Page 49 of Goaltender Interference

“I wasn’t lurking!” Connor protested, dragging a hand through his hair. “I was … thinking.”

“In the dark? In the hallway?” Jesse’s voice and expression were equally disbelieving.

Connor grumbled, “Shut up.”

Jesse snorted, opening his mouth with what was undoubtedly a chirp at his lack of clever retort so Connor glanced around to be sure there weren’t any kids nearby, then pressed his lips to Jesse’s.

Chuckling against Connor’s mouth, Jesse kissed him back, his eyes sparkling when he drew away. “You’re going to use that to your advantage, aren’t you?”

“You damn well better believe it,” Connor agreed. Because kissing might be the only thing that actually quieted Jesse for any length of time. He gruffly added, “Now go to bed.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” With a two-finger salute and another soft laugh, Jesse kissed him again, then shut the bedroom door in his face.

Connor’s head was still spinning as he walked away, heading downstairs. He’d only made it halfway down the stairs when the front door opened, revealing his son.

“Nolan!” Connor yelped. “You’re home.”

Fuck! If Nolan had been a few minutes earlier, he would have seen them kissing in the hallway. Could have heard them through the wall Nolan and Jesse’s room shared. Not to mention, the girls could have come looking for him, for fuck’s sake! Connor hadn’t even locked the door.

Shit, Connor was gonna have to be way, way more careful in the future. He hadn’t told the kids about his sexuality or that it had played any part in the divorce. He and Viv had agreed to tell thekids that they’d grown apart and were better off separate. It had seemed to work. They were devastated, of course, but there was no one to be pissed at.

Though Nolan still held a grudge against his mother.

Nolan looked up with a puzzled frown. “Uhh, yeah. That okay, Dad?”

Connor cleared his throat. What had Nolan asked? Oh, was it okay that he was home. “Yeah, of course. You’re”—he glanced at his smart watch—”uh, right on time.”

Nolan shot him an amused look. “I mean, I have practice and school tomorrow, so … yeah?”

“Right. Well, I’m proud of you.”

“Uhh, thanks. Why are you being so weird?”

“I’m not being weird,” Connor protested. Although yeah, he probably was.Shit. He crossed his arms over his chest. “How was Kyler? What did you guys get up to tonight?”

Nolan turned away, tossing his shoes into the basket near the door that Connor had for each kid, rather than a shelf or cubby that they’d never use. Not his idea, his mother’s. He wasn’t that smart.

“Uhh, nothing much,” Nolan said when he turned back, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. “Video games and stuff. You?”

Oh fuck, Connor hadn’t thought that one through. “Umm, uh, talked to Jesse for a bit. Team stuff, you know?”

That was one word for it, anyway.

Nolan shot him another weird look. “That’s cool. He seems like he’ll fit in the locker room well.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

They stared at each other for a few moments before Nolan looked away. “Well, I should …” He pointed up the stairs where Connor was still blocking his path.

“Right, right.” Connor trotted down the stairs. “You go on up and get in bed then.”

“I will.” Nolan jogged past him, but paused halfway up. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think … do you think that Jesse and Tanner are …”

Oh boy.“Uhh,” Connor said, floundering for how to answer that one. “They used to be involved, yeah. Jesse said they weren’t anymore, though.”

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