Sunday Snippet: Rewarding Experience

Another crazy week with record low temperatures for August. I'm talking wear a jacket because it dipped into the low forties at night. This week we're supposed to be back up in the mid to high nineties. Weather is wild.

Seriously jammed with work projects right now and I love being busy. I'm at the point where I'd love to have another four hours added to each day, so I don't feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. Also had to figure out a few things for my daughter's grad school, like how to drop a class and add a new one before the semester starts, which is Monday. As mentioned last week, she was in Ontario Canada for a theater festival and didn't have a lot of downtime. The good news is, she's set to go. Yay!

I didn't have a lot of viewing time this week. The verdict on my car is still out and that's been hovering in the back of my mind and distracting me. My work projects also need my full attention.

I did get to watch an episode of Elementary and ended up enjoying it. I skipped the one that I struggled to get through. I'd rather have forward momentum than get stuck and drop the show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Rewarding Experience, a novella that puts a couple through a dangerous experience.

Here's the miniblurb:

When an explosion rocks a deep space mining expedition, injuring Trixie Bell, she realizes how much she wants and needs Jock Tennyson by her side. The grueling hours and physically exhausting work make the couple cranky and edgy, but Trixie decides to show Jock how rewarding a simple reprimand can be.

And a sneaky peek…

Trixie paused on the way to team three's location. A pop sounded above her head followed by a skitter of pebbles. She listened carefully, poised to move. There. A low whine hissed through the chute. She had about ten seconds before the first rumbling groan would occur.

"Shit. Cave-in."

Taking off at a dead run, she sprinted to the group mining an offshoot. She got to their location right before the first snap and crackle of falling debris rained down behind her. They didn't have much time to escape the cramped confines.

Motioning with one hand, she gave a sharp whistle. "Githo, githo, githo. Now. Now. Now." The shorthand phrase for get the hell out had the five-man team hotfooting past her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they hit the larger corridor. They were out of the way. She started moving … but not fast enough to make it clear. The retaining wall gave under the pressure of the tumbling rock. And crumbled down on top of her.

Everything went dark and pain engulfed her. She spit dust and debris out and groaned. Damn. Her first thought? It sucked to be her right now.

The second? It wouldn't be easy to get her out. Shit. Shit. Shit.

An eerie quiet descended on the chute. Or maybe the roar in her ears dampened everything out. A little dazed, she took stock. Tried to move but couldn't. She definitely didn't have a lot of wiggle room. And everything hurt from her head to her toes.

The first voice she heard echoed off the stone. "Make a goddamn hole."

Jock. But how did he get here so fast?

"Trixie? Trix! Where are you?"

Buried under a crap ton of rubble. Hysterical laughter tried to escape but hurt so badly she sounded more like a wounded animal.

Her arm turned a weird angle, but she moved her fingers, waggling them a little. "Here. I'm here." She couldn't shout—pain made raising her voice impossible.

A scramble of feet and a shower of lose dirt and pebbles clued her in to Jock's arrival. "Trix? Geez." A bright spotlight swept over her. "Okay, you're gonna be out of there in no time." He shouted over his shoulder. "Bring the bags and vacuum. Now!" He focused on her again. "I'm here, Trix. I'm gonna get you out." Worry creased his face before determination settled in. "Hold tight, okay."

Trixie bit back a laugh. "Not like I have a choice." Searing flames of agony enveloped her, and she groaned.

Jock reached down and caught her chin in his hand. "Don't you die on me." Something raw and unchecked filtered through his voice and gaze. "I need you here with me, Trix."

Tears prickled behind her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Not going anywhere, Jock." It grew harder to breathe. "Get me out of here. Hurts. Like a bitch."

He gave a nod and backed away when two miners drew his attention. "We're going to start." Jock placed a makeshift shield around her head. "Shout out if anything causes more pain."

She lifted her chin. "I trust you, Jock. You know what you're doing." His engineering background would prove useful.

If anyone could get her out in one piece, Jock would be the man. Her mind drifted while she listened to him bark orders and direct the crew. How did he get down the shaft so fast? Didn't matter, because she might not have made it otherwise. The vacuum started pulling soft rubble from the pile while they moved the bigger pieces of heavy stone. Several times Jock stopped the work to evaluate their next step and to check on her.

When he lifted the shield a moment later to speak to her, his gaze held deep concern. "We have to cut three large pieces and they're all in sketchy positions. I want to fortify two while we remove the first."

Trixie tried for humor. "So … don't make any immediate plans then?"

He cracked a smile. "That would be a no." He sobered. "I promise we'll work as fast as we can." He arched a brow. "Any questions?"

Trixie gave him a wobbly grin. "Just one. How did you get here so damned fast?"

He blinked and shook his head. "Seriously? That's what you want to know?"

Her lips curved again. "Hey, I've been alone with my thoughts and nothing else for a while now. So, yeah, I'm wondering."

He leaned down, holding her gaze. "I was already on my way when the cave-in happened. Because you were right … but we'll talk about that after I get you out."

She smiled. "I'll hold you to it." He started to back away and she caught his attention again. "Hey, Jock." He angled his head around. "Thank you."

He gave a quick nod then got back to work. At this point, numbness encompassed her whole body … but she didn't want to say anything because he had enough to deal with. Including her bad attitude.

I gotta stop blaming him for the commission's bullshit. She truly couldn't imagine not having him in this godforsaken place. I need him in my life.

Drawing in a breath, she winced. It hurt to breathe. Her vision swam and a haze of blurry gray edged her perspective. She closed her eyes and drifted between paying attention to Jock's rescue orders and unconsciousness…

A little longer than normal, but I'm so happy with how this scene turned out.

 

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

 

ML Skye