Page 28

Connor O’Shea was a deeply weird man.

And coming from Jesse, that was saying something. But he’d been acting squirrely lately and Jesse really didn’t know why. Had it started with the joke about the threesome with Kelly or had it been before that?

Before, he thought.

Jesse really hadn’t been serious about the threesome thing anyway, even though Kelly was funny and cute. They’d had a good time talking at the bar last night, before Connor showed up and dragged his brother off to talk on the back patio.

At the time, Jesse hadn’t really thought anything of it but now he wondered if they were connected. God, Connor couldn’t really be jealous of his brother, could he?

Jesse didn’t want Kelly. He wanted Connor .

But Connor had gone to bed alone after they got back from the pub, even though the kids were with Viv. He’d played it off like he was sore and tired from the game, and sure, neither of them had been thrilled about losing to Evanston, but Jesse didn’t think that was a valid reason to skip out on sex or sharing a bed.

Clearly something was wrong.

Connor wasn’t much more talkative this morning as they walked to his parents’ house, mostly replying to Jesse’s attempts at starting a conversation with grunts. Jesse was tempted to try to pull the truth out of him but it was such a short walk he doubted he’d make any progress before they arrived.

With Connor, he probably needed to play the long game.

Thankfully, everyone else from the O’Shea family seemed happy to see Jesse when they stepped inside for brunch. He got hugs from everyone and the girls acted especially thrilled.

Jesse swung a giggling Maura around in a circle, nearly taking out a lamp in the process. “Whoops,” he said, slowing to a stop.

With a deft sweep of her hand, Catherine O’Shea caught the lamp before it could hit the ground.

Jesse set Maura back on her feet. “Good reflexes! You could have been a goalie too.”

Catherine shrugged. “My brothers used to make me play goalie when we were kids.”

Jesse laughed. Honestly, he’d assumed it was because she had a giant husband and kids and ten thousand grandchildren who were always knocking into things, but that made sense too.

“Hey! Good to see you, Jesse!” Aubrey said, hugging him. “Pat and I keep meaning to invite you and Connor over for supper but we’re having trouble finding a time that works.”

“I’d love to come,” Jesse said. “If we can get Captain Growly here to stop being a curmudgeon, he’ll probably be up for it too. Is he always like this after he loses?”

Connor made a disgruntled noise behind him.

“It’s worse because he lost to Kelly, but yes.” Aubrey winked. “ Love Captain Growly by the way. Perfect nickname for Connor.”

Connor pushed past Jesse, rolling his eyes as the girls tugged him into the living room to show him something they’d made.

“So, how are you liking Boston?” Aubrey asked after Jesse followed her into the kitchen.

“I love it,” Jesse admitted. “Though, to be honest, I haven’t gotten out to see much of the city.”

“We’ll make a night out of it then,” she said. “Show you around. I’m not surprised Connor doesn’t get out much. He never did. I’ve tried to set him up with several friends of mine since the divorce but he won’t take me up on it. Are you seeing anyone?”

“Ahh, no,” Jesse said. “Not seriously. Just kinda trying to keep things …” He searched for the right word. He hated lying to Connor’s sister-in-law but it wasn’t like he could tell her the truth about him and Connor.

“Simple?” she offered.

“Mmm, more like off the gossip blogs,” he admitted.

She laughed. “You did have quite the run in them this past summer. Although I find it interesting, JockGossip has been very quiet lately. At least around the hockey world.”

“They got into a little hot water after some of the stuff last season in Toronto,” Jesse admitted. “I can’t really say more because some of it is private but …”

“Got it!” Aubrey’s eyes sparkled. “I won’t pry.”

The truth was, the gossip site had been involved in a scandal of its own, buying info from someone within the Fisher Cats organization. What had finally tipped the scales was attempted blackmail and—as far as Jesse knew—they’d been threatened with legal action.

The whole thing had been hellishly messy and honestly, Jesse was relieved that after his summer being featured on the site, JockGossip had more or less left him alone. Being out of Toronto had helped immensely too.

Boston was a huge sports city in general but they had a lot more than just hockey to focus on and weren’t the literal center of the hockey universe the way Toronto was. Besides, Connor’s plan to keep him in line was really working.

Jesse said hi to the rest of the family, including Pat, Finn, and Finn’s wife. Even big, scary Declan O’Shea complimented him on one of his saves from the night before.

“Still didn’t give us the win,” Jesse pointed out after he thanked him for the praise he wasn’t entirely sure he deserved.

“No, it didn’t. But every night you’re in net, you’re still giving the team a much better chance to string together some wins.”

“I’m trying,” Jesse muttered.

Declan clapped him on the shoulder. “Once they shore up the defense a little more, it’ll start to come together. Gavin’s working on it, I’m sure. But either way, we’re glad to have you on the team, son.”

And Jesse smiled because Declan looked scary as fuck but he was the perfect patriarch for the family. It was easy to see what kind of captain he’d been. Always looking out to make sure everyone was doing okay.

Connor was a great captain too, though Jesse had a feeling he was a lot harder on himself than he needed to be. He seemed to get up in his head about things, caught up in the legacy his family had already cemented and ignoring his own contributions to it.

Silly man.

Jesse would get him to see he was every bit as good as his father and brothers if it killed him.

Honestly, it seemed like that ran in the family. Nolan was just like his father. Speaking of …

Jesse glanced around to see Nolan standing across the room, animatedly talking to one of his cousins. Jesse waved at him, and Nolan gave him a wave back, his eyes lighting up.

Jesse forgot all about it when Catherine encouraged him to grab coffee and load up his plate with fruit and the platters with delicious-looking deviled eggs, mini quiche, and smoked salmon with dill on cucumbers.

The Harriers team arrived shortly after, the house growing exponentially louder and more crowded as guys filed in. Crawford looked hungover, still wearing his sunglasses as he made a beeline for the coffee.

“Rough morning, huh?” Catherine asked, amusement mingling with sympathy in her voice. She pushed a large mug toward him.

“So rough.” Luke gulped down the coffee, wincing, presumably because it was too hot.

“Sports drinks are in the refrigerator in the basement. Help yourself to whatever you’d like. I’ve got breakfast sliders over there too.” She waved at the countertop. “They might do the trick.”

“Fuck yes,” Luke said, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Mrs. O, you’re the best.”

“Truer words have never been spoken,” she said with a grin. “They’re gonna nominate me for sainthood soon.”

Privately, Jesse agreed with her.

Luke loaded a plate and disappeared into the living room.

“Hey,” Kelly said, sidling closer. “Glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jesse said honestly. “Your family is great.”

Kelly shot him a look. “I see they’ve already got you trained.”

Jesse laughed. “They’ve been very nice to me.”

Honestly, probably nicer than he deserved. His reputation had preceded him and it hadn’t exactly been good.

“So, you got my text this morning, right?”

“Yeah!” Jesse brightened. “It’s so funny, we’ve both been in the Out in the NHL chat for a while but never really talked off it. You were one of the ones who started it, right?”

Kelly shrugged. “Wasn’t really me. Ryan Hartinger really got the whole thing rolling.”

“Still, I think it’s great,” Jesse said. “It’s nice for current and former queer players to have a place to talk about stuff.”

“It is,” Kelly agreed.

“Dude, Connor’s mom is the bomb ,” Tanner said, approaching with a plate loaded down with food. He glanced at Kelly. “Well, I guess she’s your mom too.”

Kelly chuckled. “What was your first clue?” He gestured to himself.

Kelly had also inherited the red hair and freckles that seemed so common in the family. There was no mistaking it.

“So like, what’s it like being married?” Tanner asked. “Is it weird ?”

“Nah.” Kelly’s smile was soft. “I love it. I do miss Anders when the team goes on the road though. It’s been hard having him retired but he loves running the skills camp.”

“You went there, right, Jesse?” Tanner glanced over at him.

“Yeah, the past two summers,” Jesse said. “Honestly, I swear, it’s why I’m doing so well now.”

“Maybe I should check it out next summer,” Tanner said.

“You’ll have to be quick,” Kelly replied. “Honestly, they’re turning away people like crazy. Anders is trying to expand but it’s blown up beyond what anyone expected. Although maybe we should have. Anders is pretty damn good at hockey.”

Jesse snorted. The man was going to be a Hall of Famer soon. ‘Pretty good’ was an understatement.

The three of them talked hockey for a few minutes but the kitchen kept getting more and more crowded and Jesse’s hands were full so he had nowhere to set his plate or mug down. He excused himself and went in search of a quieter corner where he could eat and drink.

He couldn’t say anywhere in the house was quiet, but he found a corner with a couple of empty chairs. Luke was across the room on the couch, empty plate on the end table next to him, head thrown back and snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

Jesse had just taken a seat and was working his way through his food when Nolan appeared. “Hey, can we talk?” he asked in a stage whisper.

Jesse glanced around but Crawford was either asleep or passed out, there were kids shouting and playing downstairs, the adults were talking loudly at the far end of the room, and a tea kettle was whistling in the kitchen.

He shrugged and said, “sure.”

“Okay, so like, I hung out with Kyler yesterday before the game,” Nolan said quietly, leaning in.

“Ooh. Yeah? How’d it go?”

“Good! I mean, like, nothing really happened but I did what you suggested. I, uh, sat a little closer while we were playing video games and put my hand on his knee for a minute and he kinda looked at it but he didn’t push me off or anything.”

“That’s good.”

Nolan bit his lip, his cheeks reddening. “And at one point he kinda threw his arm up behind me on me on the couch. And like, guys do that all the time but he—he kept brushing my shoulder with his fingertips, like he wanted to touch me but wasn’t sure if he could.”

“Aww, cute,” Jesse said. “That sounds like he’s into you too, maybe. Just too shy to make a move.”

“So what do I do now?”

“Think about telling your dad?” Jesse teased.

Nolan made a face. “But …”

“I’m kidding. I mean, not kidding, but I know that won’t help. Your dad has no moves so he’s not gonna be able to help you get your guy.”

Nolan laughed. “So, like, you do?”

“Oh, I’ve got moves,” Jesse said with a smirk. “But they’re a little too advanced for you.”

Nolan made a face again. “Dude, not helpful.”

“I know. Okay, so, do you know what Kyler’s favorite snack is?”

“Of course.”

“So maybe get him that. And then tell him how much you like hanging out with him. And that you’d like to spend more time with him.”

“We’re pretty much together all the time. We go to the same school and we’re on the same hockey team and we live down the street from each other. I’m not sure we could spend any more time together unless we were like, surgically attached.”

“True. Well, you could tell him you’re into him as more than a friend,” Jesse pointed out.

Nolan looked horrified. “Oh my God, no .”

Jesse tried not to laugh. “Umm, okay, I’ll keep thinking, okay. But definitely do the snack thing. It’ll make him feel special.”

“Sure, I can do that. We’ve got an away game next week. I could get it for the bus ride.”

“Perfect. Good thinking.”

Nolan glowed. “Thanks for the help.”

“Any time.”

“Nolan!” one of his cousins called out. “C’mon, we’re gonna do some shooting downstairs!”

“Gotta go!” With that, Nolan was gone and Jesse returned his attention to his food.

“You’re good with him,” Pat said a moment later.

Jesse glanced up, a mini quiche hanging half out of his mouth. “Umm,” he managed after he’d chewed and swallowed. “With Nolan?”

“Yeah.” Pat took a seat nearby, the chair creaking a little under his weight. “I’ve been trying to spend some extra time with him since the divorce. Con’s busy and I didn’t want Nolan to feel … neglected.”

“Connor would never neglect his son!” Jesse said hotly.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that ,” Pat hastily added. “Of course he wouldn’t. But I know it’s hard when you guys are on the road.”

“True.”

“So I go to his games when Connor can’t.”

“That’s nice of you,” Jesse said.

“I’ve just been worried about him lately. He’s been quieter than usual.”

Jesse nodded.

“Has he confided anything to you? I saw you two talking and it looked pretty intense.”

“Umm,” Jesse said because that was going to be difficult to answer. “Sort of? But I honestly think he’ll be fine.”

“Have you talked to Connor about it?”

“Uhh?”

“Has Jesse talked to me about what?” Connor said, appearing over Pat’s shoulder.

Oh my God, where does everyone keep coming from?

Pat turned in his chair to face his brother. “About Nolan. He’s been quiet lately. I was getting worried.”

Connor pursed his lips. “He and Jesse spoke. Jesse talked to me about it but didn’t say what was going on.”

“I can’t ,” Jesse protested. “Nolan deserves privacy.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Pat sounded scandalized as he looked up at his brother.

Which … that didn’t really surprise Jesse. It did seem like this family was all up in each other’s business a lot. It was taking some getting used to.

“I trust Jesse,” Connor said firmly. “He said he’d tell me if Nolan was dealing with something dangerous or harmful.”

“I would!”

“So if Nolan feels like Jesse is someone he can go to about whatever it is, that’s what matters.”

“But why him ?” Pat argued.

Jesse shot him an annoyed look.

Pat held up a hand. “Look, I’m not knocking you, Jesse. I just wonder why Nolan feels more comfortable coming to Connor’s new teammate than his father or one of his uncles. Especially me. We’ve always been close.”

“Well, I am closer to his age,” Jesse pointed out. “And Jesus, you two are intimidating as hell. At Nolan’s age, I wouldn’t have come to you either.”

In unison, Pat and Connor made identical noises of disagreement. They even had matching expressions. Hilarious .

“What are you trying to say?” Pat asked, crossing his arms.

“Look,” Jesse said. “You’re great guys. You love Nolan. But this family … hell, Connor, you’ve said it yourself, this family’s legacy is a lot to carry. Maybe it’s easier for Nolan to talk to someone outside the family.”

Pat frowned. “I suppose.”

Connor frowned too, glancing at his brother. “Do you think he’s considering quitting hockey?”

Jesse opened his mouth to remind him he wasn’t going to give them any hints, when Catherine called out, “Brunch is ready!”

Crawford sat up with a snort, eyes flying open. “Coming,” he called out, heaving himself off the couch.

Jesse glanced down at the empty plate on his lap. “I thought this was brunch.”

Pat laughed. “Nah. This was just the warmup.”