Page 129 of Goaltender Interference

“None.” Connor scowled.

“Then if you can’t figure out why it wouldmatter, I can’t help you.”

“Kelly.”

His brother slapped his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Connor. What if he loves you back?”

For the briefest moment, Connor imagined it, imagined Jesse might want everything he did, then he shook his head because it hurt to picture what he wanted so much. Especially when he knew it was impossible.

“He’s twenty-four years old. He doesn’t know what he wants.”

To his annoyance, Kelly snorted. “You were married and had Nolan before you were twenty-four.”

“Fat lot of good it did me. Not Nolan of course. I’llalwaysbe glad we had him. But I’m divorced, remember?”

“I remember. But just because it didn’t work out with Viv doesn’t mean that it couldn’t work with Jesse.”

“He’s fucked half of North America.”

“Pretty sure he hasn’t. That’s statistically impossible.”

“What do you know about statistics?”

“Not a goddamn thing unless it has to do with hockey. But even if we ignore your exaggeration, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Why would he want me?” Kelly shot Connor a skeptical look so he added. “Look, I don’t mean the sex. I mean … why would he want the life I have?”

“He’s a hockey player too. He gets that life.”

“Not the hockey part. The dad part. The, ‘I have three kids I love and have to be responsible for’ bit.”

“Con.” Kelly rubbed his head. “You said the man was good with them.”

“He is. But that’s different than wanting to be their—their stepfather.” Jesus, just saying the word aloud made it seem even more ridiculous.

“Look, I was a lot younger than that when I realized I wanted Anders. And that never changed for me. It turned out pretty well for us.”

Connor made a noise of protest because that wasn’t the same, but Kelly held up a hand.

“No, hear me out. Sure, sometimes people change. And yeah, being young sometimes means you outgrow what was right for you before. But maybe give Jesse some credit. And maybe give him a chance to decide if he wants you and the kids before you make that choice for him, you numbnuts.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

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 wantedConnor.

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 likehe 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.

Clearlysomethingwas wrong.

---