Page 8 of For the Love of the Lawyer

When the back door opened, Matt, Ryan, and Josh came inside, all three laughing. "Woman, we're hungry. The boy wants pancakes.” Josh tossed his cap onto the bench by the back door.

Katie turned around and smiled. "Which boy?"

All the men at the table laughed, putting Mickey at ease. "Well, Ryan and Matt wanted ’em…"

Ryan scooted over to Katie and took her hand. "No, Grampa, you said she'd make us pancakes if I made a sad face." Ryan then frowned in the most pathetic way, causing them to cackle.

Katie turned to the table where the men were sitting. "Okay, what kind? Do you want apples? Do you want canned peaches? Do you want bacon pancakes?”

Mickey was awash with good feelings at the look of love on her face as she glanced ather boys. In that moment, he knew Katie Simmons was the type of mother he'd have wanted if he'd had the choice. Unfortunately, Fate saw fit to give him Lola May Sumner Warren.

When Matt Collins stood behind him and placed his hands atop Mickey's shoulders, he froze. The bull rider had a tight grip, and while Mickey could take care of himself in most instances, Matt Collins could kick his ass in a hurry if he became so inclined. The man was really a beast, but when he looked at Tim, he seemed to melt, which gave Mickey a glimmer of hope that the man might have a heart in his broad chest.

"Aunt Katie, he's the guest. It's up to him.” Matt leaned forward and left a kiss on the top of Mickey's head. He glanced at Tim to see surprise on his face. Yeah, Mickey was surprised as well, but he only offered a smile.

"Miss Katie, it's whatever's the easiest.” Mickey hoped he was appeasing everyone at the table because no one wanted to piss her off.

"I want the ones with bacon if anybody cares.” Ryan climbed into the chair in front of where Mickey stood, settling himself on a thick phone book. Mickey held the laugh because he knew the boy's height was a sticking point, or so Tim had told him. Looking at the bull rider, Mickey was pretty sure it wouldn't be an issue for long.

"Okay, any objections?" Katie glanced around the table.

Nobody said a word, so she went about making them breakfast for dinner. They had bacon pancakes with honey butter and hash brown cups with an over-easy egg cooked inside. They ate and laughed, which was something Mickey didn't do enough. After the table was cleared and the dishes were in the fancy new dishwasher Matt and Tim had given her for Christmas, Katie took Ryan into the living room to play dominoes, stating it helped him with his addition.

Matt, Tim, Josh, and Mickey sat at the table, and Mickey felt like he might be sick, suddenly fraught with the same nerves when he told Tim of his indiscretion. "So, you wanna take my best hand and give me Paulie shit-for-brains? He don't like horses, Timothy, and he’s a lazy SOB," Josh pointed out, cluing Mickey into the fact some groundwork had been laid without his knowledge.

Matt laughed, surprising Mickey. "Let's look at this as an opportunity to keep us both from bein' sued for a hostile work environment. Tim's about to smack Paulie in the head with a shovel because the kid believes he knows the business ofranchin’ better than Tim's computer. Paulie fucks around with the amounts of hay and grain we feed the cattle, which throws off Timmy's numbers, and I get to hear about it every damn night.

"We know Paulie's a young buck who thinks he knows everything, and he seems to believe takin' care of horses is beneath him. Hell, I think Danny likes dealin' with the horses more than Paulie, and Dan hates horses. Paulie is a good carpenter, though. Our barn’s been fixed up, but yours might need some work, not that I’m criticizin’, Josh. At the end of the day, I need a hand on the place who gives a shit about those horses besides me, Tim, and Ryan. Mickey's ideal for the job, and I believe after Heath cools off, we can figure out a better situation all around.” Mickey glanced at Matt to see the bull rider wink at him.

Josh turned in Mickey’s direction and grinned, nudging his knee under the table. "Well, if he's gonna be takin' care of prime stock, he oughta get a raise over the other hands who won't do it. We don't talk about wages here at Katydid, and I'm sure Mickey wouldn't open his mouth to the other boys about what ya pay him, but if he's not gonna live here anymore, he's gonna need to live somewhere."

"Uncle Josh, why wouldn't he live here?" Tim jumped in with a worried look on his face.

Josh crossed his arms over his chest and wore a cocky grin. "Well, Heath comes to the house for coffee every mornin' before we start the day so we can figure out who’s gonna do what. If Mickey's here, and there's hard feelin's? I think it could get ugly.”

As Mickey was about to protest and promise to get out of the house before Heath showed up in the morning, he felt a heel grind into the top of his boot. He turned to look at Josh, who had a serious look on his face along with a cocked eyebrow.

Tim looked at Matt and leaned forward, covering his mouth, the two exchanging whispered words before the bull rider said, “Gotcha."

Matt turned to Mickey and grinned. "The basement's done, so you can live downstairs until we finish remodeling that little barn to make it into a bunkhouse. After that's done, you can move out there and be the resident babysitter for any other hands who need a place to live. For now, you live in the basement as part of your wages, and since you'll be our horse man, we've agreed to pay you…" Matt pulled out a pen and grabbed a napkin, scribbling a number before he folded it and handed it to Mickey.

The cowboy opened the napkin, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. It was more than he needed, for sure.

"Before you get all starry-eyed about it, this comes with some strings. You agree to babysit Ryan a coupla nights a month so Timmy and I can go out for dates, and you do your share of chores around the house. You cook?"

Mickey laughed. "Actually, I can. I used to cook for my… Well, I learned, and Miss Katie's been teachin’ me some things. She says I make a pretty good steak, and my chili's not bad, either. I can cook other stuff, too, so it's not a problem. As for Ryan, just call me the manny," he teased which brought a huge laugh from Tim. It broke the tension around the kitchen table.

Matt held up his hand and leaned forward. "One more thing, Mick. No one-night stands. We have an almost eight-year-old boy, and it's been difficult enough for him with two dads. You paradin' guys in and outta the house? That's not somethin' I'm gonna tolerate. Find somewhere else to fu—entertain.”

Mickey knew there was no wiggle room on that issue, though it didn't matter. He hadn't had sex in quite a while. Based on the people he'd met in town at the diner, Southern States Coop, and the cowboy bar, Pete's Place, there wasn't anyone who wouldremotely fill the bill, so it was nothing for Tim or Matt to worry about.

"I'd never do that, Matt. I wouldn't ever disrespect your home, and besides, the only two people I'd ever consider spendin' time with are taken.” Mickey gave the couple a grin, hoping they heard the sincerity in his voice because he meant it with all his heart.

Josh snickered. "Now that we've ironed it out, let's talk about my finder's fee."

The four men laughed, and Tim went upstairs with Mickey to help him pack his clothes to make the move. Once they were in Tim's old room, he turned to Mickey and offered a sympathetic smile. "Hard to leave, isn't it?"

Mickey stood frozen in front of the closet before he looked around the room. It was the firsthomehe'd really ever had. Part of him wished he didn't have to leave it. Josh and Katie weren't his parents, but they were people of value. His own family, not so much.

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