"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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