Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:49:38 -0500
From: Justin <justin1326@gmail.com>
Subject: The Inn--Chapter 33

The next afternoon Luke was checking the weather when Frank, Charlie's
former student and now Luke's, walked in.

"Hi, Luke. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

As they walked to the plane, Frank put his arm over Luke's shoulder.

THE INN -- Chapter 33

Luke didn't think too much about it, but then Frank slid his arm down
around Luke's waist. Luke was uneasy with that gesture and he walked a few
more steps before stopping.

"Frank, please don't do that."

"I'm just being friendly. I like you."

"I like you, too, but I'm married. I don't want anyone getting the wrong
idea. Especially you."

"Hey, Luke, you can't blame a guy for trying. You must get hit on all the
time."

Luke had a serious tone to his voice. "Not so much since I got
married. Most people respect that. I would hope you do, too."




Jon had dinner ready when Luke got home. They finished their meal and sat
on the couch to watch some TV.

"I had a student hit on me today," said Luke.

"Male or female?"

"Male. I have to admit, it was kind of an ego boost. I didn't let him know
that, and I told him in no uncertain terms his attention wasn't
appreciated."

"I'm not surprised he hit on you, but I'm not worried. I'm glad you told
me...why did you do that?"

"I don't know if anyone saw it, and I didn't want you hearing it from
someone else. It was no big thing; he just put his arm around me. Even if I
was sure no one else knew about it, I'd still tell you."

"It's not your fault you're irresistible; I'm just glad you have self-
control."

Luke smiled at Jon. "All I have to do is think about you, babe."

Jon kissed Luke. "Is this guy flying with you again?"

"Yes, but if he doesn't back off I'm going to drop him."

"See what happens. Maybe he's one of those guys who wants to see what he
can get away with. I know you'll handle it okay."



Luke's next flight with Frank went smoothly, but Frank took every
opportunity to put his hands on Luke. It made Luke uncomfortable and when
Frank taxied back to the tie-down and shut off the engine Luke looked at
him.

"Frank, I think it would be better for you to fly with another instructor."

"Why? I like flying with you."

"Maybe a little too much. You need to concentrate on flying, not me. If you
can't do that, you're wasting your money. You have to be focused on what
you're doing with the aircraft. I'm not sure you can do that with me here."

"I guess I did come on a little strong. But give me another chance, Luke. I
want to learn to fly; you were just more than I bargained for. I'll behave
myself."

"This is the only time I'm going to say this--I'm married, I love my
husband, and I'd never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. If you
can't or won't respect that, I'll help you find another instructor."

"I read you loud and clear, Luke. I'll lay off and focus on flying. I still
want to fly with you."

"Okay, but I won't warn you again. This isn't a pickup bar; you're here to
learn and I'm here to teach you. That's what you're paying me for, and
nothing else. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Frank was chagrined as he drove home. He wasn't used to men rebuffing
him. He was very good-looking and usually felt like he ruled the roost
wherever he went. Luke's outright rejection was something he seldom
experienced. He decided maybe his approach had been wrong and he'd have to
reevaluate his tactics. Frank wasn't one to give up easily when he came
upon someone who interested him.



About a month after Luke's TV appearance he still had a respectable number
of students. Between them and the charters he was flying, his time each day
was filled solid. He was happy to realize he was bringing home almost as
much money as he had when he worked construction. That plus the fact Luke
seldom had to pay for flying time or his own instruction actually put him
well ahead financially. Frank continued his lessons with Luke and seemed
like he had gotten Luke's message. A couple of Luke's female students
flirted with him, but he just came out and told them he was not only
married, but also gay.  Being able to say that gave Luke a sense of freedom
he'd never felt before.  His candor worked with the majority of his
students and he was still the most in demand as far as instructors. Charlie
was a close second and he couldn't have been happier. Charlie was meeting a
lot of women and he went out on dates with a couple of them. He was
starting to have a life that involved more than just flying.

Luke began to realize he was going to have to start managing his time. He
was often working five or six days a week, especially on the weekends when
many of his students had the time to fly. During the week he frequently
flew charters for business people. That left little time for Luke to fly
for his own pleasure, even if he had the energy and wanted to.



Friday night after dinner Luke asked Jon if he wanted to go to The Inn.

"Aren't you flying tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm not going to drink--I just want to get out with you and have
some fun."

"Sounds good. We haven't been getting out together much lately."

"I know, and I'm sorry I broke my promise--that I wouldn't fly on the
weekends. You never even complained about it."

"That was when you were a student. I know you don't have a lot of control
over your schedule now, and I'm glad you're busy. I guess that's the price
I have to pay for having such a talented husband," smiled Jon as he kissed
Luke.

"I talked to Charlie and Dutch about it, and we're going to work together
so we can shuffle students and block out times for ourselves. Up until now
none of us had a problem with too many hours of flying. The airport is even
thinking of getting more planes; another Cessna for training and maybe
another plane for charters."

"That should be fun for you. They should pay you a finder's fee for all the
students you've brought in."

"They make up for it in other ways; I don't have to pay for any of the time
I fly when I'm getting checked out in a different plane. There's other
perks, too."

"That's good, you deserve it."

"What's that tag you're wearing?"

"Oh, it's my new security badge--I forgot to take it off. We're working on
another military contract and this time we have to beef up security for
it. I need to swipe the badge to get into the building and even some of the
internal areas. We had to install a lot of stuff. I even have to put my
thumb on locks to get into some areas so it can read my fingerprint."

"That sounds interesting. What kind of stuff are you working on?"

"It's the same kinds of things we've been working on, but it's for newer,
classified aircraft. I shouldn't even be talking about it; they're really
putting the clamps on us. We have specs and drawings we have to keep in a
vault. We even hired a guy to be in charge of accounting for all that
stuff.  I'm not used to having to be so secretive about work. Even I don't
know what half of it will wind up being used for--they only tell us as much
as we need to know to do the job."

"It's not like I'm going to grill you about it. I know your work is
sensitive, and I'm proud of you for that. Whatever you're working on, I
hope it's going well."

"It is, for the most part. I'm becoming comfortable dealing with clients
and especially the military brass. They seem to like me, maybe because I
look like I'm military."

"I think it's because you know what you're talking about, and they respect
your knowledge. Those guys are sharp; you can't fool them."

"I wouldn't try to. But I get along with them, and they've seen what we can
do for them."

"How do you think they'd feel if they knew you're gay?"

"I think they do know, but I'm not sure. It doesn't come up. But they're
regular guys; just because they're military doesn't mean anything. They're
people like anyone else."

"That's good to know. Let's go to The Inn and see what's happening there.
Rocky, wanna go to the bar?"

"Luke, it's gonna be crowded. He should stay here."

Rocky was already waiting at the door. "Too late, now he wants to go. He'll
be okay, and I haven't been able to take him flying all week so it'll be
our quality time."

"Oh, God!" sighed Jon. "I don't know why you didn't just marry him instead
of me!"



When they were close to The Inn, Rocky took a shortcut through the wrought
iron fence and onto the patio. He was pretty much a regular by now and went
up to a couple of people he knew. Jon and Luke made their way through the
bar and then outside and Rocky joined them. He sat on Luke's lap and poked
his nose against Luke's chin. A middle-aged woman walked up to them.

"I recognize you, and your cat's the one that flies, right? You two were on
the news, weren't you?"

"He's the one. This is Rocky."

"Oh, can I get a picture with you two?"

Luke smiled. "Sure, but I don't know if he'll autograph it."

The woman pulled up a chair and asked her friend to take the picture. She
leaned next to Luke and Rocky was between them. The friend took several
pictures and handed her phone to the woman.

"These are great! Thank you so much! Does he still fly with you?"

"Whenever he can, usually when I'm flying alone. But I don't get the chance
to do that too much lately."

Jon was smiling and trying to suppress his laughter. A couple of people
nearby wanted to know what was going on and the woman related how Rocky had
flown with a little girl who was sick. Rocky enjoyed all the attention and
the woman ordered drinks for Luke and Jon. Rocky and Luke were almost minor
celebrities. After things settled down Jon and Luke relaxed.

Luke said, "I never thought I'd be playing second-fiddle to Rocky. He sure
seems like he enjoys being in the spotlight."

"He loves being with you and whatever you're doing. I still don't
understand him. I can't believe how he likes flying with you. That's not
normal for cats."

"He's not normal--he's a special cat."



The Tuesday before Thanksgiving Cathy called Luke.

"Hi, Luke. Hon, I have a huge favor to ask of you. If you can't do it, just
say so."

"Name it," said Luke.

"Joe's mother was in a serious car accident yesterday and they don't know
if she's going to pull through. Joe wants to be with her, but he can't get
airline tickets because of the holiday. He wouldn't ask you, but is there
any way you or someone you know could get us to Denver? We can pay for it,
we just need a way to get there."

"Hold on a minute, Cathy, let me check the schedule."

Luke went to his computer and logged in to the flight school's site. He saw
he only had two students on Wednesday because of the holiday, and the Aztec
was free. Luke knew he could either cancel or shift his students to another
instructor.

"Okay, Cath, I can get a plane and fly you there. How long do you think
you're going to stay?"

"I don't know, it depends on how Joe's mother is doing. Once we get there,
we can find another way back--you don't have to stay."

"We'll play it by ear. If you're not staying that long we can fly back
together. But I know it depends on how things go. Don't worry, we'll figure
it out. We can leave for Denver first thing tomorrow morning. We should be
there by late afternoon."

"Thanks, Luke. I hope this doesn't screw up your holiday."

"Don't worry about that. You and Joe have enough on your minds."

"Let me talk to Joe and I'll call you back. Luke, you don't know how much
this means to me--and Joe. I'll talk to you a little later."



When Joe left work he drove toward home and called Cathy. She asked him to
come to her place for dinner.

"Joe," said Cathy, "after we eat, run to your place and pack some clothes.
We're flying to Denver tomorrow morning."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"Luke's flying us. It's all set."

"Cathy, we can't do that. It'll take him away from Jon and his family over
the holiday. That's not fair to him."

"Joe, will you think of yourself for once? You need help, and Luke wants to
help you. You're always helping other people. It's payback time."



When Jon walked in Luke gave him a kiss and got him a drink. They sat on
the couch and Luke looked at him.

"Jon, Joe's mother was in a car accident and they don't know if she's going
to make it."

"Damn, that's too bad. Is Joe doing okay?"

"I don't know, I only talked to Cathy. But they couldn't get a flight to
Denver, so I'm going to fly him and Cathy there tomorrow."

"Oh...when will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. I can't fly back tomorrow, that's too much flying in one
day-- I think it'll be about a five- or six-hour flight one-way. I might be
able to be back by Thursday afternoon."

"What about your parents? They're expecting us for Thanksgiving. I guess I
can go alone--even if you get back Thursday you'll be too tired to go
anywhere."

"What are you--nuts?! You can come with us, or stay home, or go to your
parents' house. Rockford's not that far out of the way and I can drop you
off, so why don't you do that? It'll be more fun for you, and you'll get a
good meal out of it. I know you'll have a nice time, and I feel guilty not
being with you on the holiday. But I couldn't say no to Joe and Cathy; we
both know what it's like to be in a position like that. I don't have to
come back Thursday; I can stay an extra day or two if Joe and Cathy want to
stay over. It would give you more time with your folks."

"I just thought it might be a good idea for me to see your parents. They're
my in-laws, after all."

"Believe me, Jon, they'll be relieved. They're not like your parents, you
know. They're getting better, but with either of us there they feel they
have to tip-toe."

"All right. What about Rocky? Do you want to take him with to keep you
company?"

"No, it's too much flying for him and he'd be in a strange place. He'll be
happier with you at mom and dad's, and he won't be stressed out. I'd like
to take him, but I don't think he'd enjoy it."




The next morning they all climbed aboard the Aztec with Luke and Jon in
front and Joe and Cathy behind them. Rocky sat with Joe, looking out the
window.  Rocky always seemed to enjoy being with Joe. Jon had called his
mother and told them where to meet the plane. He'd just be jumping out and
Luke would continue their flight. When they landed in Rockford Luke pulled
up to a flight office where they met Jon's parents. Peg had a cooler, which
she told Jon to put in the plane. Jon was about to put it in the forward
luggage compartment when Peg called to him.

"Jon, not there. It's a picnic basket."

"Oh, doh!" said Jon. He handed the cooler to Luke and Luke handed Rocky to
him as he stretched to kiss Jon. Rocky was somewhat dismayed when he
realized he wasn't going to be flying with Luke. Joe told Cathy to get into
the co- pilot's seat so he could stretch out. Cathy was a little worried
about Joe, but she saw he seemed comfortable and she hoped he'd get some
sleep. She was looking forward to meeting Joe's parents; it was a major
step in their relationship. Cathy was only sorry the circumstances weren't
better.

"Next stop, Denver!" exclaimed Cathy.

"No," said Luke, "Lincoln, Nebraska. We need to re-fuel there. We could
make it, but I don't like to run it that low, especially in the mountains
when I don't know the area that well."

Joe was soon sawing logs and Cathy was glad to see he was getting some
sleep.  She knew he hadn't slept most of last night. Their flight to
Lincoln was smooth and when they landed Cathy had to wake Joe up.

"Joe, don't you have to make a pit stop?"

Joe rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I guess I should. Where are we?"

"Lincoln, Nebraska. We're over halfway to Denver. Come on, let's get
something to drink and stretch our legs."

They relaxed with soft drinks for about a half-hour and then got back into
the plane and resumed their flight. Cathy turned her attention to what Luke
was doing and he explained a lot of the instruments and controls. He let
her take the controls for a while and let her get a feel for the plane.
Periodically she heard Air Traffic Control contact Luke and direct him or
tell him to switch to another Control Center on a different frequency. She
was fascinated by how it all worked. The next time they were contacted Luke
told Cathy to reply, telling her what to say. He showed her how to tune the
radio as they were instructed. Cathy picked up on this in no time, but she
always looked at Luke and he double-checked her. She was surprised she
heard a couple of women controllers on the radio. A while later Cathy heard
another transmission.

"Aztec 6-7-7-0-Yankee, squawk ident."

Luke pointed to a button on the transponder. "Push that button and tell
them we're squawking ident."

Cathy did exactly as Luke indicated. She pressed the button and noticed a
light next to it illuminate. She said into the mic, "7-0-Yankee, squawking
ident."

"Was that right?" asked Cathy.

"Perfect!"

"What did I just do?"

"They wanted to make sure which plane we are. The button on the transponder
you pushed sends a signal that flags us on their radar."

Cathy relaxed, but watched what Luke was doing and enjoyed learning.

"Luke, are we landing at Stapleton?"

"You mean Denver International? You're behind the times, Cath. No, we're
going to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan. It's closer to Joe's house and the
hospital. It'll be easier to land, too. It's not as busy."

Cathy remembered the cooler. "Joe, see what's in the cooler. Knowing Peg, I
don't think we'll go hungry."

There were enough sandwiches, containers of snack foods and soft drinks for
two meals for each of them. Joe handed out the sandwiches and some paper
napkins. They all enjoyed their snacks and the last leg of their journey
went quickly. After landing Luke went into the flight office and told them
he'd be staying at least until the next day, possibly longer. He arranged
to have the plane re-fueled. Joe called for a taxi; his father didn't want
to leave the hospital. The taxi soon arrived and it was only about a
20-minute ride to Joe's parents' place. Joe quickly showed Luke around and
told him there was most likely plenty of food in the refrigerator and he
should help himself. He also showed Luke the guest bedroom and told him to
make himself comfortable.  Joe knew Luke was tired after flying all day and
told him to relax and make himself at home. There was no reason Luke needed
to go to the hospital with them. Joe found the keys to one of the cars and
he and Cathy headed to the hospital. Luke called Jon.

"Hi, hon. Are you in Denver?"

"Yes, I'm at Joe's parents' and he and Cathy went to the hospital. I'm
cashed!"

"Are you coming back tomorrow? If it's too much, just stay another day."

"I'll see, I don't know how Joe's mother is yet. I'll see what they want to
do. How's everything with you and mom and dad?"

"It's a little nuts. Mom and dad asked the Ryersons over for Thanksgiving
since their sons can't make it. They're the ones we brought in the hay for.
And they asked Lillian and Calvin, too. You met them and picked up eggs
from them. It's too bad you aren't here, you're going to miss quite a
feast. But I'll be bringing back a ton of food and we'll celebrate
Thanksgiving together on Friday or Saturday."

"Okay, that'll be nice. How's Rocky?"

"He's fine, he spends most of his time playing with Frisbie. I can tell he
misses you, though. So do I. He keeps looking in the bedroom for you. I
don't know what that means," said Jon as he smiled.

"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow and we'll figure out when we're all coming
back. It's strange without you."

"I know, same here. But I'll see you in a day or two. Just relax and get
some sleep for your flight back. I can't wait to see you."



Luke woke up when Joe, his father and Cathy came home. He had been half-
sleeping and watching the TV on the couch.

"Dad," said Joe, "this is Luke, he's a good friend and he's our pilot. If
it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been able to be here so soon."

"I'm glad to meet you, Luke. I'm Al. Please make yourself at home."

"How is your mom, Joe?" asked Luke.

"She's doing a little better. She's out of Intensive Care and she seems
like she's going to be okay. But she's going to need a lot of physical
therapy when she gets out. They had to do surgery on her legs and put pins
in and there's other stuff. She's still in a lot of pain. She was elated
that I was able to come see her."

Luke said, "I'm glad to hear she's doing better. I know how stressful this
kind of thing is."

"Luke," said Cathy, "did you call Jon?"

"Of course. He's doing okay."

"Who's Jon?" asked Joe's father.

"He's Luke's husband. Remember, dad, I told you I was Luke's Best Man at
his wedding?"

"Oh, I didn't make the connection. It's good to finally meet you, Luke. Joe
has told me what good friends you are. It was very generous of you to fly
Joe and Cathy here."

"It was my pleasure. Joe and Cathy are like family to me."



Al, Joe and Cathy spent most of the next day at the hospital and then
returned home. Al invited them all to dinner at a local restaurant where he
was a good friend with the owner. They enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving
dinner with all the trimmings, which was as good as any homemade feast they
could ask for. As they were preparing to leave, the owner handed a bag to
Al.

"This is for Marie. Tell her we're praying for her and I hope she gets out
of the hospital soon."



When they arrived at the house they all talked for a few minutes and then
Luke excused himself, saying he was going to bed. Cathy went to the other
bedroom to check it out. Joe and his father sat at the kitchen table.

"How serious are you with Cathy, Joe?"

Joe blushed. "I don't know. I think it might be serious. I'm not sure yet."

"What are you waiting for? She's beautiful, she's smart, she's got a nice
personality, and she's self-confident. With good reason, I might add. I'm
not trying to pressure you, but you'd have to go a ways to find another
lady like her."

"Dad, you're making it sound like I'm buying a horse or something. I'm
still not sure how she feels. I think she loves me, but I'm not sure we're
ready."

"Son, I know how you are. You've always been shy and
self-conscious. Looking at you, I can't imagine why. There is no doubt in
my mind that Cathy loves you, and I know you love her. You're getting
older, you know. You should think about settling down."

"Dad, please. I know all that. I'm just not sure I'm ready yet."

"Joseph, you're 30 years old. How much longer are you going to make your
mother and me wait to be grandparents?"

Joe smiled at his father. "That wasn't my first priority. But I think Cathy
and I have something going. Her mother is pushing, too. We'll see what
happens."



Jon closed his phone and went back into the living room to rejoin his
parents.

"That was Luke. They're in Denver, and Joe's mom is out of intensive care."

Peg said, "That's good. It's too bad Luke won't be here for
Thanksgiving. But I'm glad you can be with us."

"I am, too. I was going to go to the Sorensens' but Luke wanted me to come
here. I wouldn't have been that comfortable going there, but I thought it
was something I should do."

"You'll get more comfortable with them as time goes on, and they will, too.
It takes awhile, especially when they're still coming to grips with you and
Luke."

"I know. I'm glad you both like Luke so much. You have no idea how much he
loves you. He always seems uneasy around his parents but when he's here
with you guys he's happy and relaxed. I don't know if I've ever told you
how much that means to me. It makes me proud to say you're my parents."

Peg smiled and grasped her son's hand. "You know, Jon, sometimes I think I
might have been jealous if you had married a woman. But with Luke, I just
feel like he's family--another son. I know that doesn't make sense, but at
times it's the way I feel. We love both of you."

"I know you do, mom. You're the best parents anyone could ask for."



Thursday afternoon Joe, Al and Cathy returned from the hospital. Cathy
looked in the refrigerator and decided to make an impromptu dinner. Al was
amazed at what she was able to concoct on the spur of the moment. Joe's
mother was steadily improving and they decided to head back to Chicago the
next morning.  Bill and Jon met them at the Rockford airport.

"Where's Rocky?" asked Luke.

"Oh, I guess we forgot him," said Jon. "You'll all have to come back to the
house for him."

Luke gave him a knowing smile. He knew Jon wanted them all to take a break
and see his parents. When they arrived, Peg hugged and kissed Luke, then
Cathy and Joe. Rocky meowed incessantly until Luke picked him up. Frisbie
was busy greeting everyone. Peg brought out some hot chocolate and cookies
for them to snack on. They spent the next hour or so talking about their
trip and Joe's mother.

"Jon," said Joe, "I'm sorry you and Luke couldn't be together for the
holiday."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Jon. "It's a small price to pay for giving you
and your family some peace of mind. We'll celebrate tomorrow. You and Cathy
come over tomorrow afternoon and we'll have our Thanksgiving feast
together."

"That'll be fun," said Cathy. "I'll bring dessert."

As they prepared to leave Luke looked around for Rocky. He was stretched
out with Frisbie in front of the fireplace. "Rocky, time to go home."

Rocky looked up, but didn't seem too anxious to leave.

"Rocky, wanna go flying?"

That got Rocky's attention and he followed everyone to the car.



When they arrived at Midwest Joe and Luke transferred their bags to the
car.  Jon got the three large bags of food his mother had prepared and put
them into the car, too. Cathy went into the office and asked Darleen to
send the bill for their charter to her; Joe was sometimes lax in keeping up
with his mail.

When they arrived home Luke asked Joe and Cathy to come in and have a
nightcap. "I'm not flying tomorrow, so I can have a couple of drinks with
you guys. I haven't been able to do that too much lately."

"Okay," said Joe, "but just one. You guys probably have some catching up to
do."

Jon said, "You two plan on coming over tomorrow around three. We'll have a
big dinner and we can all relax."

"That sounds great!" said Joe. "We're going to have to really hit the gym
next week, Luke. I've stuffed myself the past few days."

"I'm sure no more than usual," said Jon. "You always eat like there's no
tomorrow."

"I don't know where it all goes," said Cathy. "But it looks good on him."

After Joe and Cathy left Luke grabbed Jon and kissed him.

"I missed you. I've been looking forward to hugging you."

Jon squeezed him. "I'm looking forward to more than that."



The next afternoon Jon set up a buffet on the kitchen table. He sliced the
turkey and heated the gravy. Most of the other food would be good cold. Joe
and Cathy arrived and Cathy brought tiramisu for dessert. The four friends
had a nice afternoon casually snacking and talking. Gary and Avis stopped
by and Rocky was glad to see them. The whole group spent the afternoon and
early evening enjoying each other's company.

After everyone had left Jon and Luke put away the leftovers. Jon started to
take the dishes to the sink.

Luke said, "Just leave all that. It can wait until tomorrow, but I don't
think I can."

"You won't have to," said Jon as he pushed Luke toward the bedroom.



Cathy picked up her mail on Tuesday and noticed an envelope from Midwest
Aviation. When she opened it there was a hand-written notation on a Post-It
Note:

     "Time billed is for actual aircraft flying hours.
      We did not charge you for ground time or the pilot's time.
           --Carla"

Cathy pulled out her phone. "Luke, what the hell's this bill I got for our
flight?"

"Did they overcharge you?"

"Wise guy--you know what I mean. You jumped when I first called, you gave
up your holiday, and now you think you can get away with not charging for
your time?"

"Cath, I wanted to do this for you guys. Besides, it was relaxing flying
with you instead of students or regular charters. And I logged over 11
hours in the Aztec at your expense. Most of it was over the holiday and the
plane wasn't booked, so they didn't mind waiving the ground time."

"Luke, you're just too wonderful. But I'm going to think of something for
you."

"I'm happy I was able to help and do this for you and Joe. I enjoyed it;
I'm just sorry it wasn't under better circumstances."

"I know. Joe's mom is doing better and she's making good progress. You have
no idea how grateful Joe is to you."



Joe and Cathy were relaxing in Joe's condo with some wine and soft
music. It felt good to be home again and they enjoyed the quiet evening.

Cathy said, "Can you give me a check for our flight? I'd like to pay them
as soon as we can."

"Oh, sure. Do you have the bill?"

"No, but I know the amount, I wrote it down. I'll mail it or give it to
Luke."

Cathy told Joe what the charges were.

"Gee, I thought it would be more than that. But I don't know what that kind
of thing costs."

"Joe, Luke did us a huge favor. Anyone else would have paid almost twice as
much."

"How do you know?"

"There was a note on the bill. Luke didn't charge anything for being the
pilot and they didn't charge for the time the plane was out there on the
ground, either."

"Luke didn't get paid for flying us? That's crazy!"

"I know, but he won't consider it. He was happy to be flying with us and he
said it was a free ride for him."

"Maybe so, but he deserves to be paid for his time. He spent a lot of time
and money to get his license, so he should be paid for his effort."

"I'll think of something we can do for him. We can't just give him money;
he wouldn't accept it. It'll have to be something he can't refuse."

"I'll see what I can come up with. Maybe something for him and Jon. Between
the two of us, we should be able to think of something."



The next morning Joe and Luke were finishing their shower after working
out.

"Luke, I went on the Internet yesterday and looked up what it costs to
charter a plane and pilot. You guys are way under-priced. I don't know how
Midwest can keep it up."

Luke was toweling his hair. "We like to keep our rates affordable."

"Bullshit! Did you know your charter rates are on your Website? By my
calculations the only way I could have done that is to rent the plane and
fly it myself. Even then it would cost more than what we paid."

"Joe, forget it. You were in a bind, and I wanted to help you out. I'm glad
I was able to do that for you."

"No, I'm not going to forget it. Thanks, Luke. That's about the nicest
thing anyone has ever done for me. I appreciate it more than you know. I
was so worried my mom might die and I wouldn't be there for her."

"I know, and I'm glad it didn't come to that. And just seeing you with your
father, mother and Cathy made me feel good."

Joe looked at Luke and hugged him warmly. Luke was shocked he'd do that,
considering they were both nude. But it didn't seem unnatural to either of
them. Luke was glad Joe was that comfortable with him.



The next few weeks were relaxed for both the men. Jon's work was going well
and he adapted to dealing with clients as well as the increased workload in
production. Luke was enjoying instructing, but sometimes the charters he
flew required him to be away more than he'd have liked. They were both
looking forward to some time off over the holiday.



Christmas at the Addison's was even more festive than last year. Jon and
Luke had decided to take an extra day on both sides of the holiday weekend
and were able to spend five days with Bill and Peg. The first night they
were there, Peg told them Mrs. Ryerson, whom they had baled hay for last
summer, wanted them to come by. Both her sons were home on leave and she
was planning a small party. When they arrived, Jon introduced Luke to the
boys. Actually, Jon hardly recognized them--he remembered the Ryerson boys
as a couple of somewhat rowdy and rough-and-tumble teenagers. Now they were
two men who looked as if they modeled for recruitment posters. The boys
hugged Jon and Luke, telling them how much they appreciated all the work
they had done to help their parents.

On Christmas morning they began unwrapping presents. Luke brought out
Rocky's first present--a container of "Cat-a-Tonic" catnip. Rocky was
quickly in the holiday spirit and was trying to help everyone unwrap
presents, and then diving into the pile of discarded wrapping paper. Jon
gave him a packet that looked like it was for him. Rocky began tearing and
chewing at the paper, and Jon was dismayed when he saw what it was.

"Luke, these are chew sticks--they're for dogs, not cats!"

"Oh, he wasn't supposed to open those--they're for Frisbie. I have another
pack at home for Rocky to give to Avis. Here, Rocky, take this to Frisbie."

Rocky sniffed at the chew stick but wasn't impressed. After some coaxing
Luke got him to take it to the puppy. Frisbie loved it and Rocky watched
him gnaw the rawhide. He sniffed the chew stick again a couple of times but
apparently failed to understand the attraction. He went to Jon for more
catnip, and then pounced on the puppy and they wrestled amid the discarded
wrapping paper.

"Dad," said Luke, "would you have time to look at my car? I think it could
use your expertise."

"Sure, we can do that tomorrow. We'll go into town and get oil, filters and
maybe plugs. I can check the timing and other stuff while I'm at it. I'll
show you everything I'm doing so you'll know."

Bill looked forward to working on Luke's car. It made him glad Luke wanted
his help, and he was happy Luke seemed to want his input. Bill and Peg were
thrilled Jon and Luke were together--they both knew how much Luke meant to
Jon and they couldn't be happier for their son.

The next morning Bill and Luke drove into Rockford to the auto parts store
he frequented. It was apparent to Luke that everyone there knew Bill and
liked him. Bill introduced Luke as his son-in-law and rattled off what they
needed for Luke's car. After returning to the house they spent the next
couple of hours working on the car and Frisbie watched. Luke was impressed
with how thorough Bill was. He checked all the fluid levels, the tire
pressure, adjusted the timing and changed the oil. Jon walked into the barn
and said he had sandwiches ready for lunch and the three walked back to the
house.



That evening the two men were tired after all the commotion of the holiday
and they went to bed a little early. They relaxed in each other's arms.

"Jon, when you first saw me, was it 'love at first sight'?"

"Is this a trick question?"

"No, I just wondered. When I first saw you, I knew something was going to
happen."

"Well you sure waited long enough. I had almost given up and at one point I
began to think of going out with a couple of guys. What would you have done
if I did that?"

"I'm not sure. It might have pushed me to make a move. Looking back on it
all, I don't know why I didn't make my move sooner."

"You sure weren't making it easy for me with you spending so much time with
Molly. I was sure you were straight back then. But sometimes I'd notice you
looking at me and that made it even stranger. Then I'd think it was just
wishful thinking on my part. I didn't want to make a fool of myself or risk
our friendship."

Luke gave Jon a gentle squeeze. "That's water under the bridge. Being here
with you next to me makes me the happiest man in the world. I honestly
never imagined my life could be this wonderful."

Jon had his hand on Luke's chest and teasingly stroked it. He gently pulled
at the hair. Luke squeezed him again and kissed his shoulder.

"Luke, we've been married for over a year now and there's one thing we
haven't really discussed."

"What's that?"

"We've never talked about having kids. I'm not saying it's something we
have to do, but I think we should at least talk about it."

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