Page 3 of For the Love of the Lawyer

Mickey had no idea Ethan told anyone about what went down between the two of them that evening in the barn. Now, he was presented with the accusation, and he knew he needed to say something.

Thefaggotslur didn’t bother Mickey too much because it was just a word, but the idea someone at the ranch was stirring the pot had him worried. "You got a problem with me bein' a queer?" Mickey squared his shoulders, readying himself for a fight if it was coming.

Carl stepped between them and looked at Stevie. "You're so fuckin' stupid. Tim's gay. Matt's gay. You've known that since we started workin' here, and you said you didn't give a shit. This is a good job, dumbass. You gonna start bullshit now?"

Stevie bristled at Carl’s comment. "That's beforehekissed Ethan. That kid's sixteen, and he don't know shit about fags. You're fuckin' with his head, Mickey. His momma ain't gettin' surgery. She's makin' Heath take Ethan to West Virginia to his uncle's house to get away from ya. The boy thinks he's in love.” Hearing Stevie’s comment made Mickey sick to his stomach and his blood run cold.

Mickey had feared Ethan might fall for him because the kid seemed to watch his every move when they were together. Mickey had hoped by telling the younger man to try things with someone his own age had put the kiss in the rearview for the two of them.

As he thought about it, Mickey had the distinct feeling he needed to talk to someone about the mistake he'd made before the cops showed up to cart his queer ass off to jail. He was sure if that happened, he'd likely never be heard from again.

Without another word to Stevie or Carl, Mickey hoisted himself onto Lady’s back, turning her toward the barn. He needed to figure out how the fuck to stay out of jail for statutory something or other, and how to dodge the bullet with his name carved on it from Heath Sachs’ pistol.

The only person Mickey felt comfortable discussing his predicament with was Tim. Mickey’s problems had the potential to grow into monstrous disasters or police charges. He certainlydidn't want Miss Katie and Josh to get into a squabble with the Sachs' family for his stupidly inappropriate behavior. It was time to do something proactive.

As Mickey cleaned up Lady to put her away for the day, he knew he had no choice but to talk to his best friend about the situation. Tim was a smart guy. He'd know what Mickey should do.

Later that afternoon, Mickey took a ride over to the Circle C. As he drove up the driveway, he saw Ryan in the field with Matt, both on horseback and appearing to be chatting away without concern for anything else around them.

The horse Matt was riding was a majestic animal as Mickey had seen at Christmas when he’d delivered the stallion, Tim’s surprise to Matt. Mickey had hoped to ask the bull rider if he might take a spin on the big animal someday. The horse had a hell of a gait that Mickey admired.

Mickey climbed the stairs to the porch and rang the front doorbell. When it opened, he smiled at Tim.

"Hey, Mick, come on in. I was just in the office doing work. You want a beer?"

The blond man turned to walk down the ranch house hallway, leading Mickey into the kitchen. Matt and Tim had been renovating the place since February, and things were really shaping up.

The first floor was finished, for all intents, and the contractor was in the process of finishing the basement to make a few extra bedrooms, a large bathroom, and a family game room for Ryan to use as he grew into his teen years.

Tim had shown Mickey the plans for the house one night after they'd been working Matt’s cattle, and from what Mickey could remember, the basement was going to be amazing.

"I don't wanna keep you from doin' your work, but if you could take a break, I'd like to talk to ya about a problem I got. I'll only take a few minutes of your time," Mickey pledged with his fingers crossed.

When Tim laughed, Mickey looked up, grateful to see a grin on his friend's face. "I'm not doing anything important. I was playing a game with DB, but I don’t want that to get around because Matt will find something else for me to do. So, what's onyourmind?"

Mickey remembered the hulking wall-of-a-man, DB Jeffers, who'd helped locate Ryan when Bertie, Matt's ex-wife, and her mother had taken the boy the previous Christmas. He didn't know the man well, but he knew Tim and Matt felt as if they owed him everything for bringing their son home.

Mickey took a gulp from the beer Tim had put in front of him, trying to gather his courage, even if it was from the alcohol. Tim knew Mickey was gay so that wasn't a problem but addressing the issue he had with the underage Ethan Sachs wasn’t going to be easy. When Heath and his wife returned from their vacation, Mickey was pretty sure he was going to get a beating like he’d never imagined, but until then, he was going to try to keep a low profile.

"I did the dumbest damn thing in the whole world." Mickey exhaled a huge breath while peeling the label from the beer bottle. He explained the situation to Tim, not glossing over his idiocy and the miscue with Ethan—the kiss that never should have happened. Seeing his friend listening intently, he waited for Tim to say anything. He prayed it wouldn’t be condemnation, but if it was, he'd take it like a man.

Tim finished his beer and grabbed two more for them before he went to the cabinet, retrieving a blue glass bowl and a bag of pretzels. He opened the bag and poured some into the bowl, returning to the seat across from Mickey.

"So, you fucked up? You apologized to Ethan, and you explained yourself. It sounds like you did the right thing.” Tim grabbed a pretzel and shoved it in his mouth, signaling he had no additional comments on the matter.

"Yeah, well, apparently, Ethan went home and told his parents he's in love with me or some shit, and they're shippin' him off to West Virginia, though I’m not sure why. Heath told Josh that Miss Patsy was havin' foot surgery, but I found out they took Ethan to his uncle's place. I'm so fuckin' worried about what they’re doin’ to that kid, and what the fuck am I gonna do when Heath comes back? He might shoot me, Tim! I think it’s best if I leave town," Mickey confessed.

The surprise on Tim’s face startled Mickey before the look softened, offering him an understanding smile. "No, you’re not going anywhere. We'll work things out, Mick, don’t worry.

“I'm not exactly thrilled with one of the guys who works here, Paulie, so maybe we change you out for him? Danny doesn't like caring for the horses, and Paulie's not as attentive as I'd like him to be. I'll talk to Uncle Josh, so stop worrying about it. Ryan thinks you're the coolest guy in the world—aside from me and his dad, of course—so he'll be very happy to have his buddy living here. You wanna stay for dinner?" Tim asked.

Mickey nodded, still stunned at the prospect of working at the Circle C. He hoped Matt was on board with the idea. Mickey really didn’t want to leave Holloway.

Chapter Two

"You have got to be fucking kidding me with this shit.” Jon had had it with his latest boy toy. Well, clearly soon to be former boy toy, based on the way the guy was tearing through Jon's condo packing up his shit to leave.Thank you, Jesus!Relief flooded Jon’s system.

"You fucked her, Jonathon." Barron’s voice was high, and his eyes were lasers as they took aim at Jon. It was hard to keep from smiling, but Jon managed to do so for fear of the guy totally losing his shit and perhaps begin throwing Jon’s expensive home furnishings against the walls.

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