Page 12 of For the Love of the Lawyer

"So, which room is mine.” Ronni caught sight of Mickey standing in the small hallway.

Mickey smiled. "Actually, ma'am, Matt suggested you take Ryan's room because it’s got an adjoinin' bathroom. Mr. Wells and I can share the john down here. I changed out the sheetsupstairs, and Ryan's excited to sleep on the couch down here. Anything I can help ya with?"

Mickey wasn’t sure what to do about the woman and her unwanted attention. Women weren’t his area of expertise. Jon Wells… Well now, that was another story.

The blonde was a beauty, to be sure, and if women were what pressed his buttons, Mickey would have been all over Ronni Turnberry, regardless of how old she turned out to be. Aside from being gorgeous, she seemed to have a great personality, which was another thing that pressed Mickey’s buttons. Unfortunately for her, being a card-carrying, gay man as he was, he’d quickly clue her in that anything between the two of them was a no-go.

Ronni smiled before she picked up her bag and looked into his eyes. "I guess I'll be fine upstairs. How well do you know Matt Collins?" She stepped closer to Mickey before taking a seat on the sectional sofa in the basement and crossing her legs.

"Whaddya mean?" Mickey balled up the dirty sheets before sitting in a chair nearby.

"I mean is he going to take advantage of Timothy?” She seemed really interested in his answer, so he took a minute before he stuck his size twelve boot into his mouth and said something he couldn’t take back.

"You're talkin' 'bout Tim's money, ain’t ya ma’am? Well, I don't expect Matt's gonna take anything from Tim, any more than Tim would take from Matt. They love each other more than any two people I've ever met in my life, and I suspect in their minds and hearts, they'll share everything they have equally.” Mickey felt confident in his judgment of the situation.

The woman with her mesmerizing gray eyes sat there facing him, and he could see she was strong and independent. She was cut from the same cloth as Miss Katie, and he respected it because they were the type of women who looked out for people—especially people who were either too young or too naïve to look out for themselves. “How sure are you about that? Tim’s my client…”

Mickey interrupted her. "Let me clue you into somethin’ I've come to learn since I started workin' with these folks. Matt and Tim? All they want is to take care of their boy and make a good life for him. They don't give a shit about anything else—not money, not prejudices because of their orientation, and certainly not about takin’ advantage of each other or anybody else. They love each other so much they'd gladly give everything they have to the other if it was what he wanted.”

Ronni’s face didn’t give away her thoughts on Mickey’s assessment, so he continued.

“If you go into this situation with that knowledge, and if you can convince Mr. Wells of the same thing, you'll both keep your clients and likely make some money while you make ’em all very happy. Good luck, Miss Ronni.” Mickey gathered the sheets to take upstairs to the laundry.

"If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I have some other chores to do, and I need to put a roast in the oven.” He then headed up the stairs.

Mickey loved living at the ranch because it was amazing to hang out with Matt, Tim, and Ryan. They were becoming the brothers he wished he'd grown up with, and he'd defend them at every turn. Nobody had the right to get in the middle of their happy life, least of all lawyers.

Mickey was in the kitchen chopping vegetables to put in the bottom of the roasting pan before he put the brisket into theoven. He had the carrots, onions, and celery lining the pan, so he retrieved the hunk of meat from the plastic bag he'd used for a marinade that morning. Once it was settled, he added some beef broth and half a bottle of red wine.

He was sprinkling on salt and pepper when the back door slammed. He turned to see Jon Wells stagger inside with a look on his face Mickey recognized far too well.

Mickey took the handsome man's arm and led him to the bathroom outside the office. He placed him on top of the closed commode in the powder room before he pulled a small paper cup from the dispenser, filling it with water. "Let me guess? Castrating?"

The lawyer nodded weakly. "Oh, God, I may never think about my balls the same way.” Jon’s voice was quiet as he placed his hand over his crotch in a protective manner.

Mickey held the urge to laugh because he felt sorry for the guy. It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, turning bull calves into steers.

The first time he’d seen it done to those cute little baby calves, Mickey went behind the barn and puked up a damn nice breakfast Miss Katie had made. He’d adjusted to it over time.

"It's pretty awful at first glance, but it would be worse if Matt had bulls fightin' each other over cows in season—I mean, ready to breed. With an operation this big, you gotta time the breedin' season. He sells a lotta bull calves, but sometimes he keeps a few select ones because he knows rodeo stock when he sees it. He keeps some of the steers for beef cattle, as well.”

Mickey noticed Jon still looked green. He wanted to laugh, but he wouldn’t embarrass the man. Jon didn’t deserve his judgment.

"Tim believes in Matt's judgment and supports his decisions, contributin' in his own way for the benefit of the ranch. From an objective observer's standpoint, their connection is a damn incredible thing. It's like they can read each other's mindssometimes. Most of us could only hope to have that kind of love and support.” Mickey stood at the bathroom sink, ready to refill the paper cup for Jon.

After Jon swallowed the last of the water, wiped his hand across his brow, and looked up at Mickely. "I watched Tim and Matt, and I get they're in love, I really do, but what does Tim bring to the table, really? I've had a big uptick in representing gays and lesbians who are filing for divorce. I’d hate for Matt to be the next one in a far too long line."

Mickey chuckled, unable to believe how out of touch the lawyer appeared to be with things at the Circle C. "You're jokin' right? You're just fuckin' with me."

The handsome lawyer with the light-brown skin took another sip of water as he watched Mickey. "I'm being serious. What does Tim have that makes Matt—I know right now they're in love and all that happy shit, but if they broke up, who'd walk out with the better situation?"

In Mickey's opinion, it was easy. "If they broke up? Neither one of ’em would walk away a whole man. They love each other the way you should love the person who fits you perfectly."

Jon Wells rose from his seat on the lid of the commode. "I think I'm fine, now. Thanks.”

The gorgeous man was in Mickey's personal space. It was damn tempting to go ahead and kiss him, but Mickey merely stepped aside. "You want some tea? I have some in the kitchen that's calming to the stomach. I wouldn't mind a cup myself.”

Jon nodded, tossing the paper cup into the trash can. "That'd be nice. I'd like to help with the meal if I could. I've learned to be ofsomeuse in the kitchen over time."

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