Rainbow Snippet 12/10/22: A Murder for Crow

   Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!). 

A Murder for Crow

In this group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

I would invite everyone to please come check out the Rainbow Snippets group, click on a link, read and comment on the writing available and get involved yourselves in this awesome exercise. The link to the group can be found HERE.  

This week's Rainbow Snippet comes from my newly released MMMM romance A Murder for Crow. Its a little more than 6 sentences, but there is no way to break this conversation up and have it make sense. This scene comes shortly after Crow is forced to retire from the sport he loves due to injury, and at this point in the story, he hasn't told any of his friends and training partners anything about why he made his retirement speech. 

“Sometimes spontaneity is a good thing,” Crow muttered, even if eye contact was growing harder to maintain.

“And sometimes it’s just bullshit.”

Okay, so Nick won that battle, and as Crow looked away and began to fiddle, he decided that a change in topics might be the best way to save his skin. “Saw those photos Morgan put up on social media. Those twins are cute as hell. He and Alexander will have their hands full when the girls get older.”

“And they will love every minute of it,” Nick replied. “The question is, what will you love two years from now, or six? What’s going to keep your blood pumping now that getting kicked in the head won’t do it for you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Exactly. You had no plan. When Jesse got out he had a plan. When Morgan retired, it was to make a home with Alexander. Your retirement speech was good, but I will never forget the way Morgan stood in that cage and told everyone how Alexander had taken business classes and management classes so Morgan could maintain control of his career when all Alexander had ever wanted to do was become an architect. He told the world it was Alex’s time now, then he dropped down on one knee and proposed, knowing some people were going to be homophobic assholes about the whole thing. He took his shot, and he’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him, at home having tea parties with his girls, baking cupcakes for the kindergarten craft fair.

Whoa. Was a good thing he was sitting down, ‘cause his mind was fixin’ to go into orbit trying to picture that ebony hulk with a delicate teacup pinched between thumb and forefinger, pinky sticking up each time he raised that delicate China to his lips.

“You’re serious?”

“Oh yeah. Had a zoom session with him a few weeks back, he had a denim apron on that wasn’t as covered in flour as I’d have been if I was trying my hand at strawberry shortcake cupcakes, that’s for damn sure. Wish I could have had a bite, they looked awesome when he got done with them.”

“Good for him.”

“Yeah, it is. If you want us to say the same thing about you, you’ve got to get off your ass and figure shit out.