Page 108 of On Thin Ice

“That’s just fucking great,” Morgan grumbled.

“And maybe I’m pissed as hell at you for making that transition look so fucking easy when I . . .when I could barely manage it.” He shouldn’t have admitted it—Morgan certainly hadn’t, not in as many words—but if he was going to be fully honest, someday, he needed to start somewhere.

Morgan looked at him. Even though Jacob wasn’t looking back, he could feel the weight of his gaze.

“You think it’s beeneasyfor me?” Morgan said, the edges of his voice so brittle Jacob wondered how—and when—they might break.

“You made itlookeasy,” Jacob countered.

Morgan shot him a glare. “And when did you ever buy into my bullshit, Braun?”

Jacob froze. Whenhadhe? He never had. He’d always seen through it. Morgan had never ruffled him, because he’d always seen his grandstanding, his temper, his one-sided feud between them for what it was: Morgan’s ego fighting his own fucking insecurity.

“There you go,” Morgan said wryly and then stood as the announcer began to call out the lineup.

There were Elliott and Malcom—who Jacob had met officially just yesterday—skating onto the ice, accompanied by a tall, stocky guy with a nice, easy smile.

Then Brody and Ramsey, the two starting defensemen. Ramsey was showboating, playing to the crowd as he skated onto the ice, not ignoring them like everyone else was.

Finn skated out, not even glancing up, even when the crowd roared its approval.

“That kid,” Morgan muttered under his breath.

“Ramsey?” Jacob was pretty sure that Morgan wasn’t talking about his own son.

Morgan nodded. “I’ve done some work with him. I swear to God, he deliberately distracts me every time I’m in town, insisting on these endless fucking practices. Always hitting on me, trying to hook up.”

Jacob jolted. Morgan’s voice was so matter-of-fact. Had Morgan slept with Ramsey? Surely Finn would know if that had happened, and if he didn’t, and ithadhappened, then Jacob did not want to be who finally told him. “He does?”

“He’s never hit on you?” Morgan looked surprised.

Ramsey had not, and Jacob was pretty sure that was because he’d known about Finn. From what Finn said about Ramsey, it was possible he’d known about Finn and Jacob before Finn and Jacob had.

“No,” Jacob said. “I’m really impressed, Morgan. You not kicking some poor lovestruck kid to the curb when he tries to cross the line.”

“I’m not . . .” Morgan huffed. “I’m not a fucking villain. For all his posturing, Ramsey’s akid.He’s twenty-plus years younger than me. I’m not gonna . . .anyway.” Suddenly Morgan looked uncomfortable like he’d confessed too many of his own truths to someone he wasn’t sure would treat them with the respect they deserved.

Jacob hadn’t ever heard—not evenonce—that Morgan swung his way. Had never suspected it, but found himself, jaw dropped, staring at Reynolds because hisonlyissue with Ramsey hitting on him was his age. Not his sex.

Not the fact that he was a man.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Jacob said, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Oh, stop being such a fucking prude,” Morgan said, chuckling. “I can practically hear the wheels turning over there.”

“Does Finn know you’re into guys?”Finn had to know, Jacob told himself firmly.

But Morgan shook his head again. “It’s not . . .it’s not anything. Just happened once. Never wanted to do it with anyone else. So, no point in trying to tell Finn that we’re the same, that we’re both queer, because we’re not.”

Jacob wanted to tell him that this was fucking bullshit—if Morgan wanted to have sex with evenoneman, that meant he was queer, which meant thatyes, he and Finn and Morgan were all very much the same—but Morgan looked so suddenly uncomfortable that Jacob decided it wasn’t worth making the argument.

Clearly, he hadn’t meant to bring it up, and now that he had, he regretted it.

Well, Jacob fucking regretted knowing about it, because now he was going to have to keep this secret from Finn.

“Alright,” Jacob said.

“You’re not gonna . . .I don’t know . . .lecture me on queerness?”

---