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I told him what I knew

He asked to talk to my dad, so I shoved the phone into the curtain of the tiny roo dressed and listened to the one-sided conversation he had with Hawke It ot back on the phone with hi for ame And dress warm"

So I did After my dad and I went out for a celebratory early ame on TV I even let my dad have a beer--he deserved it--and we cheered and yelled for the Cold Fury I cheered especially hard for Hawke, especially when he got into a fight with a Mustang defensereat and powerful Hawke Therrien The h the TV to kick his ass He did and it orth the five-lorious I have such pride in what he does, how far he’s co on the ice, and looked even better when he walked across the lot toward er when he was halfway and I went to meet him His hand went behind ame," I whispered as he pulled back

"Fuck that," he said with a sot in his car after he threw his gear bag in the trunk I saw a small cooler in there and raised an eyebrow in question, but he uesthe Aviation Parkway exit toward the airport It’s late and there’s little traffic His right hand co inof curiosity?"

"A little," I say primly, but I’m truly puzzled

"You hate surprises," he says

"No I don’t," I tell him quickly "I used to hate surprises, but now I find they appeal tovoice that makes my blood hum

As the airport loo and the traffic control tower blinking its steady red lights, Hawke turns on his turn signal To the left and right of the parkway sit large reen hills and tall, y pine trees He slows and turns onto a dirt road that I had never noticed before, not that I’ve been this way much Just the handful of times I’ve traveled with the team by plane

He never says a word and neither do I as we bounce along for about two hundred yards, around a bend that shields us fro by the water Loing azaleas, holly, and cae, the glow from the airport reflected therein

"This is beautiful," I whisper as Hawke brings his car to a halt, puts it in park, and kills the engine With the headlights extinguished, the darkness engulfs us and I feel truly secluded

Hawke gets out of the car and I folloatch as he pulls the cooler fro with two blankets It’s crisp outside,that would require a coat A Nova Scotian wouldn’t dare think of wearing a coat in this ood with my jeans and sweater

"A picnic?" I ask curiously as Hawke spreads one blanket on the grass and kneels on it He tosses the other down and opens the cooler

"Sort of," he says with a grin as he pulls out a bottle of cha Dave’s success was in order tonight Don’t you think?"

"Totally agree," I say as I drop to my knees on the blanket beside him

He removes the foil and wire and pops the cork flawlessly Very suave and soo Back then it was popping the top of a beer can

I giggle as I think of the difference in this man and I appreciate it even ne, and sit back on the blanket as atch planes fly low overhead and then land with a roar When I finish my bubbly, I set the e aze up at the clear moon, I say, "Remember e used to say about the moon?"

Hawke drains his cup and tosses it aside He lays down on his side, propping up on his elbow and resting his head in the palm of his hand He smiles down at rin "When you were traveling with the Oilers and I was ht and tell ht now It’s the saether’ "

I’m surprised the words actually come out a little choked up over the sweet memory, and perhaps it’s just the emotion of this spectacular day, but I’m a little embarrassed when I slide my eyes from the moon to him The shadows obscureback at ently When he pulls back, he says, "I was quite the role "You totally got all ives a husky laugh and bends over to kiss ain It’s deep and possessive, full of passion and desire He ht into erotic territory with just a few skillful swipes of his tongue against ain, I never could