Sunday Snippet: All Jacked Up

November is off with a bang. We've had way higher than normal temperatures this past week. It's throwing me off kilter to have seventy-five degree weather right now. The trees are bare but it's like summer outside. Weird.

I had another busy week with work projects. I also got my new washing machine and got caught up on laundry. Last but not least, I think I have about half my holiday shopping done. I'm trying hard to be ahead of things this year.

I didn't get a lot of viewing completed this week. I've been on a kick where I need quiet time to get things done. I did watch a couple of things…

Caught the premiere episode of season two of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say, I love how they've kicked the season off. This is such a fun show.

Also watched an episode of Peak Practice and ended up enjoying it a lot. I like it when they have characters who've been on previously. Adds a bit of realism.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. I think I'm going to catch up on a couple of movies this upcoming week. Stay tuned.

Tonight's post is from All Jacked Up, a novella that features a couple who end up together after one gets injured and starts driving everyone around them nuts.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lita North is injured and ordered to stay off her feet for forty-eight hours which doesn't go over well because Lita doesn't do inactivity. But when Ollie Tulver gets stuck babysitting her after she disobeys the order, she has two choices—continue being a pain in the ass or toe the line. Lita being Lita, she decides do to both.

And a sneaky peek…

Ollie paused with the lid halfway off. "Is that what you think you are to me? You think that's how I look at you?"

She shrugged. "I think it pisses me off when you answer a question with a question. No, actually, questions." She waved her fork, lasagna and all. "You just said if the positions were reversed, I'd feel sorry for you. I assume that means you feel the same for me right now." She stuffed the food into her mouth.

Oliver blew out a breath. "Geez, Lita. There's a lot to unpack there." He cut his portion into chunks. "First, there's a difference between feeling sorry for someone because you commiserate with their situation and feeling sorry for them because of pity." He sent her a hard look. "The fact you even consider I'd go for the second option slices deep." Maybe a little deeper than it should.

Frustrated because he let her get to him, he used more force than necessary to break his roll apart. Maybe he couldn't exactly define what they had—something more than friendship but no boundaries crossed. How did she not know pity would be the last thing he felt toward her?

Lita shook her head. "I'm sorry. That was a bitchy thing to say. We're better friends than that."

Ollie took a bite of food. "I thought we were." He chewed and swallowed. "But I can see how you'd maybe wonder. I mean, Netts ordered me to keep you in line, and I'll follow through no matter what, but I'm also trying to imagine how I'd feel if Cramer ordered me to basically sit in isolation and do nothing." He'd get stir-crazy but wouldn't be the pain in the ass Lita proved to be.

Her lips quirked. "No doubt you'd handle it better than me. Inactivity has always been my enemy."

Ollie smirked. "No, you are your own worst enemy. Inactivity is only a convenient excuse."

She laughed. "Yeah, okay." She dug into her salad. "There's a lot of truth in that statement." Glancing up, she shrugged. "Pushing against barriers is kind of my thing. Probably good I've got someone who points out the error of my ways." Her gaze flashed with a flirty vibe.

Ollie blinked when the flirtation in her eyes turned a little hot. The something more than friendship might be edging closer to crossing a boundary. And maybe he wanted to nudge that idea along a little.

He gave her a long, steady look. "You can count on me for that and … whatever else you need."

Lita lifted her chin. "Hmm. Good to know." Her lips curved into a small grin.

They finished eating in companionable silence.

Ollie stacked the trays and gathered up the crutches before handing them to her. "Now's the time to hit the head if you need it." He made sure she stayed off her leg until she entered the small area.

When she finished, she settled in the wheelchair and handed the crutches over without argument. A win in his book. He took the walking aids outside then retrieved the trays.

Pausing by the hatch, he checked the time. "I'll come back in two hours again. You'll probably be close to finished by then."

Lita, armed with the roller brush, saluted him. "I'll be impatiently waiting for your return."

Ollie chuckled and exited the quarters. If she behaved, he'd bring a nice ice bag for her therapy.

I love writing Lita and Ollie. She genuinely hates being cooped up but Ollie is going to make things interesting for her.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye