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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