Page 116 of Game Misconduct

“He kinda had some vibes with the hot mom who came to the Make-A-Wish Day for Harper though.”

“Oh, Brie? Yeah. I dunno know about that.” Jesse hummed. “It seemed like he was just being nice to her because of her kid.”

“The timing checks out, right?” Tanner said. “I mean, he wasn’t really acting weirdbeforethen.”

“True,” Jesse said. “To be honest, it seems to me like he had more chemistry with her brother.”

Tanner hooted. “Vintage Jersey Guy? No fucking way.”

The idea of Luke having chemistry with the guy who showed up in the penalty box to chirp him made Tanner laugh loud enough that the people at the next table over glanced at him. He shot them a smile and they smiled back.

Tanner lowered his voice and leaned in again. “Luke isn’t gay.”

“He could be bi or pan,” Jesse said with a shrug.

Tanner snorted. “I knowthat. I’m just saying the dude has the straightest vibes I’ve ever seen. And I have great radar for that. Besides, c’mon, he calls all of us ‘rainbow guys’ like we’re some otherspecies.”

The way he said it wasn’t mean and Tanner knew he’d take down anyone who seriously made fun of them for being queer—look at the way he’d punched their former forward, Bobby Tucker, whenhe’d said some shit—butstill. Crawford didn’t exactly act like he was part of the queer group.

Jesse opened his mouth to reply but a moment later the waiter arrived with their soup.

After that, the conversation switched to practice and an upcoming game. They were still talking hockey after Jesse paid for lunch.

“Hey,” Jesse said when they were out on the sidewalk. “I need to drop some stuff off at Catherine’s house. You want to help?”

“Sure!” Tanner said. “I love seeing Mama O’Shea.”

Jesse smiled. “She loves seeing you too.”

“So when are you and Connor actually going to tie the knot?” Tanner asked a few minutes later as Jesse carefully pulled his green Jaguar into traffic. “I’ve been wondering. I’ll be the best man, right?”

“Of course you’ll be the best man.” Jesse’s bright smile fell and he sighed. “Honestly, I have no idea when it’ll happen. We keep talking about it, but life has been so crazy with the kids and hockey and …”

Tanner nodded.

“We’re going to talk more about it this summer,” Jesse said. “But right now everything’s kind of in a holding pattern with Connor’s shoulder. We don’t know when the season will end or if he’ll be having surgery or what. And I know that we can hire a wedding planner but I fucking love parties and I want to do more than just tell someone what vibe I want and have them doeverything, you know?”

“Sure,” Tanner said, grinning because Jesse’s Halloween party had been fucking epic last fall. He could only imagine how amazing the Webber-O’Shea wedding would be.

“What about you?” Jesse asked. “Anyone on your radar lately?”

Tanner shrugged. “I’m having fun.”

Jesse shot him a look out of the corner of his eye. “Justhaving fun?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know.” Jesse shrugged. “It just seems like you’ve been talking about recent hookups less lately. I thought maybe things had changed for you too.”

Tanner swallowed. Ahh shit. Fucking goalies. They noticedeverything. “Umm.”

“Look, you don’t have to tell me anything,” Jesse said. “But I’m here if you want to talk about it. That’s all.”

“There’s sort of … someone,” Tanner admitted. “Who I’ve seen a few times. And I’m kinda into him and we talk a lot, but it doesn’tmeananything.”

The moment the words left Tanner’s mouth they felt weird and wrong but before he could correct himself Jesse spoke. “Do youwantit to mean something?”

“I don’t know,” Tanner said, frustrated. “Maybe? I don’t fucking know.”