Page 4 of Cosmo

Goldie picked at a muffin he’d taken from the basket on the big, square island in the center of the kitchen. While Murphy nodded to one of the ten stools around it. “Sit, Goldie. We might have another guy coming on.”

“Oh, shit,” he said, taking a seat on one of the metal stools. Murphy always wondered how the things held the big man. “Who is it?”

“A guy getting paroled, if we want him. Cliff sat Tally and me down last night to tell us about him, and…well, he looks like our type of guy. He’s got an issue with families, though. Maybe you and Abs can talk sweet to Mims and get the info dump on him.”

“If the date went well, it won’t be a problem. If it didn’t, he’ll be sulking for a few days.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Eazy cautiously said, “Abs might be able to get the information. He’s good with computers, too.”

Abs referred to Absinthe, AKA Andre Fernandez, their resident goth that was into all things dark, except his hair, which he liked to keep the ultra-blond it had always been. A tiny man, barely five foot three, and so skinny, they all made sure he was eating. He was. He just had an amazing metabolism.

“He hates looking into people’s lives, Eazy. When he finds something bad, it bothers him.”

“I know. But if we tell him it’s for the safety of the kids…”

Goldie grinned at him. “You’re sneaky.”

“It’s what made him a great car thief,” Murphy said proudly.

“I’ll make sure the room is ready for him. No one’s slept in there since I remodeled, so it’ll be nice to see if he likes it.”

Modern with furniture and fabrics that were red or white, it was the first room Eazy had done. “If he doesn’t, you can always redo it. I know you miss doing stuff around here.”

“It was a lot of work,” Eazy reminded him. “The way you had it, old furniture all over, no style at all!”

“And you still fell for me.”

“I took pity on you.”

Goldie whispered, “There it is.”

“You’re fired, Goldie.”

“I’m out. I’ll see what I can do with Abs.”

After Goldie left, Murphy backed his husband against the stove and kissed him sweetly. “Last night was great.”

“Yes, it was, but you only have an hour before you open, and the kids are due back, so don’t get any ideas.”

Eazy’s deep voice was sexy, and his eyes got completely dark when he was aroused. “You are the one looking so…hot.”

“I always look this way.”

“I know.” Sighing after Eazy pushed him away, Murphy resigned to go to work. “I have paperwork anyway. Come down before we open and you can help.”

“I will. I’m not set to do that bathroom reno for another three days, so I would love to spend some time with my kids and my husband.”

Mick waddled into the room and grumped. “What’s all the noise?”

“Dad, literally no one made any noise.”

“Then why did I hear it?”

Mick Murphy was an old codger, but sweet under all the gruff. Shorter than Murphy by a half a foot, he waddled from the aches and pains of being over seventy.

He lived with them and helped at the bar when he could, though he couldn’t “cotton to” all the gays around the place he’d once owned.

---