Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:01:55 -0500
From: Justin <justin1326@gmail.com>
Subject: The Inn -- Chapter 29

"But I don't want to bother Connie, he has his own problems."

"And one of them is the company. I don't care how much they're paying you,
it's not worth it if it's going to affect your health. The next thing you
know, you're going to get ulcers or worse. I'm not going to let you do this
to yourself."

"Even if I wanted to quit--which I don't--I can't quit. You're not working
now, what would we do for money?"

"I'll be working again pretty soon. Maybe I should put flying on the back
burner for a while until things settle down."

THE INN -- Chapter 29

"No way! You're going to keep flying--you've worked too hard for it, and
now you have your license and you have a lot more to learn. I promised you
I can handle things financially, and I will. This is all just so sudden,
but I'll be all right. When Connie gets back, everything will be back to
the way it was."

"Okay, but if you so much as sneeze, you're calling in sick and going to
bed. I mean it!"

"If I survived a year wondering and worrying about you after we met, I can
get through this. Like you said, it's only another week. It's not like I'm
good enough, or bad enough, to sink the ship. It's been going for 35 years,
so I think it can survive for a couple of weeks with me at the helm."

Jon was not about to let his problems interfere with Luke's flying. It was
too important to Luke, and Jon still wanted Luke to quit his construction
job. Jon made up his mind that no matter what happened, he wouldn't let
Luke know how rough it might be.

"I'm feeling a lot better now. Let's go to The Inn and see what's happening
there."

"Are you sure?" asked Luke. "You were sleeping when I got home, and you
felt like crap."

"I'm okay now, I had a nap and my headache is gone. If I don't feel okay
later I can come back home. Besides, we haven't been there all week."



At The Inn they found Joe, Cathy, Paul and an attractive woman they assumed
was Annie. They introduced themselves and sat down, both ordering drinks.

"Aren't you flying tomorrow?" asked Jon.

"No, I'm taking the day off to spend some time with you. You should be
careful drinking, I gave you a Vicodin."

"I'm okay. Hey, there's Erik and Adam. Let's see if they're playing
volleyball this season."

Jon and Luke excused themselves and went to talk with their teammates.

Annie observed, "Those two sure seem close with one another. Are they queer
or something?"

Paul was taken aback. Here he had met a woman he really liked and she says
something like that.

                "I think they prefer the term 'gay,' at least when
straights use it. Joe and I were the Best Men at their wedding."

Cathy was a bit put-off by Annie's comment and she couldn't resist: "Yeah,
they're an old married couple. They have a son that's a few months
old--Rocky. He's black."

"Oh...which one is the father?"

"No one's certain, but we're pretty sure it's Luke."

"What about his mother?"

"She died a few weeks after he was born. She crossed some guy and he offed
her."

Joe and Paul couldn't take it any longer. They both started laughing and
Cathy joined them. Annie looked at the three like they were ghouls.

"I'm sorry," gasped Cathy, "it just came out. Jon and Luke are married, and
Rocky is their cat. Other than that minor detail, it's all true."

Jon and Luke returned as the laughter was dying. Luke asked, "What did we
miss?"

"Some humor at my expense," said Annie. "So, Paul tells me you guys are
married."

"Yep, going on three months," said Jon. "I think I'll keep him."

"He doesn't have a choice," countered Luke, "he gave up his condo to live
with me."

Paul cringed a little at Annie's frankness, but after a short time he
realized that was just Annie, and everyone else seemed okay. She just said
whatever was on her mind, and it wasn't meant the way it sometimes came
out. She had an easygoing manner and after the initial surprise at her
comments, she got along well with everyone. The group wound up having a
good time and Annie seemed to fit in. Cathy and Joe got up to dance and
Paul and Annie followed.

"What do you think about Annie?" asked Jon.

"She's a little forward and outspoken, but she seems okay. Maybe she's what
Paul needs. She seems to like him."

"Have you ever seen a woman that doesn't like Paul? I'm convinced he's the
reason half of them are here. I think she can give him a run for his
money. I wonder how long this one will last."

"You never know with Paul, I guess we'll find out. How about we have
another drink with them when they're done dancing, then head home?"

"Sounds good," said Jon.

About 20 minutes later the group came back. Jon smiled as he watched Joe
and Cathy. They both were like teenagers in love. Jon didn't find that so
surprising for Joe, but it seemed a little out-of-character for Cathy. He
was happy to see her having so much fun and "letting her hair down." She
hadn't appeared so carefree and enjoying herself since he had known her. He
smiled and winked at her, and she blushed and turned back to Joe.

Jon and Luke stayed a little longer, then decided to go back home. It was a
nice evening, not too cold, and there was a full moon. They walked slowly,
hand in hand.

"How are you feeling?" asked Luke.

"I'm a little buzzed, but I'm fine. In a few minutes I'll show you how fine
I am."

Luke smiled and put his arm around Jon. He was glad Jon seemed to be more
relaxed after his work week. When they were in bed, they spent the next two
hours enjoying each other.



Jon and his company survived the next week and when Connie returned he was
proud of how Jon had handled everything. A couple of their clients and
vendors expressed relief at Connie's return--Jon had been a tough
negotiator. But he had earned their respect and had cemented some lucrative
agreements.

Possibly because Jon had been forced to make some important decisions at
work, he also decided it was time to take things in hand at home. He made
an appointment for Rocky with the vet. He knew Luke would never do it, so
he decided he might as well get it over with. When Luke came home from
flying Jon decided he'd break the news.

"Rocky has a vet appointment tomorrow. Can you take him?"

"What's it for? Does he need vaccinations or something?"

"Yeah, 'or something.' Luke, you know what it's for."

"Oh, shit! And you want ME to take him?"

"Why not? He's more comfortable with you, and you can ask the vet any
questions you have."

Luke sighed. "Okay, I'll take him. Ya know, for all we know he could be
gay. Then all we'd have to do is find him a boyfriend."

"I'm not even going to answer that. He's supposed to be at the vet's at
nine, and don't let him eat anything after midnight. He can probably come
home tomorrow night."

Jon began fixing dinner while Luke sat at the computer. "Hey, look at
this," said Luke. "I found this Web site that has prosthetic testicles for
dogs and cats. Maybe we should look into that. They say they'll will never
know the difference."

"They actually make something like that? I'm not even going to ask how you
found that Web site. Please...don't tell me you're that phobic about
it. Rocky certainly won't be."

"The first time he goes to lick himself, he's going to notice the family
jewels have been stolen."

"Oh, God, Luke. You really think he's going to worry about it?"

"You like it when I play with your balls. What if you woke up one day and
they were gone?"

"Luke, get over it. He isn't worried about how big his dick is, or whether
he has balls or not. I can't believe you are so anthropomorphic about
this."

"And what does that mean, Mr. Webster?"

"Projecting your feelings on Rocky. I told you, he'll be okay and it won't
change his personality. He'll be the same smart-ass he's always been. He'll
still work his way between us in bed and bite me when I put my arm around
you."

"I didn't know he did that."

"He does when you're sleeping. He doesn't bite hard, but he makes his
point. He's very protective and possessive when it comes you."

Luke chuckled and smiled. He felt almost honored Rocky did that.



When Jon arrived home the next day he found Luke studying his aviation
books at the kitchen table. He noticed a pillow under Rocky's blanket on
the couch, and a water and food dish next to it. Jon knew all had gone well
for Rocky--he'd called the clinic that morning and told them to call him
first if there was a need. He didn't want Luke to go into orbit if anything
came up.

"What's all this on the couch?" asked Jon.

"Rocky's probably going to be sore, so I set it up so he doesn't have to
move too much."

"I'm surprised you don't have the litter box on the couch."

"Damn, I didn't think about that. Think I should?"

"No! Jeez, Luke, if we ever have a kid you're going to be impossible."

"I'm just making sure he's comfortable. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it's just kinda funny. Here I have this big, macho stud and
you're a sucker when it comes to Rocky."

"So what? I made a commitment the first day I brought him home. So I spoil
him a little. I'm going to pick him up, they said to come when they're
closing."

"Why don't you call first and see if he's ready to come home?"

"It'd be too easy for them to say wait until tomorrow, I think it's better
if I just show up. And at least I can see him if they want him to stay for
a night."

Jon wanted to laugh, but restrained himself. "Go ahead, I'll have dinner
ready when you get back."



Luke returned from the vet's with Rocky and placed him on his
blanket. Rocky was still a little groggy from the anesthetic and he seemed
to be content to sleep. Jon was almost becoming annoyed at how much Luke
was hovering over him, but then he eased up. He realized Luke hadn't been
in a position like this before. After they had had dinner, Jon hugged Luke.

"Okay, Luke, Rocky's fine. I know you were worried, but now do you have
some idea of how I felt when you were in the hospital? I know I acted like
a mother hen and doted on you, but do you know how I felt?"

Luke smiled. "Yeah, I guess. I know I'm protective of Rocky, but he's the
first pet I've ever had. And he's something special. And so are you."

"Thanks, I'm glad I rank with him."

"Oh, come on. You know what I mean."



Over the next several weeks life returned to normal for Jon. He had become
comfortable with Cecil handling a lot of the kinds of things he didn't need
to take care of personally. Cecil had even endeared himself to Jon's
mother--whenever she emailed and Jon wasn't there, Cecil would immediately
respond and ask if there was anything he could do. The two had developed a
friendly dialogue. Production was uncommonly smooth, and Jon told Connie
they could easily take on more work with their new equipment.

Luke was finally summoned back to work at the end of January. It had been a
longer layoff than he'd ever been through and initially he was glad to be
back. But the new job site was a 30-mile drive each way, which usually took
at least an hour. He also missed flying--by the time he got home each day,
he was too tired and it was too late to fly. He was still able to get in a
few hours on weekends, but that left little time for him to spend with
Jon. Luke began to realize he really didn't enjoy his job anymore, but he
was bringing home a paycheck again and he felt better about that.

Toward the middle of March, Jon asked Luke what he'd like to do for his
birthday--it was about a week away. They decided to go into the city and
meet up with the guys and they were both looking forward to having a good
time. Luke's birthday was on Sunday, so they made a date to meet everyone
on Saturday night. After a wonderful dinner and a night of dancing and
drinking, Jon convinced Luke they should head back home. Jon had restrained
himself as far as drinking and insisted on driving them back home.

The next morning Jon got out of bed and started breakfast. Luke entered the
kitchen and leaned against the wall. Jon looked at him.

"Are you flying today?"

"Oh hell no. I don't even know if I'm driving today. Did I have a good time
last night?"

"I think so. I sure did, especially when we got back here."

"Yeah? I musta been on auto-pilot."

"More like cruise-control. Two guys tried to hit on you last night. You're
lucky I was there to defend your honor."

"Only two?" Luke smiled. "Well, I guess another year hasn't put me over the
hill. That's good to know--not that I'm worried, I already have my
knight. Unless I'm getting too old for you."

"I'll be even with you in a couple of months. I don't think much is going
to happen before then."

Luke's phone rang. "Oh, jeez, it's my father." He flipped the phone
open. "Hi, dad."

"Hello, Luke. Happy birthday."

"Thanks. How are you and mom?"

"We're fine. I wanted to tell you you should be getting something in the
mail tomorrow. Your mother and I decided on something for you. Just
something we thought you could use about now."

"Thanks, dad. That was thoughtful of you and mom."

"Well, it's not really a gift."

"Oh, okay, whatever it is, thank you in advance."

"Call me when you get it and we can talk. You guys have a good evening."

"Thanks, dad. I'll talk to you soon."

"What was that about?" asked Jon. "It sounded short and sweet."

"I'm not sure. My dad said to check my mail, I don't know what it's
about. My old man isn't one to do a lot of talking."

"Maybe they got us tickets to some Cubs games or something like that. That
would be fun."

"I don't think so, it sounded more serious than that. We'll find out
tomorrow."



The next day Jon arrived home, fed Rocky and sat down with the mail. He was
usually home later than Luke but since Luke had started at the new site
things were reversed. He noticed an envelope addressed to Luke from an
investment company. He set it aside as Rocky jumped up and sat next to
him. They sat together for about 20 minutes before Luke arrived. Luke
walked up to Jon and kissed him, then played with Rocky for a minute. Jon
handed him his mail. Luke glanced through it and had a questioning look at
the envelope Jon had wondered about. He opened it and unfolded the
papers. His jaw dropped and he collapsed next to Jon.

"Oh, shit! What the hell is this? I can't fuckin' believe this!"

"What? What is it?"

"I don't know. It has to be a mistake. It has to be. This can't be real."

Luke handed Jon the papers. Jon was astonished when he saw the
check. "Luke, what is this?"

"I have no idea. It's not like my parents would hand over this kind of
money to me. They don't even like me. I'm the black sheep of the family."

"You're going to have to call your father. Maybe it's a mistake. There
might be a decimal in the wrong place. Call him and get it straightened
out."

Luke went into the bedroom to call his father. It was more than 20 minutes
before he returned and sat next to Jon. Jon could see he was unnerved. He
got Luke a beer and sat next to him.

"Okay, what's up?" asked Jon.

Luke sighed. "I guess they didn't cut me out of the will. My father said
they decided they'd rather give me and my sister part of our inheritance
with a warm hand than a cold one, so they decided to disburse some of it to
us now."

"SOME of it?"

"I guess, I don't know."

"Luke, you're going to have to talk to someone, like an investment guy. You
can't just put this kind of money in your checking account."

"I'll talk to my dad. I never had this much money before, and I don't have
any clue what to do with it. My dad will know who I should talk to. My
sister must have gotten the same thing, maybe more since she's married."

"Um, excuse me, but as I recall, we're married, too."

"I know, babe, but I don't know if my parents look at it in the same
way. It doesn't matter."

Luke's phone rang. "Oh, here we go--it's my sister."

He talked with his sister for about 15 minutes. When he was done he had a
satisfied look. "I didn't even have to ask Ruth how much--she blurted it
out. Exactly the same. I never really thought about it, but if I had to
guess, I'd bet my parents woulda left everything to Ruth, or at least most
of it. I didn't think they gave a shit about me."

Jon kissed Luke. "How could they not care about a wonderful man like you?"

"Yeah, well..."

"Now let's see--what should you buy? Maybe your own airplane."

"Nothing doing. I'll talk to an investment guy, like you said, and forget
about the money. I'm going to pretend it isn't even there."

"You're right, I was joking. But now you really can quit work without
feeling guilty about it. What do you think about that?"

"Maybe. I do miss flying and I'm sure as hell not liking the commute to
this new site. I'll sleep on it."

"What's to think about? You hate your job, you love to fly, and the only
thing holding you back was worrying about the expense. Guess what? That
excuse is no longer valid, not that it ever was."

Luke was quiet for several minutes as he thought over what all this
meant. He took a breath and exhaled, then smiled at Jon.

"What the hell--I'll give my notice tomorrow."



Jon hadn't realized how much Luke still needed to do as far as learning to
fly. He had earned his Instrument Rating and was now going for his
Commercial. Jon hoped that would be the end, as far as Luke pushing himself
to achieve his ratings. He loved the fact that Luke was spending his time
flying and enjoying himself, but the time he spent both at the airport and
studying at home was beginning to take its toll. Jon was glad it was June
and summer was ahead of them.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" asked Luke.

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it. It's not that big a thing."

"I want to make it one. How about this--we'll ask Cathy and Joe to join us
and we'll all go up to Lake Geneva."

"Lake Geneva? That's a hike."

"Not if we fly. We'll fly there, do some of the touristy stuff, spend the
night and come back the next day. We'll all have a great time."

"Really? They'd love that, and so would I. Can we really do that?"

"Of course, why not?

"It just seems so weird. We're going to get into a plane and you're going
to fly us there."

"Why do you think I've been studying so hard? I want you to be proud of
your husband."

"Believe me, I am. I always have been."



When they landed in Lake Geneva, Jon, Luke and Cathy made a beeline for the
restrooms. Joe walked up to a counter he thought looked official and a man
greeted him.

"I'd like to pay for the gas for our plane," said Joe.

"Sure. Which one?"

"Um..." Joe looked out the windows and realized there were a lot of
planes. "I think it's that one, the blue and white one."

"2-2-Bravo?" asked the man.

That sounded familiar. "Yes, that's it. And make it premium."

The man chuckled. "Sure, we'll take care of it." He took Joe's card and a
minute later handed him the receipt to sign. "We haven't fueled it yet, but
it'll be ready before you leave. If you need a receipt, just ask when you
come back."

"That's it?" asked Joe. "I thought buying gas for a plane would be more
complicated."

"Nope, you're all set. Enjoy your stay."



Luke had booked a resort overlooking the lake and they checked into their
rooms. Once they were settled they met in the lobby and decided to rent a
speedboat. They spent the afternoon cruising the lake and exploring some of
the more out of the way areas. Around seven they decided it was time to
think about dinner and head back. After returning the boat, they went to
their rooms, changed, and met back at the resort's dining room. Cathy had
on a casual yellow dress and Joe wore a tapered dress shirt and khaki
pants. Cathy had talked him into the shirt, and it looked great on him. Joe
was a little self-conscious about it--usually he wore loose-fitting clothes
but Cathy had begun to supervise his wardrobe and enjoyed buying clothes
that looked good on him and showed off his physique. Joe hadn't paid much
attention to his clothes up to now, but he usually got compliments when he
wore what Cathy suggested and she seemed to enjoy doing it, so Joe was
happy.

Dinner turned out to be an orgy of food, starting with appetizers and
salads and progressing to steaks for the guys and surf-'n'-turf for
Cathy. After dinner they each ordered a different dessert and asked for
extra plates so they could all share. Coffee and an after-dinner drink
completed the meal. Jon had asked Luke not to order a birthday cake--he
wanted everyone to enjoy the unusual desserts and not settle for something
so mundane. Cathy fed Joe the last couple of bites of dessert she couldn't
finish as Jon leaned back and sighed.

"I don't know if I can get up!" said Jon. "I hope the plane can get off the
ground tomorrow."

"It's only once a year," said Cathy. "You can splurge on your birthday."

"But if we all splurge every time there's a birthday, it's going to be at
least four times a year, plus holidays."

"Don't worry, Jon," said Joe. "You and Cathy are fine, and I'll make sure
Luke and I do some extra sets at the gym."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. He's already trying to outdo Simon
Legree."

"Let's go for a walk," suggested Cathy.

They headed toward the lake, enjoying the warm June night and the clear
sky. Jon and Luke drifted off on a path into a wooded area, and Joe and
Cathy walked along the shore.

"This is like a vacation," said Joe. "I'm glad Luke invited us. It's like
our own private getaway."

"It's wonderful," said Cathy. "I feel so comfortable with you. You are the
most thoughtful, caring guy I've ever met. You don't even swear in front of
me." She leaned against Joe a little as she put her arm around him. He gave
her a gentle squeeze. Cathy turned to face him, looked into his eyes,
smiled and rested her head on his chest. There was a moment when Joe
thought she might say the "L" word. He wouldn't have minded if she had, but
he wasn't quite ready to go that far himself yet; Joe had to build his
self-confidence a little more.



Luke and Jon were sitting at the end of a pier, their legs dangling over
the water, as they watched the moonlight reflect on the ripples of the
lake. Luke was thinking of how much his life had changed in these past
several months. He leaned over, embraced Jon and kissed him lovingly.

"Thank you," whispered Luke.

"What?"

"For being you. If it weren't for you, I'd never have the guts to do what
I've done. And I don't mean just flying, but that's some of it. You saved
my life, Jon. Do you realize that? If it weren't for you, I don't know if
I'd have ever been honest with myself. I'd probably still be deep in the
closet."

"All I did was fall in love with you."

"Yes, and you taught me how to love. I don't mean physically."

Jon put his other hand on Luke's chest. "I know what you mean."

After a few minutes they stood and walked back to the hotel. "I wonder
where Cathy and Joe are," said Jon.

Luke pointed at their door, which had the "Do Not Disturb" sign out.

"Oh, I guess we should do that, too."

Luke smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Hey--let's flip their sign around so
it says 'Maid Service Requested'."

"No! They'll freak, especially Joe."

"It's not like the maid is just going to barge in--they'll knock first."

Luke walked to their door and turned the sign around. Jon was shaking his
head but he had a slight smile. They entered their room and within 30
seconds their clothes were on the floor. Jon looked at Luke for a few
seconds before taking him in his arms.

"I'm gonna have to thank Joe."

"What for?" asked Luke.

"For turning you into a Roman gladiator. Damn, you look hot!"

Luke guided Jon back a few steps and pushed him onto the bed. He fell on
top of him, kissing his chest, then turning his attention to his
nipples. Jon clasped his hands behind Luke's head and pulled him closer. As
Luke moved up to Jon's mouth, Jon drew his legs up and wrapped them around
Luke's waist, pulling himself against Luke. Luke's cock zeroed in on its
target and began entering Jon. He was always amazed at how Luke could do
that without even looking or using his hands. It was like his cock had a
mind of its own and knew where it was supposed to be. At first Luke pumped
using long, slow strokes and after a few minutes he started to speed
up. Jon was gazing at him, his eyes glazed and his breath coming in
gasps. Suddenly Luke pulled out and pushed against Jon's legs.

"Turn around and get on your knees," said Luke.

Jon knew what was coming--they both enjoyed it a little on the rough
side. Luke grasped Jon's hips and plunged into him. They both let out a
loud moan. Luke began pumping, somewhat roughly slamming Jon's hips against
his own. The slapping sound each time their hips met was accompanied by
their grunts. After a couple of minutes Luke could feel Jon's contractions,
not to mention his cum spattering. He thrust deeply as he came, switching
to short, quick strokes. They finally collapsed on the bed in unison, both
panting.

"Captain Sorensen, you can fly me any time. God, I love it when you fuck me
like that!"

"And I love how much you turn me on. Let's get under the covers and hug."



Joe and Cathy were awake early and were pretty sure the guys would still be
asleep. They talked a little and one thing led to another. Later they
decided to take a shower together and as Joe got out of bed there was a
knock at the door. He went to answer it.

"Joe, put something on!"

"It's only Luke or Jon."

Joe yanked the door completely open. His jaw dropped and he froze.

"Ay, dios mio! Dispensame! Lo siento! Lo siento!"

"Oops, I'm sorry," said Joe as he ducked behind the door and closed it.

"Que sucede?" asked another maid as she came up to her co-worker.

"El hombre estaba desnudo. Pero muy, muy guapo! Y muy grande!"



"What's all the commotion?" asked Luke.

"I think Joe just made the housekeeper's day. Jeez, I didn't think she'd
see him in the buff."

"How do you know she did?"

"My Spanish might be rusty, but I'm sure she said he's very big. God, he's
gonna kill us."

"I'll vouch for the 'big' part...I shower with him every morning at the
gym."

"Let's lay low for a while and let Joe cool off. Maybe he won't realize
what you did."

"What *I* did? You went along with it--we're in this together, hon."



A half-hour later there was a knock on their door. Luke got up and opened
the door just a crack and peered out.

"Are you going to let us in?" asked Joe.

"I'm just making sure. You never know who might be at the door in a hotel."

"Very funny," said Joe as he pushed the door open. "How do you know what
happened?"

"I think half of Mexico knows by now. The senoritas are probably storming
the border as we speak."

Joe said, "I thought it was one of you guys at the door and I'd surprise
you. I never imagined..."

Jon laughed. "Don't worry, you were a hit. The maid told her friend you are
very handsome...and hung. We didn't think...uh...I mean...uh..."

Joe looked at Jon. "Oh? Just what *do* you mean?"

Luke laughed and said, "Take a look at your "Do Not Disturb" sign."

Cathy went into the hall and was unable to suppress a grin when she
returned.

"Cute, you guys. Very cute. Do you realize what you've done? Joe might be
traumatized for months. I might not have sex again all year!"

Joe looked at Cathy. "You'd wait that long for me?"

Even Joe realized his question was way out of character for him. He blushed
as the others burst into laughter. They decided it was time to get some
breakfast and figure out what they were going to do. Luke had said they'd
head back around four or five so they had plenty of time. As they entered
the restaurant, Cathy pulled Joe close to herself.

"To answer your question, yes, I'd wait for you."

Joe smiled and kissed her. "Don't worry, you won't have to."

The afternoon was spent casually strolling through the town and Cathy
bought a couple of pieces of handmade jewelry. Joe wanted to check out a
bar that seemed to be lively and they went inside. The crowd seemed
friendly and they found a table in the middle of the room. Luke asked for a
Coke and the others had beer. They chatted and people-watched while they
drank. Cathy excused herself to go to the ladies room. As she was washing
her hands another woman walked in.

"Do you share?" asked the woman.

"What?"

"You're sitting with three gorgeous guys."

Cathy smiled. "Sorry, but one's mine, and the other two are spoken for."

"Figuresl."



They took the shuttle to the airport and stowed their bags in the
plane. Luke asked Jon to pre-flight the plane as he went into the flight
office. When he returned Jon was fastening the engine cowling, finished
with the inspection.

"Why did you do that? This was my birthday present to you."

"Why did I do what?"

"Pay for the fuel. I didn't want you to do that."

"I didn't. I never even went in the office."

"Oh. Then I guess I know who to blame."

As they were getting ready to board the plane, Luke put his arm around
Joe's shoulders.

"I wanted this to be my treat for Jon's birthday. I didn't expect you to
pay for anything."

"You've done more than enough. The plane ride alone is an adventure. It was
even fun buying the gas for the plane. I told them premium--I hope that's
okay."

Luke smiled and squeezed Joe's shoulders. "It's fine. Thanks."

Luke didn't have the heart to tell Joe there was no such thing as "premium"
avgas; he appreciated Joe's thoughtfulness and generosity. The four boarded
the plane, this time with Cathy and Jon in back and Luke and Joe in
front. Luke enjoyed showing Joe the flight controls and letting him pilot
the plane for a while. He showed Joe how to do climbs and turns and Joe was
thrilled. Cathy noticed some dark clouds and a little lightning ahead of
them.

"Are we going to fly through that?" she asked Luke.

"No, Joe will take us around it."

"I will?"

"This is the compass," said Luke. "Turn left until it indicates about
120. You need to pull back a little and give it some left rudder at the
same time."

Joe tried to follow Luke's instructions. He wasn't nervous; he knew Luke
was watching everything. But Joe was doing more than just resting his hands
on the controls, he was actually flying the plane and steering it. They
passed the ominous clouds and resumed their course.

"Good job, Joe! I'm impressed. Most people would have been staring at that
compass the whole time."

"I got a feel for how fast I was turning, so I looked around to see what
else was happening. I'm used to dealing with a lot of instruments at work."



They landed and after transferring their bags to the car they set off for
home. Everyone was still excited about their getaway.

Cathy said, "I think we owe Luke a drink--he's almost been a teetotaler all
weekend. Let's go to The Inn for a little while."

"Okay," said Luke, "but drop me off at home first and I'll meet up with
you. I have to see how Rocky's doing--I've never left him alone this long."

Jon, Joe and Cathy went to The Inn and sat at a table on the patio. About
20 minutes later Jon noticed Luke walking toward them with Rocky right
behind him. Luke stopped at the wrought iron fence that surrounded the
patio and pointed to Jon. "Go see Jon." Rocky hopped through the fence and
up to the group while Luke walked into The Inn, got a beer and joined
them. Rocky jumped into Luke's lap and seemed happy Jon and Luke were back.

Cathy said, "Thanks for a great weekend, you guys. We had a wonderful
time. I felt like a movie star when we got out of our own plane!"

"It wasn't a Learjet--maybe someday," said Luke.

"I don't care. I can't wait to go to work and tell them I flew up there for
the weekend. I'll make it sound very matter-of-fact, but I know I won't be
able to keep it up. That's the first time I flew in a private plane."

"Were you nervous?" asked Luke.

"No, I've told you before--when I'm with you guys, I don't worry about
anything. And besides, Jon always says what a good pilot you are."

Jon asked, "Luke, when you get your commercial rating in a couple of weeks,
will you be done with training?"

"I think for a while, at least. I'll still work on getting checked-out in
different aircraft, but all that is, is going up with Charlie a couple of
times. Planes aren't like cars, you need to learn how each type works. But
I'm almost done with the heavy stuff."

"Well, I sure had fun when you let me take the controls. I can see why
you're so into flying."

The waitress returned with another round. She then placed a paper plate
with some crumbled bacon and a little roast beef along with a small
container of water on the patio for Rocky.

"I couldn't resist. He's so cute!"

"What can I say?" asked Cathy. "I'm just surrounded by cute guys!"



The next morning Joe and Luke were finishing their workout.

"Are you working this afternoon?" asked Luke.

"I'm off at one, I switched some hours with another guy. Why?"

"I'm flying to Rockford this afternoon, I need the time and if you want,
you're welcome to come along."

"That'd be awesome!"

"I'm gonna call Jon's parents and see if they want to meet us for a cup of
coffee. Then we'll head back, we should be back here by dinner."



When Luke arrived home, Jon and Rocky were relaxing on the couch, watching
a Cubs game. Luke had a plastic container in his hand.

"Hi, babe. Watcha got?"

"Air express from Rockford. Your mom made a birthday cake."

"You were in Rockford today?"

"Joe and I flew up there and met your parents. They said to wish you a
happy birthday and they want us to visit soon. Mom said the blueberries
look great this year and she said you love them."

"I do, especially when she makes blueberry muffins. We'll have to go there
for that."



Joe went to Cathy's place and told her all about flying with Luke.

"I met Jon's parents. They were real nice, and I was surprised how they
treated Luke like he was family."

"Joe, he IS family."

"I know, but, you know. I liked meeting them, and Luke seemed fine. We had
a nice time. I just wasn't sure what to expect."



Toward the end of the week Jon was relaxing on the couch with a drink. Luke
burst in with a big smile on his face. He plopped a booklet on the coffee
table. Jon read the title: "Piper Aztec Owner's Handbook."

"We're getting a new plane!" exclaimed Luke.

"We are?"

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