Page 52 of Out of Reach
“I’ve got room for more,” Colt assured her before tilting his bowl to his mouth and drinking the milk from the bottom of his cereal bowl.
Kasey made a face and shook her head. “Gross.”
“Why’s your kitchen so hot?” Brian asked.
“The building’s fucking air con is on the fritz. I’m telling ya, it’s hotter than Satan’s balls in there. We came over last night and just went back to get our stuff. Figured we’d cook up what was in the fridge while we were at it.” Andi turned to Jude, a knowing gleam in her eyes. “We slept in the room next to yours.”
Jude felt his cheeks heat.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll hear your share of goings on from me and the Mrs.” Andi wiggled her tongue piercing at Tara, who slapped her on the arm with a potholder.
“I think I’ve heard every one of you guys banging at one time or another.” Colt pulled the foil off the casserole and ladled some into his empty cereal bowl. “Who were you with? Hawk?”
“No, he was with West,” Kasey said sarcastically before smacking Colt’s hand. “Use a different spoon, Neanderthal!”
“Who was with West?” West said, walking into the room with Jase, who peered under the foil on the baking dish.
“Is this tuna noodle?” he asked.
“I was being sarcastic, West. Jude was banging someone last night and Genius over here asked if it was Hawk.” Kasey rolled her eyes.
“Banging or getting banged?” Andi asked, nudging Jude in the shoulder.
“Andi, stop,” Tara scolded. “I’m sorry, Jude. My wife was raised in a barn. And yes, Jase, it’s tuna noodle. Dig in.”
“Awesome.” Jase headed for the kitchen. “I’ll get some plates and forks.”
Although Jude was embarrassed, he got over it quickly as they loaded their plates with casserole and began to eat, mainly because they’d gone from teasing him to teasing Colt and Brian. Saint, someone Jude had only seen a couple of times because he’d been on assignment until yesterday, came in from the foyer. “Mower’s here,” he said. “I let him in the gate.”
“How much do you pay that guy to ride his mower over a few strips of grass?” Sean asked Jase. “There’s more sand in the yard than anything else.”
“Slade insists on paying him, and he pays him well, but you’re not taking into account all the topiary he has to shape,” Jase said through a mouthful of tuna casserole.
Jude had always been a social person, but lately he hadn’t been talking to anyone much except for Hawk and Dex. But he felt himself loosening up as he sat eating with the group, and he even joined in the conversation now and then. The casserole was delicious despite the tuna, which had never been a favorite of Jude’s. It was extra cheesy and gooey, and he found himself eating a second helping.
“Before Logan went into work today, I met him downtown and we looked for some apartments,” West said. “There’s a couple of vacancies in your building, Seo-jun.”
“You’re moving out?” Colt looked up from his plate.
“Well, yeah. We thought we would.”
“But, why?” Colt looked crushed.
Laughing, West ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry. We’ll be around a lot.”
“I don’t see why you have to go,” Colt grumbled.
“For Pete’s sake, they’re a couple! They don’t want to live in this madhouse. You don’t get it. Brian has his own place, and you can have privacy whenever you want,” Kasey said.
“But the beach is right there!” Colt pointed at the balcony doors.
“Maybe they’d care if they were married to their surfboard like some people we know,” Andi teased.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Jude heard Brian say under his breath.
“Anyone heard from Ox?” West changed the subject.
Hawk had told Jude that Ox lived with his husband, Mick, in Denver and mostly took cases there, but he flew in every couple of months.