Page 155 of Goaltender Interference

“I’m sure the team needs to see me being myself. It would have been easier on Nolan if he’d known his dad was bi, right?”

“Yeah,” Jesse admitted because he’d be lying if he said otherwise.

“So, maybe the team needs that too. I don’t know. We’ll take it one day at a time, okay?”

“Okay.” Jesse frowned. “What about your family?”

“I’ll tell them soon. Because Icando that for Nolan. But I don’t think there’ll be any problems. My fuckin’ brothers will be annoying as shit about it but what else is new?”

Jesse smiled. “And you and Kelly talked about it already, right?”

“Yeah. I needed some advice.” Connor sighed. “Turns out I’m not great at feelings.”

“You? No!” Jesse teased.

“Hey, I’m workin’ on it.”

“I know you are.” Jesse let out a rueful laugh. “I like to think I’m good at them but I didn’t evenknowwhat I was feeling.”

“What did you think was happening?”

Jesse shrugged. “I don’t know. I … I kept getting this warm feeling in my chest whenever I was around you. And I—I was happy. Iamhappy. I feel at home here.”

“In Boston?”

“Yeah. In Boston, with this team. But mostly with you and the kids.”

Connor’s swallow was audible. “We’re a package deal, you know. You ready for that?”

“I’m ready for it,” Jesse said. “Or if I’m not, I’ll learn. But I want it, Connor. I want this life with you.”

“It’s not quite as exciting as frolicking in fountains.”

“Maybe not, but I think my fountain frolicking days are over,” Jesse admitted. “At least with other people. Because I just don’t care about any of it. I don’t want it. I had my fun and it was awesome but this isbetter.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. Besides, maybe sometime next summer when it’s warm out, we could take the girls to a fountain and dance in it. Nolan probably won’t want to do it but we’ll invite him too.”

“Yeah. He’s like me. We’re not really dancers,” Connor said, looking skeptical.

“You don’t have to begoodat it,” Jesse said with a shrug. “But it would be nice if you were willing to dance me with sometimes. Even if it’s just in fountains and maybe a dance or two at all those weddings you were talking about earlier.”

“Might require a beer or two first, but I can do that.”

He leaned in and kissed Jesse, who let his eyes flutter closed and his lips part when Connor slid his tongue into his mouth. Jesse sighed and sank into it, smiling as the warm feeling in his chest grew until it felt so big he’d burst.

“I love you,” Jesse said when he drew away, breathless and surprised and happy. It felt like everything inside of his chest was too big for the space behind his ribs.

“I love you too,” Connor whispered.

He settled his head on the pillow and Jesse did the same, mimicking his position. Soon, they’d need to turn out the light and get some sleep. They had practice in the morning and a game tomorrow.

But for now, they just looked at each other.

“Hey,” Jesse said after a moment. “Does this mean I can stop pretending I’m using the bedroom downstairs?”

Connor laughed. “Yeah, I think we can stop pretending.”

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