Sunday Snippet: Hold to Let Go

Man, July felt like a decade but it actually kind of flew by. August is off to a running start and it's hot temperature-wise, which is the norm for rural central Ohio. We've had some big storms move through, too.

 

My inbox is jammed with work projects and that makes me happy! I'm working on a mystery for a copy edit. I have a developmental edit on a memoir. There's a possible copy edit of another memoir in the wings and some research for another author. I also sent the next set of chapters on a developmental edit to the author for review. I love being busy.

I didn't get a lot watched this week. I started an episode of My Life Is Murder but have to finish it. I also haven't been able to get back to the episode of Elementary I started two weeks ago. I don't know … I'm not as into this episode and I'm struggling to finish it. Maybe I should skip to the next one.

I did have a fairly good week of writing, which also limits my screentime. I got a big scene written for one of my WIPs and a few smaller ones for a couple of other works in progress. All in all a good week!

That's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Hold to Let Go, a sexy short that explores a couple's bond and the hold they have on each other.

Here's the miniblurb:

Banner Nix and Quade Newelson go way back and have a lot of baggage to show for it. When an opportunity to save their people presents itself, they put their crap aside and work together to make it happen, even though their plan is in direct opposition to their leaders'.

And a preview snippet…

A sharp knock sounded outside the open hatch.

Banner didn't look up. "If you're not bringing coffee, go away." She tracked the most recent five jumps, not liking the lack of anything new.

But … intuition said they were still going in the right direction. The constant noise in her mind lurked in the background instead of screaming in the middle of her skull. That had to count, right? If she made a wrong move, she'd be curled up in a fetal position unable to function because the static interference made it impossible. And her crew would be duking it out over who got to take the helm first.

Stan Harmon entered quarters and put a fresh carafe of Banner's life-sustaining liquid on the desk—well away from the star chart. Smart move. The last person made the critical error of placing the brew dead center of her workspace. Banner nearly drew blood with the blistering lecture she gave him.

"Thanks." Banner didn't say more.

She concentrated on drawing a straight, solid line over the dashed trajectory they'd taken. She completed the action and dropped the pencil then poured a hot cup of coffee into the dregs of her mug. Bringing the cup to her lips, she drained half the contents while contemplating the next series of jumps.

The scrolls had to be close. They didn't have many options left.

Stan shuffled his feet. "Banner? You got a minute?"

His voice grated, breaking her barely held together concentration. The solid eight had done wonders … but that had been well over twenty-four hours ago.

She glanced up, scowling. "Did you draw the short straw or what?"

He grimaced. "No. I volunteered."

Stupid man. "Are you a glutton for punishment or just an idiot?" Okay, ouch. She drove that one home a little harder than necessary. But Stan needed to realize he didn't have any brilliant insight into her mindset just because they'd slept together a very long time ago.

He let out a low whistle. "You know, if I didn't get how you had the bitch thing ingrained, I'd swear you worked hard to pull it off." He added a zing. "No one should have that much natural talent."

Touche. She completely deserved the insult. "What do you want, Stan?" She sipped the coffee and studied him. "I can't tell you anything to take back to the crew because I don't know any more now than I did twenty-four hours ago." She placed her mug on the file cabinet and poured another round. "And I'm not going to waste my time playing nursemaid." She pinned Stan with her gaze. "Everyone needs to follow my orders. As in grow a pair and deal. I don't care who it pisses off." Braced by the caffeine and bored with the conversation, Banner went back to studying the grid pattern. I have to be missing something.

Stan sighed and ambled toward the hatch. "Okay, then. I'll take my leave."

God, she hated the wounded puppy act he liked to pull. "Yeah. That would be great." When he hit the doorway, she added. "And Stan? Be a good soldier and share my exact words with the others, yeah?"

Stan's shoulders tensed, but he rolled them and continued out into the corridor. Banner gave him a ton of credit for not telling her to fuck off.

I love where this story is going. The blend of sci-fi and mysticism is something I love to write.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye