Stable Layne Pt 8 #UseYourWords

Welcome to March's Use Your Words post. This is how it works: participating bloggers submit four to six words or short phrases for a fellow blogger to use to write a blog post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own unique set of words. All words are assigned randomly and nobody knows which blogger will receive the words they submitted.

My words are:

stamp ~ legal ~ suave ~ mercy ~ lost ~ wild

They were submitted by: Jenniy of https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com (Thank you for such awesome words, and I promise to do them justice in my actual Stable Layne installment! I am sorry for the delay!)

The title of this post is false advertising, and I apologize. I knew I was going to have a crazy few weeks, and I had asked Karen for my prompt early, so I could work ahead. I had done very well with working ahead on every post, except for this one. I have been working away on it, but it is not done. I still have three words left to work into it. Murphy's Law often catches up to me. This is no exception. This post goes live in the morning, just a few hours from now, and I am not done. So, I had planned on simply finishing it up, and getting it scheduled. Then life happened.

If you follow my blog's Facebook page, you know that I have been having some health issues lately, beyond my regular health issues. I guess, in the grand scheme of things, it could definitely be worse. I think legal issues would definitely be worse. They tend to be stressful, costly, and not always easily fixed. At least with health issues, you can get to answers, with the right doctors. If there is one thing I can say, it is that I have been blessed with some magnificent doctors. In the end, I am at the mercy of fate, and that is not always a good thing, but at least I have some excellent doctors on my side.

As you probably know, several weeks ago, it was discovered that I have a rare disease wreaking havoc in my abdomen. We have been fighting it with medicines, and I will soon go for further tests, to see how well they have helped, and if I will need surgery to further my recovery from the damage it caused, while running wild throughout my abdomen. My doctor and I, are choosing to remain optimistic, that we may be able to avoid surgery altogether. This would be most excellent, since any and all surgeries are beyond risky for me, with my troubles with blood clots.

Of course, with me, nothing can ever go easy. I somehow ended up with an abscess in my abdomen, a few weeks ago, and that definitely through me for a loop. They have no clue what caused it, and though they think it could be a byproduct of the disease in my abdomen, its location does not exactly make the connection a definite. Thankfully, it seems to be healing well, and it is no longer causing much pain. However, it is definitely taking a very long time to fully heal, and the incision has not even closed yet. The good news is that there are no signs of infection, which is the most important thing. The slow healing is probably caused by my blood thinner and the steroids I am taking to treat the abdominal disease. Both of those medicines slow the body's healing capabilities, so it is not too alarming that I have an injury which is healing slowly. Mind you, it is a tad worrisome, because the longer it remains open and unhealed, the longer is remains susceptible to infection.

Then, as luck would have it, my body decided that a rare abdominal disease and a slow healing abscess was simply not enough, and my heart decided to start acting crazy. I was hospitalized in 2014, because my heart was not cooperating. I lived through a scary few days, but the fix was a pretty simple one. They put me on a different blood thinner, one that also helped with heart issues, and it seemed to get my heart right back on the correct track. I have been fine since. Now, I am having the same issues I was having then, only a bit worse this time around, and the fix isn't quite as simple. At least not yet. We are still going through the testing phase, and still working to pinpoint exactly what is wrong, and exactly where the problems are. 

For now, they have added a new heart medication to my routine, to work with the blood thinner. It seems to be working just fine. Though, my heart isn't quite back on its best behavior yet. I am certain the cardiologist will need to experiment with the dose, to find the right one, or maybe even try a different medicine entirely. I am also hooked to a heart monitor full-time, for at least a month, and I will just go on the record that I hate it. I have mostly gotten used to it, but at night, I really hate it. It is hard to sleep with these wires and boxes connected to my body. All hope is not lost though, as worse case scenario, I get fully exhausted and fall asleep. Some nights, I am lucky, and I just sort of fall asleep almost like normal. 

Another thing you know, if you have followed my blog, is that due to dozes of bilateral pulmonary embolisms, back in 2010, my lungs are scarred and my breathing is sometimes affected. Plus, when I battle pneumonia, I tend to get very sick from it, because my lungs just cannot handle the stress of the sickness. Well, my cardiologist just informed me that breathing issues can impact our heart. So, I had to see a pulmonary specialist. I was shocked to discover that I have asthma. Pretty severe asthma. Which obviously explains why I often struggle to breathe. I just figured it was due to all the scar tissue, and did not think too much about it beyond that. So, now I am on daily inhalers and a daily pill. Fingers crossed they work some magic and help my lungs heal and grow strong again. I go next week for a nuclear lung test and a comprehensive breathing test. I am very curious to see what we learn from them. I especially want to see if my lungs have improved any over the last two years. I also have to go for a sleep study, which I am really not looking forward to. Sleep studies will never get my stamp of approval. I think they are one of the worst things ever. I definitely prefer to sleep without any wires attached, and in my own bed.

So, the final straw in my somewhat camel like back, that led to this post's title being false advertisement, was something that happened early this evening. One of the things that has been happening with my heart, is that I have been getting pains. They aren't the most horrible chest pains. Mostly just quick, intense pains. They often happen during or after I have a tachycardia episode. Well, earlier, I had a super terrible, and long lasting chest pain. It was awful. I felt like I was having a heart attack. My entire left arm went numb, my face went numb, my legs went numb, and I could barely breathe. It lasted for several minutes, and I hated it. Chad was very soothing and helpful. Once it was over, I just knew that I was not going to be able to finish my Stable Layne post. I actually put a lot of thought into those posts. I tend to know what is going to happen, I just don't know how it is going to translate into words. Plus, I have to make sure to use my specific words, that I am assigned. I have most of it written, but I still have two words left to use, and it just is not quite done.

So, here we are. I made the decision to turn this into a post, where I ramble about my issues  update you all on what has been going on, and apologize profusely for the delayed Stable Layne installment. I will spend time this weekend finishing it. I will edit this post, to add a link at the end, to the actual part 8 post, and I will also share the post on my Facebook page. I am sorry that you saw the title, and maybe got a bit excited to find out what was happening with sweet Layne and suave Damon, and then just got loaded down with my health drama. I just felt it would not be fair for me to simply rush to finish it, when I am not feeling my best, and not at my best mentally. I think you will get a much better product, if I finish the post this weekend.

If you could send some positive vibes my way, I would really appreciate it. I could use some goodness right now. Mostly, I just really hope they get all the answers they need, from all these tests. We know my heart is not circulating enough blood, and that my blood is not oxygenating properly. We need to find out exactly what areas of my heart are struggling, why they are struggling, and the full extent of the issues. My arms (most frequently the right), hands, legs, and feet are having major circulation issues, and often go numb and turn purple/blue and freezing cold. So obviously, circulation is an issue. It is possible that the tachycardia is just my heart trying to circulate an adequate blood supply. Why I also have bradycardia episodes is a mystery. Why there are issues is a mystery. Really, everything is a mystery. Hopefully, we solve the mysteries and fix the issues quickly. 

There are a lot of unknowns with my health, and I genuinely feel it is all linked, versus being a bunch of different issues. I just really hope they figure out the link, and we can then solve all the problems. There has to be a root cause, especially since two common things involved with most my issues are my blood/veins/arteries/circulatory system and my immune system (autoimmune issues). Sometimes, I really wish Gregory House were real, and I were under his care. I am sure he would have a lot of fun with my case, and I am certain he could figure it out. Wouldn't that be lovely?! 

Okay, enough about me. Please, tell me what has been up in your world?! 

Don't forget to go see what words my fellow bloggers were assigned, and how they used them. I will meet you there, but first I need more coffee. These days, coffee is my saving grace. Keep an eye out for the actual Stable Layne installment. I will add the link to this post, and share the post on Facebook!! I promise it will be worth the wait!!

Links to March's other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Bookworm in the Kitchen

On the Border

Cognitive Script

Southern Belle Charm

The Blogging 911

Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

Climaxed

Stable Layne Pt 7 #UseYourWords

Welcome to February's Use Your Words blogging challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

blue sticky pad ~ calendar ~ cardboard box ~ thread ~ wire rack

It was submitted by: Dawn of Cognitive Script

This post will be an installment in my Stable Layne story. If you have not read any of the previous parts, feel free to read them now, or to just read this installment as a standalone. The previous parts can be found here: Part 1 - Part 2- Part 3- Part 4- Part 5- Part 6.

~~Six Months Later~~

Layne tried to hide her groans of pain, as she hopped around her garage on one foot. She looked down at the toe she had stubbed on a box, it would be fine. It was barely even red. It sure hurt like hell though. Damon had just fallen asleep on his black futon, that was sitting just outside of the open garage doors. He had been working non-stop all weekend long. Once he and Marcus had unloaded the futon from Marcus' truck, and Marcus had left to meet Jules for lunch, Damon had collapsed onto the futon and mumbled something about a five minute nap. The last thing Layne wanted to do was wake him up, crying about a measly stubbed toe.

He was a workaholic with his jobs, and an even bigger workaholic when it comes to doing things Layne needed him to do. He had helped her brother build a new enclosure for her yard tools, in under a day. She was certain had it just been her brother working on it, it would still be an in progress project. She sat the cardboard box she had carried into her kitchen, on the counter by her calendar. The blue sticky pad caught her eye. She saw her appointment with Alex scribbled down. She had to remember to call Jules, and make sure next Tuesday was still good for her. 

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since Christmas, and yet sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday. So much had happened in her life. She and Damon had started dating, they had fallen in love, and they were now engaged. She was meeting with her friend Alex next week, to discuss her wedding gown. She knew if anyone could create the perfect dress, it would be her childhood friend Alexandra Fascetti. She created the most beautiful gowns, perfect right down to the last thread. In fact, Jules and her sisters had insisted she create their customized bridesmaid dresses. If nothing else, the attire at her wedding would be perfect.

Well, the attire and the groom. She was absolutely certain that Damon was the perfect man. In less than six months, he had turned from a robotic human being, into a warm, loving, full of life human. She was no longer laser focused on her career. There was now so much more to her life plans. They included plans of living life fully, both on her ranch and off. She wanted a family. She wanted deep friendships. She wanted to explore the world. She wanted to own a well respected ranch. She wanted to help raise and train some of the greatest horses ever. She wanted to help rescue horses. She wanted it all. She would no long settle for just one thing. She wanted all the things. As weird as it felt, she genuinely felt she would have it all. With Damon by her side, she felt anything was possible. 

She lifted the wire rack out the box, and put it next to her fruit basket. She remembers when she bought this for Damon. It was after they had been dating for almost two months. She was tired of seeing Damon having bottles of wine all over his kitchen counters. She was always scared she was going to accidentally knock one over. Damon loved buying bottles of wine. He never chose based on year or vineyard. He chose it based on label art or bottle shape. Every so often, he would have friends over for Sunday Brunch, and they would open a bottle or two. Sometimes, the wine was amazing, other times not so much. He gave the empty bottles to his friend's dad, who turned them into amazing wind chimes. In fact, there was a box somewhere with several of those custom made wind chimes. She would make sure they were hung out back, near her own custom made wind chimes. That reminded her, she needed to get Rick's address, so she could add it to the list of wedding invites. 

She carefully placed his current collection of wine into their places on the rack. They would need to host a brunch soon. They. Them. Layne and Damon. Damon and Layne. They would be doing many more things as a couple, now that he was officially moving in with her. At first, him moving in had started as a joke. The thought of cohabitation had not crossed her mind. Then one minute she was teasing him about moving into her house one item at a time, when she had found a third sweatshirt he had left. The next thing she knew, she was asking him to move in. Teasing him about it, had made her realize what a fabulous idea it was. They could spend even more time together, he would always be around to help with things on the top shelf, and she could make sure he took time to rest. That is what it really boiled down to. Taking care of him, and watching over him. For the first time in her life, there was someone outside of her immediate family, that she cared about more than anything. It felt nice. It felt right.

She was staring out the kitchen window, deep in thought about her accident, and how grateful she had before that it happened. Of course, if she could do it all over again, and not have to feel those months of pain, she would love that, but in the end it was all okay. She was healed. She was feeling better than ever. She was in the best shape of her life. She was happy. She was in love. None of this would have happened, had she not gotten into the accident, and had to fight over the last year to gain all she had back. All she had had and so very much more.

She jumped as Damon's strong arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her again his warm chest. She smiled and hugged his arms. "Good morning" she said to him.

"Morning?!" He said, his voice still heavy with sleepiness. "I know I wasn't asleep that long. What were you looking at?"

"The future," she replied, turning to pull him into a tight hug.

"The future?!" he replied, holding her close.

"The future," she replied, her voice full of hope and happiness. "The bright future. Our future."

(To be continued.... Maybe...)

So, there you have it. My Use Your Words for this month. I hope you enjoyed reading it, even more than I enjoyed writing it. I will be honest, I had some drama in the middle of writing it (Gigi is seriously 4 going on 30. Please pray for me and my sanity!), so when I came back, it actually ended differently than I had originally planned, due to my train of thought getting sidetracked. However, I am happy where the story is leading. Don't forget to check out the rest of this month's posts! I will meet you there, right after I grab a cup of coffee!! 

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Bookworm in the Kitchen

On the Border

Cognitive Script

Southern Belle Charm

The Blogging 911

Climaxed

Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

Stable Layne Pt 6 #UseYourWords

Welcome to January's Use Your Words writing challenge. Our first one of 2018!! This is how it works: participating bloggers submitted four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

Your words are:

poet ~ snow ~ car ~ hibernate ~ stick

It was submitted by: Karen of http://Bakinginatornado.com Thank you for such great words!! :)

Do you remember the Stable Layne story I had been writing for y'all using my words?! No?! Yes?! Either way, take a few moments to refresh your memory, or to catch up.... 

• Stable Layne Part 1
• Stable Layne Part 2
• Stable Layne Part 3
• Stable Layne Part 4
• Stable Layne Part 5

Caught up?! Good. So I have decided to use this month's words, to pick up where I left off. Then I plan on posting another post soon, fast forwarding a bit, and then I will use future words to continue on the story. Now, where were we?? .... 

Layne, Damon, and Marcus spent the next hour getting everything in order for the party. All the necessary food and pantry staples, had been put into their correct places in the garage kitchenette. The sodas that Damon and Marcus had brought, had been put in the fridge, ice was made and ready, the grill was all set to be fired up, the tables and chairs were out. Since there was no snow on the ground, she had spread the tables all around the patio and even put some out in the yard.

Damon had shown Layne several simple exercises, ones she could easily incorporate into her daily activities. Marcus had done them with her, and it had really helped her relax. Maybe it was all the daydreams, or maybe it was the feelings she had been feeling, but she had felt so tense around Damon. Having Marcus around had definitely helped her feel less nervous, and she actually found him to be quite funny. 

It was obvious, watching how well Damon and Marcus got along, that they were very close. She had found out that Marcus was a fireman. It also seemed that he was single. The more time she spent around him, the more she knew she just had to introduce him to her friend Jules. Lucky for them, she would be coming by soon, to deliver all the baked goods, that had been ordered for the party.

As Layne finished putting the last of the plastic utensils into the utensil tray, she looked up catching Damon staring at her. She felt her cheeks burn, as they turned bright red, she quickly glanced down. "Do I have something in my hair or a smudge on my face?" Damon laughed as he walked over to her, reaching up and gently rubbing his finger along her jaw, holding it up for her to see little specks of green glitter covering his finger.

They both laughed. "I guess I got more of the glitter on me, than I had thought," she said. "I knew I should have just left that darn glitter garland in the bin, but I just thought it was just what this kitchenette needed."

Damon looked into her eyes, and she may have felt her heart skip a beat or two, "The kitchenette did need it. It looks perfect. Don't worry, you did not get much glitter on you. It just happened to be that a streak of it was on your jaw, and you caught my eye, and I saw it."

"So sparkly I can catch a person's eye eh?" she laughed, as she quickly busied herself with filling a napkin holder.

"Well," Damon said, as he leaned against the counter next to her, "I don't think it was the smudge of glitter that caught my eye."

She looked up at him, feeling her cheeks becoming warm again. "Not the glitter," she said softly.

"Not the glitter", he repeated after her. "More you, less the glitter."

Then it happened. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. A simply, sweet, perfect kiss. It was so perfect, a poet probably would have trouble putting its perfection into words. As she looked up at him, biting her bottom lip, watching him smile, she knew she was in trouble. He must be feeling it too, or he never would have kissed her.

Feeling like she had to break the silence, she said the only thing her mouth seemed capable of saying, "Hi."

He chuckled softly, "Hi."

All she could think of was dragging him into her house, and making him hibernate with her for the rest of the winter, getting to know each other, and seeing where these feelings took them. For the first time in months, she was thinking about something other than her accident and her painstakingly slow recovery. For the first time in years, she was thinking about something other than a solitary life. For the first time in years, she was thinking about possibilities outside of her Master plan. 

Just when she was about to make a fool of herself, and kiss him again, the slamming of a car door broke their comfortable silence. They both turned in time to see Marcus helping Jules carry boxes of delicious baked goods into the garage. They were both smiling and chatting.

"So, I was finishing up hanging that lighted garland, and I saw this angel drive up," Marcus said to Layne and Damon, as Jules laughed. "Only I did not know she was an angel, until I offered to help her with her boxes, and saw all the delicious goodies she had."

Damon started laughing, "A woman with baked goods would definitely be your definition of an angel," he said as he helped put boxes onto the counter. "This guy right here may look fit as can be, but do not let that fool you. He eats more than a horse, and has a serious addiction to baked good, especially cookies and pies. His physical fitness is thanks in part to the hours he spends working out, to combat the copious amounts of baked goods he eats."

Marcus tried to defend himself, "Listen, I am not that bad. In fact, I have you to know, I have seriously cut back. I only visit Jules' bakery three times a week now."

"You visit Jules' bakery three times a week?" Layne asked in shock. "So you two know each other already?"

Jules was shaking her head and Damon was looking confused. "Who knows each other? The Angel and I? Why would we know each other?"

"Well, you said you visit Jules' bakery three times a week" Layne said, "So, I just assumed you two knew each other."

Marcus, looked down at the boxes, and for the first time realized they were from Jules' Bakery. "Oh my gosh! These are from Jules' Bakery! You must work there!" He grinned at the woman that now seemed even more like an angel.

"Well," Jules laughed. "I guess you could say I work there. Hello. My name is Jules" she winked and held out her hand to Marcus.

"You're the Jules." Marcus said, as he shook her hand. "The very Jules who created the Four Nut Peanut Butter Cookies?!"

"The one and only," Jules replied, a smile lighting up her face. "Those happen to be my favorite thing to not only make, but my favorite treat to eat."

Damon looked over at Layne and whispered "This is going to end in a marriage."

Layne could not help but hope it ended in more than just one marriage. She smiled at Damon, and mentally told the butterflies in her stomach to calm down. Too bad she could not reach inside, and scare the butterflies off with a stick. She knew, beyond any doubt, she was in over her head, and for once she did not care. She liked it. She liked these feelings, and she certainly liked Damon. 

To be continued....

I hope you like where the words are taking Layne, Damon, and their friends. Now, go grab some coffee/tea/water, get comfortable, and meet me over at the rest of this month's Use Your Words posts. I will meet you there promptly after I get a refill of coffee.

Links to January's other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Bookworm in the Kitchen

On the Border

Cognitive Script

Part-time Working Hockey Mom

Southern Belle Charm

Climaxed

The Blogging 911

Stable Layne Pt 5 Feb 2017 #UseYourWords

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

As you may remember, I had planned on using last month's words, to create another Stable Layne installment, but couldn't because Gigi wasn't well. So, I am adding them into this month's post, with this month's words. In case you have not read the first three parts, or you want to refresh your memory, the previous parts can be found using these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. 

My words are:

warm ~ red ~ sweet ~ love ~ Cupid ~ arrow

They were submitted by: http://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

Last month's: discombobulated ~ family ~ return ~ without ~ race

Layne stretched her arms towards the ceiling, after crawling out of bed. She did some more stretching and then headed into her Master bathroom, to get her morning routine underway. Really, she should have been up a few hours ago, but she had decided to sleep in a bit, since she had stayed up until well past her usual eleven o'clock bedtime. She felt a bit like a bum, not crawling out of bed until almost half past eight, but she deserved the extra sleep.

Normally she would get coffee first thing, but today she wanted to be presentable, by the time Damon arrived at ten. They had texted briefly the night before, to confirm the details of their time together today. Texting him had felt normal. Like as if they should text regularly. Considering she barely knew him, that was obviously just a side effect of the crush she was developing on him.

As she turned on the shower, perfecting the water temperature, and went to empty her overfull bladder, she began to let her mind wander. She wondered what his friend would be like. He had asked if his roommate could come over at ten, when he arrived, or if he should have him come alone later, when it was time for the party to start. Figuring the more helping hands the merrier, she had told him to bring him over at ten.

She had done a lot of the little things herself yesterday. She had plugged in all the appliances in the garage kitchenette, and stocked the fridge with ice and some sodas and other mixers. She had picked up all the meats from the butcher, and had picked up all the groceries. They would definitely have more than enough food. She had even remembered to pick up some fresh strawberries and lemons, so she could make her Berrylicious Lemonade Punch.

The water felt amazing on her sore body. She had to admit, she had done more physically in the past week, than she had in months. It hurt quite a bit, but also felt amazing. Her body was definitely ready to start getting back to normal, she just had to remember to heed Damon's advice and take it slow. She definitely did not want to get hurt again, or worse yet, set her return back to riding back by even a single day.

She took the quickest shower possible, wrapped her hair in a towel, and quickly got dressed. Since she would be working with Damon, she chose to wear yoga pants and comfy red Christmas sweatshirt. She could get dressed for the party afterward. She entered her kitchen, and sighed looking at all the food everywhere. Hopefully her sisters would get here by noon, as they had promised, and help get all the food organized and prepped. She wanted everything done, before the rest of their family and friends arrived, so they could just enjoy themselves.

She stood waiting for her Keurig to fill her cup with her favorite Death Wish Coffee. The smell was teasing her taste buds. The last drop having entered the cup, she pulled it over and poured some almond milk in, stirring it, then taking the first sip. The warm liquid awakening her brain cells, as they spilled down her throat, her taste buds sending the WOOHOO COFFEE signal to her brain. After years of being a coffee addict, she had perfected the perfect ratio of coffee to milk, so she could drink it immediately, without needing to wait for it to cool. She chose to sit at her breakfast nook to enjoy her coffee. Most days she would sit on the back porch, but today she wanted to finish quickly. She still needed to finish getting ready.

It wasn't that she wanted to look good for Damon, but she wanted to look good for Damon. Look at her, caring what a guy thinks. It was as if Cupid had visited her and shot his arrow directly into her. An arrow labeled Damon. Whether she wanted to accept it or not, she absolutely had a crush on him. Now, she just needed to decide what she wanted to do about it. Should she quit going to him for physical therapy? Should she just keep her mouth shut, and keep seeing him? He was definitely a great therapist. The one thing she absolutely would not do, no matter how bad the crush got, is act on it. Sure. She wanted to get married one day, but currently a boyfriend did not fit into her plans. 

Damon seemed like a sweet guy, and he was definitely the type of guy she could probably fall in love with, but that was not what she needed right now. Her focus was still the same it was before the accident, she wanted to make a place for herself in the horse training world. She wanted to eventually be successful enough, to buy this entire ranch from her parents, and at a fair price, not the daughter price. She had wanted this ranch to be hers, since she was six. It is really all she had ever wanted. To own this ranch, and her father's business, just as it was for her father, it was her passion.

She had already managed to accomplish quite a bit of her goals, and once she was back to her normal self, she would race to finish line, and accomplish the rest. Her thoughts were all over the place, she finished her cup of coffee, and rinsed her cup out. She would try to have another cup before Damon arrived, but considering her discombobulated state of mind, that may not happen. This was proof she definitely did not need Damon in her life more than he was. He was keeping her from being able to drink copious amounts of coffee, simply due to all the daydreaming he seemed to inspire her mind to do. 

She gathered up her towels, and returned them to their hooks in her bathroom, and brushed her hair and teeth. She went into her garage, opening the door, and busied herself doing stuff to get everything party ready. She had gotten lost in her work, and was startled by Damon's arrival.

"Hey, Layne," Damon's sultry voice had interrupted her thoughts, and caused her to jump. "I see you got a start without us."

She turned and smiled at the two guys walking towards her. Her heart began to race. Just from seeing him. Yes, she was definitely in trouble. This man may not be what she wanted, but based on her body's reaction to him, he may be what she needed, and that was a problem. A complication. "Oh, hey! You guys scared me. Is it ten already?"

Damon laughed, and pulled her into a brief hug, releasing her and stepping aside to give her a direct view of his roommate. "It is actually five after. We got held up at the store. I am glad you didn't notice. Layne, meet Marcus. Marcus, meet Layne."

Layne went through the motions of the introduction, and shook Marcus' hand. She made proper small talk, and noted how friendly the guy before her seemed. The entire time her mind was on one thing. That hug. How it felt. The electricity she had felt. Wondering if Damon had felt it too. Wondering what it all meant, and trying to figure out how she was going to do it. It really did not matter how she was going to do it. She definitely had to do it. What you are wondering? Well, marry this man obviously. Her mind didn't want to know it. Her heart did not want to know it. Her plans did not want it to be a reality, but there was no denying what her soul obviously knew. 

Damon was the man she had been looking for, since she first thought about getting married when she turned ten, and her cousin Tristyn had gotten married. This is what Tristyn had meant, when she said Layne would just know, when she met the man of her dreams. She did know. 

(to be continued....)

In case you are wondering, Gigi is back to her normal self. She recovered from her surgery well, and her ear is completely healed. She is such a resilient, awesome kid. I am so blessed to be her mom.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Stable Layne. I promise to give you more of the Layne and Damon story soon. Now, go see what words my fellow bloggers received, and just how they used them!! 

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

Spatulas on Parade

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

On the Border

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Confessions of a part time working mom

Not That Sarah Michelle

Climaxed

Stable Layne Pt 4 Dec 2016 #UseYourWords

Today’s post is this month's Use Your Words writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here is a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

Spirit ~ Holly ~ Friends ~ Artificial ~ Parties ~ Niece

They were submitted by: http://www.southernbellecharm. com (Thank you for the fabulous words, Minette!!)

Today's post is an installment of an ongoing story I have been writing. In case you have not read the first three parts, or you want to refresh your memory, the previous parts can be found using these links:

Stable Layne Part 1

Stable Layne Part 2

Stable Layne Part 3

Layne was busy trying to get her house in pristine condition. Somehow, her sister Blayne had talked her into hosting this big shindig at her house. It did make some sense. Her house was actually slightly larger than Blayne's. Plus, at her house, there weren't toys everywhere. Though, her niece did have some toys at her house, definitely not as many as she had at her own home. Speaking of her niece, she needed to remember to ask her sister what she should get Marlee for Christmas. She was sure there was some super awesome toy that Marlee was really wanting. 

Layne finished draping the holly garland across the mantle, and turned back to the storage bin to retrieve the stocking hooks. She was really beginning to feel the Christmas Spirit. She had been worried that it would pass her by this year, but by some miracle it seemed to have decided to make itself at home in her heart. She was sure that it wasn't exactly a miracle, and more of a matter of Damon. Her second physical therapy session had been even better than the first, even though it had been hard, and definitely a workout as he had promised. 

Blayne had driven her to her appointment today, and they had made lots of plans for this weekend's shindig. So many plans, including using Layne's house, and ordering a bunch of holiday treats from Jules' bakery. Zayne was going to man the grill, Rayne and their mom were going to make a bunch of side dishes, Blayne was going to handle the appetizers, and they were going to have their friends bring the beverages. They were lucky, because even though it was December, the weather was still good enough here in California, to have a barbecue. Plus, and this was probably her favorite thing about living in California, she could wear flip flops all year long. Of course, she spent a lot of time in boots, but whenever she wasn't wearing boots, she was wearing flip flops.

Having finished decorating the mantle, she sat down in her recliner, and curled herself into a ball. She looked over at her Christmas tree, and a smile lit up her face. She had decorated, with her mom's help, last week. Much to her mom's dismay, she had decided to buy an artificial tree. They had always had real trees growing up, and after moving into her own home, she had continued the real tree tradition, but this year, she had decided to buy this gorgeous one she had seen on sale at K-Mart. It was seven feet tall, had both color lights and white lights, and it had various different settings for the lights. It was full and beautiful, and she thought it was perfect. Even her mom admitted it was really nice. She would have finished all the decorating that day, but somehow, Zayne had forgotten a few boxes of Christmas stuff up in the attic. She couldn't climb up the ladder herself, and she definitely wasn't going to have her sixty year old mom climb up. Thankfully, Blayne had gone up and gotten the boxes for her, after she brought her home from her therapy appointment earlier.

Therapy. She was going to like therapy, she could tell, and not just because the most gorgeous man ever was her therapist. Maybe it was because she had been immobile for so long, or maybe it was because of the fun exercises Damon had given her, but she really loved it. Her body felt good. She could feel her muscles gaining back strength. It was difficult, it was a huge challenge, and it hurt, but her body loved it. Of course, getting to look at a really good looking man the entire time was a nice bonus. 

Layne couldn't believe herself. She had literally never been this gaga over a guy before, not even Matt Damon. That is probably why she was nearly thirty-four years old, and still single. She had dated a few guys over the years, but she had never truly been in love with any of them. They had all been good looking, but none captivated her quite like Damon did. She really needed to get her thoughts sorted out, and her head screwed back on straight. She barely knew this guy, and he was her physical therapist. She needed to stop these thoughts before they even started. 

She began creating a to-do list in her head. She still needed to give her house a thorough cleaning. She needed to clean out her fridge and freezer, making room for food and drinks for the party. She had her second fridge delivered and put in her garage, but she hadn't actually plugged it in yet. She would need to do that later, and get Zayne to come over and hook up the ice maker. Her house was located about three quarters of a mile behind her parent's house. She had designed it herself. Zayne's construction company had built it, and Rayne had helped with the decor. She was happy she had added a mini kitchenette into the garage. The patio that was built off the side of the garage, that wrapped around to the back of the house, was perfect for parties, and the extra kitchen space was helpful for barbecues. 

Her family was always hosting parties. Many of them were held at her parent's house, here on their ranch, or at Blayne's home, which was on the neighboring ranch, her sister and her husband owned. Occasionally, Rayne or Zayne would host them, but not too often. Before having this house built, Layne had lived in a small rental house in town, so she had never hosted parties. So, really, this weekend's shindig would be her first official party. She was actually excited to have her family and friends over, and of course her siblings friends. The fact that it was Christmastime only added to the excitement.

The sound of her cell ringing broke through her thoughts. She picked it up and looked at the screen. A number she did not know was displayed on the screen. It was a local Oakdale number. She slid her finger across the screen, and held it to her ear. "Hello?!"

"Hello, Layne, I am sorry to bother you so late," came Damon's smooth voice, "but I was actually hoping to catch you before bed. This is Damon." 

"Oh, I am a night owl," Layne squeaked out, barely hiding her shock at this unexpected call. "What can I do for you?!"

"Good. I am glad I didn't wake you." Damon said, his voice sounding strong and sultry. "I know I had you schedule your next appointment for Monday, but I was actually hoping to work with you sooner than that. I am worried about letting your muscles have too long of a break, after just starting to get back into being actively used again."

"Oh," Layne replied, her voice barely hiding her excitement at the prospect of seeing him sooner than 10 am on Monday. "That would be fine. I am free all day tomorrow. Do you want me to call Melissa in the morning and set something up?"

"Well, I am actually working my full-time job tomorrow, so I am not seeing any patients. I was actually hoping to work with you on Saturday. I am free all day. It would be off the books, and I wouldn't charge you." Damon replied.

"Oh, I can't do it on Saturday," Layne replied, disappointment dampening her happy tone. "My sister actually talked me into hosting a barbecue at my house, and I will be setting up all morning, and the party will probably go until the evening. I am so sorry. Could we possibly do it on Sunday?"

"Oh," replied Damon, disappointment showing in his tone. "I work on Sunday as well. Saturday was my free day, and I had hoped you could fit a session in. Well, at least you will be getting some activity in preparing for the party. Just be careful. No lifting anything too heavy, and make sure you listen to your muscles and don't overdo it."

Layne couldn't help but laugh at his fatherly tone. "No worries there. I have been obeying Doc W's weight restrictions, and I haven't pushed myself, except for during our appointment earlier."

"I am happy to hear that," Damon replied, his voice still sounding slightly sad. "I know you want to get back on Stable as soon as possible, but it is best to take time, so that you are ready when that time comes. You don't want any more injuries to set you back further."

"That is very true. The last thing I want is to be banned from riding any longer than I need to be. Since you aren't working on Saturday, do you want to come over?" Layne said, her thoughts coming out of her mouth, before really thinking about what she was saying. "I mean, if you come earlier in the day, I am sure we can get some therapy in, and you could help me with the lifting that needs to be done for the party, and then you could just stay for the party."

Damon couldn't stop himself from smiling. Not only would he get to give her a few pointers he had wanted to give her, for some simple strengthening exercises she could do throughout the day, but he would get to see her in her own element, outside of the therapy room. "That sounds great! I have a few simple exercises I want to show you. I can easily show them to you, while we set up for the party. As for staying for the party, I never turn down some good barbecue. Do you need me to bring anything?"

Layne was slightly in panic mode. She could not believe she had just invited Mr. Gorgeous to her house, plus she was truly doomed. Her sisters and brother would take one look at her and how she acted around Damon, and they would know she was attracted to him. She would literally never hear the end of it. There was nothing she could do now. The invite had been issued and accepted. Plus, whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was actually excited at the prospect of seeing him outside of physical therapy. 

"Well, we have the bases covered," she replied. "You are welcome to bring anything you want to drink. If you want to bring some two liters or a twelve pack of soda, that would be awesome. I do have a decently stocked bar, but if you wanted to bring any special liquor or beer that you like, that would be cool as well. Of course, you are also welcome to bring your girlfriend or a friend."

"Well," Damon replied, the sultry tone having returned to his voice. "I am single, so no girlfriend to bring. I may bring my roommate. He could use a night out. If that is cool, of course. I am not a big drinker, but I will definitely bring some sodas! What time should I come over?"

Layne could barely hide her excitement. He was single. He was available. "Well, the party starts at one, but I need to get the patio set up. I have everything in the garage right now, because of all the rain we have been having. So, if you could get here around ten, that would be awesome. We would have plenty of time to set up and get some therapy done."

"That sounds perfect." Damon said, his tone barely hiding the excitement he was feeling. "My number should have come up on your phone. Think you could text me your address?"

"That is definitely something I can manage," Layne said, a smile bigger than her brother's head lighting up her face.

"Sounds good," Damon said. "I will see you then."

"See you then," Layne said. 

She ended the call and jumped up to do a happy dance, but quickly sat back down. Her leg wasn't quite ready for jumping and happy dances. She began rubbing her thigh and calf, her thoughts racing at all she needed to do to prepare for seeing Damon on Saturday.

(To be continued.....)

Here are the links to the other “Use Your Words” posts. I will meet you there!

Baking In A Tornado

Southern Belle Charm            

Not That Sarah Michelle    

Spatulas on Parade

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Simply Shannon

Confessions of a part time working mom

On the Border

Climaxed