Page 13 of For the Love of the Lawyer

The two of them went to the kitchen, and Mickey couldn't help teasing the lawyer. "Now, we're not havin' escargot or anything of the sort, so don't get your hopes up. It's a beef roast with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and if I can get some help, somecheese biscuits. I might make some brownies, but that's up to Ryan. He picks dessert around here."

When Jon laughed, Mickey's heart pounded in his chest. "You gotta love a kid who runs the house. I used to do that shit with my folks. I'm an only as well. I used to tell the cook what we were gonna… Uh.” The lawyer abruptly stopped talking.

Mickey smiled. "Now, don't be embarrassed. It wasn't hard to figure out you came from money. I really don't mind the work I do ‘round here, Jon. I have a family here to take care of, and it doesn't matter what they call me. I'm makin' a contribution. That's all that really matters to any of us, ain’t it?” Mickey didn’t think he’d ever meant anything more in his life.

"Mick, that was incredible. You set the bar too high for me." Tim teased Mickey as they cleaned up the dishes, stowing the very sparse leftovers for a snack over the weekend.

Everyone had eaten their fill, and the conversations had been lively. Mickey could tell Jon and Ronni were preparing to square off over Matt and Tim’s portfolio. They hadn’t even tried to hide the competition between them.

“Thanks, Tim. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Matt and Tim were great at keeping shit to themselves. Mickey knew the lawyers were in the dark about all the changes that had taken place since the two of them decided to share their lives and moved in together.

Hell, Mickey himself didn't really know everything going on behind the scenes, and helivedthere, though he respected their privacy. He didn’t meddle, but they weren’t guarded when theyspoke at the dinner table. He had a good idea his employers and friends weren’t exactly hurting for money.

Mickey had watched Ronni Turnberry baiting Jon Wells all night because she was going in for the kill to land all the legal work for Matt, Tim, and the ranch, stealing it from under Jon’s nose before the handsome lawyer knew what had happened to him.

Mickey was intrigued by the sexy stud of a lawyer, who had been with Matt from the beginning when Ryan was first taken by his mother and had been instrumental in bringing the boy home. Mickey was rooting for him—especially with those enticing, sage-green eyes—trying not to think about how much he wanted his cock.

It was hard to take sex out of the equation because Jon Wells had bedroom eyes. Mickey had a hard time resisting Jon’s bedroom eyes until he remembered Matt's rule: No one-nighters at the ranch. It was like a bucket of ice-cold water drenched him square in the crotch.

"That was delicious, Mickey. I can understand why Matt and Tim are so happy to have you here to take care of them. I certainly wouldn't mind having someone like you around my house making dinner and doing my laundry.” Ronni hopped up from the table and began helping Tim and Ryan clear the dishes.

"Actually, Miss Ronni, why don't you, Mr. Wells, Matt, and Tim go to the study to talk. Ryan and I are gonna clean up the dishes and then watch a movie. I'll bring in some coffee, along with the brownies we're gonna make," Mickey suggested.

Ryan spun on him and held up his empty hand. "High five for brownies.” It brought a laugh from those at the table.

"Oh, that sounds lovely.” Ronni walked up the stairs to the room she'd been given for the weekend.

Mickey picked up dishes as he moved around the table, and when he reached for Jon's plate, he leaned forward to whisper inhis ear, "Watch your nuts, counselor. That lady's plannin’ to do to you what Matt did to those calves today, only it's your client she's after."

Mickey walked away, continuing to clear the table as Ryan stood on the little ladder in the kitchen, rinsing plates for the dishwasher. Since Mickey had moved in, Matt and Tim had worked out a new chore chart for Ryan so he could earn more allowance, and it had worked in spades.

Ryan was into fundraising for kids who didn’t have the resources he had thanks to his parents’ successes, and he was planning to have a carnival at the ranch over the summer for a local food and clothing bank, so he was seeking money to cover his costs.

The boy had a lot of his friends at school promising to help, and Mickey, for one, was over-the-moon proud of the boy. His parents instilled in him the best values in the world, most importantly, compassion for his fellow humankind.

After they had the dishwasher loaded, Ryan went to the counter and took a seat, watching Mickey washing the pots and pans. "Miss Ronni's pretty, ain't she?"

Mickey hoped it wasn't going to end up in a discussion he damn well wasn't ready to have with the boy regarding sexuality or his lack of attraction to the blonde attorney. "She really is pretty, and she's very smart. I think she's a pretty good lawyer," Mickey offered as a diversion.

"Why do they need lawyers? Is there somethin' wrong?"

Mickey turned to see Ryan near tears, likely remembering the last time lawyers were so heavily involved in his life. Mickey quickly dried his hands and walked over to the boy. He hugged him, patting his back as he remembered the shit the boy had been through at the hands of his mother and grandmother. He was determined to let his young friend know it was nothing nearly as serious as that disaster from the previous Christmas.

"It's not like that at all, Little Man. Just because they're talkin' to lawyers doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I think this time, it's a good thing. When they get done, I'll get your dads to come talk to you downstairs, okay?" Mickey hugged the boy again. For the first time in his life, he was envious of his best friend. Having a child to look up to you and love you was the most amazing feeling in the world.

"You sure?" Ryan didn’t seem convinced.

“Positive. Now, let’s make some brownies to snack on while we watch a movie. Get us a good recipe.”

Ryan went to the computer in the kitchen and typed inbrownies, laughing when the screen filled with options. They scrolled through them and found their favorite cook, a lady who lived on a large ranch in Oklahoma, and they went to work.

Ryan assisted with gathering the ingredients, and as they worked through the recipe, Mickey and he discussed measures, which was something Mickey didn’t know too well outside of reading a recipe. “Someday, I’m gonna go back to school and learn this stuff so I’m as smart as you.” He tickled Ryan’s neck as he said it so he could hear the boy’s giggle.

They set the timer for the oven and then prepared a tray to take coffee to the study for the lawyers, Tim, and Matt. Their fancy, one-cup-at-a-time coffee maker was a pain in the ass when Mick was trying to fill the carafe, but by the time the brownies were done they had a full pot. Mickey prepared the cream and sugar while Ryan arranged the tray. They cut the brownies and placed them on a plate before they proceeded down the hallway.

Ryan knocked on the door and when it sprang open, he gave Tim a big grin. “We brought dessert and then me and Mick are gonna go watch a movie. Come say goodnight before you go to bed.”

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