Sunday Snippet: All Jacked Up

Welcome, November! Honestly, October had great points and not-so-great points. Having a sick pet is not fun. Trying to figure out exactly what's going on isn't either. But she appears to be doing better so that's a plus.

We had a spectacular trick-or-treat night. The weather ended up being cooperative. Chilly but not cold, slightly windy but not gusty, and no rain. The past few years we've had flurries, frigid temperatures, rain, and the blowy, serious wind that makes everyone miserable. Having almost perfect weather is a nice change.

Had an okay work week. I finished up a copy edit and started a new proofread. Finalized a developmental edit with only formatting left to do before it moves over to a copy editor. I have a bit of research to do for the other developmental edit I'm working on and I should have that at least started today.

Not a bad week of viewing. I made it all the way through my current slate of shows. I didn't hit the backburner ones but, again, sick doggo equals a lot of time.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and I'm almost finished with the second season. I really did enjoy the downfall of Jack's former father-in-law. I also loved how disgusted Rosie ended up being with her dad. Christmas episode is up next and it's one I love to pieces.

Caught another episode of Foyle's War and finished out the second season. I'd forgotten Andrew crashed his plane and he had a bit of a romance with Sam. Looking forward to starting the third season.

Watched an episode of Beyond Paradise and thoroughly enjoyed Humphrey and Martha interacting with their new foster. Also quite enjoyed the Ester and Archie banter. I really hope Kelby ends up getting a girl because he's the sweetest guy ever.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. A lot of twisty-turns in this one and Poirot getting all bent over Hastings using the bathroom as a darkroom was hilarious.

Elementary ended up being very interesting. I'm kind of wary of Joan trying to get a mole inside Moreland's company. I think it's for protection so Moreland's enemies can't hurt Sherlock and, by extension, Joan. I'm very interested in whether Moreland is setting this up on purpose or if he's just underestimating Joan. Should be fun to find out.

Caught an episode of Batman Beyond and didn't really remember this one. Ended up liking it a lot. Always good to see Bruce out of the manor.

Lower Decks was so much fun. Beckett is growing on me and Boimler isn't annoying me as much either. And the theme song is still stuck in my head. I think it might be my favorite out of all the Trek shows.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from All Jacked Up, a novella that pulls a couple together after one gets injured.

Here's the miniblurb:

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 to do both.

And a sneaky peek…

Ollie ducked his head inside the VIP quarters half expecting to find Lita misbehaving. "Time for a quick check in." Pleasantly surprised to find her seated in the wheelchair, a splotch of paint on her cheek.

She set her roller aside. "I could use a bit of a break." Her gaze swept the space then met his.

He took the bag of ice over and handed it to her. "You've got twenty minutes to chill with this." Taking a seat on the small sofa, he looked around the room.

She'd made a lot of progress. And it looked like she'd stayed in the chair. Her knee hadn't swelled up anymore.

She tilted her head, almost like she guessed what he'd been thinking. "I'm not overdoing it." Her chin lifted. "But the work is going fast. In fact, I'm gonna suggest if I finish the other two walls, I could maybe do the head too." She arched her brows, asking for permission.

Ollie frowned. "Kind of cramped, isn't it?"

She nodded. "But I could sit on the toilet for the two walls bracketing the door and use the chair for the other two. The shower takes up most of one wall so there's only about twenty four inches that need paint." She pointed to the brush. "That's two spans with the roller."

Ollie got up and went over to judge the space. "Are you going to be able to maneuver from the chair to the toilet then back again without putting pressure on your knee?" He had serious doubts.

She lifted a shoulder. "Honestly? I don't know. But I promise if I have any trouble, I'll stop and wait." She met his gaze. "I swear." She held up two fingers as her oath.

Yeah, maybe she could accomplish painting the small area. But why the volunteering?

He narrowed his eyes. "This is an attempt to get off Netts's shit list, isn't it?" Would probably take more than a little extra bonus spit-shining.

She grinned. "Think it'll work?"

He shrugged. "It might … if you don't do anything else to damage your knee." He'd give her props for thinking the idea through. "What made you think of doing the head?"

Her lips quirked but she glanced away. "Kinda think your better nature is rubbing off on me." She pulled the ice off her knee and set it aside.

Checking the time, he realized the twenty minutes flew by. "My better nature?" He chuckled. "That might be a first." He sobered. "But maybe let's not make it a habit. I kind of like you in rebel mode." He snagged the cold pack and headed for the hatch.

Lita followed behind him. "I just need to lose the attitude, right?" She rolled to a stop. "Having something to do definitely helps."

Ollie turned after undogging the hatch. "As long as you don't overextend yourself, you'll be golden." He stepped through the opening. "See you in two hours."

She gave him a jaunty wave, and he redogged the hatch and keyed in the lock code.

He hated making her a prisoner, but she seemed to be doing okay. Maybe even better than okay. Enough so he wanted to thank her for not making his job harder.

His mouth curved. "And I have the perfect plan to show my gratitude."

If she stayed true to her word…

Enjoying this one. I love Lita and Ollie and making them redefine their relationship.

 

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

ML Skye