Page 64 of For the Love of the Lawyer

Jon scratched the horse's ear and laughed. "Mom’s custodial side gets the better of her a lot of the time. The Blanchard’s are neighbors, but they don't live on this road. They live about twomiles away off a gravel road. Mom buys hay from them, even though she gets what she needs off this land.

"Kennedy was their son's horse, but since he graduated from high school and went into the Navy, there hasn't been anyone to ride him. Mom bought him because she knew if he was here, she could have her barn manager exercise him until she could find somewhere to donate him. He's a gentle horse, right? Terry did okay on him?"

Mickey chuckled. "Terry did pretty damn good on him. That gelding is made for a first-time rider, just like little Josie. They're perfect starter animals.”

Jon led Mickey over to a bench where he gestured for Mickey to sit. "You like the place?"

Mickey looked around and laughed. "Well, there's a lot of wood, you know, and the rose scent those fancy mares' fart could get on a nerve, I'd say. I guess Clyde fits right in here with all this finery."

Jon chuckled at his comment. "Pop wants to fire him. Seems he believes Clyde Chambers doesn't do shit around here during the week. He's apparently hired day-help to come out and clean stalls a few times a week instead of every day, charging it to the farm account. Mom wants to hire full-time hands, but Clyde keeps telling her he can handle it. She pays him a pretty penny to take care of the place, but he's not doing things as she wishes. My dad's tired of hearing her complain about it, so he plans to fire Clyde on Monday.”

"For now, Mom's going to stay out here and take care of the farm herself while she looks for someone, but she had a thought. I have to say, I think it's a great idea though it's not my decision to make alone.

"Mom would like to hire you to run the farm for her. She'd like you to manage the breeding schedule and hire additional hands. She's down to those three mares because she didn't want to gotoo big when she stopped riding, but she's looking forward to the foals from Charlie, and if they turn out to be as great as she thinks, she's going to want to breed to him again.

"You know horses, Mick, and you’re good with them. You can hire people you trust to help you out, and as a perk, Mom offered to have us move in here.” By the time Jon stopped speaking, Mickey’s eyes were probably as big as silver dollars.

Mickey’s stomach instantly tied in knots as the nerves threatened to bring him to his knees. A chill skittered down his spine like nothing he'd ever felt in his life.

Was he really considering leaving a job he loved more than anything to move to a town as small as Holloway and manage an operation for his lover's mother? If his relationship with Jon didn't work, he'd lose everything—his job, his home, the kids.

There was safety for him at the Circle C. He worked for Danny, who knew how to manage a farm—well, a cattle ranch. Danny didn't want anything to do with the horses, so really, Mickey was in charge where the horses were concerned. He was proud to be trusted with the responsibility.

Charlie was a high-priced stallion who'd paid for himself in stud fees several times over, and Mickey wasn't sure who would manage the stud part of the operation if he left Holloway.

Jon stood before him with a look of deep concentration on his face, as if he was trying very hard to read Mickey’s mind. On Jon’s face, Mickey could see the longing the man had for him, and he felt his heart swell because never in his life had he thought he'd have someone wanting him the way Jon seemed to want him.

"I know it's a lot to consider, baby, but if we lived here, you could do what you love, and it's only an hour commute for me. I can take Meggie with me to Richmond, and she can attend that special school we talked about. She’d also be close to her doctors, and Mom’s in town to help if we need her.

"Meanwhile, we could put Terry in the public school here, which is a lot smaller than the school he'd go to in Richmond. Hell, we'd have to put him in a private school there to ensure he stays out of trouble, but if we lived here, he could go to school, and you'd be nearby if he needed anything. When he gets home from school, you could put him to work with you at the barn. It would give him something to focus on, and then he could still have his hobbies. We can hire Ursula to cook and clean for us, and we'd all be together.

"I'm not asking for a decision yet, okay? Just think it over. Mom wants to talk to you about it tomorrow while you all go for a ride. Pop and I are going to have a conference call with that couple and opposing counsel he was talking about earlier. He says you gave him an idea he wants to float by them, and I said I'd sit in with him. Just please, don't say no yet. Think about it.” When Jon finished, he leaned forward and kissed Mickey, biting his top lip before he pulled back with a smirk.

Yes, Mickey was overwhelmed with the offer. And, yes, he was worried about leaving the familiar territory of Holloway because he'd come to think of the place as his home.

He’d be leaving people he loved who’d become the family he’d never had, and that was a lot to consider. But having Jon and the kids—his new family—with him every day, along with managing a top-notch operation like Ally Wells was offering, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity he'd never expected. Mickey definitely had a lot of thinking to do.

Little feet running to the bathroom across the hall woke Mickey from his peaceful slumber wrapped around Jon, so he hoppedup from bed and pulled on boxers and a pair of shorts along with a T-shirt. He quietly slipped into the bathroom in Jon's room and did his morning business before he let himself out of the bedroom and waited patiently outside the bathroom door for Megan to finish.

Once he heard the flush, he knocked on the door. "Little Bit? It's Mick. You okay?"

Meggie opened the door and pushed her hair back off her face. "I can't reach the water to wash my hands.”

Mickey picked her up and helped her wash her hands before he set her on the counter. "How'd ya sleep?" he asked her, seeing her continuing to fuss with her wild curls.

He quickly pushed them behind her ears as he wrung out the face cloth he'd warmed to clean the sleepiness from her little face. She looked like a princess to him in her purple pajama set.

"So good. Nana said we can paint my room here if I want. She's gonna buy me new bed stuff. We're gonna look on the 'puter after breakfast. How did you and Jon sleep?"

Mickey knew he couldn't tell her that after he and Jon made love, he hadn't slept at all. Too many things were rolling around his head, and he couldn't calm his mind enough to drift off for more than a few minutes at a time. It was going to be a long day.

"Uh, we slept okay. You like your room here?" Mickey knew which room she was sleeping in, but he hadn't really looked at it when they went to bed because there was only the dim light from a night-light Ally had left on for the little girl.

"Oh, come see it. It's like a princess room. It’s bigger than my room at home with Jon. The bed's fluffy and there are lots of pillows.” Megan reached for him, giving him a happy smile.

He picked her up and carried her across the hallway to her room, looking around. It was a nice room. It was painted a pale rose color, and the furnishings were covered with various floraland striped prints. There was a pillow-lined window seat with a beautiful view over the back fields.

The four-poster bed was a double, just like the one in her bedroom at Jon’s condo, but it was on a higher frame. There was even a small set of steps at the side to aid the girl in getting into the bed. Itdidlook like a princess’ room.

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