“Thank you.” Connor ran up the stairs to the exit. It took checking the bathroom, the concession stand, and the ticket stand before he finally found Sean standing outside on the smoking porch, breathing heavily.

“Come with me,” Connor said quietly.

He didn’t give Sean a chance to argue, just led the way to the far end of the smoking section, away from the thickest part of the crowd. Sean glared at him as he pulled out a cigarette and his lighter.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Sean said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Anything else I should know? Like you’re not actually my half-brother?”

Connor took a drag of his cigarette and let it out slowly. “No, I really am your brother.” Of all the kids, Sean was the one who felt most like an actual sibling.

“Half,” Sean corrected.

Connor tipped his head in acknowledgement. He sighed in relief as the first burst of nicotine hit his brain.

“Is it true?” Sean asked. “You and,” he lowered his voice, “Beau?”’

Looking around quickly, Connor nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“Oh.” Sean kicked at a rock. “I didn’t know you were gay.” He almost whispered the last word.

Connor shrugged, not quite meeting Sean’s gaze. “It isn’t something I really talk about much. Didn’t think you kids needed to know, especially since there wasn’t anyone.”

“Did Mom and Dad know?”

“Yeah.” He laughed sharply, surprising them both. “Actually, they found out pretty much the same way. You’d think I would have learned the first time not to make out in that tree.”

Sean’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “It is a great tree.”

Connor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry.”

They kept their voices low. At least no matter how pissed Sean was, he understood the need for discretion. “What are you apologizing for?”

“For not telling you, I guess. Not for anything else,” Connor said. He’d vowed when he was Sean’s age that he would never apologize for being who he was.

“You’re mad at me. And, you know, I don’t want you to...” He took a deep drag, staring at a point over Sean’s head. “I guess I just don’t want you to hate me.”

Anger flashed in Sean’s eyes. “You think I’m mad because you’re gay?” he hissed. “You think I’m some kind of homophobe?”

Connor flinched at the word as a couple of people turned toward them. “I don’t know, dude,” he whispered. “I don’t even know you.”

“Whose fault is that?” Sean hissed.

“Mine, okay? It’s mine. Everything is my fault. This whole fucking mess is my fault, and I’m trying to make up for it now.” God, he was so tired.

“Yeah, well—” Sean said, like he was going to argue more, and suddenly Connor didn’t want to hear about how he’d let people he loved down once again. He was trying his best, damn it.

He stepped up into Sean’s space. Sean looked startled, but he held his ground. “My mom died, too, you know.”

“Yeah, but-”

Connor wasn’t listening. “And your dad? Brent?” Connor scrubbed his hand over his face. Damn it. He wasn’t go to cry in public. He took a few drags off the cigarette, wishing he had grabbed a beer or six, too.

“My dad?” Sean asked quietly.

“Brent was the closest thing to a dad I ever knew. I loved him, okay? I wanted to be like him. And I never told him that. I just treated him like shit and made his life a hundred times harder.” God, remembering himself at sixteen made Connor feet like he’d been shot again.

If Sean started acting up like that, Connor didn’t know what he would do. He racked his brain trying to remember everything Brent had ever said to him, ever done for him. Connor paced back and forth before coming to a stop in front of Sean.

“You have no fucking idea what it’s like to be in my position. Taking care of you and the kids while I’m under a goddamn microscope from the Walrus and the people here. So, yes, I wanted something. A...distraction. Something fun. Someone to care about me for a minute. I do my best to hold everything else together, but it’s hard, you know?  So maybe, just maybe, cut me a little slack here. Can you do that?”

Sean didn’t look up from the ground, but he nodded.

“Thank you,” Connor said, feeling spent.

They stood in silence as Connor finished his cigarette. He debated having a second one, then decided against it. “Come on,” he said to Sean.

“Do you like him?” Sean asked quietly, looking Connor right in the eyes.

Oh, boy. Connor shrugged, hoping it looked natural. “‘Course I like him. He’s a good guy. Lots of help around the house. Plays good hockey.” He smiled, but Sean wouldn’t be deflected.

“You know what I mean.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Do you like him?”

He should have had that second cigarette. He looked away, looked back. “I don’t know,” he lied. “Don’t matter anyway.”

Sean looked up, his surprise evident. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s gonna be gone after hockey season, ain’t he?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I forgot he told me that. After the season.” Sean visibly sagged. “I’m going to miss him.”

Connor snorted. Connor hadn’t forgotten. Lately, it was all he thought about. “Yeah. Well.” He stared out into the parking lot just visible from the deck. “You ready to go back in? I think we got time to grab a drink before next period.”

Sean nodded.

“Let’s go. Save those nice women from the kids.”

* * *

When Connor and Sean got back to the seats, Benji, Micah, and Fiona were holding giant souvenir cups of soda, bags of popcorn, and wearing official Tornado T-shirts. Benji had a tornado painted on his face.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Dee said to Connor. “We don’t have any of our own to spoil yet, and yours are so cute.” She pinched Benji’s cheek. He didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t mind, ma’am,” Connor assured her. “Did they say thank you?”

“Many times,” Nanette assured him.

“Good. Did they, ah, say anything else? Ask about things?” Oh, that wasn’t too vague.

Dee and Nanette exchanged looks. “We distracted them with food and drinks and pictures of our cats. We figured you needed to be the one to talk to them. About things.”

Yeah, he probably should be, but he couldn’t help wishing the women had covered some of the basics for him. How did you explain what gay meant to an sis-year-old?

“You guys good?” she asked, tilted her head at Sean.

He gave her a small shrug. “We will be. We gotta be,” he said under his breath.

Nanette didn’t push, but her eyes held understanding.

The remainder of the game passed quickly. Connor eventually grew marginally less confused. He’d given up trying to follow the game in favor of simply watching Beau skate. Damn, the man could move. It was so sexy.  Still, he had a hard time keeping up with Beau’s movements. It seemed like the players hopped on and off the ice randomly or at some signal Connor couldn’t see.

They were close enough to the Tornadoes’ bench that he could see Beau’s face when he came racing back to the box at the end of his shift. He was one hundred percent focused on the game. That was ninety-nine percent more than Connor was.

He only noticed that Micah, Benji, and Fiona had made their way down to the glass when there were less than two minutes left on the clock. The Tornadoes were ahead four to two.

“Where’s the other goalie?” he asked Dee.

“They pulled him for the extra attacker,” she explained.

“They can do that?”

“Yep. Rules say six men on the ice, doesn’t specify which six. So, when they got nothing to lose, they pull the goalie and send another guy out to help them score.”

“Can they come back from behind in,” he checked the countdown clock, “one minute and seven seconds?”

Nanette laughed. “It can be done. I saw the Vegas Golden Knights score three goals in fifty-three seconds one game. But I don’t know if the Steelheads can do it.”

Turned out they couldn't. Connor cheered as loudly as the kids at the end of the game. He wasn't sure it would ever replace football in his heart, but hockey in person was better than on TV, he'd give it that much.

As the crowd filed out, Connor and the kids lingered behind. Dee and Nanette hovered around, waiting for a chance to speak to him.

“I just loved getting to meet y’all,” Dee said, pulling Micah in for a hug. “You’re gonna be back, right?”

“Definitely,” Micah said.

“Well, that is great. Me and Nan got season tickets with those seats, so you try real hard to sit near us again, okay? Matter of fact, we can’t make every game. How ‘bout we give you a call when one or both of us can’t make it? Silly to let the seats sit empty.”

“That would be amazing!” Micah said.

“Gotta come cheer on that blue-haired cutie, right?” She winked, and the tips of Connor’s ears went hot.

“It was great to meet you, too,” he said, meaning it. They’d been so patient in explaining everything to Connor and the kids, and he was fairly sure that even if he didn’t come back to a single game, Micah would always have a spot to sit with them.

“You should bring your parents out to watch! I’m sure they’d love it,” Nanette said.

The kids’ faces fell, and Connor sighed. She had no way of knowing, of course, but it hurt all the same. “I’m the kids’ guardian. Our mom and their dad passed away a couple of months ago.”

Both women gasped. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“I know. It’s just been a hard time.”

“Well, I can imagine.”

Dee tugged on Nanette’s sleeve and whispered something in her ear that had Nanette grinning. She nodded and turned back to Connor, grabbing a pen from her purse.

“I’m going to give you our number.” She scribbled on the back of a receipt. “You call us when you need a woman to talk to. Okay?” She handed him the scrap of paper.

“Dee’s better at the emotional thing than I am, but well, that’s why I love her.” She leaned over and placed a kiss on Dee’s lips.

Oh.  “How long have you been together?” he asked.

“Three years in July. We got married as soon as we could after the Supreme Court made it legal. We met here, actually.”

Connor smiled, wondering if they knew Peggy and her Val. Probably. He’d ask her at work.

“Well, thank you so much for the number. I’ll definitely give you a call.” He worried about the girls. Growing up without a dad had been bad enough. He couldn't imagine what it would be like for girls without mothers.

“Yeah, we’d love it. You could teach me more about hockey,” Micah said.

Connor didn’t point out that she lived with a hockey player. If she wanted to bond with them over hockey, he wouldn’t stop her.

They said their goodbyes and headed to the parking lot to meet Beau outside the players’ entrance. To Connor’s surprise, there was a small crowd waiting for autographs. He checked his watch. When had it gotten so late?

The door opened a few moments later and Beau walked out wearing a suit. Actually, they were all wearing suits. He glanced over at Sean, who looked stunned at the line of muscular men in suits. Connor knew how he felt.

“You look nice,” he said as Beau approached them.

Beau hardly had a chance to respond, as the younger kids tackled him for a hug.

“That was amazing! You were so good! Where’d you learn to do that thing with the stick?” Micah peppered him with questions. Fiona and Benji flitted from player to player, getting signatures on their cardboard clappers.

A very large, bearded man in a suit gave Connor a nod and a smile as he clapped both hands on Beau’s shoulders. “So, Hops, who are your groupies?”

Beau shoved the guy off of him with a grin. “Hey, man. Connor brought the gang down to watch. How cool was that?”

“Best-looking fan club I’ve ever seen, guaranteed,” the guy said.

Turned out the guy was Eric Delia, the starting goalie, and one of the players Beau considered a friend. “Call me Delia, everyone does,” he said shaking hands with them all. “Even my mom. This y’all’s first game?” The kids nodded yes. “What d’you think?”

“It was amazing!” Benji yelled, jumping up and slapping his cardboard fan on the back of Micah’s head. Fiona agreed, and even Sean allowed that it had been fun. He still wasn’t speaking to Connor, but he wouldn’t be rude to a stranger.  

Beau caught Connor’s eye and grinned. “You’re never going to get Benji to bed.”

Connor gave an exaggerated sigh. “Tell me about it. I think he drank his weight in Mountain Dew.”

“You were amazing,” Micah said to Beau. “But I really liked the goalie. He rocked.”

“Yeah? You gonna be a goalie then?” Delia asked her.

“Girls can be goalies?” Her eyes grew huge.

Delia shrugged. “Yeah, a’course. I know a few girl goalies who could kick my ass on the ice. Did you see the women’s hockey teams in the Olympics?”

“No!” Micah said, stunned at the thought. “You mean I could play hockey at the Olympics?”

Even through the beard, Delia’s white teeth gleamed in the sodium lights of the parking lot as he laughed loudly. “Hell, yes.” The hand he held out for a fist bump dwarfed Micah’s small one, but she bumped knuckles with the big man enthusiastically.

“Big brother,” he said, addressing Connor. “This little spitfire gets on a team, you call me. I’ll make sure she’s the best goalie around.”

“Yeah!” Micah jumped up and down clapping her hands.

“Can you even ice skate?” Sean asked, doubt clear in his voice.

Micah glared at him, hands on her hips. “I can totally ice skate. Remember Darien’s party?”

“That was one time—”

“Okay,” Connor cut him off. “Enough. Micah, we’ll talk about the Olympics later, okay?”

“Promise?” Micah shot him the big, sad puppy-dog eyes.

Connor had never seen her so excited about anything before. Damn right he promised. If he had to start a girl’s hockey team in Hidden Creek for her to play on, he would. “Absolutely. But not tonight, okay?”

Delia’s eyes narrowed at someone coming up behind Connor. He turned to see a younger guy swaggering up to them. Oh, he’d seen that look before. This kid couldn’t be more than five years older than Sean, but he had bully written all over him.

Connor stepped between him and the kids as best he could.

“This your boyfriend, Hopper?” the player sneered, craning his neck around Connor. “You playing step-dad?”

“Isn’t it past your bedtime, Youngster?” Delia asked.

The guy held a hand out to Connor. “Travis Youngblood. Center.”

Connor gave it a perfunctory shake. “Connor Casey.”

“These your kids?” He looked at them, one eyebrow raised.

“What do you want, Youngblood?” Beau asked before Connor could decide if and how to answer.

“Nothing. Just wanted to see the guy you were shacking up with for free rent. Now there’s a deal I could get behind. Then again, maybe you’re the one getting behind him?”

Sean came and stood next to Connor, arms crossed over his chest. It felt right; it felt like they were on the same team for the first time.

“What’s he talking about?” Benji asked quietly.

Connor shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He took a step closer to the guy. “Watch your mouth around my siblings.”

Youngblood didn’t budge. “Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t.”

Delia grabbed his arm. “And maybe I will beat the ever-loving shit out of you.” His eyes flicked down to Benji and Micah, who stared with wide eyes. “Sorry, kids.”

Delia released Youngblood with a little push, sending him straight into a good-looking, dark-haired man, a little slimmer and smaller than Beau’s other teammates.

“Youngster, tu me gosses, la?” The guy had an accent Connor couldn’t place. “Why don’t you go on home and argue with the children you play video games with, eh?”

“Back off, Pepe le Pew. I’m leaving. Just wanted to check out Hopper’s piece of tail.”

Sean took a step forward, and Connor placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. Sean scowled, but stepped back.

Youngblood laughed, flashed them a peace sign, and turned his back to them and walked away.

“Asshole,” Sean muttered. Connor couldn’t disagree.

“André Riley,” the new man said. “It is good to finally meet. Beau talks of you and your brothers and sisters often.”

Connor muttered something he hoped was polite as he shook Riley’s hand. The mood of the evening had definitely changed, and he wanted nothing more than to get the kids out of there.

“Where are you parked?” Beau asked him.

Connor pointed vaguely in the direction of the truck.

“I’ll walk you back,” he said, grabbing Micah’s hand. “So, you really think you want to be a goalie?” he asked her.

“Oh, yeah.” She beamed at Delia.

“Goalies are crazy, you know.” Beau shook his head in exaggerated sorrow.

“It’s true, sorry to say,” Delia told her.

“Perfect.”

“It was nice to meet y’all,” Connor said as a prelude to leaving.

“All of us? Truly?” André asked with a smile.

“Some of you more than others,” Connor admitted. “Come on, let’s go.” He put his arm around Sean’s shoulder, oddly pleased to see that Sean was still a few inches shorter than he was. “Thanks for having my back,” he said quietly.

Sean only nodded, but didn’t shake Connor’s arm off. He was going to take that as a win.

Connor slowed down, letting the kids get a little ahead of him and Beau. Sean gave him a look. “Can you keep an eye on the kids for me?” Connor asked. “Please?” he asked when Sean hesitated.

“Yeah, sure.” He tilted his chin at Beau. “Good game. You were awesome.”

“Thanks.” Beau flashed Connor a glance, sensing he was missing something. “Something wrong?” he asked after Sean had gotten out of earshot.