Page 22 of Puck Love

“You shouldn’t hunt,” I say. “Animals aren’tsport.”

He turns angry black eyes on me. “Excuseme?”

“Babe, that’senough.”

“Wait, I know you,” he says to Van. “You’re the Crushers’ center, aren’tyou?”

“You’re a fan?” Van smiles, and he seems to deflate. For a half-second, I’m afraid of being recognized too, but this guy doesn’t really scream country music fan. More like classic rock, or deathmetal.

“I’m a Torontofan.”

“Shit,” Vanmutters.

“You beat the shit out of Cote and put him in the hospital. He was our best player. You’re the reason we didn’t make last year’splayoffs.”

“Come on, now, that’s a pretty big claim. Besides, he cross-checked my face. Way I see it, he had itcoming.”

The hunter tightens his grip on his gun. Van must see it too, because he takes my hand. “Stella, babe,run.”

“What?” I say, and then he’s yanking me along behind him. We dash through the trees, back the way we came, collecting Emmett along the way. When we make it to the Hummer, I bend double, rest my hands on my knees and attempt to catch my breath. “Is he going to shootus?”

“Nah, we lost him about a half a mile back. Damn, girl. I thought you workedout.”

“I do.” I hold my hand up to indicate he should wait. “But I’m not normally wrapped up like a marshmallow and running through the Canadian Rockies while some terrifying hockey-hunter whack job chases us with arifle.”

Van laughs, and the bastard isn’t even out of breath. “You should see yourface.”

“Oh my god, you’re an asshole,Van.”

“He is an asshole,” Emmett agrees, seemingly as out of breath as Iam.

“Get in the car, Brother,” Van says. Emmett pokes his tongueout.

“What happened to themoose?”

“He ran right into a tree. Fell and didn’t get up. I flew right by him, and he didn’t even noticeme.”

“You didn’t want to use the rifle in your hands and shoot him while he was chasingme?”

“No. I would have killed you.” He smiles sheepishly. “I’m a fucking terribleshot.”

My blood turns cold when I realize that I could have been slain by more than one hunter today.Oh my god. Let’s go hunt moose, he said. It’ll be fun, he said. That jackass. I frown at Van, and take a closer look at the gun in his hands. “Well, it don’t help that you bought the cheapest rifle on the market. There’s your first mistake rightthere.”

“What?” He gapes at me indisbelief.

“I know how to shoot a gun, Van. I grew up in Tennessee. Why the hell do you think I’m a vegetarian? My granddaddy shot anything that moved. I didn’t like it, and I especially didn’t like eating them after I’d seen the poor things skinned and strung up while the blood drained out ofthem.”

He has this glazed expression on his face. “I am all kinds of turned on rightnow.”

“Because I’m avegetarian?”

“Because you know how to shoot a gun. Chicks with guns arehot.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh my god.” I throw my hands up in exasperation but Van moves closer. I take a step back and find myself leaning against the Hummer. He slides his hand into my hair, his huge palm grazing my cheek. Van leans in, and . . . Emmett slams his fist on the horn. “Come on, Van. I’m freezing my nuts off inhere.”

Van chuckles. “Saved by thebell.”

I glance up at this gorgeous enigma of a man and sigh as he pulls away. I’m pretty sure it’s not the cold that’s making my face flush all over, and I have no doubt that he’s all too aware of it. I laugh nervously as Van smiles down at me with a knowing grin, and he backs away. I lean my head against the car and take several deep breaths. From a rampaging moose to hot hockey players, the Canadian wilderness is a dangerous place for a girl fromTennessee.

---