Sunday Snippet: Ugly Drunk

September 15, 2019

This past week I got to experience my daughter's first "senior night", this one for golf. She's my youngest and the last one we need to get through high school. Which is actually funny because she's also the most organized of my three kiddos and we haven't had to do much to get her through anything. Okay, except to maybe open the checkbook or whip out the debit card.

Anyway, the golf team had a scramble with another county team and the girls had a great time. This is a little poignant for three of the four seniors because they're all four-year letterman and they literally launched the girls' golf team for the high school. My daughter and one of her friends were the true masterminds, getting another freshman and two sophomores interested so they could form a team. There had to be at least four girls and they had five so they were good to go. In the four years they've had a team, the roster grew to eight, dropped to seven, then went back up to eight again this year. It's been exciting to watch the group grow and change and support each other.

Next up, is senior night for band and that's next weekend. I'm hoping for a non-rainy football game. This past week, the game got delayed due to lightning. Fun times.

Had a busy week overall with work but did get some television viewing in. I kept up with more episodes of Peter Gunn. I'm almost through the second season.

Also got some Classic Who in with The Mind Robber, The Invasion, and The Kroton multi-part episodes. I think I'm through the mixed episodes that are part animation and part regularly shot scenes.

I also watched three more Midsomer Murders episodes. I'm in series seventeen so I have about three more series to finish up.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Ugly Drunk, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Pippa Rice is a problem solver and when she takes a job at a local watering hole, her natural skill defuses quite a few tricky situations. Too bad she can't quite figure out how to fix her boss, Wood Finnian. The guy has more baggage than an airport, but Pippa isn't one to give up on people, ever.

And a snippety peek…

This is a supremely bad idea.

But Pippa paused. "Why? Why do you want a shot?" If he said she challenged him, she'd punch him. Hard. Especially after his earlier crack down in the bar.

Wood put his arms around her, his lips nuzzling her neck. "I honestly have no idea. You're annoying and a huge pain in my ass." He turned her to face him. "But my brother trusted you and I don't know a better man than him." His forehead rested against hers.

Pippa closed her eyes. Not exactly what she hoped for, but she had no idea how much Wood drank before getting him up here. Even so, she didn't want to be a substitute for Ward. She needed Wood to want her for her.

Wood's mouth dropped a kiss on her nose, then glanced across her cheek to burn a trail along her jawline. Pippa's head fell back and she moaned low in her throat. His hand delved inside her blouse, cupping a breast. The nipple responded, puckering against his palm.

God, the man hit every turn-on she had.

His chuckle rumbled close to her ear. "Your body wants me, Pip." He tilted his head back. "Or does it want any hard cock? How long did you say it's been?"

Dammit. Definitely still in ugly drunk mode. Even after baring his soul.

She shoved him back. "A long time, Wood. And using my admission to be an asshole doesn't suit you." She moved away, circling around him to nudge him toward his room. "But to answer your question, no, I don't want any hard dick." She prodded him, step-by-step until he finally stood by the bed. "I want yours. But not tonight."

He shuffled around, facing her. "Why not?"

She rolled her eyes, his petulant tone grating on her good will. Seriously? If he could hear himself right now, he'd wonder why she even stuck around.

Giving him a harder than necessary shove, she waited until he toppled backward before answering. "Because the dickhead factor outweighs everything at the moment and I'd be sorely tempted to do damage to what I'm sure is an impressive piece of manhood if it got anywhere near me right now." Leaning down, she grabbed his feet and swung them up onto the bed.

He grunted. "I hate that you're right. Are you ever wrong?"

Takes his boots off. "Rarely. It's a gift." She threw a blanket over his prone figure.

Making her way to his living room, she dragged a throw off the back of the sofa and settled in to stay overnight. No way would he get up and try to drink more or possibly take his grief out on the bar.

She also hoped to have an actual conversation after he slept off his drunken fest.

Because her heart wanted a chance with him even if she needed to stay vigilant.

Pippa's got it bad for Wood and I like the way these two interact. I'm excited to see how things play out with them.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Transference

Whew. What a week. My middle kiddo—who's not really a kiddo anymore at twenty—ended up in an accident when a car turned in front of him across traffic. His car is pretty crunched up but he's thankfully okay. It's been a lot of phone calls this week to get a loaner car lined up and an insurance claim filed. I can say one thing with absolute certainty. I'm so glad we don't have many accidents or fender benders that need insurance company involvement. Yeesh.

I've been on a bit of a comfort viewing watch this past week. I stuck with more Peter Gunn episodes after watching the weekend marathon. I'm in the beginning of season two and about ten or so episodes in.

Also caught three groups of episodes with Classic Who. The six-part Web of Fear, which had some editing issues but it's better than not being available. I followed that with The Wheel in Space, another six-part arc. And then finished up with The Dominators, which is a five-part storyline. It looks like I'm in the last season of Two's run. I'm a little disappointed with how few episodes are available from his tenure.

I watched the last two episodes of series sixteen of Midsomer Murders and started the first episode of series seventeen. It's kind of odd how there was "The Flying Club" in sixteen and now "The Dagger Club" in seventeen.

I need to try to binge watch the final episodes of Riverdale to prepare for the new season starting soon. My heart is so heavy when I watch because they're the last episodes with Fred. I'm really looking forward to the premiere episode, which will be his memorial show.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Transference, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Leslie Karr is packing her meager belongings to move into a new apartment and finds a letter from Granger Unger explaining why their night of shared grief over the loss of his brother can't go anywhere. After three years, Leslie still wonders if he may have been wrong and decides to test the waters by looking him up before she leaves town.

And a snippety peek…

"I'm such an idiot." Leslie tossed her phone on the stripped-down bed. "Why did I pack everything before I called Granger?" She could kick herself right now.

Nothing for it but to dig through a couple of boxes for something to wear that didn't involve her usual athletic shorts and tank tops—before her belongings headed for storage.

"Coffee on a Saturday morning. I need casual." Definitely not the interview clothes in her suitcase.

She grabbed one of the boxes marked with a clothing label and dragged it toward the bed. Sitting down, she paused before opening it. Holy shit. I'm having coffee with Granger.

Pulling the lid off, she shook her head. "I'm not an idiot. I'm insane." Why did she think contacting Granger would be such a great idea?

Because he's Thad brother and, dammit, that means something.

What it meant, she didn't quite know.

Yet.

But she wanted to find out because she had no one else and neither did Granger.

Digging through the container, she found three outfits she could mix and match for several days' wear. "Not that I'll need something for more than Saturday." But Ohio weather could run the gamut from bright and sunny to chilly and wet sometimes in the same hour.

Stashing the garments in her overnight bag, she snapped the lid back on when a knock sounded on her door. Perfect timing.

Her former classmate stood outside. "Hey, John. I've got everything boxed and ready."

He did a quick glance around. "Is that it?" His eyebrow quirked.

She nodded. "Yep. Ten boxes." Not much to show for almost five years in one place.

He snorted. "This is nothing. Instead of paying for storage, why don't I just take this over to Mom and Dad's? They won't mind keeping it until you get settled wherever you're going to be." He picked up the first container.

It would be nice to save the monthly rental. "If you're sure they won't mind, that'd be great." She reached down to grab one of the boxes.

John shook his head. "Just put it on top of this one. If you stack, I'll carry." He started for the door. "I kind of owe you big time for helping me get through our last year."

Leslie grinned. "You do, don't you." She followed him to the main entrance and pushed the door open. "I'm going to call and confirm my interview times, but I'll have the next two ready to go when you get back in."

She made a quick call to Maryland and verified the date, time, and location. John returned and she loaded him up again. Another call, this time to a hospital in Wisconsin to double-check the pertinent details. John made two more trips then met her in the foyer of the apartment building.

He nodded toward her suitcase and carryon. "You've got everything then?"

Her head bobbed up and down. "Yeah. Just need to drop my keys off then I'm Columbus bound."

John grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "I'll walk you to your car." He shot her a sideways glance. "What are you going to do? Park at the airport?"

She popped her trunk. "Probably. All in all, it won't even be two weeks." If she got lucky, she might be able to leave her vehicle with Granger.

No… that would be an imposition. Still, the idea had merit.

John stowed her luggage then shut the trunk.

Then he pulled her into a big bear-hug. "You've always got a place to stay if none of these jobs work out." He eased away. "Wait. That didn't come out right. What I mean is—"

Leslie laughed. "I know what you mean." She hugged him again. "And I appreciate it. If I end up in Columbus, you and Mark will have a place to hang out when you come up to see the Blue Jackets." Hockey being the couple's favorite sport.

He gave her a wide grin. "You know that's what I'm hoping for." Giving her a shoulder check, he lifted a hand in farewell. "Call me. Keep me posted. You know the drill."

She chuckled and slid behind the wheel. "Okay, Columbus. Here I come."

In a little more than twenty-four hours, she'd be seeing Granger Unger again.

I'm pretty pleased with how this story is going. I like the wrong timing turns into something better later trope.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Toying with Desire

I'm welcoming September with open arms. August ended up being a truly weird month. We'll see if September flows any smoother.

Decent week of television. I stuck with classic and mysteries. I finished up a 77 Sunset Strip binge watch last week and launched into Peter Gunn, logging about seven more episodes via Prime and now a marathon on regular cable.

I caught the Classic Who episodes of The Enemy of the World. Interesting segue… an episode of The Saint featured the actor who plays Two. It's just a weird little connection that made me smile.

I also watched another Midsomer Murders episode. Oddly, they're back to Causton CID again instead of Midsomer Constabulary. Obviously, it's not a huge deal, just one of those random things that popped out at me.

Yes, I'm strange.

Tonight's post is from Toying with Desire, a novella that got a start with a random comment about a sex toy party.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Carly Johnson, a savvy business owner who sells sex toys, isn't looking for love… her track record is terrible. But when she meets Zeke Moran, under less than stellar circumstances, sparks fly and Carly wants to take a chance… but first he has to get over his preconceived ideas about her career.

And a snippety peek…

Carly lifted a brow and held back a bark of laughter. He thought she'd talked Lola into cheating on Rich? How could he be so stupid? For someone who looked intelligent, he'd fast proved to be a huge disappointment.

Shaking her head a little, her eyes met his. "Excuse me. You think I did what?" If anything she'd kept Lola from seeking solace from another man.  

Zeke edged closer to her and lowered his voice. "You've got Lola throwing parties for…" He searched for words. "Mechanical devices, while Rich is in a desert hotbed and can't do anything about it. What gives you the right to interfere in their marriage?"

Did he honestly consider the purchase of sex toys as interference? What decade did he live in? And why did she have to be wickedly attracted to him? She didn't like "those" people. The type who passed judgment on others. Gads… she couldn't tolerate that kind of blindness.

"Don't forget the performance stimulants and dress-up outfits. If you're going to use euphemisms, you might as well include all the categories." Pushing against his chest, Carly darted around Zeke, giving herself some breathing room. "Oh… and let's not forget written and pictorial enhancements." She spun around to face him again. "What exactly is your problem? Aside from not being able to call a dildo a dildo?"

In full anger mode, Carly laid it out for Zeke. "Lola is a good friend of mine. She's missing Rich something fierce. His last two leaves have been canceled and a year is a damn long time to someone as young as they are. Do you realize Lola was this close"—Carly mashed her thumb and index finger together to emphasize the words—"to sleeping with some hot barista at Ground Central?"

Yeah, think about that, you fucking moron.

"And you accuse me of helping her cheat on Rich." Pissed off, Carly looked him right in the eye. "You're an ass."  

Finished with her tirade, Carly pivoted and started toward her car.

I had a lot of fun writing Carly's response to Zeke's asshattery. This story is coming along nicely and I hope to have it finished up soon.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Throw in the Towel

It's so weird to be in the last week of the month. Sometimes it felt like August would never end and other times like it flew right by. I'm actually looking forward to September.

Busy week with work projects but I did get some shows watched. I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and so far enjoy the second season.

Caught several episodes of Peter Gunn. There's a marathon next weekend I'll probably end up watching also.

Watched the Tomb of the Cybermen episodes of Classic Who. I'm bummed there aren't a lot of the second doctor's episodes available for viewing.

Also caught another Midsomer Murders episode. I like the new guy. I also need to figure out when they started working for Midsomer Constabulary instead of Causton CID. Probably way back in a previous season and I just missed it.

I'm in the middle of a 77 Sunset Strip marathon. This is one of my favorite classic shows.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Throw in the Towel, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Taurin Beach and Craig Wallmartin are top competitors on the mud run circuit. When Craig is caught by a reporter with nothing but a towel, it gives Taurin the perfect idea for catching his attention and finally getting what she wants. Him.

And a snippety peek…

Hell, yeah, it will.

Craig mulled over Taurin's response with his gaze on her retreating back.

Maybe he should call her back and ask her to explain. "Okay, no. I don't need a connect the dots lesson." But the flash of… what? Disbelief? Interest? Whatever…

It threw him.

And the view of her ass in the clinging shorts didn't help.

He followed the women's stats and Taurin ranked at the top of the pack. He'd made a name quickly, to the point of having a few nibbles from sponsors. But Tauren?

"Hell, she outclasses me." For the most part.

He started the mud runs for fun but developed a passion for competing. His work in sales gave him lots of flexibility and he'd finally managed to map out his schedule to coincide with the weekend races. Kind of nice to bump into the same people and get to know them a little.

"And, man, I want to get to know Taurin Beach more than a little."

He couldn't do that standing in a damned towel.

After taking a quick look around for more nosy reporters, he finished dressing and shoved his dirty gear into his duffel bag. His mind drifted to Taurin again.

"I wonder what she does for a living?" He'd have to check the affiliation bios.

Exiting the tent, he spied Taurin sitting by the huge bonfire the event managers would get started at dusk. Maybe I won't have to check the bios. She no longer had her gear and she sat in a comfortable camp chair. She must be staying on site. He had a room booked in a hotel about five miles up the state route. Man, he envied her if she had a camper or a trailer. If he kept competing, he'd definitely look into investing in one.

Why not start the getting to know Taurin better thing right now?

He made his way over to her location and dropped his bag on the ground. She glanced up from reading something on her phone, her eyebrow arched in question.

He hunkered down, using his duffel to keep his balance. "Mind if I ask a personal question?" Hopefully, she'd keep the running banter they had in the shower area going.

Her lips curved with a sly smirk. "Guess that depends on how personal it is." She tucked her phone into the cupholder on the chair. "Ask me and I'll let you know if I mind."

Yep. Definitely keeping the banter up.

I like writing about potential competitiveness between characters. In this case, a mutual respect already exists so their rivalry will hopefully be fun.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Tell Me More

Ugh! August is fast becoming the craziest month I've ever had. This past week I filled my gas tank up on Monday and by Wednesday, I only had half a tank left. For perspective… a full tank of gas usually lasts about two to three weeks for me. Does that say anything about the week I had? LOL

Seriously, though, a lot of back and forth travel several times a day did give me lots of windshield time. It also gave terrible drivers and a buttload of construction but that's a whole different rant for another day.

I did end up having a highly productive week workwise, which means I didn't have a lot of time for television. I did hear the news of Krypton's demise unless another network picks it up. Here's hoping that happens. I really do love the characters.

I've been rather disappointed that my once favorite network is no longer in the running for my viewing time. I either watch on demand via the app or not at all. It makes me sad that Syfy has fallen so far. I literally used to watch the channel almost exclusively way back in the day.

As much as I love the convenience of streaming shows, I miss having a wide variety of stuff to choose from during the day on regular cable television. I have been enjoying the local channels' digital offerings. MeTV, Decades, Comet, Charge, This TV, etc. has some great classic stuff. That's what I've been having on in the background. I'm also a big fan of Ovation right now.

I did get to watch a few more episodes of Peter Gunn this week but that's about it.

Tonight's post is from Tell Me More, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Shannon Tewes and Webber Dillon work for a premier event planner and don't always see eye to eye. Shannon has a knack for putting Webber on the hot seat whenever their boss is around and Webber has several ideas of how he'd retaliate if he ever got Shannon in a compromising position.

And a snippety peek…

Webber Dillon yawned and stretched then swung his legs over the mattress to sit up. "I gotta stop working seventeen hours a day." A hot shower and breakfast on the go should wake him up.

Of course, coffee would be necessary for him to stay awake. Early morning meetings sucked balls.

He made the shower short even though he wanted to stand under the hot spray for at least an hour. "Right… not this morning." He had to go over the emailed images Shannon sent earlier in the week.

Right in the middle of the haunted garden project. He barely finished the wrought iron edging Marjorie insisted on adding to pathways. Of course, her last-minute faux forgetfulness amounted to bullshit. Marjorie loved to dump a pile of steaming crap in his lap so she could watch him frantically try to pull off the impossible.

Shaking his head, he poured a travel mug of coffee. "Not sure how much longer I can take Marjorie's ballbusting." Then again, he only had to do one thing to get her to back off. "Right. Not gonna happen." Ever.

So far, he'd kept his end of the deal from hell he'd struck with the event planner. And he planned to never give her a reason to pull her trump card. His work ethic spoke for itself but Marjorie had his balls in a vice and wouldn't hesitate to use any leverage she could gain to force his hand.

He took his caffeine to the table and opened the file Shannon sent. After familiarizing himself with the plans, he jotted a few notes and ideas to add during the meeting. Shannon did good work. Her mock-ups were easy to follow and she didn't scrimp on detail.

He grabbed his folder and tucked it under his arm. "And she got it in before the meeting for once." Finally… he could look forward to a less stressed and busy week.

Scooping his coffee up, he headed for his SUV ready to grab a quick breakfast taco on his way in to Fabulous Fetes.

Webber is going to lose his mind when he discovers Shannon had a last-minute, brilliant idea for the wedding. How much fun will it be when she decides to apologize?

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Surf's Up

August is shaping up to be the busiest month I've had in a long time. Between running around with my daughter and new projects landing in my inbox, I need about five more hours in each day.

Very limited television viewing this week. I ended up not starting the playlist listen while working. Too many interruptions.

I did watch a marathon of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Also caught some Peter Gunn episodes.

Other than that, the manuscript evaluations I've been working on took precedence. It's easier to review and assess when it's quiet and I don't have something else trying to pull my attention away from the material.

On a very happy note, I finished up a manuscript I've been writing for a long, long time. It's the follow up to Shyler: Finding Home, a Furlough 99 novella. The story ended up being more involved than I thought it would be and it turned out so much better than I'd hoped. Look for it soon!

That's pretty much it for television this week. I really want to get back to Krypton and finish up Riverdale and Arrow. Hopefully this week.

Tonight's post is from Surf's Up, a novella that started with a writing community scene prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Marla Siff and Farley Osbourne protect a wealthy businessman as part of his entourage. People assume tech geek Farley is the muscle, but Marla is the combat-trained protective detail. When a threat looms, they retreat to the private shores of their client's own island and Marla and Farley fight their attraction to keep their boss safe.

And a snippety peek…

The small twin-engine taxied to a halt and Farley did a quick sweep of the island via the security cameras. "All clear." He grabbed his gear and stuck close to his employer when he exited the plane.

Marla brought up the rear, keeping Lane between her and Farley. The pilot didn't disembark, immediately driving down to refuel and take off again. The trio walked the short distance to the waiting Land Rover, painted to Lane's specifications in bright red and crisp white, the colors of Pennylane Enterprises.

Climbing inside the vehicle, Farley did another scan with cameras and motioned for the driver to move out. Keeping his eyes glued to the tablet during the brief ride to Lane's manor house, Farley pulled up the feeds for the interior of the main dwelling, the pool house, and the duplex Farley shared with Marla when in residence.

Marla tsked. "Always with your nose buried in tech." She popped open a compartment and withdrew a bottle of water.

Farley didn't glance up. "Yeah, yeah. You do your thing and I'll do mine." He sent a quick look toward Lane. "House is clear. Want me to bump the air conditioning up a little? Inside temperature is seventy-five degrees." Lane usually liked his interior space at close to arctic levels.

Lane hand-waved the question. "Nah. Leave it." He opened an app on his phone and Farley bit back a laugh when the thermostat took a nosedive.

Marla shoulder-checked Farley. "You gonna ask me?" She batted her eyelashes.

Farley smirked. "Nope. The duplex is at a perfect seventy-two degrees." The exact climate he and Marla preferred.

She flashed a smile. "You take such good care of me." She made a show of swooning in her seat.

Lane made a gagging sound. "Geez, get a room, you two." He rolled his eyes.

Farley slid into fantasy mode for a few moments, picturing Marla sashaying into his bedroom with nary a stitch on. He shared accommodations with Marla on a regular basis and they had yet to cross any lines. But, somehow, on the island where they had separate entrances and exits to a shared house, the idea of getting a room became sexier. And, okay, his brain worked in weird ways but he'd always put it down to the fact the when they shared a hotel suite or an apartment, they bumped into each other all the time. In the duplex, his imagination ran wild, wondering what Marla got up to.

Lane intruded into Farley's fantasy. "I wanna learn how to surf."

Farley blinked. "Do what now?" Body surf? Boogie board? Surely Lane didn't mean on an actual longboard or regular surfboard.

Lane gave a snort. "You know… surf. Hang ten." He flung an arm out. "I own a damned island, not to mention a sporting goods company. Shouldn't I know how to do island things?" He shook his head as if Farley asked a stupid question.

And, okay, maybe a little on the mark, but, hell, Lane pulled the idea out of his ass.

Marla gave a growling sigh. "Who's coming and how long do we have to vet them?" She grabbed her bag and fished out her phone.

Lane smiled. "Jacobi Jannsen will be here in the morning. And he's famous among the surfing world so you don't need to vet him."

Farley barely got in a two-and-a-half count before Marla unsheathed her claws.

She leaned forward. "Excuse me? We vet everyone who comes to one of your private residences." True fact. "What if Jannsen has money problems and he's collecting a big payoff to drown you in the ocean." Her tone clearly stated she might consider doing the drowning.

Farley already had Jannsen's bank records open and started an in-depth background check.

Lane shook off her concern. "As your counterpart can no doubt tell you, Jacobi is flush with cash at the moment." He settled back on the seat and pinned Marla with his gaze. "I'm not a complete moron, Marla. Jannsen just signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Pennylane Sports." He reached for the door handle when the Land Rover pulled to a stop in front of the manor house. "He agreed to teach me when we finalized the contract yesterday."

Marla climbed out behind Lane but shot Farley a questioning glance. He confirmed Lane's details with a nod before getting out.

Her shoulders slumped. "Fine. But you're not going out alone with him. I don't care how many dotted lines he signed on." She brushed past Lane to check and unlock the front entry.

Lane gave her a wide grin. "I figured as much. That's why you two are going to learn with me."

Farley choked down a laugh and braced for the inevitable explosion.

So far, writing Farley and Marla and their interactions with Lane has been a complete joy. I love these characters!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Summer's Eve

Whew. Long, long week with a ton of busywork stuff along with my regular workload. I sometimes get the idea that most of my family members don't realize how long or how many phone calls it often takes to make things happen. Luckily, I'm in a position where my job isn't at stake if I need to make those frequent and often time-sucking phone calls. But… bleh.

Had an even more sporadic viewing week. I'm not fairly behind on a lot of my shows. But… I did catch up on some laundry so not a bad tradeoff. I got two episodes of Blue Heelers in while folding and stacking clothes. LOL

I got a little more of Riverdale watched but haven't finished the episode yet. I might be getting to the place where I need to switch over to music. The main reason I've been light on viewing for the past few weeks is a heavy work schedule and lots of distractions from other drama.

I have so many playlists that I listen to while driving. I should probably start listening to them while working also. Maybe I'll start that this week.

Since there's not much to report, tonight's post is from Summer's Eve, an Organic Nature short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The beginning of summer means Vin Derbish is chest-deep into his busy season. Eppie Collins is used to not seeing much of Vin during the month of June, but suggests a spontaneous camping trip when the weather turns nasty with thunderstorms. A few days in a cabin with pouring rain as their soundtrack can't be a bad thing.

And a snippety peek…

Eppie Collins ran inside to grab the phone. "Hello." Her breath came out in gasping pants.

Vin Derbish groaned. "Damn, Eppie, it sounds like you're having sex."

She laughed. "That would be hard to do since you're not around." The month of June hit squarely in the middle of his busiest time of year.

He sighed. "And I won't be for at least another week. But…" He paused to say something to one of his workers. "I have an idea for getting together if you can get someone to cover the farm this weekend and maybe make a couple of calls for me."

She liked the sound so far. "Fill me in and I'll bribe or beg whoever I have to." If Lily couldn't cover weekend hours, Dani might be able to.

And Dani owed Eppie for the Easter emergency, even if Eppie would've been there no matter what.

Vin's voice came through louder and clearer. "Whew. Sorry. Next time I'll wait until I'm actually in my truck before I call." He switched over to Bluetooth. "So… if you can find someone to cover, Greg mentioned he'd be staying in town from Wednesday through Monday morning. He's helping spearhead the organizers for the veterans who'll be participating in the summer reading program at the library. That means the cabin will be free and I thought maybe you could meet me there."

Eppie hesitated a little. "I'd love to, Vin, but how do you see this working? Me at the cabin for fourteen hours a day while you're working? Which isn't a no, by the way, more a question about whether it's worth making the trip for the whole weekend." She could go up on Saturday and head back on Sunday.

Vin chuckled. "Man, I'm screwing this up royally. Check the weather report. We're supposed to get a line of thunderstorms rolling through for the next five days." He waited until she'd pulled up her app. "There's a good chance I'll be available and I know how much you love storms."

Eppie pictured watching the clouds roll in from the cabin's small porch. "Oh, yeah. Sounds awesome." She waved to Lily when she entered through the front door. "Let me talk to Lily and double-check with Greg. I'll give you a call later, say after nine?" He usually worked until they had no light left.

This close to the summer solstice meant he put in some very late evenings.

Vin let out a whoop. "That'll work. I'll probably be having a beer with the guys at Mo's." The little tavern sat just across the county line and had half a dozen rooms Vin's crew had taken over.

Eppie grinned, getting excited. "I'll speak with Lily now. Love you." She ended the call and motioned Lily over. "I have a proposition for you…"

I love this couple so much. This series is a joy to write and coming up with small… snapshots… into their relationship is challenging but also fantastic.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin