Epilogue
Mikey had just finished up with a tour, and he was ready for a break, ready to spend a heavenly couple of months with Luke at the cabin.
This was the moment he’d been waiting for, and he was going to savor it.
He loved being on tour, of course, and he loved it even more when he was touring for an album he really believed in and when he got to do some shows with Mindy (who he was still trying to convince to visit West Virginia).
However, there were also times when he just wanted to kick back and relax with the man of his dreams.
Before he did, though, he had a very important stop to make.
He needed to stop at NACA.
In the two years since the benefit concert the Northern Appalachia Center for the Arts had experienced a renaissance.
More donations had poured in, Brenda had been amply rewarded for her skills in shepherding the Center to a new period of growth, and it had even been reported on in various national outlets.
Mikey didn’t like to be too conceited, but he did like it that he and Luke had played a key role in saving it from being demolished. Now it could continue being a major arts institution for the area, providing necessary resources for a new generation of young artists.
Brenda, of course, was in her office, and she gave him a big hug the minute he walked in.
“It’s always so nice to see you,” she said. “Truly. And you look terrific. Touring and chart success clearly agree with you.” She beamed at him. “Your song with Luke, ‘Anything Goes’ was number one on Spotify the last time I checked. You’re doing NACA proud, Mikey.”
Mikey preened under the praise, even as he took the chance to really examine the many improvements they’d made to the Center over the last couple of years.
The signs of neglect were completely gone.
The entire building had been given a thorough renovation, but care had been taken to make sure its classic character was maintained.
Every studio was now equipped with state-of-the art recording equipment, and every instrument had been replaced.
Even the theater department had been given a refresh, which included brand new costumes and props and an ample budget for sets.
I’m proud of us, he thought about his and Luke’s efforts. We did this.
“How are things with you?” he asked. “Are things here okay?”
He made it a point to check in as often as possible, and to his delight Brenda smiled.
“Oh yes, we’re fine,” she said. “More than fine, actually. We’ve never been better.
Some of the most troublesome members of the board have conveniently taken other positions, and the donations continue to pour in.
The endowment is flourishing, and we have enough money in our accounts to see us through several years. ”
“That’s good,” he began, but before he could say anything else she interrupted him.
“Enough business,” she said. “You’ve got a boyfriend waiting for you, don’t you?”
Mikey did, and to be honest he couldn’t wait to get back to Luke, but he didn’t want Brenda to feel like she didn’t matter to him. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say his relationship with Luke would never have happened if it weren’t for her.
When he tried to express his gratitude, however, his tongue got all twisted up. In any case, she just waved her hand.
“Don’t waste time being grateful to me,” she said. “I’m the one who’s never going to be able to repay the two of you for all you did. Without you, there wouldn’t be a NACA today.”
To his surprise, Mikey actually felt himself getting a little overwhelmed.
“Okay, that’s enough of the mushy stuff,” Brenda said, no-nonsense as usual. “Stop loitering her and get up there to your cabin. He’s missed you.”
“Would you mind if I give you a hug, first?” he asked.
“Oh, come on then,” Brenda said, and they hugged. She then essentially threw him out the door.
“Tell Luke I said hi!” she said, and then Mikey was on his way.
Mikey smiled to himself as he drove up to the cabin on Fish Creek. No matter how many times he made this drive, and no matter how many years he spent with Luke, it never got old, and it certainly never lost its magic.
With the windows rolled down, he could hear the faint chatter of Fish Creek in its banks, could hear the chirping of the robins and the cardinals and the red-winged blackbirds, could even–if he listened really carefully–hear the sound of the wind in the trees.
It was late spring, his favorite season in the Mountain State, and he was going home to be with the man he loved.
I am one lucky guy, he thought, for probably the dozenth time since his plane had touched down. I’m just glad the two of us finally found our way back to each other.
Every single day he was reminded of just how lucky he was to have someone like Luke in his life, as well as how lucky he was to have someone who loved music as much as he did and understood the pressures of being on tour.
The tour had been a success, but at almost every stop, he’d been asked by fans and journalists alike–including, of course, Gina LaBun herself–just when Luke was going to come out of his self-imposed exile and join his boyfriend on the tour circuit.
Each and every time Mikey would give them the same answer, which was nothing less than the truth: he’d join when he was ready.
Mikey had high hopes the moment might be closer than ever. Luke had been working on some new music, and Mikey suspected it would only be a matter of time before he was back in the studio. And then, who could say? Maybe they’d even be on tour together soon.
That was the dream, anyway.
At last, he came within sight of the cabin, and his heart started doing the same somersaults it always did when he got this close to being with Luke again.
You need to calm down, he thought. You’re acting like a teenager.
But then, that was the unique magic of their relationship, wasn’t it?
As soon as he stepped out of the truck Luke was walking down the driveway, Duke galloping ahead of him. Even Loretta and Reba seemed to sense he was nearby, at least judging by their neighing.
Luke came to a stop a few feet from him and just stood there, hands on his hips, a faint smile playing on his lips. Duke, meanwhile, practically leapt into Mikey’s arms, bathing him in kisses.
“It figures my dog would get the chance to kiss my boyfriend before I do,” Luke huffed. “I swear, sometimes I don’t know what to do with you.”
Mikey just laughed.
Finally, he managed to get away from Duke long enough he could walk toward Luke, and now it was his turn to just stand there.
Luke was, if anything, even more devilishly handsome than he’d been when they first got back together two years ago, dressed as he was in his “good ole boy chic” (a term Mikey unabashedly stole from Bryce).
He’d put on even more muscle–all that time working on the farm was paying off–and he’d grown a full beard.
He looked, Mikey thought, like what he was: a good ole West Virginia boy.
It was enough to make him fall in love all over again.
At the same time, Luke had a lightness to him. He was at peace with himself and with all aspects of his life. In addition to his friends, who still made regular pilgrimages out here, his Aunt Patty had also been coming out pretty frequently, and Mikey knew how much her visits meant to Luke.
“Are you gonna just stand there all day, or are you gonna kiss me?” Luke demanded, a familiar twinkle in his eyes.
Mikey took another second, and then he kissed Luke like his life depended on it.
As they stood there, arms around each other, it was like the headiest moment on stage, when every note hit just right. It just didn’t get better than this.
Mikey couldn’t ask for anything more.