Page 43 of For the Love of the Lawyer

"We're playin' a game called Pie Face. This tells you which round you'll be in.”

Jon reached into the bowl, pulling out a piece of paper and opening it. He saw the number four written on the paper, so he showed it to the boy, who smiled. "You getta go against Ethan.” Ryan pointed to his right.

Jon’s gaze followed the boy’s finger, seeing the hot young stud he'd seen in Mickey's arms the previous day. It had set Jon's blood to boil at the sight of the man he had designs on in the arms of someone else—especially, a hot young guy who was closer to Mickey's age than Jon.

"What's the game?" Jon asked, hoping it wasn't any sort of feat of strength because his body was aching from the ass-kicking he'd received earlier in the day.

"Poppa asks some questions, and if you don't answer right, you gotta spin the wheel. Just come watch.” Ryan took his hand and pulled him along.

The two of them walked over to the side of the yard to see a crowd gathered around a table where Mickey and another boy sat with their faces through a cardboard cutout. There was a paper plate with whipped cream on a hand-shaped lever, and Jon chuckled, picking up the gist of the game.

"Okay, Tommy. What is eight times eight?"

"Sixty-four.” Everyone clapped at the child’s correct answer.

Tim glanced at Mickey, a smirk overtaking his face. "Mickey, what's the square root of—"

Mickey laughed. "Just spin the dang wheel, Tim."

Everyone laughed, and Tim stopped the spinner with his thumb on five, which made him laugh. "Aw, Mick, five.”

"You donkey—" Mickey’s comment brought a laugh from Jon.

Mickey, the man Jon was becoming more attached to by the moment, turned a crank handle on the side of the game apparatus. After the third turn, the hand that held the plate aloft brought it up to smack Mickey in the face.

A roar arose from the crowd, and Jon joined them as Mickey took some of the whipped cream from his face and brushed it over his young opponent's cheek, bringing a loud giggle from the small boy.

After they stood to make way for the next pair, Jon walked over to Mickey who took a finger full of the cream from his chin and held it up to Jon's mouth so the man could suck the finger inside. "Mmm. Almost as good as the sweet cream that comes from the very nice source in your pants. Any chance I can taste it again anytime soon?"

Mickey laughed. "Yeah. Tim gave Matt ten-kinds-of-hell after that shit at the barn, so we've been given the okay to share a room if it won't scare the hell outta ya."

Jon grinned, unable to hold in the honest, overwhelming affection he felt for Mickey. "I'd love to share your bed, regardless of whether we have to remain monk-like. Can I help you do anything to get me out of playing that game?" Jon pointed to where Miss Jeri was wiping the whipped cream off the table for the next pair.

Mickey's chuckle was sexy as he glanced around, before he leaned forward, leaving a gentle kiss on Jon's lips. Jon licked them and smiled. "Maybe we should buy that game and target it a little further south? I could quiz you on things for your GED, and if you get the answers right, you turn the handle and take the cream on your gorgeous cock. I'd definitely suck that off.” Jon’s whispered come-on to the cowboy brought a flush to Mickey’s cheeks.

"Sure, Jonny. We can find a lot of rewards, I'm sure. Now, I need to go in and clean up. What round are you?"

Jon laughed. "Four."

"I'll be back.” Mickey hurried toward the house. He'd have followed him, offering to help him in the shower, but he wasn't about to step on the toes of his hosts, so he continued to watch the festivities with a smile.

After his turn at the game, where Tim asked him if he could spell Lichtenstein, Jon surrendered to a little girl, Gracie, who took Ethan Sachs’ place because he had to go take care of the horses at the barn.

The little cutie had curly red hair and a toothless smile along with bright green glasses, and from what Jon could tell, Ryan had more than a passing interest in her. When the cream hit Jon in the face, he did as Mickey had done, sweeping some of thewhipped cream off his face to dot a dollop on her nose, bringing a tinkling giggle from the girl.

Rocky approached with a few paper towels and a big smile. "Here, you go, Mr. Jon. You played a good game. I gotta learn to spell that word, too.”

Jon laughed and pulled the boy into a hug. "I think you and I need to become better friends, Rock. I'd like to come out to the ranch again. You think your dads would be okay with that? Maybe we can find a better place to get your haircut?" The boy had a rash toward the base of his skull that proved to Jon the person cutting the boy’s hair wasn’t sure how to cut it properly.

"Oh, man, would they! Tim took me to a barber in Radford, but I hate the way the man cut my hair. I want it more like yours.” Rocky touched the side of Jon's head where his hair was short. It was groomed impeccably with the sides and back close, while there was a little more on top. It wasn't a fade per se, but it was groomed to his liking, and he could see the boy's blond, curly hair had been clipped far too short at the back and sides.

"I'll find a place out here where they can do it right, I swear. Now, let's go inside so I can wash up. Can you introduce me to your friends?"

The boy nodded, and for the rest of the afternoon, Rocky held his hand and introduced him to everyone in attendance as hisfriend, Mr. Jon.

After the gifts were opened and the arsenal of NERF guns unveiled, the kids divided into armies and moved into the yard, much to the adults' relief and appreciation.

Jon was sitting on that webbed chair speaking with a woman with white hair who was insistent on figuring out how ahandsome man of color,who wasn't Rocky's dad, fit into the party. "I'm a lawyer, ma'am. I work for Matt.”

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