September has
ushered in yo-yo weather. We had record low overnight temperatures this past
week and we're supposed to end up with record high temperatures this week. My
sinuses are not happy right now.
I'm still finishing
up the copy edit for the extended project and should have it ready this week. I'm
looking forward to starting a new project in the next week or so. September is
shaping up to be a busy month and that makes me happy.
Didn't have a bad
week of viewing. I got a lot of episodes in and finished up a series, which
means I get to start a new one this week. I have no idea what that will be yet,
but probably a mystery.
I caught two
episodes of Death in Paradise. One I remember seeing before and the
other new to me. This is why I love going back and watching in chronological
order.
Also watched two episodes
of Fantasy Island. Enjoyed both for the fantasy aspect. Did not enjoy the
angst factor. As usual, you take a perfectly good couple and break them up for
a stupid reason. Depending on how the next few episodes go, I'm probably done
with this show.
Enjoyed two episodes
of The Batman. Bane and Catwoman were introduced and the Catwoman episode
was a lot of fun. The Bane episode wasn't bad either.
Caught two episodes
of Classic Rugrats. The four vignettes were all ones I'd remembered and
pretty fun to watch again.
Finished up the Agatha
Christie Hour and enjoyed the final episode. I love mistaken identity
hijinks and this episode had a splashy party to boot. So much fun.
Caught the second
half of Suspects and thoroughly enjoyed watching the team unravel the
tangled web of who did it. Also kind of great to get some insight into the
characters' personal lives.
Finally watched the
season nine finale of Peak Practice. It was as hard as I thought it would
be. I'm not looking forward to Andrew's personal life being a main focus of season
ten, but I'll still be watching.
Finished the second
half of Silent Witness. This one ended up being very twisty and I like
that. Looking forward to the next two-parter. Might get more insight into Jack's
character.
That's pretty much
it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Make Me, a
novella that brings a couple together after a tragic loss.
Here's the
miniblurb:
Adri Leonard and Moses Nichols train and manage recruits
for a private security firm. When Adri loses a team in the field, she refuses
to train a new group. Moses has to get her back on board because they need a
support team ASAP for a mission-critical operation and he's not above using
their long-standing personal connection to make it happen.
And a snippety peek…
Moses charged into the
training room. "Adri, what the hell is this?" He flipped through the
roster of names. "You can't trash an entire class on their first
day." This group had the basics down, most with experience in either law
enforcement or spec ops in the military.
Adri's shoulders went
rigid, but she grabbed a carafe of coffee and started filling her travel mug.
"Pretty sure I just did." She ran out halfway through filling her
container and huffed out a breath.
Moses clenched his jaw.
"Look, you know we've got seventeen active teams in the field, and I've
got five staffed with support specialists. That means a dozen teams are
twisting in the wind without crucial operating assistance." He shuffled
the pages again. "We've got mission-critical operations, one in
particular, that need trained teams. They're sitting ducks until they get
them." He should not have to make this point. "And we'll be fucked if
we end up with another call out in the next two weeks."
Adri angled her head
around. "We're already fucked." She moved to the next carafe and
swirled it, making sure it had liquid inside. "Bring in the next
group."
Moses tsked. "No
one in the next group has any law enforcement or military background. They're
starting at ground zero." And there's not enough time to bring them all
up to speed.
Adri turned to face
him. "Then they start at ground zero. Because the previous group is done."
She jabbed her finger into the files he held. "It says so right there on
the top page. Maybe you should read it again." She screwed the lid on her
cup and headed for the door.
Moses did a quick five
count. "Adri. This is not a debate." He set the files aside and
started to follow her.
Her obstinance couldn't
stand—no matter how long they'd been friends and colleagues.
She whirled around and
stalked toward him. "Well, Moses, I'm the instructor. The only one you
have." Standing toe-to-toe with him, she snarled. "If I say we start
over, we start over. I will not, not send another team out that isn't
ready." She jabbed a finger into his shoulder and her gaze dared him to defy
her decision.
He almost wished he
didn't have to test her will. Almost. Because he understood the drama now. Too
bad they didn't have the luxury of playing things safe right now.
He huffed out a breath.
"That's what this is about then. It's not about the new class." He
stared her down, pushing hard. "It's the one we lost." He clocked the
moment he hit home when her gaze wavered, only for a moment, but enough to
prove him right.
If possible, she got
even closer before she quietly challenged him. "Careful. You're treading water
in dangerous territory." The words rasped from her throat.
Her proximity suggested
violence if he didn't bow to her demand. And, frankly, he would almost welcome
a throw down if only to strip away the bullshit façade and get her to deal with
her grief over losing an entire team in the field.
He stood his ground.
"Step back. Now." If she refused, he'd have to resort to unfair
tactics.
Her gaze went hard.
"Make me." Her tone almost begged him to retaliate.
His eyes narrowed and
he pondered the best way to handle this situation. Then he reached out and
hauled her against his chest, crushing her mouth under his. He swallowed her
startled gasp and drew the kiss out, sliding his tongue past her lips to brand
the inside of her mouth. Her travel mug hit the floor and her hands fisted in
his shirt, twisting the fabric. Her head angled to the side, deepening the
embrace with her heated response.
When the lip-lock
ended, Adri blinked and ran her thumb over her lower lip. "Wow. What the
hell was that about?" Her eyes were dazed, and she smoothed her hands over
her arms.
Moses grunted. "I
think you know, Adri. From day one, you set a goal to push my boundaries. And I've
let you get away with it. But you shot across the line when you challenged me
to make you step back." His voice softened. "Sounded damn close to
the double dawg dare you dropped at my feet the first night we met. What did
you say then? Do you remember?" He wouldn't forget her words any time
soon.
Adri glanced down.
"Something like if I ever cross the line, a good, swift kick in the ass
will usually get me back on track." She looked back up, a note of
contrition in her eyes.
Moses did a slow nod.
"Right. But, instead of kicking your ass, I went with my gut and opted for
the kiss instead." And he maybe should've thought that idea through a
little more.
Because, damn, he could
barely think about anything else now.
Adri exhaled a shaky
breath. "Yeah, well, you might have made the right call there." A pained
laugh bubbled out. "Although, I'm not sure where we go from here."
She shook her head and bent down to pick up her mug.
Moses waited until she
got to her feet before speaking. "Let's start with reviewing the applicants
again." He gentled his tone. "If there are any you truly feel can't
make it through the program, we'll set them aside and bring them in with a
later class." He reached for the files.
Adri put her hand on
his. "You're asking me to put their lives on the line. I'm not sure I can
do that … again." She squeezed his fingers. "The weight of that
responsibility sits on my chest so hard it hurts to breathe sometimes."
Her voice wobbled but she kept her emotions in check.
Moses cupped her face.
"I know. I do. This isn't easy. But … let's think about how many
additional lives could be lost if we don't get the support out there where it's
needed." His thumb brushed over her cheek. "Won't that add to the
weight you're already carrying?"
She swallowed hard and
gave a nod. "When you put things that way, yeah, probably." Inhaling
deeply, she lifted her chin. "Okay. Let's review the candidates and see
what I have to work with." Turning away, she pulled a chair out and
settled at a table.
Moses took a seat
across from her and opened the first file. For now, he'd get her through this
hurdle and back on target.
After that … he'd
confront his actions and what they meant for the future.
Writing characters
that push each other's buttons is so much fun. Adri and Moses are a great team,
but they definitely come at things from very different places.
That's if for this
week. Happy reading!
Skylin
