She actually found Luke's boot interest to be quite advantageous. Not only did she now have a new source of footwear conveniently reposing underneath Luke's bed, she had a surefire way of stoking Luke's fire should it ever need…stoking. And the knowledge that he'd always know what he could get her for a special occasion.
As the summer wore on, Lorelai proposed to Luke, her (soon-to-be their) home was being renovated, but Rory and she were estranged. Lorelai, always a playful and witty person, felt the need for some summer delight.
Luke was finally taking her up to his mysterious fishing cabin, and Lorelai was beside herself with excitement. A weekend in a cabin with Luke, all alone, was just what they both needed. She knew she'd not been the happiest fiancée and wanted to do something for Luke.
And that's when she remembered the fishing boots.
-----
As usual, Luke complained when he loaded her baggage into the bed of the trunk. It was more and more obvious that he'd truly never lived with a woman before. Lorelai assured him that she had packed many "options", of which he would be the lucky beneficiary. During the drive to the cabin, Lorelai had smirked with self-satisfaction, for in one of those bags, she'd managed to squirrel away the yellow fishing boots.
As they approached the lake area, a summer downpour was baptizing the truck. Lorelai was grateful for the thoroughness with which Luke had stowed their bags, remembering to cover it all with a tarpaulin. They were silent as Luke slowly maneuvered through the thunderstorm; he could barely see the unpaved road through the sheets of rain pouring down from the sky.
Arriving at the cabin, Lorelai began to have second thoughts, though. It looked like it hadn't been painted in years, and as they ran in through the door that Luke quickly unlocked, Lorelai desperately hoped that there would be light and electricity.
"There's a wood stove in the corner." Luke motioned in its direction after they'd rushed into the cabin from the rain. "I'll go turn on the generator. You'll probably be wanting electricity…"
Lorelai surveyed the tiny cabin. It wasn't that bad, she thought. She noticed the aforementioned wood stove, and a table and two chairs in the corner. Next to the stove, a door led to a smallish bedroom, with a comfy-looking double bed in the corner. Off that room, it looked like there was even some sort of indoor plumbing. Lorelai sighed with relief, and moved towards the bed, which looked like it was covered with an antique quilt. She sat down on it and fingered the patchwork.
"I'm gonna start a fire," Luke called to her, "I keep a pile of wood on the back porch."
Luke soon had a fire burning in the stove, and suggested that Lorelai take off her clothes.
"Dirty!" she smirked.
"No, we're both soaked to the skin. I'm gonna run and get the bags."
After he returned, they quickly changed, and soon were snuggled on the bed, Lorelai listening to the rain.
"I just love rain," she chattered, "summer rain…"
"Shhh…" Luke advised, as he began stroking her body underneath the quilt. "Slow down. Relax. It's just us, no clocks, nothing to do..."
In return, Lorelai shifted her weight, reached under the quilt as well, and began to run her fingertips gently down his length, then left him feeling bereft as she moved onto his thigh.
"Don't stop," he requested.
Lorelai smiled, her fingers returning to stroke him. He sprang to life under her hand, as the rain pounded even harder onto the cabin roof.
"You know," he murmured, "out here, no one can hear…a thing…and with the rain…"
He moved down between her legs and, before she knew it, she proved him right.
"Lorelai," he whispered after her heart had slowed to a more normal rate, "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known."
She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair, before wickedly saying, "And you'd better remember that forever."
The rain continued coming down.
He settled his body over hers, and she reached out to guide him to her, as he gently slid inside her. The rain softened to a pitter-patter, and as they made love, all she could hear was the rain, and Luke occasionally exhaling her name in rhythm with the rain.
------
Afterward, they lay together, wrapped in the quilt; Luke's breathing finally slowing while she stroked his hair. The rain had stopped.
"This quilt is so…warm," she murmured. "Is it a family heirloom?"
"Dunno about the heirloom part," Luke admitted, "but my grandmother made it."
"It's beautiful…"
"No, you're beautiful," he whispered in return. Luke took her hand and kissed her fingertips, one by one, punctuating each kiss with a syllable. "I am so lucky."
"Oh, I don't know, I think we both are." Lorelai trembled as he took her other hand, and slowly kissed each fingertip. "Anyhow, I'm hungry. Where's the food?"
Lorelai jumped up, and Luke laughed.
-----
The morning was bright and sunny, and Luke woke to actually find that Lorelai was already up and out of bed. Opening the cabin door, he saw her standing on the front porch.
Lorelai turned to grin at him. "'Morning," she smirked, as she watched his eyes move up and down her body, from the skimpy sky-blue bikini to the yellow Morton's Salt Girl fishing boots.
It was going to be a great day to be Luke Danes.
-
Epilogue, the following Spring, after Rory returns to Yale
"We can't stay, Mom. We were in Hartford looking at some new hardware for the Inn's kitchen. Just decided to drop by to pick up that crystal bowl you thought would look good at the reception desk."
Luke and Lorelai had been ushered into the Gilmore manse. As usual, the opulent surroundings, symbolic of conspicuous consumption, made Luke nervous and uncomfortable.
Luke took an involuntary step backwards as Emily Gilmore brushed past him.
"We can't stay," Luke parroted, his shoulders stiff, his fingers clenching and flexing Lorelai's hand in an attempt at self-soothing.
"Come, sit," Emily demanded, "and have a drink. Who's driving?"
"I am, Mom," Lorelai replied.
"Well then. Luke, we do have beer. Just for you. Amelia!" Emily summoned the maid du jour.
After the maid left with the order, Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. Lorelai shot a quick glance at Luke and jumped in to forestall the latest litany of maid woes, by asking Emily, "So where is it, Mom?"
Emily was distracted. "Oh Amelia?" she shouted after the maid, "Luncheon would be nice for my guests as well."
"Yes ma'am!" The maid curtseyed; she had heard Emily in time.
"Mom, I told you, we can't stay--"
Emily opened her mouth.
"Look, Mrs. Gilmore, I mean Emily, Lorelai's had a busy morning. She's tired," Luke said as he patted his fiancée's hand, "I'm sure she can spend time with you later this week."
Lorelai whispered into his ear. "Nice try."
"Very well then, I'll just bring the bowl out here."
Lorelai sighed as Amelia brought the beer to Luke.
"Let's sit," she recommended, and guided Luke to the love seat.
Luke gratefully attacked his beer. Amelia, on the ball, noticed that he'd drained his beer in record time and retrieved a second from the kitchen for him before he'd even noticed.
"I'd like a Manhattan," Emily advised her maid.
"So any plans for the weekend, Mom?" Lorelai asked.
"We were going to look for real estate. Investments, you know," Emily advised. "And how is Rory? Is she back in that sorry excuse for Section Eight housing? I never thought a granddaughter of mine would…"
"Why not, Mom? She's living with her friend Paris. She's perfectly fine."
Luke rolled his eyes, and then closed them, having drained a third beer now.
Emily continued. "Surely you don't expect her to live in that hovel of a crack house, do you?" When Lorelai looked up, she continued, "Are you out of your mind?"
"She's an adult, Mom," Lorelai replied through clenched teeth.
Emily would not stop. "Maybe I can ask Shira to call Logan. If not, if it'll help, I'll talk to Logan myself."
"Mom, it's too late. Logan is the reason she had to move back in with Paris. Please, just drop it. Just leave it alone."
"All I'm saying is--maybe I should call Christopher--"
"Please, just drop it," Lorelai said more forcefully.
Emily passed in front of them, and gave the couple a long stare before giving in with a sigh. "All right. But mark my words, if anything happens…" She trailed off as her drink arrived. "Ah, thank you Amelia." She crossed in front of the couple once more on her way to the crystal bowl. "So Lorelai, it's actually over in the corner, the bowl that is…"
Lorelai looked over at Luke. He had suddenly turned pale and stiffened, his hands on his knees.
"Are you OK?" Lorelai hissed. "How many beers have you had?"
Luke continued staring ahead.
Lorelai was worried. Ever since April, Luke was just acting more and more like…well, like not Luke.
"Here, let me bring it over…" Emily advised.
"No, Mom, it's OK, I'll come over in a minute."
Luke now had moved one hand to Lorelai's knee, gripping onto it for dear life.
Lorelai looked over at Emily, and then blanched, even as Luke's grip tightened even more.
EmilyGilmore was wearing knee-high leather boots.
fin