Page 181 of Goaltender Interference

Connor laughed, reaching out to brush hair out Jesse’s eyes. “Why does this not surprise me?”

“It snowed so much last night too!” Evie said, her tone filled with relish. “Which means there will be lots to get you with.”

“I thought you all loved me,” Jesse said when he sat up. “What is this?”

Evie giggled, clambering out of bed, then helping Maura down. “A Christmas surprise?”

“This is a terrible Christmas surprise,” Jesse protested, getting out of bed. Honestly, he loved this though. He loved that they were all wearing matching pajamas and the girls wanted him to be a part of their holiday celebration. Mostly he loved that they were starting to feel like a family. “It’s a good thing I love you all too!”

The girls cheered and took off, skidding out of their bedroom with Nolan right behind them. When the sound of footfalls faded into the distance, Jesse turned to look at his boyfriend.

Connor looked half-asleep too, but soft, his expression fond and happy.

“Yousureyou want all this?” he asked with a little laugh.

“I’m sure,” Jesse said confidently. “But I won’t be mad when the girls are old enough to want to sleep in.”

“Nah, you’ll miss it,” Connor said, making a beeline for the bathroom.

“So you say,” Jesse said dubiously as he straightened the covers and settled the pillows into place. But a part of him was a little sad he’d missed the early years with the girls. With Nolan.

Because he loved them so much already.

After they’d both used the bathroom and brushed their teeth, Jesse and Connor ventured downstairs to the living room. A large Christmas tree was set up in front of the window overlooking the street and the girls were snuggling with Nolan on the couch. It was picture perfect and Jesse whipped his phoneout and got a shot before any of them could move or make funny faces at the camera.

Not that he’d learned the hard way or anything.

“Presents! Presents! Presents!” Maura said, bouncing on the couch.

Jesse squinted. “Coffee, coffee, coffee first.”

“Oh man,” Evie said, hanging upside down on the couch. “You’re so slow.”

Connor snickered.

“See if I makeyouany coffee.” Jesse glared as he walked past.

Connor shot an arm out, capturing him around the waist. “You love me too much to deprive me of coffee at this hour.”

Jesse made a face. “I suppose I do.”

With a laugh, Connor kissed his temple and let him go. Coffee came together quickly and Jesse had already slurped up half of the scalding liquid by the time he carried a mug to Connor.

He thanked Jesse with a kiss and Jesse took a seat on the rug beside the tree.

“You don’t have to sit down there,” Connor said, sounding amused. “The youngest always hands out the presents. That’s the rules.”

Jesse shrugged. “I need to stretch anyway. And I was the youngest—oldest, and only—in my family, so I’m used to it. Unless Maura will be bummed.”

Connor shook his head, though he turned to glance at her. “You wanna hand out the presents or can Ducky do it?”

“Ducky!” she said, crossing her legs and dragging a soft blanket onto her lap.

So Jesse handed out presents.

A good chunk of them were for the girls of course—and Nolan—and it wasn’t until the living room was covered in chunks of shredded paper and ribbon that Jesse finally handed a small box to Connor.

Connor raised an eyebrow and Jesse rolled his eyes. No, he wasn’tproposing.

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