CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Don’t go, Daddy,” Maura wailed later that week, clinging to Connor’s neck.
Jesse’s heart broke a little at the agonized look on Connor’s face. He glanced over at Viv to see her wincing too.
“Is it always like this?” Jesse asked her quietly.
She shook her head. “No, but the first road trip of the season can be rough.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
She shot him a skeptical glance. “No. Why would there be?”
Jesse shrugged. “Dunno. Just wanted to help if I could. I like the kids and …”
He hated how helpless he felt. Hated how helpless Connor looked.
“They like you too,” Viv said, studying his face. “They won’t stop talking about you. Apparently, you make the best oatmeal.”
Jesse grinned.
He’d finally gotten the hang of the gas burner and hadn’t scorched the milk and made a mess of the stovetop since the first time. The same couldn’t necessarily be said for all of his cooking. He and Connor had gotten distracted one night when the kids were gone and supper had gotten burned badly enough they’d had to order takeout.
But otherwise, he was doing well.
“It’s the dried cherries,” Jesse explained. “My mom started putting them in because I hate raisins. They’re anti-inflammatory too, so that’s nice for my recovery.”
“Interesting.”
“Maura,” Connor said a little more firmly. “You need to go with your mother. I have a flight to catch.”
Connor walked over, disentangled Maura’s arms from around his neck, then carefully deposited her in her mother’s arms. She buried her face against Viv’s neck and sobbed.
Connor sighed heavily, rubbing her back. “I’m sorry, sweet pea. You know I love you but this is my job. I will call you tonight before bed, okay?”
“You promise?” She lifted a tear-stained, snotty face and looked at him through big watery eyes.
“I promise,” he said firmly. “Wild buffalo couldn’t stop me.”
She let out a hiccupping laugh. “’kay.”
Connor hugged Evie as well, who looked sad but like she was trying to be brave. She hugged Jesse too, then followed her mother toward the door.
They were halfway through it when Maura wiggled in Viv’s arms. “Put me down! I wanna hug Jesse too!”
Viv sighed but set her down and she ran over to Jesse. When he crouched down, she threw her arms around his neck. He wasn’t sure if this was a stalling tactic or if she’d actually miss him when he was gone, but he hugged her tightly anyway, because he was definitely going to miss her.
All of the kids, actually.
“How about this?” Jesse asked quietly when he pulled back. “I’ll bring you home something from the trip.”
In unison, Viv and Connor groaned. Oops, maybe Jesse shouldn’t have said that. Oh well, it was too late to take it back now.
“Really?” Maura’s teary eyes lit up. “Like what?”
“It’s a surprise.” Jesse booped her nose. “Now go on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get home.”
“Okay!” Cheered, she ran back over to her mother. “Jesse’s gonna buy me a present .”
“I heard,” Viv said drily, taking her hand. “That was very generous of him. Did you say thank you?”
“No. I don’t have it yet,” she countered as they walked out the door.
Jesse stifled a laugh. He always liked how honest kids were. Well, except when they might get in trouble. Then all bets were off. They were certainly unfiltered though.
“Bye, Daddy! Bye, Jesse!” Evie waved goodbye to Connor and Jesse, settled her backpack on her shoulders, then marched out to join her mother and sister on the sidewalk.
Connor shut the door behind them. “You do know now you’ll have to get her a present every time we go on a trip, right?”
“Yeah,” Jesse admitted. “But it was totally worth it to see her smile.”
“Pushover,” Connor muttered, shaking his head. “You’re gonna have to buy Evie something too. And Nolan will pretend like he doesn’t care, but he’ll totally sulk about it if he gets left out.”
“I figured. But hey, what’s the point of all this money if I can’t spend it on your kids?” Jesse shrugged.
“You do know we’re not dating, right?” Connor said, raising an eyebrow.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “I used to buy Macky’s kids shit all the time and I wasn’t even fucking him and Elena. Chill . I just like being fun Uncle Jesse.”
“Ahh, bribery. Works every time.”
“Fuck you. Your kids love me even without bribery.” Jesse glanced at his phone. “Uh, hey, don’t we need to get going though?”
“Shit! Yes.” Connor reached for his shoes. “Sorry.”
Jesse shrugged. Everyone expected him to be late. Connor was the one who arrived unnaturally early to everything.
Connor was quiet as they got in his SUV and headed to the airport. Jesse wasn’t surprised. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was to leave the kids at home every time the team took a road trip.
They were nearly to the airport when Connor cleared his throat. “So, I think we should lay down a few ground rules for while we’re on the road.”
“Okay?” Jesse said, confused. “Like what? Are you giving me a curfew or something?”
“No. I don’t mean that. Just, uh, about sex.”
“Okayyy. What about it?”
“I think we should, uh, skip it until we’re back home.”
“You’re shitting me. No sex on the road?”
Connor sighed noisily. “It’s not like I want that either, Jesse. But I’ve been thinking about it. The hotel is too fucking risky! Guys are in and out of rooms all of the time.”
Jesse eyeballed him. “That sounds more like an argument for my side. No one will notice.”
“They’ll notice it if they overhear us!”
Jesse shrugged. “So gag me.”
Connor sputtered. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. And I’m not talking about in bed.”
“Oh fuck you,” Jesse said with a laugh. “I’m serious. We’ll be fine.”
“If one wrong person sees us going in and out of each other’s rooms too many times, everyone will know!”
“You were cool with blowing me in the bathroom at a bar a few weeks ago but you don’t want to fuck on the road?” Jesse said in disbelief.
“Well, may I remind you we didn’t end up doing that,” Connor said. “Because you thought it was too risky!”
“You were drunk .”
“That didn’t stop us from fucking last summer. And we were both way more drunk then.”
“There’s a difference! I wasn’t about to have you give me head for the first time, like, three inches from a toilet.”
“Oh, like you’ve never gotten blown in a bathroom stall before,” Connor snapped. “Or blown someone else.”
Jesse gritted his teeth because, okay, he definitely had. But that wasn’t the fucking point. “Why are we arguing about what happened weeks ago, Connor?”
“You brought it up!”
Damn it, he had.
“Look,” Jesse said, attempting to remain calm. “We both want to avoid getting caught, right?”
“Yes.”
“And I get why you’re worried about someone catching us on the road.”
“Thank you!”
“But I think there’s a way we can do it carefully ,” Jesse argued.
“Well, I don’t. And frankly, we’ve run out of time to argue about this.”
Jesse groaned when he realized they were at the airport. “Damn it, Connor. You couldn’t have told me this before I packed? I could have brought my toy!”
“You’ll survive without sex for ten days,” Connor said as he pulled into a spot.
“Will I, though?”
“Yes. You don’t wanna know how long I went without anything but my hand.”
“Well, if you ask me, that’s all the more reason not to let it happen again,” Jesse teased. “I mean, c’mon, Connor. Self-imposed celibacy is pathetic.”
But rather than answer, Connor got out of the SUV and shut the door behind him. Forcefully.
Well, apparently that was the end of that.
Jesse stewed as he pulled his luggage out of the SUV. He threw his carry-on over his shoulder, wheeling his suitcase behind as he followed Connor’s stiff back toward the plane.
Behind him, the SUV beeped, locking.
They boarded in silence, by the look of things, the last ones to arrive.
“Sorry,” Connor said stiffly as he passed the section where the coaches and other staff members sat. “I apologize that we’re running a little late.”
“It was my fault,” Jesse lied. “You know me. Always scrambling to get my shit together at the last second!”
Hoyt and Racine both frowned in unison. In front of him, Connor’s shoulders tightened even more.
“Well, try to do better,” Racine said, looking Jesse in the eye. “We’re counting on you this season.”
“Message received,” Jesse said. “And I’m sorry.”
Connor kept walking and took a seat in what was apparently his usual spot beside Pennington. Connor glowered when Jesse passed by, though Jesse suspected it was for very different reasons than his coach and GM had done it.
With a roll of his eyes Jesse ignored him, making his way toward Tanner who was seated in the back. Jesse liked Connor O’Shea a lot but sometimes, he made no sense at all.
Jesse fished his earbuds and tablet out of his carry-on, stuffed it in the overhead compartment, then dropped into his seat with a sigh. Tanner gave him a vague, confused look, but the plane’s engines rumbled and they began to move.
Jesse fastened his seat belt and tried to look like he was listening intently while the flight attendant did her spiel. Ugh . Like he hadn’t heard it a million times before.
When she was done and they were taxiing down the runway, Tanner nudged him with an elbow. “What has you in such a bad mood this morning?” he muttered.
“Nothing.” Jesse crossed his arms. “I’m fine .”
“Oh yeah, you really look it.”
“This plane sucks.” Jesse wrinkled his nose. “I can’t believe I’m stuck on a charter flight again. The Fisher Cats had their own plane.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “Dude, don’t be a snob. It’s better than the bus in the AHL.”
“True.” Jesse slumped back. That wasn’t what was upsetting him though. “Whatever, I’m just in a bad mood. I’m not going to be able to hook up on the road trip.”
“Dude, why not?”
Jesse stared at his friend. “Uhh, because the guy I’m hooking up with is in Boston .”
Which was technically still true, since the plane hadn’t taken off yet.
“Sure, but there’s no reason you can’t hook up with someone else on the road,” Tanner said, looking at Jesse like he’d entirely lost his marbles.
“Uh, I can’t. We’re … we’re exclusive.”
Tanner looked baffled. “Since when have you ever done exclusive with anyone?”
“This is the first time.” Jesse tried not to squirm. “It’s … it’s better for me because I can’t risk any drama this season, you know?”
“Oh yeah, having an exclusive hookup really avoids the drama.”
“Well, that was the idea anyway,” Jesse said with a sigh. Though, based on the way he and Connor had been arguing earlier, maybe it hadn’t quite worked out. Though they’d mostly been trying to avoid drama ending up online and pissing off the head office, which they’d managed so far, so maybe that was a win.
Jesse peered down the aisle to where he could see Connor’s knee poking out.
Well, he’d just have to keep trying. Connor hadn’t been able to resist him so far. Why would this be any different?
Connor was exhausted by the time they landed in Portland. He’d napped on the plane but it had been restless sleep and he felt even more groggy now.
They didn’t have a game until tomorrow night and, as they disembarked and got on a bus to take them to the hotel, he regretted scheduling an entire afternoon and evening of team bonding activities for the rest of the day.
It was important, especially this time of year, but all he wanted to do was flop down on a hotel bed and sleep for about a week.
Maura’d had nightmares again last night and Connor had been exhausted and in a foul mood even before her meltdown this morning. The argument with Jesse on the way to the airport hadn’t helped.
And Jesse taking the blame for being late? The thought still sat heavily in the pit of Connor’s stomach. Why had Jesse done that? Why had he sacrificed himself?
If Connor’d explained to Hoyt and Racine that it had been a rough morning with the girls, they would have understood. Hoyt had kids; he knew what it was like. Racine didn’t, but he’d always been a reasonable guy.
So why had Jesse done it? What did he have to gain?
They were nearly to the hotel by the time Connor remembered he had an announcement to make. He shifted in his seat, turning to face the back of the bus.
“Okay, guys,” he called out and the group fell silent. “Looks like we’ve got about an hour before we head out. I want everyone in the lobby on time. I sent out an email last night with the details. We’re going to the escape room first and we’ll spend an hour or so there. After, we’ll return to the hotel, change for supper, then take a riverboat cruise. The timeline and shit are all in the emails, so if you have any questions, check them.”
He'd probably still get half a dozen guys messaging him with questions, but well, that was the role he’d signed up for.
Or, at least the role he’d inherited.
No one had ever asked him if he wanted the captaincy. It had been assumed. It had passed down to him like he was the royal successor to the O’Shea line.
And he did want it. Most of the time. Though, to be honest, today he was feeling a little shaky on it.
A few guys called out questions now and he tried to answer patiently, then dropped into his seat beside Graham with a tired sigh.
“So, whose ideas were these events?” Graham asked under his breath. “You’re not usually this creative.”
“Fuck you. I’m creative.”
Graham shot him a skeptical look.
“Jesse came up with them,” Connor muttered.
“Thought so.”
“Fuck off.”
“No, I think they’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
Truthfully, Connor was too. In the past, he’d gone for the tried-and-true stuff his brothers had done. But it did get stale after a while and it was good to switch it up.
When they reached the hotel and got off the bus, the guys chattered excitedly about it while they wheeled their suitcases into the lobby, waiting for their room assignments. Connor was one of the first to get his, and he grabbed his keycard, ready to get to the elevator and stretch out in bed for a bit.
“Hey, isn’t Webber staying with you?” Crawford asked, loud enough for the rest of the team to hear.
“What? What are you talking about?” Connor sputtered when he turned back to face the guys.
“I mean, you have to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t misbehave, right? I’m surprised they didn’t make you share rooms.”
Everyone laughed, even Jesse.
Connor resisted the urge to flip Jesse and Luke off. They were in public, after all, and someone might snap a picture he didn’t want getting out there.
“Fuck off,” Connor muttered under his breath instead, because apparently that was the best comeback he could come up with at the moment. He wheeled his luggage toward the elevator and Jesse joined him a moment later.
Surprise, surprise, his room wound up being next to Connor’s.
“See, you do get to keep an eye on me after all!” Jesse said, disappearing into his hotel room with a wink.
Annoyed, Connor waved the keycard more aggressively at the reader on his door and the lock finally clicked open. He stepped inside, not even bothering to turn on the light. He faceplanted on the bed, hating the faint trace of bleach scent in the pillowcases but too tired to do anything about it.
He fell asleep almost immediately, waking when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It felt like it had only been a few minutes, but, in truth, he’d slept for almost forty.
Thank God he’d set the reminder alarm on the way from the airport to the hotel.
After washing his face, brushing his teeth, and changing clothes, Connor felt a little more alive. By the time he reached the lobby, most of the guys were already there, including Jesse, who was talking excitedly about something with Tanner and Kady.
On the bus, Connor’s mood lifted as he watched the streets of Portland fly by. He really was looking forward to the escape room experience. He’d never done one before, but he’d wanted to and, from the look of things, the other guys were excited about it too.
None of the escape rooms could accommodate their entire roster, so Connor had divided the guys into two teams, trying to mix together rookies and experienced vets. Graham took the group with Jesse, Arkady, and Bobby, along with some guys who hadn’t made their presence known yet.
Along with the rest of the rookies, Connor’s group had Crawford, Tanner, and Anker Henriksen.
“Meet you back here in about an hour?” Connor said after the woman working for the escape room was done with her spiel.
Jesse snorted. “Right. We’ll be done in forty .”
“Dream on,” Connor said drily.
Trash talk carried them their separate ways and a spark of competitiveness lit Connor up when they were finally let inside. The room was decorated to look like a stage and everything was magic show themed.
They had to solve a murder to save the magician from being hanged. Fun.
“Okay,” Connor said, pulling out his phone. “I prepared for this and?—”
“Of course you did,” Crawford scoffed.
Connor rolled his eyes and continued. “What the article suggested was having four people in specific roles. I assume you’re all good with me being the leader and keeping everyone focused?”
The guys all nodded so he kept going. “We need someone to write down all of the clues and information we get. Who wants to take that?”
“I will,” one of the rookies said. His name was Mickey Krause but he reminded Connor so much of a guy they’d had on their team a few years ago that Connor nearly kept calling him the wrong name.
Oh well, that was what team bonding like this was for. It was a chance to get to know the guys better.
“Thanks, Mickey.” Connor shot him a smile.
“Sure. You can call me Mouse though. Most guys do.”
“Okay, Mouse. Now, next up, we need someone who’s great at brainstorming.”
When no one answered, Crawford shrugged. “I can do it.”
“Yeah, but we need someone clever and creative,” Connor shot back.
“Fuck off,” Crawford said with a laugh. “I mean it. I’m not as dumb as I look.”
That was possibly debatable, but Connor didn’t argue. “Now, we need an analyst. Let’s see, they need to see complex patterns and red herrings. I think you’d be good at that, Anker.”
He brightened. “I can try.”
“Sure. That’s all any of us can do,” Connor agreed. “Now, let’s get to work, boys.”
To Connor’s surprise, it went smoothly.
They had to ask for clues several times but they solved the room in fifty-two minutes, crowing when they realized they were the first team back.
“Suck it!” Crawford called out when Jesse, Graham, Kady and the rest of the team finally joined them in the lobby. “We won, babyyy.”
“We’d have won it if Jesse hadn’t poured too much of the potion in,” Tanner said with a disgusted look. “It bubbled over everywhere and made a total mess we had to clean up. Kady had to sacrifice his T-shirt and everything.”
Kady pulled up his hoodie to reveal his bare abs underneath.
“Dude!” Jesse protested. “It didn’t say how much to use!”
“It said to pour slowly until the potion changed color! You dumped it all in, dumbass!” Tanner shot back.
Connor shook his head. Of course it was Jesse. Causing chaos wherever he went.
“That’s my”—Connor coughed—”our little chaos demon.”