"Sure, Mr. Jon. We'll be fine, won't we Terry?" Megan asked from her new booster seat in the cramped back seat of the Mercedes coupe. It was one of many new things which had suddenly invaded Jon's life.
Since Audrey was out of commission, Jon imposed upon Karen Stubbs to help him out with regard to additional things Megan and Terrence would need after Mickey had returned to the Circle C. Karen had taken them shopping one afternoon so the kids had clothes for everyday and dress clothes for the wedding, while Jon did his best to try to set things up for his new wards.
For Megan, he'd found an occupational therapy program for children with Down's. She'd be able to attend the program while he was at work and Terrence was at school in the fall. They were set to tour the facility on Tuesday of the next week because Mickey was going to come home with them after the wedding weekend. Jon wasn't yet confident in making decisions alone regarding the children because he felt a little overwhelmed, but when he'd talk to Mickey about it on the phone late at night, his lover had assured he'd help out as much as possible.
"Yeah, sure, Meggie," Terrence grumbled in response to Megan's chipper assessment they'd be fine at a wedding celebration full of strangers. Jon knew Terrence didn't want to attend the function, but he hoped meeting the other residents at the Circle C and everyone from the Katydid might help lighten the boy's spirits and maybe lift some of the worries from his shoulders.
Jon heard yelling and looked up in time to see Rocky and Ryan running out of the house. Those two boys meant the world to him, and he hoped they'd be able to help him out with Terrence and Megan. God knew Ryan seemed to be able to befriend anyone, and Rocky was absolutely the sweetest boy on the earth.
Ryan tore open the door of the car and wrapped his arms around Jon's neck as the man struggled to get out of the car. "Hey, buddy. How are ya?" he asked as he hugged the kid who seemed to have shot up several inches since his last visit to the Circle C.
Rocky stared through the window glass into the back seat, and Jon could see two sets of eyes looking back at him. "Guys, these are my new friends, Terrence and Megan. This is Ryan and Rocky, Matt and Tim's boys," he introduced as he moved to left the front seat to free Megan from her booster.
The beautiful little girl smiled and cocked her head at Rocky, giving him that heartfelt smile which told Jon the child would get everything she wanted for the rest of her life. "You have pretty eyes," Megan told Rocky as he reached into the car to unbuckle her seat belt, helping her from the booster.
In the meantime, Ryan had run around to the passenger side to open the door and flip the back seat for Terrence, who had chosen to sit in back with Megan…away from Jon. "Hi! Nice to meet ya. You wanna see my new horse? I can't ride him yet cause Mick's workin' with him, but I'm almost too big for Josie, so Dad and Pop decided to get me a new horse now so I can start workin' with him, too. Rocky's got his own horse now, too," Ryan explained, excitement evident in his voice.
Jon could see the disbelief on Terrence's face, but he could tell the boy hoped it was true. He turned to look at Jon with a questioning gaze. "Watch the horse and cow poop. I'll run to Southern States in a little while to get both of you some boots to wear at the barn. Mick told you he was a cowboy. Bet you believe him now?"
Ryan laughed. "Mick already bought 'em stuff. Let's get your suitcase and take it downstairs. We getta use the whole basement this weekend, us guys. My uncle, Robby, is your age, I think. He'll be here tonight, and he's gonna stay here at the ranch with us. Pop promised the girls wouldn't bother us, so we can play games and stuff after the rehearsal dinner."
Jon opened the trunk for the suitcases, watching Rocky haul Megan up on his back, situating her little arms around his neck. "You hold on now, ya hear? It's a long way down. I'm five-foot, three-inches tall, ya know."
Jon laughed a little as he reached to retrieve their bags from the back. Ryan and Terrence grabbed them before Jon could get there, and the two of them shot off toward the ranch house with Rocky following close behind, Megan bouncing on his back as he ran, giggling wildly the whole time.
Jon closed the trunk and shook his head, not quite sure what to think about how the kids had been swept away. It was almost like he felt on his first visit to the Circle C. He became swept away with the family he met and he didn't even see it coming.
He walked into the house to see a flurry of activity. There was food lining the countertops, and Tim Moran was standing with Jeri Collins, perusing a list as they checked off things. "Hello?" Jon greeted, seeing the kids had dropped the bags by the staircases before they took off out the back door. He saw Terry's battered Converse sneakers on the porch, so he knew they'd at least stopped to change shoes.
"Jon, it's good to see you. Congratulations," Tim greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Are you sure the kids and I shouldn't stay at a motel?" he offered again. He knew the rehearsal dinner was at the ranch after the actual rehearsal at a little church in town. It was non-denominational, as he remembered Mickey explaining, and the pastor was only too happy to marry the couple. The reception was to be at the Katydid the next day, he recalled. It was to be an outdoor barbecue affair, but Mickey had assured him it would be a lot of fun for everyone, including the kids.
Jeri laughed as she took her turn hugging Jon. He truly liked the matriarch of the Collins family. The woman was genuine in her words and affections, and in the world of elitist snobs in which Jon had been raised, it was a rare commodity. "No, honey. They want family close. Rob, Deanne, and Savannah are stayin' with us up the hill, and Robby's lookin' forward to stayin' here with the boys. You and Mick are sharin' Rocky's room upstairs and little Megan gets Ryan's room, which is right across from it in case she gets a fright.
"We've been workin' on this all week since Mickey told us about the kids. We knew your little girl would likely wanna be near you, so we moved things around to make it more accomodatin'. Anyway, where are they?" she asked. Jon wondered what the answer was to that very question.
"Oh, they came flying through here while you were on the phone with Aunt Katie about tomorrow. I actually have an idea for Megan. Do you think she'd care if Danny's niece, Kayley, stayed tonight? The boys are takin' Matt out for a drink after dinner, and I told Dan we'd have enough people around to watch her. Danny's brother, Zach, is in DC finishing up his internship, and Danny's usual sitter, Mrs. Philips, has her family in for a long weekend. I thought the girls would get along," Tim offered.
Jon simply nodded, not accustomed to all the organized chaos. "Do you know where Mick is?" he asked.
Tim glanced at the clock. "He, Danny, Adam, and Henry went to Christiansburg to pick up the tables. Tonight after the dinner and the clean-up, we're going to move them over to the Katydid for the reception tomorrow. I know it's all a mess, but I promise you, there's a method to the madness.
“Matt's down at the barn if you want to go see him," Tim offered. Obviously, he could see Jon was a little uncomfortable and he was giving him an out, for which John was appreciative.
"Um, sure. Are there muck boots in the tray I can borrow?" Jon asked.
Tim laughed. "There's a pair out there with a bow on them and a note. They're from your other half."
Jon grinned broadly before he let himself out onto the back porch to see the black rubber boots with red loops to assist with pulling them on. They were tied together with a green ribbon, and there was an envelope sticking out of one. He picked it up, seeing Mickey's distinctive handwriting.
Babe-
Now you've got your own boots, and I made sure they were different from Matt's because I know he just wears what fits him. I'll keep these with mine so they're here waiting for you anytime you can come out just like I'll always be.
I passed my test! You're dating a man with his high school equivalency, and I signed up to take a few classes at New River. I'd have never done it without your encouragement.
Love ya,
Mick
Jon sniffed a bit, feeling his emotio
ns getting the better of him. He knew it was because of Mickey. He'd never been as touched by anything in his life, and he was going to make damn sure they had a celebration in honor of Mickey's big news. Hell, Jon was determined they'd celebrate the most trivial milestones that came along. As long as he had Mickey with him, every day was worth celebrating.
Chapter Twenty-two
"Why on earth are we stoppin' at the damn flower shop?" Danny Johnson complained. Mickey just giggled at his cantankerous attitude, especially considering Dan was still a young man. Kayley was in the back seat of the crew-cab in a booster seat Mickey had bought for Megan. Dan didn't have a sitter that weekend, so they'd all vowed to pitch in to help him out since Zach was still in DC and couldn't get away.
"Icksnay on the ussin'cay," Mickey told Dan as he slapped his thigh. They'd gotten to be damn good friends since their night of drunken bonding, and Mickey had actually babysat Kayley a few times so Danny could go to Roanoke. The man never said why he went, just that he needed to go, and Mickey supported his friend. Of course, the trips stopped altogether about two weeks prior, and Danny had been in a pissed-off mood since. Mickey had asked him what was going on, but the man was like a damn vault. He wouldn't entertain questions regarding his personal life from anyone, so he just walked away when he didn’t want to talk.
"We need to pick up the centerpieces for the tables for tonight. The new florist in town, Felipe, called this mornin' to say his delivery van was in an accident yesterday, so he'd make a few trips out to bring everything but he might be a little late. Tim went into a panic attack and told the man we could stop by and pick up stuff because we have the truck. The other boys have the tables and chairs, so we've got to pick up the flowers. Why are you so damn crabby?" Mickey asked, exasperated by his friend's mood of late.
Danny glanced over his shoulder to the back seat before he turned to Mickey. Kayley had Mickey's iPhone and was listening to music with earbuds in her little ears, so Mickey hoped Danny would be honest. "My Aunt Rae called me and wants me to give her custody of Kayley. I talked to my mom about it, and she said she thinks it's best for Kayley, but I just…Sweet Pea's lost her momma, and she lived with my mom for three years before Mom got cancer and now she lives with me.
"I'm afraid if I send her to live with Aunt Rae, that poor little girl is gonna think she's got nobody to count on. Momma said every little girl needs a mommy, and obviously, I'm not a mommy, nor am I the mommy-type. Hell, the only experience I have with kids before Kayley came to live with me was Ryan. I'm at a loss of what to do," Danny confessed, turning away to wipe his eyes as Mickey observed.
He put his hand on Danny's arm resting on the console. "Dan, I won't say little girls don't need mommies, but I firmly believe what a kid needs more than anything is someone…man or woman…who loves 'em and lets 'em know they're the most important thing to somebody. Why don't you talk to Jon? He's damn smart, and if you don't want him, his best friend is one of the other best family law attorneys in the state. I can get ya her number so you can call her next week," Mickey offered with a squeeze to Danny's thigh before he returned his right hand to the steering wheel.
He heard Danny sniff and glanced over in time to see the gruff man wiping his eyes again. "Come on, that can't be all that's botherin' ya. You might as well tell Uncle Mick all that ails ya. I can't fix your life if I don't know what's wrong," he teased gently.
"I helped my ex move to Roanoke for a new job a while back. That's where I went those times you watched Sweet Pea for me. I guess I always thought we'd work somethin' out in the long-term and get back together. I just found out that's not gonna happen. I didn't realize a heart could fall out of love so fast as to move on in about six weeks. I couldn't make a commitment because of Kayley, but I thought we were just takin' a break. Seems I'm the fool this time.
"The doctors told us Mom's cancer is gettin' progressively worse even with the chemo and radiation. Zach and I are gonna have to put her into a nursin' facility, and that decision is eatin' at my gut. I'd take care of her if I could, but she needs a lot of care, and it's all I can do to keep up with Kayley, right now.
"Fuck, I wonder if maybe it is better if Aunt Rae takes the girl? I'm a broke down cow hand with a steel rod in my leg, Mick. I'm twenty-seven and I feel like I'm eighty. I'm just 'bout ready to throw in the towel and just move off into the mountains somewhere," Danny continued his confession as Mickey pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall where the new flower shop, "Florals by Felipe" had opened a month prior.
Before Mickey could respond, they both heard the seatbelt click in the back. Mickey's phone was dropped into the front seat, and a very sweet gasp was heard from Kayley. "Oh, can we go see the pretty flowers? I love flowers," she whispered as she looked over the bucket seat out the window of the truck to the storefront window.
There were daisy chains painted around the edge of the large, front window in a whimsical fashion, and the name of the shop was done in pink and black. Mickey thought it looked cute. "Yes, ma'am, Miss Kayley. We're goin' in there to pick up stuff for Timmy and Matt's rehearsal dinner tonight."
Without waiting for Danny to respond, Mickey hopped out and adjusted his ball cap. He opened the back door and picked up Kayley Johnson, placing her on the ground because she didn't like to be carried, unlike the new love of his life, Megan. That child loved to be carried when anyone would oblige her, and Mickey knew he would take the opportunity to spoil her every chance he could.
He watched Kayley hike up her jeans and pull down her shirt as she quickly walked to the front door of the establishment. Before Mickey or Danny could get to her, she was inside. Mickey turned to the truck, "Well, come help me, lazy ass."
He watched Danny roll his eyes before he hopped out of the truck and followed Mickey into the shop. Mickey glanced around, seeing there were various fresh arrangements on display, along with some silk arrangements interspersed with fancy, little knick-knacks, as he'd expect there to be in such a place.
Mickey leaned down to pick up Kayley, placing her on the counter as they heard movement from a back room, likely prompted by the tinkling bell over the front door. A man came through a door with a large bucket of white carnations. "Hello," he greeted cheerfully as he walked to the refrigerated case and placed the bucket inside. He pulled one flower out and walked behind the counter, breaking the long stem in half before he handed it to Kayley.
"A pretty flower for a pretty young lady. How may I help you?" he asked as he smiled at the two men. Mickey was judging the man to be about forty. His skin was the color of caramel candy, but he didn't have a sun-ravaged look, so it was hard to tell how old he was exactly. He had some silver in his dark hair, and when he smiled, he had crinkles outside his eyes. Mickey thought he was damn handsome.
"We're here to pick up an order for Collins…or maybe Moran. I'm not sure. It's centerpieces and some pin-on things, I think, for a weddin' rehearsal dinner," Mickey explained.
Danny laughed. "They're called boutonniere's, Mick, and likely corsages for the mothers," Danny explained.
Mickey laughed. "Pardon me, monsieur," he teased Danny. He then turned to the Hispanic man with the handsome face and bright smile. "I believe you told us your van was in an accident? Tim asked us to pick up the flowers," Mickey continued.
"Ah, yes. PHIL!" the man yelled, startling Kayley who dropped her flower.
When a hunky man slowly walked out from the back, Mickey was a bit stunned. The guy was as big as Matt Collins, but he had bronzed-caramel skin and dark hair and eyes. His longer hair and pulled back into a leather wrap, revealing a bit of scarring on the side of his neck, but the smile on his face made him look like a model for "Men's Fitness" magazine. "Yeah," he answered as he took in the sight of the three people at the counter, his eyes finally settling on Kayley who was holding the carnation again.
"These folks are here for the Moran order. You finished?" the older man asked, offering a glowing smile to the younger man whose eyes had settled on Danny Johnson. M
ickey turned to look at Danny, seeing his face a bright red as he studied the countertop.
"Sure. I'll bring them out the back if you'll pull around to the door," the man, Phil, told them. As he walked away, Mickey heard an odd, clicking sound. He noticed the man seemed to favor his left leg, but when he looked up, he noticed the other man staring at him, so he smiled and grabbed Kayley off the counter to head out to the crew cab.
Mickey had the feeling he might be seeing a side of Danny Johnson the man rarely exposed. He wasn't going to point it out or make a big deal out of it. He just hoped his friend could work through his issues and finally find some happiness for himself. He believed Danny deserved it.
"Harder, Jonny!" Mickey pleaded in a harsh whisper. The rehearsal dinner was over, and those who were spending the night at the Circle C were in bed. Mickey had checked on Kayley and Megan, seeing they'd chosen to sleep in the bottom twin bunk along with a whole bunch of stuffed animals Danny brought over for Kayley. They both had cute smiles on their sleepy faces when they were choosing their bedmates, and after Rocky read them a story, they both settled into bed easily.
When the boys were settled downstairs, Mickey and Jon had taken a quiet shower together, and they were finally catching up on the missed time…a/k/a missed sex. When Mickey was in Richmond, they were both so paranoid the kids would hear them they just tangled together in bed and held each other. They were afraid to try anything more for fear of traumatizing Terrence and Megan, especially since they weren't certain how Terrence felt about homosexuals. He'd kept his feelings to himself, and they respected his opinion, so they kept everything G-rated.
During the festivities surrounding the rehearsal dinner, Mickey didn't take his eyes off Jon all night, and his skin burned to feel Jon's touch, outside and inside. That was why they were on the floor, Mickey on all fours with Jon behind him. Tim and Matt had switched out a double bed from downstairs for the old twin in Rocky's room after he and Ryan stopped sharing a room, and the damn thing creaked when they first got into it. They were both petrified it would wake the girls who were next door.
Loving the Lawyer (The Cowboys of Katydid Farm Book 2) Page 24