Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:42:30 -0600
From: Justin <justin1326@gmail.com>
Subject: The Inn - Chapter 25

"When we try them on, let's not put them on at the same time. I want to
save that until we're married."

Jon smiled and kissed Luke. "Where have you been hiding all that
sentimentality?"

"Once we're married, that ring is on my finger for keeps. I'll never take
it off."

Jon kissed him again. "Neither will I."

THE INN -- Chapter 25

Jon and Luke left for Dubuque just before noon, stopping at the vet's to
drop off Rocky. Luke had brought Rocky's blanket and a t-shirt Luke had
worn the day before, thinking they would comfort him.

"I feel awful leaving him there. You should have seen the look he gave
me--like I'm abandoning him and he thinks he'll never see me again."

Jon smiled. "We'll be back before he knows it. He'll be okay."

Luke headed onto the expressway and they both settled down for the trip to
Dubuque. Neither said much for quite some time, each absorbed in his
thoughts. Luke kept his eyes on the road, but placed his hand on Jon's. "Do
you think it's going to be different?"

Jon looked at Luke. "You mean after we're married?"

"Yeah. I don't know how, but I think things will be different in some way."

"Maybe a little. I've wondered about it, too. But I'm not worried...are
you?"

"No, but I'm glad you were wondering the same thing. It's kinda like up to
now we've been roommates. Not really, but do you know what I mean?"

Jon squeezed Luke's hand. "I know, like we had nothing concrete. But now we
will, we'll be married and we'll be one."

They enjoyed the beauty of the fall colors as Luke negotiated Route 20's
winding curves into Galena. "Do you want to get something to eat first?"
asked Jon.

"Let's get the rings first--I'm dying to see them."

They walked a block to the jewelry store and found Jake busy crafting a
bracelet. He glanced up and said he'd be right with them. After a few
minutes Jake stood and retrieved two small boxes from a shelf, putting them
on the counter. Luke opened one of the boxes and admired the ring, then
placed it on his finger.

"It's too small!"

Jake took the ring and replaced it in the box. "Try this one," he said as
he handed the other box to Luke. "It's a half-size larger."

Luke slipped the ring on his finger and admired it for a moment before he
held his hand out to Jon. "What do you think?"

"I love it! It's even more beautiful than I thought it would be. How do you
like it?"

"I don't want to take it off--I think it looks great! It feels great, too."

"Good, but take it off so I can try mine on--you didn't want us to have
them on at the same time until we're married." Luke did as Jon asked, then
Jon tried on his ring. It was a perfect fit.

"Just think," said Jon as he gazed at the jewelry, "the next time I put on
this ring, it will be on my finger for the rest of my life." He placed the
ring back in its box and closed the lid.

"When you fellas gettin' hitched?"

"Tomorrow night," answered Luke. "We rented a yacht and we're gonna get
married on the Mississippi."

"That's romantic; me and my partner never had a ceremony. We been together
goin' on 30 years now."

"It's never too late," said Jon.

"I dunno, maybe I'll bring it up. We never really considered it since up
'til now we couldn't do it. Yeah, maybe I will ask him."

The men chatted with Jake for a few more minutes, paid the balance they
owed on their rings, and thanked him for the great job he had done. They
left the shop feeling almost giddy over how close they were to being wed.

Jon pointed across the street to the Log Cabin Restaurant. "Let's go there
for a beer. If you're hungry, they have really good steaks. I haven't been
there in a long time, but I've always liked it."

They walked into the restaurant and it took a minute for their eyes to
adjust to the darkness. The place looked just like the last time Jon had
been there. It was deserted except for the bartender making preparations.

"Are you open?" asked Jon.

The bartender glanced at the clock. "Close enough. What can I get you
guys?"

They both ordered beer. The bartender drew two beers and set down their
glasses. "I'm Brandon. If you need anything, just yell. I'm still setting
up."

Brandon walked from behind the bar and disappeared around a corner.

"Hey, Elizabeth! You're gonna thank me for this. Check out the two guys
sitting at the bar."

Elizabeth looked at her brother. "Are they single this time?"

"I don't know, but I didn't notice any rings."

Elizabeth sighed and walked toward the front of the restaurant. As she got
closer she thought maybe her brother was onto something. She walked behind
the bar and pretended to be busy as she scoped out Jon and Luke. After a
couple of minutes she walked up to them and asked how they were doing. They
chatted with her briefly, and then resumed their conversation. She returned
to the back of the restaurant.

"Nice try, Bran, but they're gay."

"What'd you do? Ask them?"

"I didn't have to. If they were any more into each other, they'd be goin'
at it on the bar."

"Back to the drawing board," said Brandon as he flipped his bar towel over
his shoulder and returned to the front.



Jon said, "I think the first thing we should do is check in at the
hotel. Do you want to eat dinner here? It's a little early, but I'm
starting to get hungry."

"You like this place, so let's eat here. We can have another beer and go
slow until we're ready to eat. I wonder how Rocky's doing?"

Jon laughed. "With everything we have going on, you're worried about
Rocky?"

"Well, yeah...a little," admitted Luke, a bit sheepishly.

"Why don't you call and see if they'll let you talk to him?"

Luke raised his eyebrows and looked at Jon for a split-second, and then he
realized how crazy the idea was. "I'm just used to having him around. I
kinda miss him."

"Kinda? Face it, Luke, if it came down to me or that cat, I wouldn't want
to know which it would be."

"I'll take the Fifth Amendment. Let's get a table and look over the menu."



After enjoying their meals and indulging in cordials after dinner, Jon and
Luke headed to Dubuque and the hotel Jon had booked. They'd spend tonight
there, and then tomorrow night they'd have a room at a luxury B&B
nearby. They had also booked five more rooms for tomorrow for whoever
wanted or needed to spend the night. They had made arrangements for two
more rooms in a nicer hotel for the parents. After making sure everything
was set for tomorrow, a bellhop showed them to their room.

"God, I'm stuffed!" said Luke as he flopped on the bed.

"Me too," said Jon as he sat on the bed and began unbuttoning Luke's shirt,
gently stroking his chest with his fingertips. "I think I'm too excited
about tomorrow to sleep right now. We should work off some of our nervous
energy."

Luke had his eyes closed. "Hmm, how should we do that?"

Jon didn't answer but continued unbuttoning Luke's shirt, then his
jeans. He stood and went to the foot of the bed, then he untied and removed
Luke's shoes and socks. He pulled the jeans down and off. He looked at Luke
and smiled as he began undressing himself.

"Hey, you're missing the show!" complained Jon. "Sit up so I can get your
shirt off."

Jon removed Luke's shirt and boxers before he settled next to him. They
hugged and kissed for several minutes until Luke rolled Jon onto his back
and covered him with his body. He looked into Jon's eyes.

"I love you, Jon Addison."

Jon looked at Luke and was overwhelmed. He couldn't even think of a
response. He spread his legs and wrapped them around Luke's as their lips
met in a sensual, prolonged kiss. Jon's eyes were closed and his arms were
wrapped around Luke's neck, his fingers laced in his hair. He pulled Luke
firmly against his lips. After several minutes they broke to take a breath.

"Did you remember the lube?" asked Luke. "Because I didn't."

"Of course I did, I put it in the nightstand drawer right next to us. You
don't even have to get up."



An hour later they lay next to each other, enjoying the afterglow. Their
lovemaking had been slower and more relaxed than usual, and each looked at
the other with a smile.

"I'll never get tired of making love to you," whispered Luke. "It makes me
feel like I'm complete with you."

"We are complete--we were made for each other. I couldn't find a more
wonderful guy if I looked for the rest of my life--not that I need to
look. I've found my perfect mate."



Saturday--their wedding day--had finally arrived. The guys awoke early but
stayed in bed for about an hour before getting up and showering. They had a
light breakfast in the hotel's small cafe and decided they should go to the
charter company and make sure everything was in order. It was a sunny fall
day, warmer than usual for this time of year. They arrived at the marina
and found the charter company's office, which was larger than what they had
imagined. As they glanced around, a distinguished-looking man, probably in
his early 60s, emerged from another room. Jon thought he looked as if he
had just stepped out of an Old Spice commercial.

"Good morning, guys. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Luke Sorensen and this is Jon Addison."

"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chris Pike, I'll be your
captain. We're almost done getting everything set up for your cruise so
I'll give you the grand tour. Follow me."

Jon whispered to Luke as they followed the captain. "Why does that name
sound so familiar?"

Luke smiled. "It'll come to you."

"This is our recreation area, or reception room depending on what's going
on. Your guests can mingle here until they all arrive and it's time to
board. Come on outside and I'll show you the yacht."

The captain led them aboard and they were impressed with how large and nice
it was. There were rows of chairs on one deck, which was nicely decorated.

"This is where the ceremony will be, and afterward my crew will remove most
of the chairs so there will be room for dancing. I think the information
you read mentioned a DJ, but we changed that. I found a very talented local
group; the woman is the main singer and she has a great voice. Her husband
is the lead guitar and two other guys round it out. I'm sure you and your
guests will enjoy the band, they're very versatile."

The captain showed them the rest of the vessel and Jon and Luke were sure
it would make for a nice ceremony. They thanked Capt. Pike and planned on
coming back early that afternoon. They headed back to their hotel to
prepare for everyone's arrival.

"What did you think of Capt. Pike?" asked Luke.

"He seemed cool. Very capable."

"Aren't you impressed we have a starship commander for our cruise?"

Jon gave Luke a quizzical look, then it dawned on him. "Captain Christopher
Pike!  I knew I'd heard that name somewhere. I wonder how many Star Trek
nuts ask him about it."

"Probably a lot, and that's why I didn't say anything. When I saw that
episode of Star Trek, I was infatuated with the character and the actor. It
might have been the first time I had feelings like that."

Jon smiled. "I remember that. I thought he was hot, too. The way they
meshed that original pilot into the series was genius."

"Hey, let's get back to the hotel. Paul, Joe and Cathy should be there soon
and everyone else will be here before long. We need to get in gear."

Suddenly the rest of the afternoon was a whirlwind of activity. Everyone
seemed to arrive at once and the guys were beginning to panic. Cathy seemed
to be relaxed.

Cathy said, "You guys just take it easy and get dressed. I'll go to the
marina and play hostess until you get there."

She gave them each a kiss and left. When they were alone they showered and
dressed.

Jon said, "I believe this is the first time I've seen you in a suit. You
look stunning!"

"So do you--good enough to marry," smiled Luke as he leaned in for another
kiss.



When they arrived at the marina there were a lot of cars they recognized as
well as the small bus that belonged to the condo complex's recreation
center. The guys on the volleyball team had rented it for themselves and
anyone else who didn't want to drive. Luke spotted Joe and Paul talking to
a man who appeared about their age, maybe a couple of years older. As they
approached Paul introduced them.

"Here's the happy couple," said Paul. "This is Rev. Campbell."

As they shook hands, Jon asked, "Is ours the first gay wedding you've done,
Rev. Campbell?"

"Oh heavens, no!" replied the Reverend. "My congregation has quite a few
gays and lesbians and since Iowa became enlightened I've been very busy."

They talked some more and the Reverend explained the ceremony. Paul and Jon
would be on one side of the ship, Joe and Luke on the other, outside the
enclosed deck. They would enter near the front of the room and meet in the
middle where they would take their vows.

"Luke, you and Joe will enter from the starboard side because that's the
side your parents are on; Jon's are on the port side. Do you have the
rings?" Jon and Luke took out their rings. "Okay, give them to the Best Men
and we'll get started in a few minutes."

Jon and Luke handed the rings to Paul and Joe. "Wait a minute," said Joe as
he looked at Luke. "Whose ring do I have?"

Luke frowned. "It's mine. Why?"

"That's what I figured," laughed Joe as he traded rings with Paul.

The men took their respective positions and waited for the Reverend's
signal to enter. Jon looked through the window and saw his mother and
father. They were both smiling as they glanced around the crowd. Bill
caught his son's eye and smiled broadly as he winked at him. Jon smiled
nervously and nodded to his father. Luke's parents appeared less
comfortable than Jon's--not ill at ease, but slightly out of place. The
minister motioned for the men to enter and they took their places before
him. Cathy was beaming as she looked at the four most important men in her
life, so handsome in their suits. She wondered if she and Joe might be
doing this someday. George, Luke's co-worker, was sitting toward the
back. He was a little intimidated and unsure of himself since he'd never
been to such a formal occasion. The fact that it was on a boat, though,
made it seem friendlier to him. Joe had his hand in his coat pocket with
Jon's ring around the tip of his index finger--he was nervous and afraid it
might get lost in the lining. Paul appeared to be the least nervous, which
didn't surprise the others because it seemed nothing fazed him.

Luke's mind was racing as he looked at Jon. Everything seemed surrealistic,
like he was dreaming. He heard his name. "Do you, Luke, take Jon..."

The vows seemed to have no end as Luke waited, looking at Jon. "...until
death..."

There was a pause, and Luke realized this was it. "I do."

"And do you, Jon, take Luke..."

Joe was fighting back tears. Jon could scarcely believe it was all coming
true.

They exchanged rings. "By the power vested in me by the State of Iowa, I
pronounce you coupled for life. You may kiss your spouse."

Jon and Luke hesitated a split-second, then embraced and kissed. They both
felt it seemed different, like it was the first time they had really
kissed--somehow more intimate and meaningful. Afterwards the minister had
them face the congregation and introduced them as the newlywed couple. They
took a few steps toward their friends and there was polite applause,
followed by hand shaking and pats on their backs. Jon and Luke kissed their
mothers and shook hands with their fathers. Luke's mother whispered in his
ear:

"I'm really happy for you, Luke, and I know your father is, too. But give
him some time."

"Thanks, mom."

Jon and Luke walked down the center aisle of the deck and out to the open
area of the yacht. The weather was perfect and the sun was growing large as
it descended in the western sky. The band began to play and Luke and Jon
had their first dance as a married couple. After a few minutes they stopped
and asked their mothers to dance, and a short time later they switched
mothers.

"Mrs. Sorensen," said Jon, "I made a promise to myself some time ago. I
vowed I will do everything I can to make Luke happy."

"I know you will, dear." She sighed. "God knows his father and I haven't."

"Just you and Mr. Sorensen being here means a lot to Luke."

Luke and Jon danced with their guests and were surprised at how many of
their straight male friends danced with them. After almost a half-hour they
took a break. Luke found Jon.

"Hey," said Luke, "there's someone I want you to meet. This is my sister
Ruth and her husband, Don."

Jon gave Ruth a hug and shook Don's hand. Luke and his sister bore a strong
resemblance. She had the same complexion, hair, and a great body.

Ruth put her arm around Jon. "I gave up a long time ago on having a
sister-in-law, but now I have a brother-in-law! You did good, big brother!"

"Speaking of in-laws," said Jon, "we should see how our parents are
doing. We'll see you again later."

Luke would have been happy to do anything else, but he knew he couldn't
avoid his parents all night. They found the two couples at a table,
apparently having a good conversation.

Jon's mother was laughing. "I can't tell you how many orphaned wild animals
Jon brought home for me to doctor up and raise...oh, there you are! You two
boys look so handsome. We were just trading stories to embarrass you two."

Jon's parents stood and both embraced Luke.

"Luke," said Jon's father, "Peg and I can't tell you how happy we are."

Luke's parents were a bit taken aback and somewhat envious of how relaxed
and accepting Jon's parents were.

"Thanks, dad, so are we."

Jon couldn't believe Luke had called his father "dad." It wasn't lost on
Luke's parents, either. They both felt a twinge of jealousy and a little
guilt.

Jon and Luke mingled with the crowd for a while and happened upon George
who was talking with a couple of the younger guys from the volleyball
team. They seemed to be getting along well and Luke gave George a
wink. George smiled. Luke noticed Mike and Chris, then about ten more guys
from his old neighborhood. He hugged them and greeted all the others, happy
they had made the long trip to attend. Jon saw Connie, his boss, with his
wife. They both congratulated Jon and they spoke for a few minutes.



The crew had transformed the inside deck into a surprisingly elegant dining
room and everyone came inside for dinner. Luke, Jon and their parents along
with their best men were seated at the front of the room. The crew began
serving dinner and the room grew more quiet. Greg leaned toward his wife.

"I didn't expect to see so many people here. Luke and Jon must be very
popular."

Linda smiled. "I'm glad to see he has so many friends who support him."

Greg wasn't certain exactly what Linda meant; he suspected she was alluding
to the fact that they hadn't been supportive of Luke. As he looked around
the room he couldn't help but notice it looked pretty much like any other
wedding he'd been to. The men did outnumber the women, but not so much that
anyone would notice right away. Greg looked at his son and Jon as they
talked and laughed with Joe, Paul and Cathy. He thought back to when Luke
was younger, and realized he looked better, more confident, more relaxed
and happier now. He had the uncomfortable thought that maybe Luke wasn't
the one who was the problem all these years; it might have been him.

The music and dancing began again, and Jon and Luke danced with each other
a little, then with some of the guests including most of their volleyball
teams. George found Luke and asked him to dance. Luke led him to the floor.

"This is so cool," said George. "Thanks for inviting me, I'm having an
awesome time."

"Find anyone interesting yet?"

"A couple of guys on your team. Actually I think one is on Jon's team. But
the cool thing was it was easy to talk about being gay. After all, if you
can't be open at something like this, where can you be? Anyway I got their
phone numbers and I think they like me."

"That's great! As I told you, there are a lot of guys around, you just have
to look. Once you get to know one or two, you'll meet lots of guys."

Luke noticed Jon looking for him, so he excused himself and went up to him,
put his arm around his waist and hugged him.

Jon said, "I've had enough dancing for a while, lets go out on the deck for
a bit."

The boat was headed downriver, so they went to the starboard side to watch
the sunset. They stood at the rail, gazing into the distance. Jon moved his
hand next to Luke's on the railing and looked at their rings.

Jon said, "Just looking at your hand and mine with matching rings makes me
hard! I feel closer to you now than I ever have."

Luke looked at their hands. "I didn't think I'd feel like this, but I know
what you mean. I just didn't think getting married would feel much
different, but it does. This is the happiest night of my life."

"What about the first time we made love?" asked Jon.

"Not the same thing. That was lust; this is love and commitment."

"Why, Luke! You're letting your sentimental side show again."

"It's not sentiment, it's how much I cherish you."

Jon squeezed Luke and they stayed a while longer. "How soon do you think we
can get out of here?" asked Jon.

"Gee, I don't know. We can't just jump ship--we're in the middle of the
river. I suppose we'll have to stay for a while, but I'd like to leave and
let everyone continue partying. I'll ask Capt. Pike."

"Good idea, maybe there's a transporter on the ship."



The party was becoming more raucous but everyone appeared to be having a
good time. Luke noticed George was dancing with one of the guys he had been
talking to. Luke went to the helm and talked to the captain.

"We'll be back at the marina in about an hour, but your guests are welcome
to stay until midnight." Capt. Pike smiled at Luke. "I'm sure you're
anxious to be on dry land."

"Anxious" wasn't the word, thought Luke.



Jon and Luke made the rounds and expressed their appreciation to everyone
for coming. Joe and Paul assured them they'd take care of the details and
packing up their gifts. When the boat docked the crowd cheered and wished
them well as they walked down the gangplank. They were on their way and it
wasn't long before they pulled up in front of the B&B they had booked for
their wedding night.

"Jeez, Jon, you didn't say this was a mansion. It's beautiful!"

"Wait 'til you see our room--I saw pictures on their Web site. We have the
whole top floor to ourselves."

"What, were they worried about you disturbing the other guests?"

"Very funny. We have our own bedroom, bathroom, whirlpool and sitting
room."

"I doubt we'll be sitting too much."

They got their luggage and checked in, then were escorted to their
suite. When they were alone they looked around and were impressed.

"Now I know we're not in Chicago any more," said Luke. "This kinda reminds
me of your parents' place. Very country."

"It almost seems a waste," said Jon. "Considering all I expect to be
looking at is the ceiling."

"Maybe," said Luke. "Let's get out of these clothes, take a shower and hit
the whirlpool."

They did just that, and relaxed in the whirlpool, fondling each other and
enjoying the quiet time together. They decided to continue in bed, so they
emerged from the tub and spent a leisurely few minutes drying one
another. They snuggled together in the large bed, with a down comforter
covering them. As they continued to play, Jon started to encourage Luke.

"Jon, just a minute," Luke whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"Not a thing. It's just that I, I want to lose my virginity tonight."

"You do? You want me to..."

"Yes. Absolutely. I've been thinking about it and it's about time...and
what better time than tonight?"

Jon was a little unsure. How might this change things? Up to now their
roles had been straightforward. They hadn't planned it, but that's just how
things had worked out. Jon was happy with the status quo.

Jon looked into Luke's eyes. "If you're sure."

"Yeah, I am."

They continued to caress and hold each other, Jon slowly moving down and
continuing to stimulate Luke. He took his time and eventually worked his
way down to Luke's groin. Jon spent a lot of time to make Luke as relaxed
as possible. He massaged Luke's cheeks and eventually toyed with his anus
after lubricating his fingers. Luke was getting hornier by the minute, but
Jon continued to go slowly, determined that Luke would be good and
ready. He was going to make certain this was as pleasurable for Luke as he
was sure it would be for him.

Jon pulled off the comforter and positioned himself between Luke's legs. He
rested his hands on his knees, then slid forward until he was on top,
kissing Luke's chest, his dick sandwiched between Luke's cheeks. Luke
kissed the top of his head and wrapped his arms around Jon's neck.

"God, I want you," said Luke.

"In a minute. We have all night."

Jon slid down and sucked Luke's cock for a minute, then continued down to
his balls. Jon pushed up on Luke's legs and continued down. He figured this
was the time to go for the gold.  He began to tongue Luke, working his way
back to Luke's anus. Once there, he gently but firmly continued. This
wasn't something he often did, but it seemed right and he certainly was
enjoying his unaccustomed role. He continued massaging Luke's opening,
gently getting him prepared. At last he positioned himself with his cock
resting against its target.

"Oh, shit!" yelled Luke. "I can't believe this!"

Jon straightened up with his hands on Luke's shins.

"Tell me if you want me to stop."

"Hell no! Just do it! I trust you."

Jon began to push forward, very slowly. "The key is to try and relax. Try
pushing out."

Luke had his eyes closed and was trying to follow Jon's instructions. He
opened his eyes, looked at Jon, and his passion took over. Luke took a deep
breath, pushed forward and impaled himself on Jon. He let out a gasp and
took another deep breath. Jon was amazed.

"Oh, holy shit!"

"Give it a minute," said Jon. "It'll be okay."

Luke was breathing deeply with his eyes closed again. Within a couple of
minutes Luke's breathing became more steady and he looked at Jon. Jon could
feel him begin to relax. Jon started an almost imperceptible thrusting
while he watched Luke, and Luke pulled Jon against his chest.

"Keep fucking me--I don't ever want you to stop." Luke began moaning,
softly at first but louder and louder as things progressed.

Jon became a little more forceful, but restrained himself since this wasn't
something Luke was used to. Jon was happy to go slowly and sensually and
make sure Luke enjoyed it as much as he did. Jon couldn't help but pick up
the pace as he neared orgasm, and he was happy they both came at almost the
same time.

"Jesus!" gasped Luke. "Now I know why you make so much noise!"

"Really, babe? You were okay with it?"

"I'm okay with anything with you. I don't know what I expected, but having
you inside me was mind-blowing. Too bad we waited this long."

"I don't think so--I'm glad we did."

"You're right. This was perfect. My ass feels a little funny, though."

Jon kissed him. "It'll keep you thinking of me tomorrow. Don't worry,
you'll be okay."

"Hey, I can take it if you can. It does feel kinda sexy."



When Jon awoke he found himself wrapped in Luke's arms. The sun was
streaming in through the sheer curtains and it promised to be another nice,
sunny day. He sighed and cuddled against Luke who was still asleep, but he
held Jon even tighter against himself. Jon drifted in and out of sleep for
the next half-hour.

Luke opened his eyes and gently removed his arm from under Jon--it was
falling asleep. He held out his hand and looked at his ring. Jon stirred
and turned to him.

"I guess it wasn't a dream," said Luke as he picked up Jon's hand. "We
really are married."

"It's a dream come true," said Jon. "Let's shower and give the whirlpool
another spin."

As they stepped out of the shower Jon's phone rang.

"Hello?" Jon knew it was one of his parents.

"Hi honey, we're here at the hotel with the Sorensens and we were wondering
if you'd want to have lunch with us before we leave. We'll understand if
you have other plans."

"Just a sec, mom..."

He turned to Luke. "Our parents want to have lunch with us. It's okay with
me, but I think we should include Cathy, Joe and Paul."

"Fine with me, babe. Whatever you want to do."

"Okay, mom, is it okay if we bring Paul, Joe and Cathy?"

"Sure, whoever you want. The restaurant here at the hotel is very nice. How
about one?"

"Okay, we'll see you then. Thanks, mom."

Jon looked at Luke. "I hope you don't mind, but I like being with my
folks."

"I know you do, and I like them, too. I'm even starting to get comfortable
with my parents. I never thought that would happen."

"I was surprised when you called my father 'dad'."

"I thought I might as well and I'm comfortable with him. He's my
father-in-law from now on. It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Of course not, I like it. Hey, what are we going to do for Thanksgiving
and Christmas? I think we should spend one with your parents, and one with
mine."

Luke sighed. "What are you, a sadomasochist? Let's spend both with your
parents."

"Come on, Luke. What about Thanksgiving with your parents? It's easier than
Christmas."

"We have plenty of time to think about it."

They spent the next hour in the whirlpool, relaxing and caressing one
another. The warm, flowing water had them both sleepy again.

Luke said, "Let's go back to bed for a while until lunch. I like lying in
bed with my husband."

Jon took Luke's hand as they stepped out of the whirlpool. "Me, too."



Lunch went better than Luke thought it would. Cathy and their mothers
talked together most of the time, and their fathers, Paul and Joe seemed to
be comfortable. Jon and Luke had planned on heading home around 3:00, so
when they had finished they all said their goodbyes and went back to the
B&B to get their things. Before long they were on the road. As they drove,
Jon had his hand on Luke's thigh and Luke rested his hand on it. They
didn't speak much, each reliving the events of the past couple of
days. There was no hurry to get home, because both of them had arranged to
take Monday off from work, but they were anxious to be back and able to
have time to themselves. They arrived just before eight, grabbed their
luggage and went into their condo. It seemed eerily quiet after all the
excitement of the past few days. They had just sat down when there was a
knock at the door. Luke got up to answer it.

"Hi, Luke," said Cathy. Here's some spaghetti for you guys. I'm sure you
have better things to do than cook right now."

"Wow! Thanks! Come on in."

"No, I'm sure you'd like to be alone right now, and Joe's putting in a new
disposal for me, so I'll be going. You and Jon have a nice evening."

"Okay, thanks again. See you tomorrow."



The next morning Jon slowly woke up. He reached across to Luke's side of
the bed and found it empty. He looked at the clock and saw it was
7:15. Luke walked into the bedroom with a towel around his waist. Jon
yawned.

"What are you doing up so early?"

Luke looked at Jon as if he couldn't believe he had to ask the
question. "I'm picking up Rocky; they open at eight."

Jon collapsed back onto the pillow and smiled. "Can you at least spare a
minute to kiss your husband?"



Luke was at the clinic just as they opened. He walked to the reception desk
where there was a young woman he hadn't seen before.

"You must be Rocky's dad," she smiled.

"Uh, yes, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," she answered. Actually the other receptionist had alerted
her that Rocky's owner was "the cat's meow."

"Was he a good boarder?"

"He was a riot. We'd let him run around a little so he could explore. Did
you know he likes dogs?"

"I know he's not afraid of them, or anything else. He doesn't have any
canine friends yet."

The receptionist disappeared for a moment and Luke could hear an insistent
mewing coming from the back--Rocky had heard Luke's voice. As soon as he
saw Luke he started struggling and almost leaped to him. He was purring
wildly as he wrapped his paws around Luke's neck and licked his face
non-stop. The receptionist placed the blanket and t-shirt on the counter
and then sat at the computer to produce the bill.

"That was a good idea to bring a shirt for him. When he was asleep, he was
either inside it or under it."

Luke juggled Rocky as he got out his card and then signed the receipt. On
the way home Luke tried to get Rocky to stay in his lap, but the kitten
insisted on climbing up Luke's chest and eventually was content to be on
his shoulder. He licked Luke's ear and tugged on his hair the rest of the
way home. When they got there Rocky trotted over to his dish, then looked
at Jon. Jon called him and he bounded over to Jon and meowed, turned and
ran back to Luke.

"At least he said 'hi' to me," laughed Jon.

The men were enjoying their day off, deciding to take a walk around the
lake with Rocky, who didn't stray far this time. It was as if he didn't
want to take a chance on Luke disappearing again. There wasn't much to eat
at home, so Jon called Cathy to get the name of the Italian restaurant she
and Joe liked so much.

On Tuesday Jon was glad things weren't too far behind at work, and he
learned Connie had set up some interviews on Thursday and Friday for an
assistant. He did some shopping for groceries on the way home. On Wednesday
Jon came home to an empty house, except for Rocky, because Luke had his
flying lesson. He'd wait until Luke came home to decide on dinner. The
phone on the desk rang, which surprised Jon--not many people called on that
line.

"Hello, Mr. Sorensen?"

"No, he's out at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"Is this Mr. Addison?"

"Yes."

"This is Maureen from RiverQuest Charters. I hope you and your guests
enjoyed your cruise with us."

"Yes, everything was great. We all had a very nice time."

"Oh, good. Uh...some of us here were talking about your wedding and, um,
someone pointed out your marriage isn't valid in Illinois."

"Yes, we know that."

"I'm sure you do. But then someone else mentioned that your cruise--well,
most of it anyway--was on the Illinois side of the river. So I guess,
technically, you were probably married in Illinois."

"So what does that mean?"

"It never came up before and we don't know what it means. It might mean
you'll be booking another cruise with us." She let out a brief chuckle,
then cleared her throat. "Ahem, sorry."

"Is there any way to find out? Aren't there records or a ship's log or
something?"

"No, I don't think so. I wouldn't worry too much about it; it's not like
we're going to go telling anyone. But I thought you'd want to know, just in
case."

"Just in case, what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Who knows what might happen down the road? I just
thought you might want to check with an attorney. I'm glad to hear you
enjoyed your cruise, and please keep us in mind if...well, you know."

"Uh, yeah."

"You have a nice evening. Goodbye now."

Jon stared at the desk. "Unbelievable...un-fucking-believable!" He slammed
his fist on the desk and Rocky jumped. After a few minutes he started
pacing in the living room. Luke was back a short time later.

# # # # #

I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Thanks for your emails,
they helped spur me to get going!

justin1326@gmail.com