Page 30 of For the Love of the Lawyer

Jon rolled his eyes. “Michael cares for the horses at Matt's ranch, including this handsome brute. It's mostly a cattle operation, but Tim bought this stallion…" Jon went on to explain how he was acquainted with Charlie-the-stud, leaving out any details that breached attorney/client privilege. He saw his father looking Mickey up and down, and he gave Jon a wink and a smile, leaving Jon as confused as Mickey.

After Jon finished his explanation, his mother smiled. "Well, this is serendipity. Jon, show Mr. Warren where to put Charlie in the barn. We've already put hay and fresh water in the large stall at the end. He might like to stretch out from the cramped ride over here so leave the side door open so he can go out in the small paddock. When he’s settled, come up to the house and have a glass of iced tea. Mr. Warren, we want you to feel at home. Jon, get his bag from the truck. He's spending the night.”

Mickey protested, so Jon placed his hand on the man's back and smiled. "Give it up. She'll win every time. Think Jeri Collins and Audrey Langley rolled into one. Sweet, kind, fierce and manipulative. You'll never get a leg up."

Jon noted his parents studying him as he interacted with the cowboy, so he promptly removed his hand from Mickey's back and grinned. "I'll show you where to get Charlie settled. Oh, how do you like your steak?" he asked, remembering Ursula's request.

Mickey chuckled. "Well, I like my meat done well—oh, I mean medium. How about you? How do you likeyourmeat, Jonny?" Jon knew the man was asking more than steak preferences, so he looked to see his parents were walking arm and arm toward the house.

Remembering what Ursula had told him regarding finding things in common, he smiled before he responded. "I like my meat hot and tender, Michael. I think we need to have a discussion before we go up to the house and I out myself to my parents by taking you on the dinner table.”

"You… You're bi, right?" Mickey whispered, his eyes as big as saucers.

Jon chuckled as he led the stallion behind them. "No. I left bi behind a long time ago. I thought you picked it up when we were at the ranch. Remember, you kissed me, and I kissed you right back. We also shared a bed."

Mickey took off his cowboy hat, raking his hand through his bronze hair. "Damn. I kinda thought maybe you were just bein’ nice to me because I was upset and when you woke up, you freaked out about it, and that’s why you ran like the goddamn wind. I got no true gaydar whatsoever. How the hell did I not—?" He didn't finish the question. He turned to look at the horse and placed a hand on his neck, seemingly lost in thought.

"Listen, Michael, I'm sorry if I was a prick, which I know I was, and we really need to have a talk, if you're amenable. For the record, my parents don't know I'm gay, and Audrey's parents don't know about her either. They're pretty sure we're going to get married any day now, and the two of us aren’t in any hurry to dissuade them from that notion. I'll talk to you about it later, okay?”

Mickey stared at him, not blinking.

“Please stay here tonight. I'll have Ursula make up the room across from mine if that’s okay. Mom and Pop are at the other end of the hall, and we can take some time and actually talk. What do you say?" Jon batted his eyelashes like a teenage cheerleader.

Mickey sighed. "I'm so fuckin' mixed up, but yeah, I'd like to talk, Jonny."

They turned Charlie into the large stall, and Mickey laughed when the horse shook like a wet dog. After he was settled, they walked out of the barn. Mickey stopped and turned to Jon, worry on his face.

"Look, Matt already made me a reservation at a Holiday Inn. I wouldn't mind supper with y'all ‘cause your momma seems like a nice lady, and she knows her horseflesh. Plus, if she has questions about Charlie's lineage, I've got paperwork from Matt for her to look over. I think, though... Maybe I better stay at the motel. I don't wanna blow up your life, Jon. I know we've got nothin' we could talk about for more than ten minutes, so let's just leave it be.”

Jon took a deep breath because he was going to say something he'd never said before in his life, and he was saying it to the most handsome man he’d ever met. "Please stay. I want to get to know you, Michael. Maybe at first glance it seems like we’d have nothing to talk about, but isn’t that what getting to know someone is all about? I'm so damned attracted to you I haven'tslept peacefully since the night I slept with you next to me when Cindy Whipple died.”

Mickey shook his head. “I think that was because of the circumstances.”

"I wish to fuck I hadn't been such a coward to run away before I gave us a chance to get acquainted. I'm also disappointed in myself for leaving before I got to know Rocky. Audrey keeps me updated, and I know she's attached to him, but I feel like I'm missing out on a lot. Can we maybe have a mulligan?" Jon asked.

Seeing the confusion on Mickey's face made him smile. "I'm guessing you don't play golf?"

The young man laughed. "Of course, I do. We hit the links on Thursday's just like the doctors in town. My handicap is a three.” Mickey stood there in front of him with surprising confidence.

For a moment, Jon was shocked, but then he saw the slow smirk on the handsome face, and he laughed. "I'm gonna guess you're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"No more than you're makin' fun of me. What's a mulligan?"

"It means a do-over. Can we have a do-over? I behaved like a royal asshole when I was in Holloway, and I've regretted it ever since. Can you give me another chance?" Jon stared into those beautiful, shamrock-green eyes, feeling his heart pound.

Mickey walked to him and leaned forward, giving Jon a chance to breathe him in deeply. The man smelled like every good, masculine thing Jon had ever smelled—fresh grass, leather, sandalwood, and maybe heaven.

"Jonathon Wells, I'm not sure if we have enough in common to get us through more than one night, but I'd be willin' to explore it to the point we could get naked and see where that might take us. You game?" Mickey leaned down and licked the side of Jon's neck, sending a shiver through his body like he'd never felt before in his life.

"Ahh! Yessss!"

Hot air blew against the moisture on his neck and opened his eyes to see the smiling cowboy staring into his soul. God, the eyes were such a beautiful green and deep as an ocean. He felt his heart stutter as he watched the man grin at him. "I see we have another thing in common. You like big… horses," he teased as Jon felt a bump to the back of his head. He turned around to see his horse, Hercules, standing at the gate next to the stall where they'd put Charlie.

Jon laughed. "Michael, this is Hercules. Old man, this is my—hopefully—new friend, Michael Warren.”

Mickey reached up and scratched the gelding's neck. "He's a handsome lad," The young cowboy lifted the horse's lips to examine his teeth.

"Ten or so? How long since you rode him?"

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