* * *

"Kenny, do you ever wonder what people are doing on the other side
of the ocean?" she asked, as they lay side by side on the blanket. Having
considered every contingency, he had brought along his black sweat shirt
embroidered with the gold Taj Mahal logo. Maddy lay wrapped up in it
now, relishing its warmth and the lingering scent of its owner's aftershave.
He held his arms tightly around her as she laid her head on his chest.
They'd eaten their fill of gourmet treats and were now content to just
embrace the magnificent scene around them-as well as each other.
"Hmm, well I've actually gotten to see what many of them were up to
firsthand, during my Navy days," he explained. "Unfortunately, not all of
it was good."
"We're very blessed to live in this country, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are," he agreed, kissing her forehead.
"Kenny?"
"Yes?"
"No one has ever done anything this sweet or thoughtful for me-
ever. At least no one I've ever dated, anyway." Then lifting her head up to
look at him, she whispered, "Thank you."
He gently stroked her auburn hair with his hands as they first joined
eyes and then lips.
"You deserve all of this and so much more, sweetheart," he assured
her in his husky voice, in between soft, damp kisses that awakened their
senses and ignited their passions.