Page 4 of The Pucking Player

His face brightens again, and over his shoulder, I catch Sophie’s expression—soft, thoughtful, like she’s seeing something in me she wasn’t expecting. I quickly look away. It’s easier when beautiful women look at me with lust or disdain. This feels too dangerous.

“You wanna help me hand out some jerseys to the other kids?” I ask Jack. “You can be my assistant captain.”

His whole face lights up. “For real?”

“For real.” I stand and offer him my hand. “What do you say, Captain Jack?”

He slips his small hand into mine, trusting, and I feel something tighten in my chest. This is why I usually send signed merch instead of showing up to these visits in person. It’s harder to keep your walls up when kids look at you like you’re their hero.

“Seems like you’ve got competition for the C,” Nate jokes lightly, but the look in his eyes is knowing. He was thereafter Dad’s accident. He saw how hard I worked to make sure Kieran and Erin never felt the fear I did.

Sophie steps closer, her perfume—a mix of something sweet and warm—doing dangerous things to my focus. “Need another assistant?” she asks Jack with a smile so genuine it squeezes my heart. “I happen to be excellent at jersey distribution.”

Jack considers her offer seriously, his small face scrunching up in thought. “Do you know hockey?”

“Her dad’s our coach,” I offer, trying to keep the grin off my face when Sophie rolls her eyes.

“Coach Novak is your dad?” Jack’s eyes go wide. “Does he yell at home like he does on TV?”

Sophie laughs, and the sound wraps around my chest like a warm blanket. “Only when someone leaves their sneakers in the hallway.”

Jack giggles, and just like that, Sophie’s won him over. As we follow Jack down the corridor, Sophie falls into step beside me, her shoulder brushing mine.

“So, the infamous Liam O’Connor has a soft spot for kids, huh?” she teases, her voice low enough that only I can hear.

“Don’t let it get around,” I reply lightly. “I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”

“Right. The bad boy spiel,” she says, with mockery so subtle, it makes me glance over at her. “Must be exhausting keeping up that image all the time.”

I shoot her a sharp look, but her expression is unreadable. Before I can figure out how to respond, Jack calls out ahead of us.

“Come on! There’s kids waiting for you this way!”

Sophie hurries after him, and I can’t stop myself fromwatching her go. My mouth goes dry, my pulse skipping as my gaze dips to the outline of her ass.

This is bad, O’Connor. This isverybad.

Jack leads the way into one of the hospital rooms, all business now. “This is Fred and Tommy,” he announces proudly. “Fred likes the T. rex best, and Tommy has the same thing as me.”

The room is full of dinosaur stickers and drawings, the beeping of machines providing a steady background hum. Fred, a blond-haired firecracker, is locked in a fierce battle between his T. rex and Triceratops action figures, while Tommy, a quiet redhead, is coloring a Stegosaurus with careful precision.

Despite the sterile hospital setting, both boys seem to be in good spirits.

“Liam O’Connor! Nate Russo!” Fred shouts, abandoning his dinosaurs to bounce excitedly on his bed. “You came to visit us!”

I grin, moving to his bedside. “Of course we did, buddy. We couldn’t miss the chance to hang out with our favorite dino experts.”

Sophie kneels beside Tommy, her tone warm and easy. “Wow, that Stegosaurus looks amazing! You’re quite the artist.”

Tommy blushes, a shy smile spreading across his face. “I want to be a dinosaur drawer when I grow up.”

“Paleoartist,” his dad gently corrects, ruffling his hair.

“Yeah, that!” Tommy nods enthusiastically.

As we chat with the boys, Emilia hovers in the background, snapping photos and jotting notes. I force myself to stay present, to keep the conversation light and fun.

“What do you say we suit these guys up properly?” I pulltwo child-sized jerseys from the bag Nate hands me. “Can’t have Defenders fans without the right gear.”

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