Dirty Little Secret (Patrick Kane)

Forty Two

Patrick

As soon as I got my fiancé back from LA we celebrated her birthday then I had to leave for the circus trip. For two weeks we once again were going around Canada and the west coast while the circus was at the United Center. Emerson came out for a few games for my birthday but has since left to go handle things back home.

So I was stuck with the guys once again for the next week and they never seemed to have difficulty of finding questions to ask me.

"What's Emerson's secret project she's working on" Corey asks at lunch and I laugh. He was scrolling through his phone and must have saw all the hints she had been dropping on Twitter.

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you" I remind him.

"I'm good at keeping secrets" he claims.

"You're really not" I laugh.

"Please. I want hot Hollywood gossip" he claims.

"It's not even hot Hollywood gossip. It's about her being a great person and wanting to help the people in Chicago out" I explain.

"Well that's boring" he pouts.

"Now I'm interested" Jonny insists. He wasn't from Chicago but you could never tell him that. That was his home, just as it was mine now.

"Okay... it's about to be announced so even if you do open your mouth it shouldn't matter" I insist. "Emmy has been working on a project, it sorta involves the Blackhawks but it also has to do with the bears and the Sox and cubs and the Bulls and Fire too" I start.

"Wow, that's sounds pretty big" Duncs chimes in.

"It is" I admit.

"And It is..." Corey trails off.

"It's going to be a recreation center at the old gymnasium by Johnny's ice house. She's tearing down some old buildings around it and putting in a fake turf football field and a soccer and baseball field. Then inside on the first floor is ice for hockey and ice skating and a basketball court where they can play volleyball too, then upstairs is going to be a little library and a place to do school work. She already has some people excited to work there and help these kids off the street and doing something productive. Construction starts next week and I'm surprised it has stayed a secret this long since there's so many people involved" I admit.

"And with your big mouth" Corey adds on and I glare at him.

"That's actually really cool. What is this place called" Jonny wonders.

"Chicago Knights" I smile.

"Hey that's kinda cute. Does that mean she's keeping her last name when you guys get married" he wonders.

"She's adamant she's becoming a Kane. I told her I wouldn't be mad if she kept her last name but she insists she wants to take mine" I shrug.

"You guys are so cute that it makes me want to throw up" Corey claims.

"Ummm... thank you?"

"Yeah whatever" he mumbles before moving away. What a odd man he was.

We finish up our lunch and head back to the hotel for naps or video games or whatever it is they do before a game. As for me, I pull up Skype on the laptop and call my fiancé.

"What's good my dude" she asks and I laugh.

"We get married in 8 months and you just called me "my dude"" I shake my head.

"I make it a goal in life to not be predictable" she claims.

"Well mission accomplished" I laugh. "How was your day" I wonder.

"It was good. I got some things for the rec center taken care of. We're breaking ground next week so that's exciting" she explains.

"That's awesome. I'm so proud of you" I smile.

"Thanks Patrick, means a lot coming from you" she claims.

"So what are you up to" I ask.

"Well I just got off the phone with your mom" she starts.

"Dear god, am I in trouble" I ask.

"No" she laughs. "We were talking about Christmas and your family wanted to come out again this year" she explains.

"Don't feel pressured to invite them over. They're kinda over bearing like that" I warn.

"Well if she didn't ask I was going to invite them over anyway. I haven't seen your sisters since the beginning of the season and it's your first Christmas without your Grandpa. I wanted you guys to come over and enjoy the holiday" she insists.

"You're such a beautiful soul, you know that right" I ask.

"I try to be" she admits.

"Well you're doing great. Just think about it, this summer we're getting married and you're opening a place for a troubled community to get better in together and you're probably going to win a Emmy and we're gonna get married" I list off.

"You already said that" she giggles.

"Did I" I ask and she nods. "Well I guess I'm just really excited" I admit.

"You're forgot to mention the cup" she reminds me.

"Of course, I can't wait to seen my sexy ass wife in her wedding dress pouring beer into her mouth from the Stanley cup" I tease.

"That's my dream wedding honestly" she claims.

"Well it looks like I have some work to do" I smile.

Eventually it was time for me to go to the game and we had to hang up. I change into my suit and grab my headphones and head to the bus to get in the zone.

I take a seat by a window and start to play music. The guys get on the bus and find their seats before talking loudly amongst themselves. Every player is different in the way they prepare for the game, I like to shut everything out and focused so I usually drown everyone else out with music.

As I sit there in my seat I look around the bus. We had a pretty good group of guys. Although these long road trips can be hard they make sure it isn't. Each person has a personality, and while this is a hard business and it's hard to like everyone on your team, I don't think we really have a problem with that. Everyone can at least tolerate each other if not consider each guy a friend. That's what makes me so confident it this team. We can sit around and talk about our girlfriends or wives or what we had for dinner or just be left alone. The situation I have going on is great and I wouldn't change it for the world.