle was to join the security forces.

Also caught another episode of My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery. I love Rueben letting himself get pulled into the capers.

Still need to finish Poirot from last week. I'll probably start over because I didn't get very far into the episode before I had to pause.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Just Dance, a novella that brings the characters together for a second chance at romance.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Kevin Hale returns home to help his family put their craft brewery on the map, he has to work with Alice Frank—the girl he left behind—to launch an event to benefit local businesses in a slow summer month. Alice is wary of getting involved with Kevin again—his wanderlust is well-known and she's definitely a hometown girl—but his creativity spurs hers and she takes a chance that he'll stick around this time.

And a snippety peek…

Alice Frank clicked out of the email forwarded by the director with a shaky hand. "Kevin Hale. Geez." Eight years ago, she dreamed she'd be married to him with their future mapped out.

Except things didn't work out that way. Kevin ditched college and signed on as an apprentice for a touring company that staged big shows at convention centers. Now … he wanted to meet the event coordinator about an idea he had for a summer festival.

And she happened to be said coordinator. And he wanted to meet next week. Shit.

Leaning back in her chair, she exhaled slowly. "Not sure if I can deal with seeing him again." He'd broken her heart … and left a few scars behind in the process.

She'd had sporadic updates from his brothers, but they thankfully kept the news to a minimum. And, okay, when Alice ran into his mom at the holiday bazaar, Brenna had mentioned she expected Kevin home soon. But she hadn't said a word about him staying.

Alice snorted. "Not that I would've believed her." And not after Kevin all but said he'd never settle for a tiny, little Podunk town when the whole wide world waited out there for him.

And the worst part? When she mentioned maybe going with him, he'd scoffed. In no uncertain terms, he'd brutally trashed any possibility. His exact words? You'd never leave with me. Even if you did, you wouldn't stay. You lack the imagination it takes to do this kind of work. And vision. Your entire world view exists in this town. Nowhere else.

Her mouth twisted. "But he was wrong." Maybe not about traveling the world.

But she had left Canal Ridge. She went to college in the capital city and lived there for four years. Okay, she hadn't gone far. But she loved living in the city and still enjoyed visiting when she got the chance.

She inhaled deeply. "Maybe it's not Europe or wherever else Kevin ended up working, but it opened my eyes." And sparked her imagination.

She wanted to give back to the community that cared for her and gave her a home. She worked hard to find solutions for small businesses and the limited large companies that provided jobs and revenue for their small town. And she ended up being very good at her job.

Exhaling slowly again, she opened her calendar app and tentatively scheduled two meeting times. "Of course I can deal with seeing him." She got over him a long time ago. "I'll listen to this idea of his and find a way to make it happen." But she wouldn't be the one working with him.

She had a deep well of resources she could pull from. And, no doubt, a bunch of people would volunteer to be part welcoming him home. Which meant she didn't have to be.

Did that sound petty? Maybe. But just because she'd managed to get over their brutal breakup didn't mean she had to interact with him any more than necessary for as long as he'd be here.

Because she didn't believe he'd actually stick around. He'd be home long enough to see this summer festival happen then traipse off to parts unknown again. And good riddance when he did.

After compiling a very professional email, she sent it out through cyberspace. "Okay, Kev. Let's see how you handle a blast from the past."

I think this one is going to be a lot of fun. Alice and Kevin have to get over some preconceived notions about each other and it's interesting to watch that unfold.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin