Page 40 of For the Love of the Lawyer

Mickey picked up his can of beer from the pool ledge and took a sip, not quite sure how to explain things since Jon had originally been Rocky's lawyer before he dumped the boy on his friend, Audrey.

"Rocky has some learning challenges, Jon. He and Ryan are in the same grade, and Miss Montgomery, a friend of Miss Blankenship's, will be their teacher next school term. They've been working together with the boys over the summer to keepRocky on course. Ryan could skip a grade because he started a year behind, but he won't leave Rocky.”

Mickey’s voice was filled with pride for Ryan’s accomplishments. Not only was he proud of Ryan for how smart the boy was, but he was also proud of how much Ryan worked to help Rocky catch up.

Jon seemed to bristle a little as he took a sip of his own beer. "So, Rocky needs special help? Why isn't Audrey getting a tutor to help him?"

Mickey chuckled. "Hang on, tiger. You walked away and made Audrey his lawyer. She's been great by seeing that Tim and Matt got guardianship of him, but as far as anything else? She's a lawyer, not a social worker. We're doin' our best.”

Jon grabbed Mickey's hand and held it up, laughing at the pruney fingers. "Maybe we need to get out for a bit?"

"Sure. I need to go inside and check on the pork anyway. You think people are hungry yet?"

The two of them took in the attendees at the party, and Mickey was happy so many friends who were supportive of the family had shown up. It was truly a testament to the close-knit community.

Not everybody was on board with the fact there were several members of the community who were gay because they didn't understand LGBTQ+ people, but they didn’t harass the family. They simply stayed away and allowed them to live their lives.

As they settled in the kitchen to put together the buffet, Mickey put Jon to chopping vegetables for a salad. Jon cleared his throat, so he turned in the man’s direction. "I have a question, and I don’t want you to take it the wrong way. Is there anything else you'd like to do with your life besides work here for Tim and Matt?" Jon’s expression only showed curiosity.

Mickey swallowed before he opened the oven and pulled out a pork butt he'd had on the grill all afternoon, opting to bring itinside Jeri's house to finish cooking. He pulled out a taste and smiled before he poured the rest of the pineapple juice over it, along with the chunks of fruit he'd held in reserve.

“Funny you should ask.” Mickey smiled. “I've been preparin' to take my GED ‘cause I dropped out of high school at sixteen. I wanna make somethin' better of my life, but I'm still tryin' to figure out whatbetteris. I know horses, and I'm learnin' cattle, but I don't wanna be a vagabond cowboy my whole life. I'd like to settle down and think about maybe havin' kids. Livin' here has made me see it's a possibility.

"I might like to take some business classes or somethin', but I haven't made any concrete decisions yet. I'd like to have somethin' of my own someday, but I don't exactly know what that means. Probably not what you wanna hear, huh?" Mickey was nervous over the confession that he’d dropped out of high school.

Jon’s face split into a toothy smile as Mickey tended to the Hawaiian pork. He hoped the smile was something good and not ayou’re a fuckin’ moronsmile. With Jon Wells, sometimes it was hard to tell.

"Actually, that's the best news I've heard in a long time. I really want to talk to you, Mickey. I need you… I need to tell you things I've never wanted to tell anybody else. Can we go somewhere to talk?" Jon seemed insistent that they have time for just the two of them.

"Let me get the food together and then we can go back to the ranch. We'll slip out while they're busy eatin'.”

When Jon nodded and smiled, Mickey felt his heart flutter. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but it was the first time he thought he had a shot with the gorgeous man.

After the food was settled on the long table Jeri had set up that afternoon before they left with the boys and Tim's aunt and uncle to go to the fair, Mickey got close to Jon so he couldwhisper without others overhearing their plan. "Slip down the hill and wait for me by the barn." Jon nodded, and ten minutes later, Mickey pulled the same trick.

When the two of them met up outside the barn at the Circle C, Mickey could see Jon was confused. "If they're all up there, why can't we go inside and talk?"

Mickey chuckled. "I made a promise to ‘em when I moved in that I'd never have a one-night stand under their roof, and I respect ‘em too much to not live up to my word."

He saw Jon swallow and then take his hand. "What if it's not a one-night stand? What if it's the two of us figuring out a relationship? I'm a mess. I won't lie. I want you, but not just because you're the sexiest guy I've ever met. I want to spend the time getting to know you, and I want you to get to know me. I know I've said this before, but I mean it with all my fucking heart, okay? I think we have potential, Michael. I think we have a lot of potential, and for the first time in my life, I want to see where this can go. Please, I'm begging you, don't turn your back on me. I don't deserve you, but I'm praying you'll give me a chance.”

Mickey wanted to believe the man's words more than he wanted to believe anything he’d ever heard in his life. If Jon was being honest, then maybe they had something to work toward. He hoped so, at least.

"Well, if you wanna talk, then we can go into the house. I know there's cold beer in the fridge. You interested?"

Jon laughed. "Actually, I'd rather go up in that hayloft and talk if you don't mind. I've never had a rendezvous in a hayloft. Feels like we're doing something naughty."

They both laughed as they went into the barn. The radio was on, as it always was, but Mickey turned it down before he climbed up and spread the blanket over the loose hay. He flopped down and pulled Jon down to join him.

The passion in the kisses they shared wasn't a surprise to Mickey because he'd felt the heat every time he was near Jon. The man's lips were soft, and his mouth was so inviting and tasted sweet.

Their tongues caressed each other, and Mickey trembled under Jon's touch, praying it was the real thing and not another dream. When breathing became difficult, Jon pulled away and smiled at him. "You said you want to be something better, so tell me what you think that could mean for you. For the record, Mickey, I don't think there's one thing wrong with you right now."

Mickey processed Jon’s words and nodded. "I appreciate your kind words, but we both know you and I are not anywhere close on the smarts scale, Jonny. I'm not sayin' I wanna be different so I can fit into your world, but I'd like to offer you the best me I can.”

The light dancing in Jon’s eyes spurred Mickey to talk about himself, which wasn’t something he enjoyed. If they stood a chance at anything more, Mickey had to be completely honest.

“Regardin' what I might want to do in the future, I remember watchin' a movie about a man who worked with horses sufferin’ from trauma. It had that good-lookin' guy in it…the one who was in a movie about Butch Cassidy, I think. Anyway, he was the gentle sort, and after this girl got throwed from her horse when they had a wreck, this man stepped in to bring her and the horse back to health.

---