"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