Sunday Snippet: Haunted Hideaway

Happy Independence Day if you're in the US. If not, I hope you're having a terrific weekend. Our weather is very pleasant and mild so I'm not going to complain about that. I will express frustration with random people letting off fireworks, but only because our doggos hate them.

Had a truly jam-packed, great television viewing week. Started and ended the week with No Offence. I finished up the series and I'm not disappointed at all. What a experience!

Also watched Silent Witness and I'm almost through the second episode of the two-parter. I watched the first part at the end of last week and should have this one finished up by the time I'm ready to post this blog entry.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. The fifth part of the key has been found so I'm almost ready for season sixteen to come to a close. So far, I've been on the fence with this season but it's enjoyable.

Watched an episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one dived into the cover-ups in the US. I'm always fascinated by how much this show reminds me of the X-Files. I love it.

Enjoyed two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Rudolf Nereyev and Elton John were the guest stars. Really enjoyed Elton.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I'm starting to like the new doctor. He kind of rubs everyone the wrong way but I truly feel for the guy coming to a small village where the residents are all used to things being a specific way.

The Hardy Boys had a terrific episode. I'm kind of interested in how the boys are dealing with starting at a new school and uncovering their mom's past there.

Dove into another Master Class with David Carson. I didn't think I'd get much out of the whole collage lesson but I did walk away with a few ideas about how textures and colors work together on a physical level.

Watched Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and, wow, Sabrina definitely had a bomb blow up in her face. I'm kind of glad to see it but also now wondering how everything is going to play out. Still not a big fan of Wardwell.

Caught another episode of Street Legal and thoroughly enjoyed. I'll be honest … I'm not always a fan of Olivia but I enjoyed her interaction with Emily. I'm also really interested in the dynamics of the partners. Definitely going to enjoy watching the rest of the episodes.

The Ready Room had a great recap and family reunion with Wil, Jonathan, and Brent. Such a fun episode and really looking forward to the next one.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and really enjoyed it. I'm totally down for the rivalry between Halsted and Rhodes but I'm looking forward to when they're really great friends too.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. I'm kind of interested in how this one plays out because Nick has been getting on my nerves lately. We'll see if that improves or not.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Haunted Hideaway, a sexy short that got a start after a conversation with a friend about a spooky tale of the building she lives in.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Harley Rand meets Ruck Tate when she moves back to her small hometown in Ohio and leases an apartment in a historic village. Little things happen from the moment she moves in—items mysteriously end up in different locations, the doorbell rings and no one is on the other side, and random things go wrong in the apartment. Intrigued, Harley dives into the history of the buildings in the village and discovers a few fun facts and a couple of unsettling ones … like the building is probably haunted. Harley believes in ghosts but has no idea how to broach the topic with the handsome superintendent. She may not have to … Rand has a few secrets he's not quite willing to divulge, even to the lovely new tenant.

And a preview snippet…

Harley Rand pulled into the nearly empty parking lot behind the huge brick building on Whitewoman Street. "Wow … nothing like being hit with a ton of memories." She'd spent a lot of time in the building during her high school years.

Back then, the canal-era historic village drew in a good bit of tourism and provided a solid part-time job even if she had to wear period appropriate clothing at Captain Black's Sweet Shop. The corner business drew in hungry visitors and locals who wanted a quick lunch or to grab some of the famous candy and ice creams.

Harley tilted her head to one side, glancing up at the second and third stories. "Not so much now." The sweet shop had become an upscale wine and coffee bar about five years ago.

Pop the Cork seemed so out of place in the village but only because Harley had been away almost ten years. The inn at the south end of the road now housed the local branch for one of the state colleges. The general store across Hill Street had morphed into a deli marketplace with the general store moving to the opposite side of Whitewoman. Harley got out of her car and breathed deeply. Nothing like coming home.

She turned and walked to the end of the parking lot then grinned. "At least the Pewter Pub and Lock Twenty-Three remained the same." The restaurant and bar had been a staple in the village for as long as she could remember.

A truck pulled into the parking lot and the driver killed the engine. Harley squinted a little, trying to get a glimpse of the man inside. He drove a foundation vehicle so he had to be Ruck Tate, the guy she'd been speaking to for over three months, trying to arrange the deposit and scheduling the move. The driver's side door popped open and she got her first look at the head of maintenance.

Dammit … he would have to be her type. Not too tall, day-old scruff, and longish hair. She'd hoped he'd be pot-bellied and close to retirement.

Then again, his whiskey-smooth voice belied that wish, something she'd known deep in her gut.

Pasting a smile on her face, she strode forward. "Ruck Tate?" She thrust her hand forward.

He grinned. "Yeah. And you're Harley Rand. It's nice to have a face to put with the voice I've been hearing." He shook her hand and nodded toward the building. "Ready to head in? I've got your keys and your copy of the lease." Letting go, he glanced around. "You've got movers coming, right?"

She lifted her chin. "Not until early tomorrow. But I'll be staying so I can greet them when they get here."

Ruck stepped up onto the wooden decking and led the way to upper level then pushed the main door open. "They can park on the street below. It'll be easier for them to bring your stuff up the steps from there." He stopped by the mailboxes in the vestibule. "You're box number three." He handed her the key. "If you have packages, the delivery guys usually leave them on the table or on the floor beside it." He glanced up. "Unless you give them different instructions. So far, we've never had trouble with people taking stuff that doesn't belong to them."

Harley accepted the key and followed Ruck into the hall. He stopped outside unit number three and unlocked the door then handed her the key. She sent him a brief smile then entered her new home. He followed her through and explained where to find everything then handed her the lease. She tucked it inside her purse and asked a few questions, which he answered.

He started for the door and she followed but he stopped short and she bumped right into his back.

Her face heated. "Ugh. Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "No, my fault. I forgot to give you the garage door opener." He retrieved it from his back pocket. "If you'll come back out, I'll show you which one you can use."

She nodded and followed him again. Big mistake. Stop looking at his ass.

Hard not to. His khaki cargo pants fit snugly without being tight. The sleeves of the dark green T-shirt with the foundation logo hugged his biceps. She really needed to get a grip and remember why she'd decided to be footloose and fancy free. No more relationships.

Ruck paused at the foot of the steps leading to the garages. He titled his head, as if waiting for a response from her.

Harley blinked. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

His lips curved. "I asked if you wanted to meet me up there with your car. Unless you've got stuff to unload?"

She did have a few things, namely the air mattress she'd be sleeping on until her furniture arrived in the morning. "I'll just follow you up on foot for now."

He dipped his head and flashed a smile. "Let's go."

He made short work of showing her the space and giving her the code if she forgot the opener. After they walked back down to the parking lot, he headed for the truck.

Harley waved. "Thank you. I appreciate you meeting me here."

Ruck lifted two fingers and saluted her. "No problem. Call me if need anything." He backed out of the lot and headed up Hill Street.

Harley blew out a slow breath. "Whew. Here's hoping I won't have to call." He had such a nice guy vibe.

And her promise to avoid entanglements already teetered on the edge.

I love writing Harley and she's going to have some fun with an uninvited but not unwelcome presence very soon.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye