8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Jon woke with a start, feeling strong arms around him and a warm, muscular body behind him, which wasn't in the same position as when he'd fallen asleep, nor was it familiar. He was usually the one holding someone in his arms, and he'd already broken the vow of not allowing overnights, but then he remembered he wasn't at his place in Richmond, so he gave himself a pass. The No Overnight rule would begin when he was back in his familiar hunting grounds.

He gently extricated himself and grabbed clean boxers to go shower since he'd skipped it the previous day. After all the drama, he was pretty sure he needed a good washing up.

Once Jon started the water to warm, he stood in front of the mirror, looking into his scruffy reflection. " Do not get fucking attached, stupid ass! " he hissed quietly at himself, hoping to clear the fog. His attraction to Mickey Warren was fucking ridiculous, and he needed to acknowledge his own stupidity and move the fuck on.

He was at least eight years older than the kid, and he didn't do twinks anymore—though, he couldn't exactly call Mickey a twink in the traditional sense of the word. There was nothing outrageous about the man, not that there was anything wrong with twinks because Jon had maintained a steady diet of them in his younger years. So, no, Mickey definitely wasn't a twink, but he fell into Jon's too-young category perfectly.

Jon stepped into the shower and adjusted the water from scalding to just warm enough to keep his nuts in the sack. He looked down at his dick and saw it was beginning to gain some steam, and it was the last thing he wanted. Entertaining thoughts of fucking Mickey Warren would lead to complicated—likely good—things he didn't want to consider because he had no reason to want to spend any time with a cowboy from southern Virginia.

He washed his hair and body, not thinking about the hot man in his bed… Well, not his bed, but the bed he'd been using. The guy punched every one of Jon's buttons, except one—he wasn't educated.

The guy was simple, but even to Jon's own ears, it was harsh to say he didn't think Mickey was smart enough for him, but with the horrible grammar and lack of education, he didn't see a lot of substance to the man. Absolutely nothing would keep Jon's interest in the guy beyond a good, hard fuck.

He finished his shower thinking about how hard the fuck might be, but it wasn't him fucking Mickey Warren. It was him being fucked by Mickey that flashed behind his eyelids, which was completely out of the ordinary. He'd felt the man's hard cock against his ass before he got out of bed, and for the first time, it enticed him to entertain thoughts he'd rarely been willing to consider with other partners. Yes, he'd bottomed before, but as he got older, he found he enjoyed being the dominant top, so that was the role he'd comfortably settled into, never looking back. The fact Mickey Warren was making him reexamine his feelings on the matter was unsettling.

Jon thought about his friends, Aaron Wasserstein and his new husband, Richard Jefferson. Aaron was a lawyer at the firm. After Jon and Aaron got to know each other and Jon met Aaron's boyfriend, Rick, the three of them became good friends. They played basketball on Sunday mornings in a league at a local gym, and they went out for brunch together to gossip about the other players.

The two men seemed to be happy if Jon thought about it, but they were intellectual equals. If Jon was willing to admit it, he enjoyed their discussions as they waited for their turn to take to the court, as well as the witty banter while they ate brunch at a place not far from Jon's condo. It was nice to have friends with whom he had a lot in common. It was his guy-time because most of his other time was spent with Audrey or at work. Mickey Warren had no place in his life, and the sooner Jon remembered it, the better.

Jon truly needed to get the fuck out of dodge, leaving the Circle C and the magic the inhabitants all seemed to weave around him before he lost his grasp on reality. His senses were on DEFCON 3. The sooner he was on the road, the better.

"Go again," Mickey instructed Rocky as they were in the backyard with a long rope and the plastic form of a cow with horns. Jon had no idea what they were doing, but he sat in a chair on the porch watching Mickey teach the boy how to use the lariat rope. One thing Jon knew for certain was the boy was distracted from his worries about his mother, and if that was Mickey's goal, he'd exceeded it.

"How do I let it get big, Mickey?" Rocky was really a handsome kid. His skin shade was similar to Jon's own, and the boy had blond hair the same texture as Jon's, substantiating the boy's biracial heritage, as he'd been told by Matt.

Jon wanted to ask where Rocky's father was, but he had a feeling it was better not to ask. Not all dads stuck around, or so he'd heard from his friends, who were a diverse group. His dad was there for him, but Jon had a lot of friends who hadn't been so lucky. Jon guessed Mickey wasn't so lucky either.

Mickey was providing pointers to Rocky and Ryan as they worked with the lariat, trying to learn to rope cattle. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, Jon retrieved it, seeing it was a text from the hospital.

Mr. Wells, we regret to inform you Miss Whipple expired thirty minutes ago. Please come to the hospital to identify and claim the body. We're very sorry for your loss. The staff of Lewis Gale Hospital

Jon read the message twice and wondered how a hospital could be so fucking cold as to notify a family they'd lost a loved one by text message, but he was representing a client, so he would shrug off the sadness and do his job.

He walked into the house to find Matt Collins in the kitchen with his mother and his partner, Tim. "I just received notification from the hospital. Cindy passed. One of us needs to go identify and claim the body. I have paperwork ready to be filed this afternoon, so I'll go take care of it. I'll notify her lawyer to file a copy of her will.

"I'm not going to tell that boy his mother died. That's not my style at all, so by all means, bear the bad news," Jon told them as he headed out the front door. He had a lot to do, and he couldn't be sentimental about any of it.

As he drove to Blacksburg and the hospital, Jon called Audrey Langley. "Hey, playa. Where the fuck are you?" she asked. Always so ladylike, he thought with a smile. He wouldn't deviate from his mission, so he soldiered on.

"Hell, I'm still in the country at Matt Collins' place. I caught another case while I was here, and I need your help, Audie. Do you have a friendly at DCFS in Montgomery County? I need you to take on a new client because his mother just died, and I can't handle it right now. You'll need a caseworker down here who won't take the boy away from familiar surroundings. He's a great kid, and I know you'll love him." Jon hoped she'd take the bait. He needed to get away as quickly as possible for the sake of his own fucking sanity.

Silence. Jon believed that was good news because it meant Audrey was thinking. Finally, she spoke. "Why can't you handle it yourself, Jonathon?" He detected a hint of irritation in her voice, which wasn't a good sign.

He mentally put on his salesman's cap. He knew getting her on board with his plan wasn't going to be easy, but he was going to head out on a limb and pray she followed him without too much hesitation.

"The boy isn't really used to dealing with men. You see, his father isn't in his life, and his mother just died. He'd feel more at ease with a woman, Audrey. I know you'll hit it off with him, and really, the case will be pretty simple for you. All the paperwork is in order, so it's just a matter of walking it through the system to ensure it all goes off without a hitch." It was only half a lie.

When she exhaled loudly, he knew she was on board. "Background information, you selfish bastard. I'm not yet convinced."

Without missing a beat, he recited the information she'd need. "The boy's name is Rocky Whipple, and he's a beautiful, biracial boy. His dad didn't stick around, but Mom did, and she had MS. She had an episode the day before yesterday and collapsed, hitting her head on the stove. She went into a coma, and she passed without regaining consciousness. He didn't get to say goodbye to her.

"There's a scared little boy here who has found comfort with a family he's used to spending time with, Audrey. You really want somebody to take him to a home that's unfamiliar and isolate him from people who truly care about him?" Jon was appealing to her better angels, knowing the taunt would solidify her commitment. It wasn't without conviction and compassion for the boy because Jon believed Audrey would be the best person to handle the case.

There were a lot of reasons for Jon not to stay involved with Rocky's newfound reality, and the biggest one was a handsome cowboy with burnished-copper hair and a grin that nearly put Jon on his knees. It was time to get back to Richmond, that was for certain.

After a few more moments of silence, his best friend sighed over the line. "You're going to be my best man, and you're going to throw me a hell of a bachelorette party," Audrey told him.

Jon laughed. "You got it, Audie. Give me some ideas about what you want, and I'll make it happen. I'll send you a pin to get here without getting lost. If I thought I had time to handle it on my own, you know I would, but I think you're better equipped to put the boy at ease." Jon felt guilty for stretching the truth, but it was for the best.

"I'll be there in the morning, Jon. Love you." Audrey ended the call.

Was it the best course of action for Rocky Whipple? Jon knew with Audrey on his side, the boy had a hell of an ally—a better ally than Jon could ever be. After she showed up and took over, there'd be no need to show his face at the Circle C for a very long time, thus Mickey Warren would quietly fade into the background. As Jon had determined, it was for the best.

Jon was standing in the kitchen watching Mickey at the stove making food. He'd been trying to set the table but watching Mickey's ass in those jeans had impeded his progress. The man had a bubble butt Jon had a hard time ignoring. He could only imagine feeling those cheeks riding his cock. It would be heaven, he was sure.

The ringing doorbell brought him out of his daze. "I'll get it," he offered as Mickey continued at the stove.

He strolled down the hallway, surprised to see Audrey and Lyla. "We're here. We checked into the Holiday Inn. Point me to my new client," Audrey insisted.

Jon kissed her cheek and swept the smaller woman into his arms, just to piss her off. "Just wait until you meet Ryan Collins and Rocky Whipple, Lyla. They're so damn sweet, you're not going to want to go home. Be nice, and maybe they'll like you." He placed the petite woman on the porch as she'd been kicking her feet and pushing him away, much to his delight.

Lyla was about five-one, and she likely didn't weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet, but Audrey loved her. That meant Jon had to try to find any redeeming qualities in the woman, and saying it was a tough task was an extreme understatement. Part of his strategy to cope with her bitchy attitude was to annoy her as much as possible so she'd leave him the hell alone. It hadn't failed him to date.

"Thank you for coming." Jon invited them in as if it was his home.

They followed him through the house, Jon praying to any deity that Lyla wouldn't make snide comments about the décor. She'd decorated and labeled the townhouse she shared with Audrey as eclectic, which to Jon meant it was a mix of shit he'd never have in his place for all the tea in China. Audrey, however, loved it because she went along with Lyla's every whim. Jon hoped, just this once, that Lyla would bite her tongue—hopefully, off .

Leading the pair into the kitchen where Mickey was still busy at the stove made Jon nervous. Trying not to show his attraction to the man wasn't easy, and Audrey knew him better than anyone. "Michael, this is my best friend and colleague, Audrey Langley, and her girlfriend, Lyla. Ladies, this is Michael Warren, head cook and horse aficionado at the Circle C." Jon couldn't hide his genuine smile for anything.

Of course, Mickey turned on his cowboy charm, and he didn't disappoint. "Welcome, ladies. Can I get y'all somethin' to drink?" he asked with a broad grin and a wink. Jon wanted to hug him for it, but he needed to get on the road, ASAP.

Jon turned to see the look on Audrey's face, and he waved off whatever smart-ass comment had popped into her beautiful head regarding the cowboy. He knew she'd give him hell when they were alone, but at that moment, it wasn't the time, nor the place.

Yes, they needed to talk about the disaster he'd just dumped into her lap, but he didn't want to talk about things in front of Lyla. The tiny woman was a marble stone without a heart. Lyla didn't care about anyone other than herself, and the fact she'd come along set him on edge. She would make everyone uncomfortable and criticize everything.

Jon stepped up to answer Mickey's offer of drinks so he could shorten the time it took to get into his car. "They're fine, Michael. Where're Rocky and Ryan?" Jon moved Mickey away from the two women and into the mud room off the kitchen.

Mickey stared at him, his brows furrowed and his lips tight with apprehension. Guilt consumed Jon because of what he was about to do, but he could only deal with one thing at a time. "They're walkin' Corky. What's wrong?"

"No! No, things are fine. Audrey's a family friend, and her girlfriend, Lyla came with her. Lyla can be off-putting to a lot of people, but she's harmless, really.

"Audrey needs to talk with Rocky because she's going to be his new lawyer. I don't have the time to handle his case right now and do it justice, but Audrey will make time for Rocky, and she'll be the perfect advocate. She's going to need to talk to all of you and get the paperwork from Matt regarding the next steps in Rocky's guardianship, so if you could call him to come to the house to speak with her, that would be great." Jon whispered as he gave the information to Mickey. He didn't want Audrey to overhear him preparing for his escape.

Mickey took a breath and exhaled. A smirk quickly formed on his handsome face. "Sure, Jon, I get what's happening here." Mickey reached into his wallet and handed back the business card Jon had given him.

"Don't forget your fancy boots on the porch." Mickey walked out of the mudroom, through the kitchen, and down the stairs to his room. When the bedroom door slammed, Jon knew he'd made his point to the cowboy. He walked back into the kitchen to see Lyla at the stove emptying a frying pan into the trash with a harsh look on her face.

Before she opened her mouth, Audrey walked over to him and smacked him on the head. "You're an asshole, Jon. You might as well leave. You… Hell, I'm glad I like girls if this is how men act. You're just awful, and if all men are like you, good riddance." The disgust in Audrey's voice made him wince.

He exhaled before he looked at her. "I am an asshole; you're right about that. I just can't do the relationship thing. Please, I'm begging, take care of them. I just don't have it in me to make the commitment, Audie."

Without waiting for confirmation, Jon ran downstairs and collected his things, beating feet out of there like his ass was on fire. It wasn't his finest moment, but it was the best thing he could do for the family… for Michael Warren.

Jon wasn't going to make empty promises to someone he believed to be a great guy, but not a great guy for Jon. Besides, he had no promises inside him to give.

For reasons he hadn't yet begun to understand, he was incapable of having deep feelings for anyone. It was definitely troubling, but it was the truth. He'd never lied, and therefore, he never had to admit guilt. It wasn't as great as he thought it would be, but it was a way out without really hurting anyone—or so Jon chose to believe.