Sunday Snippet: Come Here Often

Whew. Long week filled with so many things going on. And, of course, weird weather. I also didn't sleep well at all … probably due to the upcoming time change. It's like my body and brain knows it's coming and tries to resist accordingly.

Ohio started the week with cold weather then warmed up to seventy degrees yesterday. We also had a lot of rain. Which gave us a lot of foggy mornings. Bleh.

Work projects are less backlogged than they were. I mostly finished up the developmental edit on the memoir, which feels good. A few small things left then it's off for a copy edit and proofread. This is such a great book! Also finished up a copy edit and started a new one. The new one is first person, which I'm not fond of. I also started a new proofreading project on a nonfiction book. I love being busy!

Had a decent viewing week. Made it through my usual slate of shows and did a little binge watching when I needed some background noise.

Started off with another episode of My Life Is Murder. Very fun to see a familiar face in the guest stars. One of the things I love about watching shows from New Zealand and Australia are the amazing actors who pop up frequently.

Ended up watching another Foyle's War episode instead of finishing the previous one. It's one of my favorites and finished out the season. Looking forward to starting a new season this week.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise and enjoyed watching it. Mackenzie trying to find her footing while avoiding the landmines of being back home is kind of compelling. And the supporting cast is fun.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. I like it when it's actually kind of easy to figure out the who then watch how the what and why happen.

Elementary had another great episode. I'm very interested in Joan's relationship with her former patient. My hope is he ends up not falling back into old and bad habits. The case also ended up being interesting with a twist or two I didn't expect.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and it's one I only partially remember. It's a two-part episode and I'm looking forward to the resolution.

Star Trek: Lower Decks had a great episode. It's always fun to see rivalries pop up and to learn interesting things about the other characters. The relaxation planet thread of the story ended up being very entertaining.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Come Here Often, a novella that explores several phases of a relationship between the characters.

Here's the miniblurb:

Neely survives a war but not without considerable emotional damage. When Ace offers her everything she's ever wanted, she turns him down, believing they can't pick up where they left off. Ace aims to prove they don't have to.

And a sneaky peek…

Neely woke with a startled jerk. "I dreamed about being captive." Her hand rubbed at her temple, a dull throb radiating outward to her hairline.

She only had fuzzy and blurry memories—nothing concrete. But she remembered bits and pieces—flashes, really—of her time in captivity. Something she hadn't done before.

Sliding from the bed, she walked to the bath and brushed her teeth, staring at herself in the mirror. Head tilted to one side, she couldn't quite decide if her dream meant anything. Why now? She'd been blessedly blank even though the inability to recall what happened drove her mad. Finishing up, she washed her face, splashing cold water to shake the cobwebs loose.

She followed the smell of coffee and found Ace in the kitchen, holding a mug, one hip propped against the counter. After pouring a cup, she settled at the table and stirred some cinnamon into her brew. Ace joined her and she wanted to keep the quiet camaraderie they had … especially after last night's revelations.

She hesitated mentioning her murky dream to Ace, but the fact she'd had one had her gut screaming something didn't feel quite right. What if she'd been triggered by their conversation? Could she risk saying nothing and possibly turning on those she loved?

Short answer. Nope.

Still stirring her coffee, she raised her gaze to Ace. "Do you trust me?" Simple question but loaded nonetheless.

Ace answered immediately. "Always have." He scooted down in the seat, showing his lack of hurry.

Neely pushed for answers about his response. "The man who always needs a reason suddenly doesn't?" She left no doubt about her confusion over his utter acceptance and zero queries about her return. "Why?"

Ace shrugged. "It's a faith thing. Even when we haven't been on the same page or, hell, not speaking to each other, I've always had faith in you. That never wavered." He took a sip of his coffee.

Neely pounced. "Even when I was gone?" How could he not have doubts?

He shook his head. "Not even then. And not because it didn't drive me insane. More because if anyone could survive, it would be you." One side of his mouth twisted upward. "If for no other reason than to prove you could."

Neely huffed out a breath. "Guess that makes sense." She leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. "Okay, then. I need to tell you something that can't go in your reports." She waited a beat. "Do you still trust me?"

Ace arched his brows. "I think a better question is whether you trust me?" To his credit, he didn't look away, keeping his steady gaze on her.

Neely exhaled slowly. "Honest answer? I'm not sure, but I do believe you'll protect me—and our side—even if it means turning me in…" She paused for a brief moment. "Or killing me if necessary."

Ace's brow furrowed. "What's going on, Neels?" He straightened in his seat and reached out for her hand.

She told him about the dream and the unsettled, bad-vibe feeling she had about it.

He leaned back but kept her fingers in his. "Why now? What triggered the vague memories?"

She shrugged. "Not sure, but until I know more, I don't want anyone but you to know. Can you deal with that?" She hoped he could.

Ace nodded. "Yeah, I can. I want to get to the bottom of what happened to you … for your sake." His hand squeezed hers.

Neely nodded. "Yeah, same. And it needs to be soon."

This story took a turn I didn't expect but I love how it's adding a layer to the relationship. There might end up being a sequel also.

 

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

ML Skye