Page 12 of Goaltender Interference

“So, I hear you got traded to Boston,” she said, her smile warm but her gaze assessing.

“That news seems to be going around,” he said, holding out a hand. “Jesse Webber.”

“Catherine O’Shea.”

Holy shit. Seriously, how had that woman given birth tofourhockey legends who were all fully-grown men now?

“Charmed,” Jesse said with a wink.

“We’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other,” she said with an amused smile. “My husband Declan and I like to host team events throughout the season.”

“Yeah, cause Connor’s bad at it,” Pat muttered around a mouthful of bacon.

Catherine reached out and swatted his shoulder. “Your brother has a lot on his plate right now.”

“Mm-hmm.” Pat looked skeptical.

“Well, welcome to the team, Jesse. We’re very glad to have you,” Catherine said warmly. “Now, I’m off to say hi to everyone else if I can. I swear, I barely had time to talk to anyone last night.”

After she disappeared, Evie stared at Jesse across the table, her eyes narrowed. “You’re a goalie, right?”

“Yep,” Jesse said.

“Daddy says you’re allweird.”

Jesse shot an amused glance at Pat, who gave him a shrug.

“Well, you’ve gotta be when people are firing pucks at your face,” Jesse answered with a grin.

“I ride horses,” Evie said. “And I have a pony named Biscuit.”

“Yeah? Do you ride a lot?” he asked, attempting to spear a grape with his fork.

“Yep! Mama bought her for me.”

“Well, you must have a very nice mama,” Jesse said, glancing over Aubrey who was busy cleaning the face of an even smaller girl, who was equally dark-haired. “I never had a horse but I have ridden them before.”

“You’re too big for Biscuit,” Evie said. “But there are other horses at the stable. Would you ride with me and Maura sometime? She wants a pony too but she’s too little so she has to ride with Mama.”

“Uhh, I’ll try,” Jesse said. “If that’s okay with your parents.”

The littler girl wriggled out of Aubrey’s arms and darted across the room. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” she shouted, throwing herself into Connor’s arms.

Jesse froze when Connor laughed and swooped the girl up, kissing her cheek. “My Maura-girl. Did you have fun with your cousins at the sleepover last night?”

Oh fuck. Jesse’s stomach dropped. Maybe he hadn’t been paying close enough attention but hedefinitelyhadn’t realized Connor O’Shea had kids.

Sure, yesterday at the ceremony and the first part of the reception, there had been kids hanging around him and he’d been good with them. But there had been kidseverywhereand every person in their early teens and up seemed to be trying to wrangle them. The little ones had been quieted and fed and carried around by everyone, so Jesse hadn’t thought that some of those kids might belong toConnor. He’d assumed they were his nieces and nephews or something.

Jesse must have made a weird noise because Aubrey gave him a quizzical look. “Everything okay?”

“Honestly, I’m a little hungover,” he said under his breath, which was part of the problem right now.

She laughed, patting his hand. “Trust me, you aren’t the only one here.” She lifted a glass. “Hence the Bloody Mary.”

There had been a whole drinks area where bartenders were making mimosas, Bloody Marys, and bellinis, which Jesse had been tempted by but he’d already made enough mistakes for one weekend so he’d stuck with something non-alcoholic.

And a lot of coffee and water.

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