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the game ended, Pacific High School had beaten the other team 38 to 14. Even her untrained eye had told her that Raoul was an outstanding quarterback with an arm that never seemed to get tired.
    She stood and thanked Barbara for sharing her section of bench, then rubbed her numb butt as she made her way to the railing. Raoul and Brittany stood close together, talking intently. The blonde reached up and touched his face. Then Raoul saw Nicole and hurried over to the railing.
    “What did you think?” he asked.
    “You’re great,” she said honestly. “I was incredibly impressed. Even knowing nothing about the game, I could tell you did really well. How far can you throw a football anyway?”
    Raoul grinned. “We were awesome tonight. The whole team really pulled together. No one player can make or break a game.”
    “I see you’re already training for your sports interviews,” she teased.
    Hawk joined Raoul and gave him a high five. “Great job,” he said, then turned to Nicole. “Our boy’s going all the way.”
    She ignored the implied connection. “I’m happy to hear it.”
    “So how many can you take in your car?” Hawk asked.
    “What?”
    “Kids. How many can you take in your car?”
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.
    “She drives a Lexus Hybrid,” Raoul said. “So four, but the three in the back can’t be huge. They won’t fit.”
    Hawk nodded. “I’ll have them meet you in the parking lot.”
    She made a T with her hands. “Who are they and why are they meeting me anywhere?”
    “Pizza,” he said. “We get pizza after the game. The players, their girlfriends, a few kids from school. It’s a tradition. I like to keep them busy while the adrenaline is still pumping. Hanging out at a pizza place is safer than just cutting them loose where they could do something stupid and hurt themselves. Not all the kids drive, so we need rides.”
    She was aware of Raoul standing right there. For some reason she wasn’t comfortable refusing in front of him. Maybe it was because she knew he didn’t have anyone on his side. But if she agreed, she knew she would feel as if she’d been manipulated into doing something she didn’t want to do. Worse, Hawk would probably assume she was only hanging out on the off chance she got to spend time with him.
    Why did everything have to be a complication?
    “I’ll be waiting in the parking lot,” she said, her teeth clenched.
    “I’ll have the guys look for you. They know where we’re going. I’ll see you there.”
    “Not if I can help it,” she muttered.

    JOE’S HOUSE OF PIZZA was one of those great neighborhood places with plenty of tables, a jukebox and delicious smells of fresh garlic, peppers and tomato sauce.
    Nicole hadn’t eaten dinner before the game but didn’t think she was starved until she walked into the building and took a breath. Suddenly she was weak with hunger and desperate for the recipe.
    The four boys she’d brought with her drifted away as soon as they arrived. They’d been polite, but obviously terrified that she would want to join them for the evening. She’d thought about explaining that she wasn’t interested in interfering with their good time when she realized she didn’t really know anyone here. The only parent she knew was Barbara, who hadn’t come. The only other adult of her acquaintance was Hawk and she was confident he would be holding court with his players. Not that she wanted to sit with him.
    It would probably be best if she just left, she told herself. Maybe she could order a pizza to go.
    She was already in line at the counter, leaning on her cane, when something large and warm settled on the small of her back. She’d never felt the touch before, but she recognized it. Recognized it and melted from the inside out.
    How was it possible for her body to react so strongly to one man? What combination of chemistry and cosmic humor made her want to turn around, pull Hawk close and demand