Page 124 of Goaltender Interference

“Fuck off.” Connor rolled his eyes but he wasn’t gonna let Pat distract him with insults. “Seriously. What did you mean about Nolan?”

Pat shrugged. “I dunno, he’s been quiet lately.”

“Yeah?” Connor frowned.

“I mean, nothin’ to worry about, I don’t think. Maybe he’s got a crush on some girl at school or something? You got all weird when you were that age too and were dating the girl in your homeroom. What was her name? Mary Elizabeth.”

“Mary Catherine,” Connor muttered.

“Right, right. Went into a nunnery after too, didn’t she?”

“She did not!” Connor protested. “You’re making that up.”

“No, I swear to God, I saw it on Facebook after graduation.”

“Oh, cause everything on Facebook’s legit,” Connor said with a scoff.

“Well, you turned your high school girlfriend into a nun and your wife into a raging bitch. I feel sorry for the next woman you date.”

“Hey!” Connor snapped. “Don’t call Viv that. I don’t like the shit she said about Kelly any more than the rest of you but you don’t call her that. It isn’t right.”

Pat scowled. “Well sheis.”

“I guess I know where Nolan getsthatfrom,” Connor muttered. “And it’s certainly not me.You’rethe bad influence.”

“I’m just sayin’ …”

“Lay off, Pat. She’s been alright lately,” Connor admitted. “Once she stopped freaking out Jesse was gonna be a bad influence, she settled down. We’ve been getting along fine.”

“Are you sure Jesse’s stopped?” Pat glanced over toward the side of the pub.

Connor followed his gaze to see Jesse up and dancing to the music playing on the jukebox, moving his hips in a rhythm that made Connor shift in his seat.

“Nah, he’s been pretty calm lately.” Connor said, shrugging as he glanced back at his brother to see him wearing a skeptical look. “Look, if he’s dancing in a pub, I know he’s not up to somethingworse.”

Pat leaned in. “So what’s your secret? Is it drugs? You’re drugging his protein shakes, aren’t you?”

Connor sighed deeply. His family was so fucking annoying. “I’m not drugging my goaltender, thank you.”

“Yeah, speaking of, you’ve never been so goddamn touchy about people getting in blue paint before. What was that about tonight?”

Connor shrugged. “Those were some bullshit calls tonight,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but I’ve still never seen you with that short of a fuse in a nothing game.”

“It’s been a weird week,” Connor muttered.

“Why? What’s up?” For once, Pat actually looked and sounded serious. Concerned about him. Not a trace of sarcasm on his face or in his voice.

For the briefest second, Connor considered confessing it all to his brother. Admitting what he and Jesse had been getting up to. But even if he dragged Pat off for a private talk, Pat would give him shit and then he’d tell Finn, who would lecture him. Their father would find out and Connor would have to have a sit-down talk with his old man and fuck, he didn’t wanna deal with any of that.

He glanced over at the table of Evanston players again and caught a glimpse of Tanner and Kelly cackling over something. Kelly might be someone he could talk to though … if anyone would understand what it was like being not-straight in this fucking family, it was Kelly.

Hmm.

“So, why’d you wanna talk out here?” Kelly’s expression was puzzled and curious as they took seats at a table near the firepit on the patio behind the pub. The fire was burning but it was a cold, crisp night and no one else had ventured outside. Good. It would give Connor the privacy he needed.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Connor glanced down at his beer. “Privately.”

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