Chapter 363: Danny XXXV—Did You Hear

“No one goes out for ice cream at the beginning of January, Cecile,” Danny said letting her hang onto his hand, tugging him into the ice cream shop. They had seen it as they were walking down the sidewalk and Cecile jumped like an impatient child, giggling and declaring her craving.

“Oh come on,” Cecile replied and he was stunned by her pretty, rosy cheeked smile when she looked back at him. His breath actually quickened along with his pulse. Ah yes, one of those moments where the every deepening power of her maturing beauty just slapped him silly. “It’s not like an ice cream shop is seasonal right? Besides, it’s not supposed to be sixty degrees in January, what’s up with that?”

Danny laughed. “That’s Colorado for you, it’s real weird. God it’s gorgeous today!” And that was an understatement, he had heard the weather predictions forecasting a warm day but he hadn’t really believed it to begin with. Walking out into the warm, sunny spring like morning had been like two steps into an unexpected paradise. He couldn’t believe that just days ago, just yesterday, things had been so cold, or frigid and cloudy.

By the time he had gotten showered and dressed and he picked up Cecile, most of the snow had disappeared from the grown, leaving behind a wet, dripping, muddy world a blue cloudless sky burning over it. Now how long would this last?

“….with LOTS of raspberry sauce, Danny you’re getting something right? You’re not gonna make me eat alone right?”

Dan slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, she pressed her cheek into his shoulder and he looked at the menu on the wall before ordering a plain strawberry sundae.

“MMMM ice cream, ice cream, ice cream,” Cecile said over and over again and Dan could feel her absolutely trembling with heat and excitement as he paid for them. “I love ice cream!”

“Jeez when was the last time you had it?” Dan asked with a laugh.

Cecile closed her eyes, “Ooo I don’t know a couple weeks, but this is the good stuff! I’m just in an ice cream mood. It’s the sun you know, gets things going. Do you think it’ll stay like this?”

“I don’t know,” Danny replied and he took the ice creams and followed Cecile to a small table to sit down. He watched her slip her spoon into her creation and take a swallow. “Keaner says the weather in Colorado is like a French girl.”

Cecile smiled and dabbed at her lip with a napkin. “What? How?”

Dan winked. “Even when she’s frigid she’ll still give you a warm hug.” Of course Dan told Cecile a quickly sanitized version of Keaner’s quote. Yeah he could just imagine her face if he told her the real line. He’d probably end up with her ice cream on his face.

Cecile half smiled. “I bet,” she paused and then said carefully, “Keaner says that.”

“Well I could tell you how he really…”

Cecile held up her hand. “I’m enjoying my ice cream, let’s leave it at that.”

Danny laughed. “Yeah Keanes is pretty colorful, to say the least.”

“Yes what with inciting the deepest most hidden urges to wield axes in his teammates right?” Cecile said with a twinkle in her eye and a dry voice.

“I thought I would die that day,” Dan said frankly and that only caused Cecile to laugh out loud and she reddened, and covered her face. His heart warmed because he knew that before, mention of Keaner or of hockey in general, things like that, used to bring a cold shudder out of her. Now perhaps she had no other recourse but to accept the life here, and perhaps he should actually thank her mother for casting her completely into his world, but she did seem to be genuinely interested and concerned with his affairs nowadays.

“Oh wow,” Cecile sighed, and she grinned at him, he took her hand and kissed her fingers and those eyes sparkled. “Oh Danny I forgot to tell you, eh, but you probably already know, did you hear it at practice? You probably already heard it.”

“Mm I don’t think so; I didn’t hear any news at practice, is it good?”

Cecile nodded eagerly and she glowed as if illuminated from some inner source. “I mean it’s not good news for the charity game, heehee we lost a goalie, but it’s great news, it is. Jennifer’s pregnant, Mrs. Foote, she’s gonna have a baby; I can’t believe Adam hasn’t told you guys yet! It’s so exciting! Isn’t that great? There’ll be a little baby around!”

“Oh,” Danny said, and he felt kind of funny. Really, concerning Jennifer, all he could think of was the tone of her voice as she screamed at Patrick in an obvious lover’s spat. He wondered if she ever found her gloves lying on the front yard. He thought of that day when she had been in Michele’s kitchen, laughing and joking with her, only to be planning her next liaison with Patrick. “Wow, that’s neat, how… when is she due?”

How dumbass to think that! Danny’s mind berated. Patrick would be careful wouldn’t he? Jennifer would be, she’s a married woman. And wasn’t Adam bragging about a month ago about what he had been doing with Jennifer in bed? But what about Michele? She doesn’t know about her husband and Jennifer, does she? That at least was the merciful thing for her, because at least she wouldn’t have to worry. He couldn’t imagine the pain she would go through if she knew.

Wouldn’t that just be the case? Danny thought. Today was so bright and sunny, things were perfect, here he was remembering every single reason why he loved Cecile and from her own mouth would come the trigger that reminded him of Michele and her sad eyes. What can I do for her? Nothing! Why do I dwell on it when no one else does?

Cecile shrugged. “Mrs. Roy thinks perhaps she’s a month gone or so, I don’t know for certain though. I’ll have to congratulate Jennifer and get all of the information directly,” she took another spoonful of ice cream and beamed. “But just the thing we need around here don’t you agree? A baby!”

Danny touched Cecile’s hand again. “Yeah Adam’s gonna be pumped up about it I bet, he’ll probably be a monster on the ice. If it’s a boy, he’ll go nuts.”

Cecile nodded. “And then they grow up,” she giggled, “You have to hear what Jana did to Jonathan this morning…”

It wasn’t Adam Foote’s face Danny noticed first when he tossed entered the locker room, his bag slung over his shoulder, it was Patrick’s. Honestly, he hadn’t seen a glowing surreal smile on his face like that since, well since the night they won the cup. Pale bliss seemed to melt years off his face, and his eyes seemed be round and large, like a child’s. “Patty, jeezers,” Dan said as good naturedly as he could. “You get an eighty million dollar contract extension or something?”

Patrick’s eyes fell half closed like a sleepy cat’s and he grinned. “I may as well have, I feel just as well, yes?”

“Sure,” Danny replied. “What’s up?”

Patrick shrugged. “Do I need a reason to be blissful, my friend?”

Adam Foote laughed and that’s when Danny saw the same expression on his face. “I just told Patty the good news, and I’ll be damned if he seems happier than me, now that’s a friend!” He patted Roy on the back.

Dan grimaced. “Good news?”

“Adam got Jen knocked up,” Derek Morris said.

“Yeah and he didn’t bring in any cigars!” Blake laughed. “Damn what’s an announcement without a stogie?” He sniffed and stuck out his bottom lip.

“Well have no fear my friend, you shall have your stogie,” Footer reached in his duffel bag and pulled out a pungent box of cigars to the delight of the locker room. A swarm of teammates surrounded Footer and the cigars were passed around.

“Woah hey, save those for later,” Sakic snapped but with good natured eyes. “We have a game to play first. I don’t want the second period remembered for Tiger or Noter puking on the goal crease or something.”

Hinote only absentmindedly laughed because he could see Patrick with that same excited glow on his face. Adam was absolutely right about one thing; Roy almost seemed more euphoric about the baby news than Adam. He wanted to put his hands over his ears and run to the bathroom and vomit everything in his system it burned inside him so badly. Patrick couldn’t be that perverse could he?

And what about Michele? Did she have a right to know or suspect any of this? Could he really stand on the side and watch this any longer without doing something? He really did feel as if he were gonna pop from the inside out. Why did he have to be the only one to be aware of these things?

“It’s a gorgeous day today is it not?” Patrick said brightly, happier than he had a right to be. “Who would have thought for the beginning of January eh? I could almost see a visit to the golf course.”

“Yeah well you know what they say about Colorado weather,” Keaner said with his cigar already clenched in his teeth.

“What’s that?” Alex asked.

“She’s like a French whore, she’ll go dry on you in the middle of a wet fuck, you never know what’s going to happen.”

At that moment, Joe Sakic inhaled and choked on his water bottle, spitting its contents all over poor Tanguay’s face. Alex scowled and then howled, “Ooo Captain, why WHY?”

“It’s the cold truth,” Keaner grinned, “She’s an unpredictable little bitch, but you gotta take what you can get.”