Sunday Snippet: Mistletoe Madness

Hello, March! It seems weird that a year ago next week, I went out with friends to celebrate birthdays and a week later we started the state shutdown. It's been both the longest and shortest time span between the two. I'm not sure that makes sense, but it's definitely how the last twelve months have been for me. LOL

My middle kiddo, who is actually a grown adult, ended up being admitted to the hospital on Monday. He's got some health issues going on and he's really tired of trips to urgent care, the ED, and various doctors. I'm hoping he eventually gets a solid diagnosis and starts to find some relief soon.

Had another fairly busy week with work. My projects have slowed down a little since last June, which is a blessing and a curse. I like having more time to hit some side projects but I also like to stay busy so I don't lose my groove.

Not a bad week for television. I caught a couple episodes of Silent Witness. Season nine started on such a downer but one of the things I love about British dramas is how they explore the journeys characters take. US television doesn't do that as often.

Watched another episode of No Offence. I'm still enjoying this show. I like the overreaching arc of a serial killer and the case of the week stuff also. Good show.

I caught another episode of Peak Practice. I'm almost finished with the second season and I'm looking forward to easing back into this show on a regular basis.

For fun, I started watching The Muppet Show series. I remember experiencing the original run with my two brothers. It was one show we all agreed on and watched together without fighting. Brings back good memories.

Caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0 and I'm almost at the point where I stopped watching regularly. Not sure if seasons eight through the end will be on, but I'll try to finish out the series.

Finally, caught another arc of Classic Who and started season fourteen. I can't remember how many seasons the fourth doctor had, but I think I'm at the halfway point.

And that's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Mistletoe Madness, a holiday ménage story.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After burying her mother right before the holidays, Delaney Nixon comes back home to deal with the estate and decide what to do with her future. Two former beaus offer condolences and help, each hoping the spark might reignite even if they've agreed to leave old feelings alone while getting Delaney through the merry season.

And a snippety peek…

With her arm around Westin, Delaney gave Scotty a wide grin. "We do!" She turned the porch light on and led the men out.

They trailed down the steps and stood in the yard to take the scene in. The eaves and retaining columns on the porch were decked out in red and green lights. On either side of the stairs, white lights twined down the railing and two candy canes stood sentinel at the base.

Delaney sighed. "It's beautiful." She grabbed Scotty's hand and headed back up on the porch.

She stopped so Scotty stood under the mistletoe. Tipping her chin up, she kissed him. Scotty moaned against her lips and caught her face in his hand, taking the embrace deep and lingering. When he lifted his head, she eased away, a little breathless. Happy memories filled her mind and she let them in, owning how easy it would be to fall for him again.

Westin stood on the steps with his eyebrow arched. She sent a wink in his direction, a promise she hadn't forgotten about him either. And she hadn't. Giddy joy threatened to replace the lingering grief of losing her mom and she wanted to bask in it for a while.

She bounced on her toes. "Let's turn the inside ones on too." She headed back into the house with the men following her.

Westin did the honors, flipping the switch by entryway. Three downstairs rooms lit up. The sitting room in blue and white, the living room in a golden hue, and the kitchen in multicolor, her mom's favorite. Delaney would add some fun décor to the parlor, dining room, and half bath later.

Scotty jerked his head toward the living room. "Tree needs decorations." He slid his gaze sideways and arched a brow.

Delaney grinned. "The boxes are in the sitting room." She started forward, but Scotty shook his head.

He lifted a hand. "I'll get them. You two go on in." He crossed the hall and ducked into the room.

Westin followed her into the living room and she paused under some mistletoe.

He chuckled and hauled her close, bending his head. Delaney met his lips. The lip-lock got a little heated the same way it had with Scotty. She eased away when Scotty entered, clearing his throat. Her blood pumping, the only thing she could honestly claim would be having an intense attraction for both men. Not a good thing.

Easing away, Delaney grabbed the first box from Scotty's pile and the guys grabbed the others then followed her to the tree. They started the decorating, sharing memories from other holidays. Even though she'd dated both at different times, each had experience with how much her mom loved decorating using any and all excuses. Delaney enjoyed reminiscing and slid a little deeper into confusion. The two guys represented the happiest time in her life.

About halfway finished with the tree, Westin dropped a truth bomb. "You're trying to figure out which one of us you want, aren't you?" He placed a bulb on a limb, but sent her a pointed glance.

Delaney tried to sidestep the question. "What do you mean?" Right, she couldn't have been more obvious.

Westin waved a hand. "The mistletoe madness thing you've got going on. You're testing the waters, right?" He flicked his gaze toward Scotty.

She opened her mouth, then clamped it shut. What the hell could she say? Her face flamed hot.

Scotty laughed. "Busted." He nudged Westin. "Good call, buddy." He shared a high-five with Westin.

Delaney's mouth dropped open. "Wait, you're not pissed?" Did she step into an alternate universe?

Scotty shrugged. "I'm not. Westin?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

Delaney tried to wrap her brain around their responses. "You two never fail to amaze me." She sat on the sofa. "As to why … well … every relationship I've ever had falls short." She looked up and held their gazes. "Because no one compares to my first two loves." And no one probably ever would.

I have so much fun writing trios. This group dynamic is interesting to dive into for me. I love the revisiting the past to find the future kind of trope.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Meet Me by the Mistletoe

The shortest month went by really fast. I can't believe we're headed for March again. It's been such a weird year and I'm actually kind of blown away that it feels like the last twelve months have flown by yet also seemed to last a decade. Seriously.

Had a somewhat busy work week and didn't get a lot of television watched. But I got a few things viewed. Started with Silent Witness and finished up the first episode of season nine.

I actually got two arcs of Classic Who watched. I think I'm almost finished with season thirteen. I like this season. There have been some interesting episodes and I love Elisabeth Sladen a lot.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I had to do some downloading with the IMDBTV app to get back into this one. That's what happens when I take a longish break.

As usual, I caught my mystery shows on Ovation and some Classic Perry Mason. Also caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I'm hoping to see the last two seasons at some point.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Meet Me by the Mistletoe, a follow up to Merry and Bright, featuring Presley, Frazier, and Gunnar a year later.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Presley Griffith wants to create one more new holiday tradition with her men, Gunnar Stewart and Frazier Boyle, and celebrate their one-year anniversary with style. With hectic schedules revolving around the hospital, fire station and police department, she's not sure she can pull it off. A cryptic message to meet her by the mistletoe at a secluded bed and breakfast brings both men calling with bells on.

And a snippety peek…

Gunnar Stewart had serious doubts about Presley getting a tattoo, but the idea made him grin. "She's been going on and on about getting one." He wouldn't mind unveiling the artwork for Christmas, especially if it involved a hot romp in bed with Fraz.

He exited the precinct house and slid behind the wheel of his personal vehicle. He'd just started the engine when a text pinged. Quickly checking the ID, he opened the message.

"Dismissed class early. Wanna meet at the jewelers?"

Gunnar grinned and typed a quick response. "Hell, yeah. See you in ten." He and Frazier designed a trio of rings and planned to surprise Presley for the holiday.

He put the car in gear and drove out of the lot, anticipation filling him. He'd had the best year of his life, which kind of blew his mind. Who knew sharing a bed with his best friend and the woman of his dreams would become a check-off on his life-goal list?

Turning down the street, he started toward the jewelry shop. "A kid growing up in the system finally finds a family. Can't get much better." At least not for him.

Gunnar's optimism battled with the terrible shit he dealt with on a daily basis. Having Frazier and Presley in his life made things better. Being intimately involved with both actually helped keep him from getting burned out.

He let out a laugh. "Never thought anyone would do that." Mainly because he tended to be a loner.

But Frazier didn't let Gunnar get away with being aloof. Fraz's big family meant the guy didn't know the meaning of keeping his nose out of someone's business. Not that Gunnar cared. When he needed a place to crash, Fraz opened his door and invited Gunnar in … then offered to share the lease.

Then they met Presley and both had the hots for her. The friendly rivalry made spending time at the hospital a lot more pleasant. She'd kept them at arm's length until last Christmas when everything changed and they ended up not making her choose between them.

Instead, they shared her bed and her life.

Pulling into the parking lot, he cut the engine. "And it's better than good." He got out and met Frazier at the entrance of the shop.

I love this trio. The sages are whispering about a New Year's story for this group and I'm excited to see what they come up with.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Lucky Seven

What a week. I spent a lot of time texting family and friends in Texas to make sure they were making it through their worst deep freeze ever. Even my brother, who lived in Ohio for most of his life, had a tough time. He's in the Dallas area and, so far, has had two pipes burst. Here's hoping that's the worst of the damage.

Television ended up being pretty light this week. I caught another episode of No Offence, which I'm enjoying a lot.

Also finished up the final episode of Silent Witness for season eight. I'll be moving on to season nine this week.

I've heard some good things about Riverdale, so I should probably finish up what I have to watch and get started on the new season.

Weirdly, the sages have been feeding me a ton of new story ideas, which I love, but I also have a massive amount of WIPs that need to be finished. I need to have a sit-down chat with those pesky imps.

Tonight's post is from Lucky Seven, a novella where the characters turn a one-night stand into something more.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Daisy and Shae work for the same company and they end up overindulging at a corporate casino night, waking up next to each other the following morning. What starts as an awkward one-night stand turns into something neither expects or is really looking for.

And a snippety peek…

Shae stood outside Daisy's townhouse questioning his sanity. "What the hell am I doing here?" Aside from holding two bags of Asian cuisine.

A dim memory from their college days planted the idea to stop by his favorite shop and get a variety of dishes. Maybe that small amount of knowledge, the whole sort of knowing her prior to working with her, had him intrigued. He couldn't figure out why else he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her.

He used his elbow to push the doorbell and startled in surprise when she immediately opened the door.

She reached out dragged him inside, casting a quick glance back and forth before shutting the neighborhood out and turning to face him. "Thought you might stand out there all night." She took the bags and motioned for him to follow her.

He trailed behind her, taking in the quirky décor. A mix of modern industrial with a few rustic touches and pops of color—what his mom would dub eclectic style. Comfort came to mind when she led him into her living room and set the takeout on a low-slung table.

She settled onto a large floor pillow and swept her arm over its match, indicating he should take a seat. He did, a little off-kilter but determined to mind his manners.

Which meant keeping his hands to himself.

Once he got situated, she met his gaze. "What did you bring?"

He opened the bags. "The variety sampler from Cheng's." He started taking out the boxes and popping them open.

She sucked in a breath then tilted her head to one side. "Did you know Cheng's is my favorite?" Taking the napkins and chopsticks out, she set them in the middle of the table.

Shae shrugged. "Honestly, no. But I had a vague recollection of being in the dorm common room and you oohing and ahhing over something from that Asian fusion place on campus." His lips twitched because Daisy got super-excited about stuff back then and didn't curb her enthusiasm.

Her eyes went wide. "I can't believe you even noticed." She grinned. "But I'm glad you did." She picked up a box and divided it between two plates.

He got a kick of satisfaction for choosing wisely then wanted to kick himself. There's nothing great or amazing about having a memory. Then again, why did it matter. She asked him to bring dinner so he brought it. His reason for being there had nothing to do with food.

But, he actually enjoyed reminiscing about their alma mater and some of the things they had in common, even if they experienced them at different times. They'd had the same professors for two of their classes and both had been amazing. The one class they had together their junior year had the worst professor on campus.

And … as usual, she didn't waste time diving into the topic at hand once they had their meals more or less finished.

Twirling some lo mein onto the chopsticks, she started the ball rolling. "So … this"—she motioned between them—"whatever it is between us? I'm done fighting it." She slurped the food from the utensils.

His heartbeat kicked up a notch. "As in what? You want a relationship?" He'd considered the idea and found it didn't freak him out as much as he'd thought.

She made a garbled choking sound. "What? No. No, no, no." She shook her head. "That's a horrible idea."

Mildly insulted, he pushed for clarity. "Then what, exactly, do you see happening here?" How did they not fight the attraction without being a couple?

She set the chopsticks down and met his gaze. "Sex, hooking up, whatever you want to call it. But that's it." She ticked off a list. "No dates, no strings, no public displays, and absolutely no discussing this with others or at the office." Her gaze narrowed. "Deal?"

He blinked. "Um, I think I've got it all straight." A perverse need to push at her boundaries hit him. "Do we talk at all when we're not, you know, fucking like rabbits?" His tone sounded pissier than he meant it to, but, geez.

She grinned and gave him a nod. "Sure. Maybe even stream a movie or binge-watch some television while we're recharging so to speak."

Something bitter churned in his gut but the image of her writhing beneath him wouldn't leave his brain. His head wanted to renegotiate but his dick wanted to snap up the offer.

He thrust his palm forward. "Deal."

Looked like his dick decided to do the talking tonight.

I love Shae knowing on an instinctual level that Daisy's deal won't be as easy as she thinks. Daisy's trying hard not to get in too deep, but Shae's already there.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Lonely Heart Mountain

Happy Valentine's to those who celebrate. We're supposed to get blasted with more snow but I definitely won't gripe about it because I have family and friends in Texas that will no doubt have it so much worse.

Semi-busy week again with a new work project. Things are picking up a little and I'm grateful and happy to have work still coming in.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and have a feeling it's going to be an interesting one. I love getting slice of life glimpses into the town and how it operates.

I finished up the first part of Silent Witness's last two episodes of season eight. I'll be starting the second part this week. Then it's off to season nine.

Caught another episode of No Offence and I'm still liking the show. I'm not a big comedy fan, which is probably evident in my weekly recaps, but I will give dramedies a shot. Glad I stuck with this one.

New seasons are starting of shows I normally watch but I'm so far behind. I haven't been in the mood or the right headspace to really absorb some of them. Maybe I'll get there during the blizzard that's supposed to be headed our way.

I also caught my usual fare of mystery shows this week, but that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Lonely Heart Mountain, a novella that will hopefully be ready for Valentine's Day 2022.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Author Hettie Blackwell returns home to care for her ailing mother, because her two brothers aren't up to the task. But when Hettie bumps into Winslow Whittaker—the hot new sheriff—she's got more trouble, especially when her younger brother lands in county jail on Valentine's Day.

And a snippety peek…

Winslow Whittaker melted back into the shadows of the trees. The Blackwell woman—he'd had the distinct displeasure of an introduction to her brother already—dragged Hank to her SUV with sheer strength of will. He had to give her credit—she had science to getting her bigger sibling inside.

She hooked her fingers into his belt loops and hefted him upright, throwing his torso onto the seat. Then she crossed to the other side, opened the door and dragged him inside. She left him facedown, came back around, folded his legs upward, then strapped him in—with bungee cords no less.

Win chuckled. "Guess she's done this a time or two." He moved along the edge of the trees, staying back.

He mainly wanted to make sure the bikers didn't harass her anymore and to make sure she got headed home okay. He almost started forward again when she rested her head in her hands on the steering wheel. When she straightened, she looked tired, pissed, and unhappy.

She absolutely fascinated him.

After she started her engine, she began backing out of the line of parked vehicles. Win hung back—only to make sure she got started off the hill. Or so he kept telling himself.

She crept forward then braked and backed up a little. The passenger window rolled down and she stared in his general direction. The inky darkness wouldn't let her see him, but she obviously sensed his presence.

She leaned forward, raising her voice above the music playing. "Hey, Mr. Helpful, come on out where I can see you." She waited only until he emerged from the shadows again before letting him have it. "Next time, and there will be one, you might wanna buy tickets for the Blackwell behaving badly show." Her voice wobbled with frustration and anger.

He had no idea if either or both were directed at him, but he walked steadily toward her vehicle. "Look, I respectfully kept my distance and let you handle your own. But I didn't want to take the chance Bands might get twitchy and cause trouble. Not something you need more of right now." And something he didn't need at the moment either but he couldn't share that information with her.

She cocked her head. "Are you for real? Why would you give two shits about my dumbass brother or me?"

His mouth curved. "Just my nature." He waited a beat. "And I'd love to spend some time with you, if you can make it back here in the next day or so." He pushed his luck with the invitation, but what the hell … she intrigued him.

She shook her head. "Don't hold your breath." Her gaze slid to the prone figure of her brother then back to Win. "But I'll think about it." She eased off the brake and started down the hill.

Winslow followed her progress with his gaze until he couldn't see her taillights anymore.

Letting out a slow breath, he shook his head. "Damn, she's something else." He turned and started back toward the concert area. "Gotta talk to Tim and get the lowdown on the Blackwell woman."

A very interesting start to my tenure in Coshocton County.

I'm not sure where this story will end up being located, but the outdoor concert is based on one that happened for several years in my hometown.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Little Black Book

So far, February has been cold and snowy in Ohio. Not a complaint or anything. It's been a while since we've had snow that stuck around for longer than a day or two.

Had a fairly busy work week but I did manage to get a couple of shows watched. I started with the last two episodes of Queens of Mystery and also caught the behind the scenes and easter egg specials. I'm looking forward to another season of this show if they decide to go ahead.

I started another episode of Silent Witness and should finish it up over the next day or so. This two-parter will round out the eighth season and I'll start nine in the near future.

Caught the first episode of a new-to-me series, No Offence. Set in Manchester, I really liked the first episode. It's a bit of a dramedy which isn't usually my cuppa but I'll give this one a solid shot.

Also got another episode of Blue Heelers almost finished. This had a fun crop circle thing going on to offset a tragedy. The only thing left is the reveal of who committed a murder.

Caught my usual Ovation mysteries also. And I found a channel that's showing Poltergeist: The Legacy, which I loved when it originally aired. I really miss old-school Syfy channel sometimes. The current incarnation annoys me to the point I can't really watch it anymore. I think the freak of the week movies really ruined the entire channel for me.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Little Black Book, a sexy short that has a fun game of cat and mouse with my main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Kalyn Miles is footloose and fancy free and likes it that way. She does what and who she wishes. Her current object of desire is Sid Mortimer, but he'll have nothing to do with her—especially since she wants to add him to her little black book.

And a snippety peek…

Sid hid his surprise. She'd caved sooner than he expected.

He propped his arms on the edge of the bar. "Here's what we're going to do … I'm going to finish my drink and you're going to go take this…" He slid a glass of papaya juice in her direction. "And two pain relievers. Then you're going to get some ice for your head and wait for me to come to your room." He used his best seductive tone.

She gave a nod then blinked and her brow furrowed. "Why am I taking pain meds and getting ice?"

Sid snorted. "I can see the headache pounding behind your eyes." She'd had a rough night, obviously.

She scoffed. "No, you can't." She cocked her head to one side, slowly. "Can you?"

Sid shrugged. "Okay, not literally. But you do have one." Anyone with eyes could see her pain.

Kalyn took the glass with papaya juice. "How do you know?"

Sid angled to the side, keeping one arm on the bar. "You're squinting in the shade and you have slow, careful movements."

Kalyn's eyes widened. "Wow, you're good."

He appreciated the opening she'd given him. "You have no idea … but you will." His voice lowered. "Soon."

Passion flared in her eyes even with the headache. And, of course, his dick got hard in response. Thankfully, his shorts were on the baggy side.

She blew out a quick breath. "Damn."

He hid his grin behind his drink.

Kalyn fanned her face. "Yeah, okay, I'm walking away now." She glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't take too long."

Sid lifted his chin, acknowledging the request. He resisted the urge to follow immediately. Geez, her ass looked terrific. The sexy sway of her sarong-covered hips drew his gaze until she entered the hotel.

The bartender nudged Sid's elbow. "Dude, you're a lucky man." He let out a low whistle.

Sid's lips curved. "I will be…" For a while.

I've got three months to convince Kalyn we'd be fantastic together.

This is such a fun story to write! Sid and Kalyn have some good vibes and Sid definitely wants to see where they go.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Liar's Lament

With January coming to a close, the first month of the year is in the books. Oddly, I have a good feeling about 2021. I hope I'm right and the year is terrific for everyone.

Ended up with a full slate of work projects this week and I welcomed them with open arms. But they kept me pretty busy so I didn't get a lot of television watched.

I did finish up the second part of the racing episode of Silent Witness. Ended up being very twisty and turny.

I caught a full arc of Classic Who and I'm about halfway through the thirteenth series. I think I like the previous season better than this one so far.

Started a new Queens of Mystery episode and I'm still enjoying this series. I hope they end up doing another one. It's a lot of fun.

As always, I caught the usual mysteries on Ovation and some additional classic episodes of Perry Mason.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Liar's Lament, a novella that explores two characters who reunite after five years when one decides to face their demons.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Harper Scrytch kicks Rhett Barrison to the curb and runs like hell to avoid a romantic entanglement. Four years later she arrives back in town to make amends only to discover Rhett has moved on … unless he hasn't.

And a snippety peek…

Sarah Barrison picked up the plates and carried them to the sink. "Why don't you bring that nice girl you've been dating next time?" She kept her tone casual.

But Rhett saw right through his mother. She did this at least once a month during their one-on-one dinners when his dad had rotary club. She liked to fuss, especially since he remained the lone unattached sibling.

He snorted. "Nice try, Mom. I told you Dani and I work better as friends." He'd tried but the long-term idea didn't last long.

The sexual spark hadn't really dimmed though. They had a nice friends-with-benefits thing going, which suited them just fine. Not that he'd share that information with his mom.

Sarah came back to the table. "You've said that about everyone since"—she lowered her voice—"she who won't be named." Her delivery bordered on dramatic.

Rhett rolled his eyes. "Only by you. And it was four years ago. I think the statute of limitations has been met." Or should have been anyway.

Sarah frowned. "Not if you can't move on." She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

Rhett sighed. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm not in big hurry to settle down. Why are you in such a rush?" He had siblings who had perfectly wonderful relationships.

Sarah gave a motherly sniff. "I want my boy happy." She slid him a teasing glance. "And more grandkids wouldn't hurt." Her eyebrows waggled.

Ah, he should have known. "You mean seven isn't enough?"

His two sisters had three rugrats apiece. And his brother and his partner Mark had one. Why did Rhett have to contribute?

Sarah gave a small shrug. "Of course, it is. And your brother is thinking about another one. It depends on whether Mark gets the promotion at the hardware store." She put her hand on his forearm. "You deserve what your dad and I have. What your siblings have found. That's all." Giving his arm a squeeze, she got up and went to the sink to rinse the dishes.

Rhett thought he had found the forever kind of love—with Harper. She'd checked off every one of the traits he wanted in the person he'd spend his life with. But he didn't check hers. Obviously.

His mom meant well, but until he found someone that made him feel what Harper had, Rhett wouldn't settle. And he wouldn't rush anything. Not even to please Sarah Barrison.

He pushed away from the table and helped load the dishwasher. "I'll let you know as some as I discover the right one, Mom." Closing the washer, he gave Sarah a one-armed hug. "And I'll make sure to bring her by when it happens." He reached for his jacket hanging on the peg rack beside the back door.

Sarah wiped her hands. "Until then, I need to stop bugging you, right?" Her eyebrow quirked upward with humor.

Rhett gave her quick grin. "Yeah, something like that." He lifted his hand then opened the door. "Love you, Mom."

She repeated the sentiment and let him take his leave. One outside, Rhett fished out his phone and called Dani for a hookup.

This one went is directions I didn't expect and I love when that happens.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Late Summer Engagement (an Organic Nature short)

Wow, January is almost over and it's been a month. I'm cautiously optimistic the year will get better and crossing my fingers to be on the safe side.

Had a semi-busy week with work and I'm still on my cleaning spree. I did get some television watched. Started with another arc of Classic Who and watched the four-part Pyramids of Mars. Will probably get another arc in this week.

Started the next two episodes of Silent Witness. Oddly enough, it featured a horse race and I just finished editing a book about a thoroughbred dynasty so I understood a lot of the jargon.

Also started a new episode of Blue Heelers. There's another new cast member and I'll reserve judgment on whether I like her or not.

As usual, I caught a bunch of the Ovation mysteries and some classic Perry Mason. I also caught a marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I might be somewhat over the loss of Chin and Kono and ready to watch the final seasons. We'll see.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Late Summer Engagement, an Organic Nature short set in the month of June.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Vin's ready to spend his life with Eppie, but he's not sure she wants to be the marrying kind. Instead of proposing, he suggests something a little different. As usual, Eppie surprises him with her response.

And a snippety peek…

Eppie stared through her kitchen window at the arbor. "What are you telling me, Gram?" For a full week, she'd been drawn to the sanctuary, compelled to go out and sit with the quiet and solitude.

Maybe because she had more time now—she had good part-time help—and enough time had passed since her gram's death. Memories assailed Eppie, of sitting on the bench while her grandmother tended the garden. Or helping her prune the ivy that twisted and twined all around the pergola and arched entrance to the arbor.

Vin entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Eppie. "What's on your mind?" He rested his chin on her shoulder.

Eppie turned in his arms. "Wondering what Gram wants me to know." She appreciated Vin not making light of her belief in messages from afar. "Maybe she wants me to restore her favorite place." She shrugged. "But we're already planning to do that and I feel like there's more she's trying to say."

Vin stepped back and nodded toward the table. "Speaking of the restoration. I've got the plans if you want to take a look." He reached over and smoothed the pages down.

Eppie made her way over and settled on one of the chairs. "This looks terrific." She glanced upward. "How long do you think we'll need?" She'd estimate a couple of weekends if she got the overgrowth cleared during the week.

Vin pretty much confirmed her guess. "Probably one weekend to fix and repair the current structure then do some prep-work and another one to add the new elements." He pulled a chair around and sat next to her. "I left the archway with the benches intact, but think we should add a lattice-work supporting wall to each side." His finger traced the gentle curved lines of the suggested addition. "More benches, probably in stone, would anchor everything." He met her gaze. "That way it'll last another fifty years."

Eppie grinned. "My gram would've loved you." His design invited a person in and included the shady spot under the pergola as well as having the added stone seating for basking in the sun. "We could add a pedestal café-sized table with wrought iron chairs on either end also." She loved the way concept came together.

A lovely area to sit and relax surrounded by nature.

She tilted her head. "You know, my grandparents used to sit and talk through their issues out there. They'd sit across from each other at first then usually ended up on the same side once they'd resolved their situation."

Vin quirked a brow. "Is that why it was their favorite place?" He folded up the pages and tucked them into a folder.

Eppie gave a slow nod. "I think that played a big part, yes. It was a different time and the arbor represented neutral ground for them." She let out a small chuckle. "Whereas you and I tend to talk about whatever we need to in the moment, they were much more deliberate about how they approached strife and conflict." She didn't think her gram wanted Eppie to use the arbor for the same purpose … but her gram wanted Eppie to learn or know something.

Maybe she'd discover the answer during the restoration.

Vin got up and held out his hand. "Speaking of communicating in the moment …" He tugged her up when she grasped his fingers. "Care to interpret this?" His mouth closed over hers and his palms cupped her ass.

Eppie moaned and eased away. "You're in the mood for hot sex and I'm right there with you." She grabbed his hand and led him through the small hallway to the stairs.

Eppie and Vin are so much fun to write. I love following the progression of their relationship one month at a time.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin