It’s Wednesday. That means it’s time for more words from the WIP using the #1lineWed theme from Twitter. This week’s THEME is fitting, given the time of year in the northern hemisphere and the heat. I’m letting the SUN shine in, because there’s SUNshine on my shoulders, with my SUNglasses on, and using SUNscreen so I don’t get SUNburned. Here’s a snippet from Cooper’s Red Dirt Royalty book. And no, it’s not finished yet but it’s a whole lot closer!
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Cooper had hung the swing from the big tree near the fire pit on a whim. With his cousins’ children coming for the occasional visit, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now? Now, he decided the idea had been utterly brilliant. Britt, wearing a loose dress covered with blooms painted in outrageous hues, pushed off in the swing. Her rounded belly peeked from behind the riotous colors as she pumped her legs and leaned back to swing higher.

She’d agreed to stay with him, for a few days at least. He liked having her under his roof and in his life. A rough meow drew his attention to his feet. Lucifer sat beside his scuffed boots, eyes fixed on the colorful display. Britt continued to swing gently, her barefoot toes reaching for the sky on the upswing, in dappled shade for a moment before they disappeared in the long skirt as she folded them beneath the swing the next.

He moved closer, standing by just in case. He would give her a push whenever she asked, whenever she hollered, “Higher!” She didn’t ask so he remained on the sidelines, with Lucifer. “We need to figure out a way to make her stay,” he muttered to the cat. He glanced down. Luci stared up at him, his gaze malevolent. “You know you want her to stay just as much as I do.”

In a display of feline disgust, Luci appeared to roll his eyes as he shook his head, flipped his tail, and sauntered back toward the main house. The cat couldn’t fool him. He’d caught the darn thing curled up next to Britt, snore-purring while she petted him. Cooper settled into a lounge chair and watched the woman he hungered for.

The sun disappeared as gray clouds collided overhead. The wind changed, bringing the scent of rain and ozone. Britt slowed the swing, dragging her feet in the grass until it stopped. She hopped out and strode toward him, calling “Where’s my phone?”

He pulled it out of his hip pocket and handed it to her. As she checked for messages, the first fat raindrops fell. Coop grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the house. They were drenched by the time they reached the French doors opening into the master bedroom. Laughing like kids, they surged into the house and headed to the bath. He grabbed a thick towel and wrapped it around her before snagging a second one he used to dry her long hair.

“What about you?” Britt asked, eying the way his shirt molded to his chest.

“I’m not so sweet that I’ll melt because I got wet. You? You might.” Cooper didn’t smile when he saw her expression go soft. Looking into brown eyes the color of melted chocolate, he felt his own expression soften.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” Britt murmured.

“Why not?”

“Because you’ll make me like you and I don’t want to like you.”
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Writers, do you have any SUN words in your WIP? Readers, where would you rather read: on the beach or in the shade?