Page 36 of Goaltender Interference

Maura and Evie, Jesse reminded himself.

Connor swooped up Maura, kissing her cheek even as he pulled Evie close too, patting her back when she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Missed you girls,” he said thickly.

A moment later, a gorgeous woman stepped through the door and closed it behind her. She was tiny—short and thin—with oodles of gorgeous dark hair that flowed down her back.

She shot Connor a tense smile. “Connor,” she said tightly.

“Vivian.” He let Maura slide to the floor but she clung to him, gripping his hand. “Uh, everyone, meet Jesse. He’ll be billeting here for the season.”

“All part of my rehabilitation plan,” Jesse said with a grin. He stuck out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Viv. I’m sure you’re nervous about having some strange guy living in the same house as your kids, but I promise you, I’ll be on my best behavior.”

She shook his hand, studying his face for a moment before she lifted an eyebrow. “No more fountain frolicking?”

Surprised and amused that she’d called him out and pleased that there was a flicker of amusement in her dark eyes instead of judgment, Jesse nodded. “No more fountain frolicking. Those days are behind me. I left them in Toronto.”

“What’s fountain frockling?” Maura asked.

“It’s frolicking, Maura,” Evie said, dropping her backpack and unzipping her little puffer vest. “It means dancing, I think.”

“Why can’t we do that?” Maura looked at Jesse with pleading eyes. “That sounds fun.”

“Umm,” Jesse said, because shit, that had backfired.

“Because it’s not July,” Viv said firmly. “And it’s about to get cold here. Getting all wet outside doesn’t sound like much fun when it’s cold out, does it?”

“Nooo,” Maura said with a sigh.

Ithadgotten cold the past few days. Connor had warned Jesse that they’d likely get another hot spell but right now, the temperature had dropped and it was windy and dreary.

Maura struggled with her jacket and Jesse dropped to one knee. “Want some help with that?”

She studied his face for a moment before she thrust her arm out. “Yeah, I’m stuck.”

Jesse carefully peeled her out of her coat and when he handed it to Connor, who was hanging the girls’ stuff on peg hooks by the door, Viv gave him a thoughtful look.

“Do you have many siblings, Jesse?”

“No. Only child. But I used to spend a lot of time with my goaltending partner and his family,” he said truthfully. Anton Makarov and his wife, Elena, had invited him over quite a bit. Their house had been loud and crazy and with five—now six—kids, Jesse had pitched in wherever he could help.

Damn, he was going to miss them.

“Momma, can Jesse ride ponies with Maura and me?” Evie asked, wide-eyed behind her glasses. “At Uncle Kelly’s wedding, he said he would if it was okay with you and Daddy.”

“You ride?” Viv shot Jesse a skeptical glance.

“Little bit,” he admitted. “Just enough to be, uh”—he’d been about to say dangerous but that probably wasn’t going to impress her—”familiar with horses.”

That was kinda underselling it when his mother was a competitive dressage rider. Though he’d never had a horse of his own or had much time to ride.

“Please,” Evie pleaded. “It’ll besofun.”

Viv shot a look at Connor, who shrugged. “I’m fine with it if you are. The stables have plenty of horses to rent.”

“I suppose,” she said, looking down at Evie. “If we can find a time that works.”

“Maybe this week?” Jesse suggested. “We’ve got a little time before training camp and my schedule is pretty open until then.”

“Maybe,” Viv said and Jesse wondered if that was her blowing him off. “We’ll see, girls. But I need to get going.” She gave Jesse a tense smile. “Nice to meet you, Jesse.”

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