Mickey laughed at Hank's opinion of Paulie, the former hand at the Circle C who'd been traded to the Katydid for him. He knew Danny Johnson was happy about the trade because he didn’t like Paulie in the least. Mickey could only imagine Hank's assessment of the situation.
"Well, I'm grateful for you missin' me, but I'm gonna stay here, Hank. I loved bein' at the Katydid, but Tim, Matt, Ryan, and Rocky need me to keep 'em in line, and I feel it’s my responsibility to take care of 'em. Y'all are gonna come to the party this weekend to celebrate the guardianship and the birthdays, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it for anything. Whether anybody likes it, we're all becomin' a great big family, and those who don't wanna be a party to it are gonna be out in the cold. We come help y'all when it's time to move or ship cattle, and y'all come help us put up hay. Any of the hands who don't like it will probably leave, but that's just the way it is with cowboys. They get territorial over the stock they take care of and don't like anybody steppin' in to show 'em up, as you might remember. The only change we accept is when we decide to move on. You gonna move on, Mickey?" Hank asked.
Mickey couldn't help but chuckle a little as he removed the baseball cap from his head and slapped it against his thigh to get rid of some of the sweat he'd worked up in the hot barn in July. "Naw, Hank. I'm not plannin' on goin' anywhere. I'm hopin' Matt and Tim let me keep takin' care of the horses here at the ranch for a long time to come. I mean, y'all have a lot of horse hands over at the Katydid, but 'round here, the boys don't care much for horses till it's time to work cattle, then they get a little grateful," he joked.
Just then, he heard a car pull up outside the barn. He knew they were expecting a full complement of guests for the weekend, and he'd agreed to help Tim settle people at the house. There was only a handful staying the weekend at the ranch, so he was quite surprised to see Jonathon Wells pull up in his fancy Mercedes. He hadn't been privy to the guest list, so he supposed he shouldn't be surprised Matt had invited the lawyer.
He turned to the Sachs' and took a deep breath. "I seriously hope you both forgive me for what I did because I've missed bein' friends with both of ya."
As if on cue, Henry walked up to Mickey and hugged him. "I love you, but I'm not in love with ya. I figured it out while I was with Uncle Teddy. He's gay and we had more than one good talk about first crushes. I'm sorry if I caused ya any trouble with all that B-S, okay? Daddy stayed with me at the farm, and with Uncle Teddy's help, we worked shit out before we got home. He ain't happy his son's gay because he thinks I'm gonna have a hard life, and I hold no preconceived notions it won't be difficult, but I'm lucky. My parents are supportive and still love me. That's enough of a start," Henry whispered to Mickey before he pulled away and smiled at him.
"Oh…damn. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Mickey heard behind them as he and Henry broke apart. There stood Jon Wells with a look on his face that let Mickey know the man had some feelings he was still denying, based on the scowl. He hoped to fuck they could finally have a serious conversation and work some things out.
"No, no. Come on in. Jonathon Wells, this is Hank Sachs and his son, Henry. They both work at the Katydid for Josh, and we're all old friends. Guys this is Matt's attorney, Jonathon Wells," Mickey introduced.
They all shook hands and exchanged greetings. "Nice to meet ya." "How 'do." "Pleasure to meet both of you. I've heard about you from Tim." Mickey wasn't sure if that last part was right because he was pretty sure Tim didn't really talk to Jon Wells, but he'd let it slide.
"Well, we best get goin' to the house. Patsy makes us do dishes if we're late for supper. We'll see y'all tomorrow," Hank told them as he put his hand on Henry's shoulder.
"Mick, I can come over early and bring a few horses if you think folks'll wanna ride. Call me to let me know which ones you think would be best since I don't know the guests," Henry offered with a bright smile that put Mickey's heart at ease. He was glad to have been reunited with his young friend. He'd missed him.
"I'll let ya know. Welcome home, kiddo," he stated as he hugged Henry again before the Sachs men left him alone in the barn with Jonathon Wells.
As soon as they heard the truck start outside the barn, Jon walked over to the stall where Charlie was usually housed. "Where's the big guy?" he asked.
"Out on pasture. I just cleaned out his stall and hosed it down. It's hot as hell, so I'm gonna leave him out for the night. Josie's up at Jeri and Marty's in the pasture. She was in season, but she'll be fine by tomorrow. I'm gonna take Charlie up there in the mornin' and bring her home to use for the rides for the kids. We've got some of Ryan and Rocky's school friends comin' for the party, along with a few friends of the family.
"It's best if Charlie's tucked away somewhere quiet. He's gonna be busy over the next few weeks," Mickey explained with a sly smirk on his face as he thought about all the action the stud was set to get over the summer. Charlie had bred a few of Josh's mares earlier in the spring, and Josh was looking forward to the foals that would come the next spring. There had been several interested parties who'd contacted Matt on the website, and he knew Tim was looking into being able to send sperm out of state by some freezing technique. There was a lot happening at the Circle C.
"That's great. I guess you've been busy…too busy to answer a text?" Jon accused with an arched eyebrow on his very attractive face.
Mickey chuckled, remembering the text from Jon which he found confusing as hell. Mickey was sure Audrey Langley had somehow ended up with Jon's phone and sent it as a lark. He wasn't about to be made a fool three times by the same guy.
"Hey, you made it abundantly clear you were far too good for me. You're too smart, too classy, too good-lookin' and obviously, you have no desire to ever try an exclusive relationship, so I don't see why we need to prolong the agony.
“You wanna fuck? We can figure out a place, but not in Tim and Matt's house because it's a rule for them. Hell, we can fuck down here if you want. Then it's out of your system, and you can go find as much high-class, well-educated ass as you'd like," Mickey explained in the well-rehearsed speech he'd worked out in the event he'd ever see the lawyer again.
He saw Jon bristle, and he truly wondered why. What had he said that would grate against the man’s sensibilities? As far as Mickey could tell, any relationship the lawyer was interested in having would last as long as it took for him to blow his load in Mickey’s mouth or his ass. Maybe if they did fuck, they could both get over it?
"That's not going to work for me, Mickey. I've thought about the two of us a lot since you brought Charlie to Dillwyn and I behaved like a real prick by leaving before we talked about things. I'm still trying to figure out why I acted that way. No, I know why I did…I was scared, Mickey. I've been afraid to let anyone get close to me because getting involved in a relationship brings a lot of things I didn't think I wanted to consider.
"I went to my parents' place yesterday for lunch and finally told them I'm gay. Who the fuck knew they'd already guessed it. When Audrey came out, they decided to let me stew until I was finally forced to come clean with them. If it wasn't for you, I'd have likely gone on living the lie until Ham and Ally were old and gray," Jon explained.
At his admission, Mickey couldn't help but laugh. "You're full-a-shit, Jonny. There's no way you knowin' me had anything to do…" he began as Jon pulled him into his arms and sealed his mouth over Mickey's. When the man's tongue slipped between Mickey's lips and grazed his teeth, the young cowboy couldn't help himself. He was in love with the lawyer, as unlikely a pairing as it might be, but as Tim had told him, the heart wants what it wants.
The kiss became passionate, and Mickey could feel Jon's hard cock against his through the denim of their jeans. They were rutting against each other as the kisses continued, and Mickey felt himself about ready to shoot off. He pulled back and looked into Jon's eyes, not moving his lower body from the feel of Jon's hardness. The heat between them was something Mickey yearned to feel, but he was pretty sure it was a on
e-time-only situation. He quickly determined he was going to take it in stride and at least fulfill a fantasy before it was over.
"Should we take this aloft?" Mickey teased as he pointed to the ladder.
He watched as Jon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "No."
To say Mickey felt the sting of the word was a gross understatement. He worried if he'd used the word “aloft” wrong, but finally settled he'd used it in the proper context. Jon just didn't want anything to do with him, physically.
Mickey had been studying to take his GED, and he'd hoped he could impress Jon with all the new things he was learning since he'd started studying with Tim, during which Matt watched them and chuckled at their interaction.
"What the hell does that mean?" Mickey asked as Tim quizzed him on vocabulary words.
"You've heard of prerequisites, right? Things that are necessary before... So if they don't come before…" Tim led. Mickey appreciated his help, but sometimes, the younger cowboy felt like a moron, and he didn't appreciate his best friend seeing it live and in person.
"I don't know why you bother, Timmy. I'm just a good ole boy. This is ridiculous. My folks never expected me to make anything of myself, and I don't know why you do," he complained as he pushed away from the large study guide in front of him.
Tim took a deep breath. "Okay, what does 'pre' mean?"
"It means before," Mickey snapped.
"Okay, what does ‘prerequisites’ mean?"
"Things at are required before, okay?" Mickey roared loud enough to bring Rocky and Ryan out of the basement.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked with a look of concern.
Tim laughed. "Nothing at all. I'm teaching Mickey some vocabulary words, and he's excited because he just learned a new one."
He then turned to Mickey and smiled. "So, requisite…use it in a sentence."
Mickey laughed. "In order to live at the Circle C, it is requisite that you bring your own dad-burn dictionary."
"Exactly!" Tim exclaimed as he shut the book and turned on the radio. The four of them danced around the kitchen to Blake Shelton as a meatloaf cooked in the oven. It was great fun, sometimes, learning with Tim as his teacher.
Mickey swallowed, not sure what to say to the man. Hell, he wasn't sure why the jackass had shown up at the ranch. There was no reason he could figure. "What the fuck are ya even doin' here, Jon?"
He saw Jon Wells take a deep breath and exhale as he took Mickey's hand, pulling him a little closer. "I'm not interested in a quick romp in the hay as temptingly cliché as it might be. I want us to try to be more, Mickey. I know you're ten-years-younger than me, but I'll be damned if I can stop thinking about you. I'd like to talk to you about some changes I want to make, and I'd like to take you on an honest-to-God date. I can't get you out of my head, Mickey, and I figure there has to be a very good reason," Jon confessed.
Mickey took a minute to think about what he’d said because he didn't want to make a misstep with the man. He'd stewed over the other two times they'd been around each other and how horribly wrong it had gone. He didn't think it was his fault because the man had issues, to be sure, but was he ready for another go-round?
"Who's that?" Jon asked as the two of them stood in the corner of the pool at Jeri and Marty's house. It was an adults-only party, and there were friends and family filling the backyard of Jeri and Marty Collins' home. Since Jon wasn't familiar with most of the attendees, Mickey took it upon himself to give the lawyer the lay of the land…and provide the background information/gossip regarding those in attendance.
"That's Cecelia Blankenship, the boys' first-grade teacher. She was really great with them, especially Rocky," Mickey explained.
"Why especially Rocky?" Jon asked. 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 keep Rocky on course. Ryan could skip a grade because he actually started a year behind, but he won't leave Rocky," Mickey explained with pride in his voice. Not only was he proud of Ryan for how smart the boy was, he was proud of how much Ryan worked to help Rocky catch up.
He saw Jon 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 with making sure 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," Mickey told him confidently.
Jon grabbed Mickey's hand and held it up, laughing at the pruney fingers. "Maybe we get out for a bit?"
"Sure. I need to go inside and check on the pork anyway. You think people are hungry yet?" he asked Jon.
The two of them took in the attendees at the party, and Mickey was happy to see so many friends who were supportive of the family. It was truly a testament to the close-knit community. Everyone wasn't on board with the fact there were several members of the community who were gay because they didn't understand it, but they didn’t treat the family as pariahs just because of it. They simply stayed away and allowed them to live their lives.
As they settled in the kitchen to put together the meal, Mickey put Jon to chopping vegetables for a salad. He heard Jon clear his throat, so he turned in his direction. "I'm not judging, okay, but can I ask you something? Is there anything else you'd like to do with your life besides work here for Tim and Matt?" Jon asked, the expression on his face only showed honest curiosity.
Mickey swallowed before he opened the oven and pulled out a pork butt he'd had on the grill at the Circle C all afternoon, opting to bring it inside Jeri's house to finish cooking. He pulled out a little taste and smiled before he poured the rest of the pineapple juice atop it along with the chunks of fruit he'd held in reserve.
He then turned to Jon and smiled. "Funny you should ask. 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 what 'better' is. 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 asked. The big grin on Jon’s face was a surprise.
Mickey tended to the Hawaiian pork according to the recipe and hoped the smile from the handsome lawyer was something good and not a 'you’re a fuckin’ moron' smile. 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 have some time 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 asked, seeming very insistent 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'," Mickey offered. When Jon nodded and smiled, he 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 Jon Wells.
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 whispered, "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 a little. "
I made a promise to 'em when I moved in 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, and 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," Jon told him as they stood outside the barn.
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?" he asked.
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 a little before he climbed up to the hayloft 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 more 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."
Loving the Lawyer (The Cowboys of Katydid Farm Book 2) Page 17