Mickey was stunned for a moment because he'd never heard the sentiment from his biological family, which wasn't really anything he really worried over. In fact, he'd only heard the sentiment from his chosen family at the Circle C and the Katydid. He'd definitely never heard the words from someone who he loved in a romantic way. Jackie never pledged his love, but Mickey was starting to become convinced Jackie was only with him so Mickey would take care of him. It made him feel cheap, but it was in the past.
He looked into Jon Wells' light green eyes and smiled. "I love you, too, Jonny. I think I have since you first showed up at the ranch. I don't say it lightly, trust me, because I haven't known a lotta love before I moved to Holloway, but you've made me feel confident enough to be able to let my guard down. When I did, you creeped right into my heart. Thank you, baby," he told Jon as he leaned forward and caught his soft lips in a gentle kiss.
Just as they were about to make it more passionate, there was a knock on the door. "Shit! That's the food," Jon told him as he hopped up and grabbed his wallet off the counter in the kitchen. A minute later, he walked back into the kitchen. "Come make a plate, Mick," he announced.
Mickey padded into the kitchen in his bare feet and walked up behind Jon as he unloaded the food from the large, brown, paper bags. "Smells fuckin' fantastic. Food smells good, too," Mickey teased as he ran his nose up the side of Jon's neck. His hands had settled on Jon's hips, and he wanted so much to fast forward to the part where they were in bed together, but the idea of getting to know Jon better and spending time with him in his home was far too enticing to rush.
Jon spun in his arms and wrapped them around Mickey's neck. "How about we eat and watch the Nats game, and later we turn on some music and soak in the bathtub for a little while if you'd like."
Mickey couldn't resist. "I'd love to, Jonny. Tomorrow, I'm gonna take you and Audrey out for lunch, my treat. I need to make a good impression on her because she's your best friend and I need her stamp of approval," he teased as he nipped at Jon's neck, gently biting the soft flesh under his ear. The gentle moan he heard was reward enough.
The two men piled their plates high with ribs, cole slaw, pickled vegetables, and potato salad. Jon grabbed the bag with biscuits and cornbread muffins and they went to the living room, taking seats on the floor to use the coffee table for eating. Mickey went back to the kitchen to get them each a beer…a good, old Bud…and then they turned on a baseball game. They ate the wonderful food, laughing and chatting about things that came to mind.
Mickey told him about seeing the picture of Reggie's granddaughter, the teacher. Reggie had actually given him the young woman's phone number, but Jon suggested they wait to meet the teacher another time. He said it was too soon after Audrey's break-up, and he wanted to meet the granddaughter, Gina, first to see if he thought she'd have anything in common with Audrey. Mick agreed, and after the food was finished, they laid on the couch to allow the digestive process to take place while they watched more of the ballgame.
Around ten, Jon got up and took Mickey's hand to lead him back to the bathroom. He turned on the water in the large, stand-alone tub and turned down the lights in the bathroom until there was a soft glow. Mickey reached for his man, kissing him gently. "I love you, Jonny. I never, ever thought you'd fall for me because I'm not sophisticated at all. I'm a simple man, but I don't lie. I don't cheat, and I don't steal. If you think you can put up with me, I'd really like to see where this goes," he whispered as he undressed the handsome man in front of him.
Jon's golden brown body made Mickey's mouth water at the sight of him. It was evident he took good care of himself. After they were both naked and the tub was full, they got in and faced each other. "So, I did something you might not be too happy about, but I pray you'll hear me out before you get pissed," Jon began, leaving Mickey a little on edge.
He couldn't really imagine anything Jon could do which would anger him, so he nodded with a smirk, "Fire away, lawyer."
Jon stood for a moment to push a button on a panel on the wall. Soft music started playing over speakers Mickey couldn't see. Next thing he knew, there were jets pulsing at his body, relaxing him more than he'd ever expected. He stretched out his legs as did Jon. They overlapped in the warm water, and as bubbles started to accumulate, Mickey counted his blessings.
"I asked someone to look for your parents," Jon stated, catching Mickey off guard. It was the last thing he expected to hear, and his system was somewhat shocked, such that he didn't react immediately.
Jon grabbed his hands to keep him grounded, he guessed. "I know, I know, you said not yet, but after I saw how upset Audrey was regarding her break-up, I realized how short life can be…or life as we know it. Anyway, I got a guy I use for things to look into their whereabouts based on the information you've given me in passing.
"Your mother, Lola, passed away three years ago. She was a heroin addict and contracted HIV which became AIDS because she didn't have it treated. She died from complications in a state-run hospice outside of New Orleans. Seems she moved there after you left Nashville. She used her real name, which is how Sammy was able to find her so easily," Jon explained.
Mickey was sure he should feel something other than relief upon hearing the news, but his relationship with his mother ended a long time ago when she tried to sell him to a man who was all too happy to take Mickey's virginity, even if it was against his will. Mickey lost it not long after the man's attempted raping of him, but it was on his terms, even if it wasn't what he thought it would be.
"Okay, um, what about Joey? Were you able to track him down?" Mickey asked, hoping there was similar news regarding the man who fathered him.
Jon sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "He's still alive, Mick. He lives outside of Nashville in a small house he rents with a girlfriend and a daughter. The girl's seven, and her name is Christina. Her mother's name is Maribel. Your dad's a handyman, and Maribel is a housekeeper. Christina goes to a Catholic school, St. Mary's, in Nashville. Sammy's got pictures and a report he'll drop off tomorrow if I call him. Only if you want it, sweetheart.
"Please, God, don't be mad at me. I told myself if your parents were both deceased, I'd never tell you about them, but when I found out you have a little sister, I just couldn't keep it to myself," Jon explained rather nervously.
Mickey didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything for a few minutes. He pulled Jon closer and turned him around so they could relax together with Jon in his arms and lean against his chest.
At that moment, Mickey didn't really want to consider the news Jon had given him, and he didn't want Jon to think he was mad. Shock and disbelief were all that came to his mind as he held his lover in his arms. It was their weekend together, and he wasn't going to allow the news about his father and little sister to take anything away from it. There would be plenty of time to stew over it when he returned to Holloway.
"Thank you. Can I think about it for a while?" he asked quietly. Jon squeezed his thighs as he rested between Mickey's legs, giving him the answer he needed.
"Mickey, it's so good to see you," Audrey greeted when he opened the door for her. Jon was in the bathroom getting himself together because they'd made love all night long…and Mickey could call it making love because they'd professed feelings for each other that made his heart sing.
They'd fallen asleep just as the sun came up and slept until ten that morning. Mickey had made them some scrambled eggs and heated the leftover biscuits from the barbecue dinner they'd shared the previous night. He'd fed Jon breakfast, literally, and then, they got very dirty on the bed…on the floor…up against the dresser facing the mirror. Mickey loved the feeling of being inside Jon as much as he loved feeling Jon inside him, and the fact they were equals with regard to lovemaking was something he didn't expect. Jon Wells took as well as he gave.
"You too, Audrey. I'm supposed to invite you to the ranch so you can watch the boys last little league game right before school starts. It's in three weeks," Mic
key explained as he hugged her tightly, truly happy to see her again.
She hugged him right back and when she pulled away, she looked into his eyes and smiled brightly. "I'll make sure I can be there to see them. Are they looking forward to school starting soon?" she asked as she stepped into the condo and hung her purse on the hall tree in Jon's foyer.
"Yeah, they are. Rocky's been working with his tutors over the summer, and it's helped a lot. His reading level is up, though I think that has more to do with his obsession with Harry Potter. He reads the books to Ryan, Tim, Matt, and me every night we'll listen. I know Ryan's more into 'The Lord of the Rings', but he listens to his brother and he beams when Rocky gets through it without stumblin'. Do you know when they can start to ask to adopt the boy?" Mickey asked.
"Next February, as a matter of fact. I filed the paperwork with DFS last week, and I got a call from their current caseworker, explaining they can begin the process in February. It'll be subject to stepped-up visits by social workers and all that stuff I'll need to coordinate with Matt and Tim, but I have a very good feeling about this, Mickey. Nobody deserves love as much as Rocky, and I truly believe the caseworker will see how important it is he be allowed to stay with the family. Where's Jonny?" she asked as she looked around the condo with a mischievous grin.
Just then, Mickey heard the shower turn off, and he couldn't hold the evil smirk inside him. He'd quickly showered, but Jon said he had to stand under the shower head. "I've got aches in places I didn't know could ache," he'd told Mickey, referring to their enthusiastic lovemaking. Mickey just laughed and gave him a kiss on the lips.
"He's just finishin' up his shower. He's runnin' behind a little bit," he informed her with a wink.
Audrey guffawed loudly, surprising Mickey. He'd never heard her laugh so raucously, but it was magnificent to hear. Laughter was the best medicine for heartache, he'd always heard and if she was able to find such joy in something so silly, he hoped she was working through her own troubles.
"Oh, you're very good for Jon, Mickey. I'm so glad you came along," she told him with a tender pat on his cheek. He was glad he came along as well if he was being honest.
In Mickey's mind, love made the whole world shiny and new for him. He was looking forward to discovering new things with Jon, and he was looking forward to becoming good friends with Audrey Langley. Life was definitely looking up, from where Mickey Warren stood…on the hardwood floor of his lover’s condo.
Chapter Twenty
Jon was pacing the hallway of the courthouse while waiting for the social worker, Cece Wright, to bring Megan to the family court hallway. They'd found a nice couple, Mark and Renee Asberry's, who’d agreed to foster Megan. They had another foster child, Miles, who was deaf, and they’d been model foster parents to the boy, both learning sign language at their own expense.
When Cece approached them regarding taking another foster child, they said they'd take her on a trial basis. Jon was worried about their putting a condition on it, but Cece had told him she believed they were being prudent by taking the child on a trial basis to see what having the child in their home would entail, especially in light of the fact they already had Miles. Cece was confident the couple would come through for the child in the end.
The police had been able to track down Megan's family, finding her parents had been killed in an auto accident months prior and the girl had been given to her grandmother for custody. Unfortunately, the woman had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and she found herself slipping fast, such that she didn’t trust herself to provide the child with the care the girl deserved.
She'd taken Megan to the firehouse under the Commonwealth's ‘Safe Haven’ Laws, and she was horribly upset when the police tracked her down. The woman explained there was no other family, and she didn't want the child to be neglected at her hand because she was already suffering severely because of her disease.
After the investigation and interview with the woman and a few of her friends who knew the situation but were unwilling to assist with the little girl, the Commonwealth Attorney declined to prosecute the grandmother, citing evidence the child was in excellent health and wellbeing when she was dropped off, and he concluded the child’s grandmother did what she believed was the best thing for the minor child.
Jon agreed, but it was still a tragedy. Thankfully, the grandmother was still lucid enough to make the child a ward of the state so she could be placed with a foster family without any pending custody issues.
When he heard a giggle, he turned to see Megan walking down the hallway with her hand in Cece's. She looked adorable in a purple dress with a white pinafore apron over it. Her hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head, and in Jon's opinion, she looked like every happy thought he'd ever had in his life.
The Asberry's had gone to meet and spend time with her at the group home for children with special needs where she was temporarily staying--as had he--and he had high hopes for the match.
Jon walked over to her and knelt in front of her. "Hello, Angel. How are you?" he asked her as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug.
"You're funny, Mr. Jon. I'm good. Do you think I look okay to meet the Judge?" she asked as she twirled in front of him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I think you look lovely, sweetheart. Why don't you and Miss Cece go take a seat? The Asberry's should be here any minute," he promised. He glanced at his watch to see they were due in the courtroom in fifteen minutes, and the couple was late.
The worry in him ticked up because he hadn't actually met the couple in person, only judging them based on a phone interview and the documentation and recommendation from Cece who was also the social worker assigned to Miles. "They're the perfect couple to take her, Jon. They've worked miracles with Miles and his challenges are far worse than Megan's." Jon believed her, but the later they were, the more the worry balled up in his gut.
The three of them sat in the hallway until a bailiff called their case, along with six others. Jon took his cell from Megan because she'd been playing a game on it, and led the little girl into the courtroom, placing her in the chair next to him because they were the first up, according to the docket.
"All rise," the bailiff demanded. Jon stood and took Megan's hand to help her stand next to him though she could barely see over the table.
"The Honorable Barry Mattucik presiding," the man finished. The judge walked in and took a seat, signaling for everyone to sit down.
"First case," the judge ordered as he pulled glasses on his large face, glancing around the courtroom before he settled on Jon and then glanced at the little girl with the big brown eyes sitting next to him. He gave Jon a smile and then turned back to the bailiff.
"Family Court Case Docket ending in 67734. Custodial Hearing In Re Megan Doe," the clerk announced.
Jon rose and smiled at the judge. "Good morning, Your Honor. It seems the potential foster family had an emergency, keeping them from appearing this morning. I'd like to ask for this court's indulgence to allow us to appear in the afternoon session regarding the temporary custody of Megan Doe. The family should be able to appear by then," Jon offered, hoping he was being honest.
"Granted. Mr. Wells, they'd better be here this afternoon, first after the lunch break. Next case," the judge ordered, giving Jon a cocked eyebrow.
Jon took Megan's hand and led her out of the courtroom, praying the family showed up soon. He hated to think they weren't what he'd been led to believe. "How about we go to the café around the corner and get some hot chocolate and a muffin?" he offered as Cece caught up to them.
"Jon, I've got calls into the Asberrys, and I've got one of the interns going to their house to see what's going on. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned to have Megan with me for the rest of the day, and I need to go downstairs to the juvenile holding center to pick up my next case for a ten-thirty hearing. The boy's thirteen and he's had a hard road, Jon. He's difficult to deal with, and it's made him hard to place. He has a newbie law
yer from the public defender's office, but he needs someone…he needs you, Jon. Will you represent him? He's a graffiti expert right now, but he has the potential to be a very talented artist, trust me. You can change his life, Jon," Cece coerced. Jon recognized a seasoned manipulator. He knew several of them, including his own dear mother.
Jon could easily see what she was trying to do, and he knew in his heart she was only looking out for a kid who likely just needed a break. From casual conversation, he knew Cece Wright had two sons who were in grad school, one for his Ph.D. in Psychology, and the other for his master's in city planning. She was the type of woman who'd done everything she could to see her sons didn't turn into street kids, just like she did with every kid whose file crossed her desk. Jon admired her tenacity, and he knew in his heart he was fighting a losing battle if he tried to turn her down.
He thought back to the beginning of his career when he had so much to prove to his father and Sherman Langley so as not to be just another spoiled, rich kid sucking off the family teat. He fought every battle as if it was his last, and he got results. He was known as a pit bull among his fellow divorce lawyers, seeing the fear in their eyes when he walked into a courtroom.
The day he began taking cases involving children in need of parents and homes, everything seemed to start changing inside him. Every case seemed to chip away a little more at his determination to be the hard-core fighter he'd been early in his career. He was convinced the callous and Machiavellian scrapper he'd once been tapped out for good when he met Mickey Warren, and he was half-pissed at the young cowboy about it.
When he found himself in love with Mickey Warren and the Moran-Collins family in Holloway, he should have known the ruthless divorce attorney he'd turned into would be forced to the back of his heart. Compassion and empathy had taken the place of the joy of collecting large settlements for his clients while putting the screws to the other guy for sport. As far as his divorce practice was concerned, he'd been disgruntled with it for a while, and he had a hard time getting himself torqued up to do battle any longer.
Loving the Lawyer (The Cowboys of Katydid Farm Book 2) Page 22