18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

After breakfast, Mickey led Jon, Rocky, and Ryan to the barn to quickly let the horses out onto pasture. The Katydid horses had been taken home the previous evening when Josh and the hands left the party, so there wasn't really much to do.

The four of them cleaned up the stalls for Josie, Chester, and Charlie. Once things were set to right in the barn, they went back to the house to change shoes from dirty boots to trainers, or loafers in Jon's case.

Mickey had given Jon a pair of Marty's muck boots to wear in the barn, and once they arrived at the house, they hosed them off and left them in the sun to dry. Jon was actually happy to have experienced the routine at the Circle C, which wasn't very different than what was done in Dillwyn.

"Okay, I've got a few barber shops we need to check out in Blacksburg. It's a college town, and there are a lot of black students at Tech, so I'm gonna bet we can find a place to get a proper haircut." Jon smiled at Rocky's huge grin.

The four of them hopped into Jon's car, and when they pulled up to the first barber shop on the list, Jon didn't bother to get out. It was a shop that certainly didn't specialize in cutting African American hair.

"Why aren't we getting out? It doesn't look too busy." Mickey seemed nervous, which reminded Jon how protective he was of Rocky, especially since the last barber shop incident.

"They won't know how to cut his hair. Let's see..." Jon glanced down the list he'd compiled on his phone and clicked on a Yelp! entry for Reggie's Corner Barber Shop, which had promise because it listed ethnic hair as a specialty.

Mickey read the directions aloud, and when Jon pulled up to the shop, he grinned. "We're here." He stepped out and lifted the seat for Rocky and Ryan who were buckled into the back.

Mickey got out and eased back the baseball cap back on his head and smiling at Jon. "I don't ‘spect they'll be very happy to see me and Ryan. We can go get somethin' to drink and let you two go inside."

Jon looked through the large front window, seeing a lot of faces staring back at them. "Nope, we're not going to go adopt that attitude. We all need to go in so they can meet you guys. If you're bringing a light-skinned, black child here for a haircut, I'd guess it's best to get the introductions under our belts. You three wait here. I'll be back."

They nodded and began talking to each other as Jon walked into the barber shop which reminded him of Sonny's Cut & Style in Richmond where he got his hair cut.

Sonny was a kind, older man who'd hired a cute girl to come in and give manicures while the four barbers cut hair. Sonny's was a trip back in time, and he had a standing appointment once a month on a Saturday morning. His father had been taking him there since he was a boy. The manicurist was a new thing, and all the old men who still went there loved her.

Jon walked up to the front desk to see a short woman, "stacked" as he knew most of the straight guys liked them. She had a thin waist and an ass that would resonate with most of his straight friends, but Jon rather liked Mickey's tight, round ass. It had definitely been a joy that morning.

"What can I help you with, haaandsommme?" the woman asked, drawing out the handsome with a bright, sexy smile.

Jon grinned in return. "My name's Jon Wells. I have a little boy in dire need of a decent haircut. He's a really sweet kid, and his hair's a mess. See, his folks are his adopted family. They're white, and they're not versed on the intricacies of what it takes to properly cut our kind of hair so they don't get a rash or ingrown hairs. They truly love the kid, and they want him to be a well-rounded, young man. His momma passed not long ago, and his daddy didn't hang around. So, can you folks help the boy with his hair, and kinda, maybe take my friend under your wing. The guy in the Tech hat is his caregiver because his parents work but they're all good people. We need some help, Miss… Miss Ch'nay." He used the name on the nametag on her tight black top which showed off ample breasts. If he wasn't a died-in-the-wool gay man, she'd turn his head for certain. She was gorgeous.

The woman winked at him. "Sure, baby." Ch'nay turned to the back and yelled at an older man without hair. "Reg! C'mere, baby. We got a special customer coming in." She then walked away, slowly, with a smooth sway in her hips and a suggestive glance over her shoulder as she batted her lashes. Jon hated to tell her she was wasting her time.

The older man emerged from the back with a friendly grin. "What can I do for ya, son?"

"You're perfect. I'll be right back." The man had a kind demeanor about him that led Jon to believe he'd be great with Rocky.

He gathered his crew and directed them inside. Reg was standing at the desk with a welcoming smile. "Mr. Reggie, this is my good friend, Rocky Whipple. This is his brother, Ryan Collins, and this is their caretaker, and my boyfriend, Mickey Warren. He'll be bringing the boys for haircuts. You can cut white hair, right?" Jon teased the man, hearing everyone in the barber shop laughing loudly, which helped break the tension.

The older man reached up to brush his hand over his bald head with a wink to Jon. "Hell, I'll cut all y'alls hair just like mine. Maybe we can start a singin' group and get on one of those shows on the TV. You boys sing?" Reg walked around the front counter and took each boy by the hand.

Just as Jon expected, the man took both boys back to his chair, putting Rocky inside it while he settled Ryan onto a stool. The three of them started talking, and Jon turned to Mickey. "So, next problem?"

Mickey laughed and squeezed Jon's shoulder, clearly uncomfortable doing anything more, but it was okay. Jon knew a lot of people—black, white, or any other ethnicity—didn't accept mixed-race couples or mixed-race children. He was grateful he'd found at least one place Mickey could bring the boys where they'd be accepted and maybe Rocky could get exposure to the other half of his heritage.

Jon sat in his car after he'd turned off the ignition, barely realizing he was already home and in his parking space at the condo garage. He'd been lost in his thoughts of Mickey since he'd left the Circle C, and being in Richmond was truly the last place he wanted to be. The day had been perfect, and he hadn't wanted it to end, much to his own surprise.

He scrubbed his hands over his face, remembering the great lunch they had after the haircut and the goodbye with Rocky, which tested his resolve to even leave to go home. After the boys hurried off to play NERF Army with Tommy Morrow, Jon had turned to Mickey and kissed him gently.

"I'll call you tonight."

"I'll be waitin', darlin'." Mickey grinned before Jon kissed the man with all the passion inside him. Friday night was a long way away.

Jon slid out of his car, grabbing his weekend bag. He plodded to the elevator and took it to the fourth floor, feeling himself drifting further away from that happy place he'd found at the Circle C with the handsome cowboy.

As he was emptying out his bag to do a load of laundry, he found two folded pieces of paper stuffed inside. The first brought a big grin to his face.

Mr. Jon-

Thanks for finding us a place to get our hair cut so we look good for the girls. Please come visit us soon. We had lots of fun with you.

Love,

Rocky and Ryan

Jon laughed as he went to the kitchen, pinning the note to the front of his refrigerator with a magnet before he reached in for the open bottle of pinot gris he'd started the prior week. He poured himself a glass and opened the other note, seeing it was from Mickey.

Jonny,

I took the liberty of keeping a pair of your drawers, but I gave ya a pair in its place. It's probably silly, but I think I'll feel a whole lot better just havin' a little piece of ya with me ‘cause I know I'm gonna miss ya.

I hope we'll see each other soon, because I can still feel ya inside me, but it'll fade pretty quick. It's a great reminder of how fantastic the weekend was and how much I wanna do it again real soon.

Have a great week,

Mick

Jon took a deep breath as he reread the note, grateful to have it. He went back to his bedroom to sort through his dirties where he found a pair of cotton boxers with chili peppers on them that definitely weren't his. He held them up to his nose to smell the scent of his lover. It was faint, which led him to believe Mickey hadn't worn them for very long, but they smelled like him. Jon put them aside, deciding not to wash them for the time being.

He glanced at the answering machine to see there were no messages on his landline, so he took a sip of wine while he decided if he was hungry. As he was sorting through the mail from Friday and Saturday, his phone chimed on the charger, so he picked it up, smiling to see it was a text message from Mickey.

Hi Mr. Jon. Mick let me use his phone. Thanks for takin me to meet the barber today. Pop and Dad love my hair. Your friend, Rocky

Jon grinned at the message, feeling a tingle in his heart. The family he was slowly cultivating in Holloway was becoming very important to him. He needed to speak with Audrey regarding the status of the guardianship and potential adoption of Rocky, but he had to tread lightly.

He couldn't storm in and take over because Audrey was stubborn, just like him, so he had to play it cool. He wanted nothing to cause any problems with Matt and Tim's custody of the boy. They all loved each other. Preserving the Moran-Collins' family was the most important thing.

Jon walked into his office on Tuesday morning after meeting with a family court judge to accept appointment as guardian ad litem for a four-year old girl who'd been dropped off over the weekend at a local firehouse/EMS station with a note that her name was Megan and she had Down's Syndrome. She refused to tell anyone who left her or her last name or anything about her family because she'd been told she'd be put in jail, and God help the child, she believed it.

"She didn't deserve to be abandoned, Jon. I have a younger brother with Down's, and if my parents had dropped him off at a firehouse, I'd hope like hell someone would be outraged. The police are looking for next of kin or who dropped the girl off in the first place, but I'd like you to help the social worker get her into a better-than-decent foster situation, please," the Judge had asked him. The Honorable Bruno Mattucik was a nice man, and he was definitely fair, so Jon agreed to take the case on a pro bono basis and give it his full attention.

He'd gone to the hospital to meet the little girl who was in for observation and assessment, and she was truly adorable with her brown curly hair and her big brown eyes. She smiled at him and wanted to share her crayons and coloring book with him, which made his heart swell. If only he and Mickey were more settled… No, he couldn't let that get into his head, though he was shocked the thought had made an appearance in the first place. There were a lot of things that needed to happen with the cowboy first.

"Hi, Karen. Anything to worry about?" Jon stopped at Karen Stubbs' desk, handing her the paperwork from the courthouse.

She leafed through it and smiled at him, gently shaking her head. "Always a soft touch, Jon. Nothing going on as far as I know, but Audrey did ask to see you when you got in. She's upset, so I suspect trouble in paradise." Karen cocked her eyebrow.

"Thanks, Karen. If Michael Warren calls, could you find me?" Jon asked the question as nonchalantly as possible, not wanting to tip her off the man meant everything to him.

Karen smirked. "Sure, Jon. Ham's in court this morning, but he mentioned wanting to have lunch with you today. You free?"

He nodded. Jon had a lot of things to discuss with his father, and lunch was as good a time as any. The last lunch they'd had together was his coming out lunch. He hoped this lunch wouldn't be so damn dramatic as that one had been, though it had ended with his parents hugging him and reminding him he was loved.

Jon went to his office, hanging up his suitcoat and dropping off his briefcase before going to check on Audrey. On the way to the kitchen to get coffee, he checked his phone to see a text from Mickey.

Hell, I miss ya already. Ryan lost another tooth! Actually, he lost it on Rocky's thick skull, but I'll explain it tonight when I call ya. I wish you were still in my bed, counselor, ‘cause I could use a distraction. I'm taking a practice test for my GED this afternoon with Miss Ruthie from the library. I hope I do well because I don't want to get disillusioned. (How's that for a ten-dollar word?) Mick

Jon smiled and put his phone into his pocket as he walked to Audrey's office, knocking on the door before he barged in. He saw his best friend looking like hell, and he was instantly worried.

"Oh, sweetheart, what's the matter?" He closed the door behind him, placing his coffee on the desk as he went behind it and pulled her up, into his arms so he could hug her. She appeared to need it, badly.

Audrey began to sob, so he led her to the office couch and held her close, allowing her to wet his shirt until she was able to get it out. Finally, she took the handkerchief he offered, blowing her nose before tossing it onto the floor. He was glad she hadn't offered it back.

Audrey's eyes met his, and Jon could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Lyla left me. She claims our engagement is a sham. She moved out and is staying at a hotel for now. She gave me back the ring, and she told me she's moving to California. She was offered a spot with a ballet company in San Francisco as an assistant choreographer. She…shedidn'taskmetoGOWITHHER!" Audrey wailed.

Jon held onto her, not really seeing a downside to the bitch leaving. The evil elf was out of their lives, and he could move Audrey onto better pastures. There had to be women who were charming and would love his best friend for the woman she was, not because they could lord over her as Lyla had done since she and Audrey had met.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Aud, this offer couldn't have come out of the blue. What's been going on with you two lately?" He really didn't want to delve into their relationship, but he knew Audrey needed to talk it out.

His BFF sniffled, so he offered her his shirt sleeve. She'd already destroyed his linen handkerchief.

"Gross, Jonny. Tissues in my second drawer." He stood and approached the desk, opening it slowly in the event there was anything inside he didn't want to see—tampons, pads, or dildos. None of it would have been welcomed.

For an hour and thirty minutes, Jon listened to her outlining the very evil he believed Lyla had inside her since the first day she pranced into a Christmas party at his parents' house with Audrey. The devil's spawn had played on every insecurity Audrey ever held, and she'd completely ruined his best friend's confidence for the immediate future.

"I'm not trying to gloat, Audie, I swear. I honestly had no idea the imp could be so evil. Why don't you go get a full-day spa, my treat? I'll make sure your docket's squared away, okay? After I finish work today, I'll come by with Thai food and wine. We'll search the house for anything she left behind and burn it in a barrel in the backyard. If we can't find anything, I'll make an effigy of her, and we can burn that just as well. A few Popsicle sticks and a piece of toilet paper should suffice."

When Audrey started laughing, Jon knew he had a chance of bringing her back from purgatory. She believed she loved Lyla, but he was certain there was someone better for her out there somewhere. It would be interesting to see which of them was right.

After Jon had sent his friend off to lick her wounds, he went to her assistant and explained he'd be taking Audrey's calls for the rest of the day. Sara smiled, nodded, and pointed toward his father's office door. He turned to see Ham Wells standing there in shirtsleeves with a big grin on his face. "Lunch?"

"I thought you were in court. Hell, it's only just after ten. Didn't Mom feed ya?" Jon approached his father with open arms. The man was an inspiration to him, and he loved him dearly. The hugs they exchanged when they saw each other for the first time each day reminded Jon how fortunate he'd been in his life and made him determined to show Mickey the same type of love.

"I had a pre-trial conference this morning, so I missed breakfast. What's new?" his father asked, bringing a huge grin to Jon's face.

"Well, Audrey's been jilted, and I'm in love. How much detail do you want?" Jon heard his father's deep chuckle, and he couldn't keep the lovesick grin from his face.

His father shook his head before he invited Jon inside his office, closing the door behind him. "Sit, sit. Audrey doesn't know how lucky she is that mean-spirited little woman left her. I didn't like her the first time I met her at our Christmas party before we knew they were more than just roommates. She was critical of everything Marnie and Mom did from the decorations to the food, and she was talking to that old bitty, Evelyn Martin. That woman is just pissed because Ally and Marnie look as young as they do, and they've never had any work done. Women can be so damn petty." Ham took a seat in the chair next to Jon's.

Jon was surprised at his father's comments, but his mother had always said Ham and Sherm were as bad as two old washerwomen when it came to gossip. He chuckled as his father continued his monologue regarding the vileness that was Lyla.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat and you can tell me about your fella," his father suggested.

Jon followed his father out to Sara's desk. "Sara, I'm taking my son to lunch. Will you tell Sherm I'd like to meet with him this afternoon before he goes home for the day? It's about the Hawthorne divorce."

Jon walked down the hall to his office. Audrey's office was empty and dark, so he hoped she'd taken him up on his offer of a spa day. He grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and walked out to Karen's desk. "Pop and I are going to lunch. Did Audrey go home for the day?"

"Not exactly. I made her an appointment at Bliss on your dime. She said it was okay," Karen told him with a smirk.

After the lovely weekend he'd had, nothing could bring him down. "No problem. Say, can you ask Sammy Williams to come see me before the end of the day? I'll be back by noon, and I'm taking Aud's calls this afternoon so just send them to my voicemail if I'm not back yet please." Karen nodded just as Ham stopped by.

"Let's go. I'm starving. Your mother's back on that kick about my damn diet. I had a physical last week, and my pressure's up, so I'm back on egg white omelets. I hate egg white omelets, Jonny."

Jon laughed all the way down the hall, hoping he had the same complaints to tell a child of his own someday. He knew his parents would be happy to learn his special someone was Mickey Warren. They'd both been impressed with the cowboy when he'd brought Charlie to Dillwyn to breed his mother's mares. When they learned the two were beginning a relationship, he was sure they'd want Mickey to come for a visit, soon. The thought made Jon's heart take flight.