Sunday Snippet: Automatic Failure

Whew. November is almost over and I'm not sure where the month went. Crazy weather continues. It warms up then plunges into the cold depths. We've had a dusting of snow twice. I don't mind the cold, but I like it better when it gets chilly and stays that way. The back and forth makes me cranky.

I did finish up one of my work projects and have a brief break on the second one. I thought I'd get some things accomplished around the house but I ended up having two new works projects land in my inbox. Definitely not complaining but I think one of my new goals will be trying to create better balance.

I, again, didn't get a lot of anything watched this week. I started an episode of Ted Lasso but put it on hold when I got the new projects.

I plan to view as many episodes of Batman: The Animated Series as a memorial to Kevin Conroy, as I can. I can honestly say, Kevin is my Batman. He's he first voice actor I ever looked up online because I loved his work in the animated series so much.

One bit of great news is I'm three-quarters of the way done with my holiday shopping. I might even start getting the gifts wrapped and bagged. Then it's off to gather stocking-stuffers.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Automatic Failure, a novella that mixes a sibling rivalry, family drama, and a couple doing what's best for everyone.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Piper Kemp, a flight instructor, moves aside to avoid letting her personal feelings influence a decision about whether to pass one of her students. But when he crashes and almost loses his life, Knox Petruci steps up to defend Piper and opens a can of worms because her student happens to be his brother.

And a sneaky peek…

When Piper passed the med tech station, Ana snagged Piper's arm. "Oh, no, Lieutenant. Let's get you some coffee and a few moments alone. You don't look like you need to be riding on elevators or behind the wheel of a car right now." Ana directed Piper to a small waiting area, pushed her into a chair, and poured a cup of the fragrant brew. "Now you just drink this and take five to compose yourself, then you can head on out."

Piper blinked the tears from her eyes and took the mug. "Thanks. And sorry for pulling you away from your job." She needed to get a grip and get on her way.

Ana dropped down into the chair beside her. "Honey, you don't have to apologize. That one"—meaning Abel—"is a piece of work. And if what I think happened, happened. You just saved yourself from needing a pain-in-the-ass extraction."

Taking a sip of the coffee, Piper choked on it. Ana's words conjured a hilarious image of medical equipment raising Abel, kicking and flailing, up into the air. After the nasty scene, she'd needed the humor.

Ana patted her hand. "There you go. You're all set now." She got up and headed for the door. "Want my unsolicited advice? Check out the older one. He's a looker and I think he got all the good genes." She waved and went outside.

Piper cocked her head to one side. "Wouldn't that be a wild twist?" She downed the rest of the coffee and placed the mug on the counter.

Heading toward the elevator, she didn't know what to think when she pressed the button to head down to the main level. Entering the enclosed space, she absently selected the ground floor indicator and waited for the brief ride down. Getting dumped—could it even be called that when Abel had ulterior motives for dating her in the first place—stung, but oddly didn't hurt as much as she would have expected. Especially considering she'd stepped aside because her personal feelings were involved.

"Hold the door, please!"

Piper flung her hand against the sliding panel and almost laughed when Knox stepped onto the car.

His eyes went wide but he recovered quickly. "Thanks. I appreciate it." He glanced at the selection and nodded when he noticed the main lobby selected.

The doors slid shut and the elevator started its descent.

Knox kept his gaze forward. "As you've obviously discovered, my brother can be an idiot." He shot her a sideways glance. "I swear no one dropped him on his head, but he gets it honest."

Piper's lips curved. "Do I want to know which family member he takes after?" She bit her tongue for being snarky, but Knox barked out a laugh.

And Piper flashed back to Ana's advice…

This story is shaping up and is so much fun to write. We've got the sibling rivalry in the books and the family drama follows soon after.

 

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

ML Skye