Page 35 of On Thin Ice

“What about non-practice ice time?” Jacob couldn’t believe he’d asked the question. Before this conversation, he hadn’t even been sure he could go to a practice. But now, here he was asking aboutmoreice time.

Moira would be proud. Confused, probably, but proud.

“I can arrange that, too.” Gavin paused. “You’re not gonna wear the kid out, are you?”

Jacob choked on air. Because of thewear him outor thekid—he wasn’t entirely sure. Both, maybe.

“No.No,” he repeated with as much certainty as he could.

“Okay, good. You know the line. And he’s young. Hungry.”

“He sure is.” Jacob wished Finn was a little less hungry. A little less honest, too, because the more they talked about what theyweren’tdoing, the more obvious it became that if Jacob crossed that line, Finn wouldn’t turn him away.

“I’m sure glad you’re doing this,” Gavin said, “and if you need anything else, you just let me know, right?”

“Right. Will do,” Jacob said.

A different brain maybe. A new hip. And don’t get me started on my libido.

After he hung up with Gavin, Jacob pulled up his email and shot Moira a quick message.

Helping out a local guy who’s trying to improve his skills. Gonna get back on the ice. Why am I not more freaked out about this?

He should’ve known that tossing something like that Moira’s direction would get him a phone call.

She called five minutes later, just as he was heading into his office to deal with some other business.

“Who’s this local guy?” she asked.

Ugh, of course, she was going to start with that.

“Funny story,” Jacob said. “It’s . . .uh . . .Finn Reynolds. He plays for a local college and asked for help and I figured why not?”

A vast oversimplification, but even though Moira was his therapist and he trusted her because she’d seen him through some tough times, he didn’t want to confess everything. Like how Finn had called his bluff by nearly getting naked. Like how Jacob was attracted to him even though he didn’t want to be. Nevermind that hearing about Morgan’s treatment, inadvertent or not, and how it tore Finn down made Jacob want to kick his ass harder than he’d ever been tempted when Morgan’s insults had been flung inhisdirection.

“Finn Reynolds. You meanMorgan’sson? That Finn Reynolds?” It took Moira a second, but she got there.

She’d have gotten there faster, but he knew she normally saw football players, not hockey players. Jacob was her first.

“Yep.”

“Well, this is a development,” Moira said. “Do you want to talk about it?” He’d been working with her long enough that he knew what she actually meant was,do you need to talk about it?

“No, not necessarily.” He was hoping they didn’t have to go there, though that was probably a pipe dream.

“Jacob, this Morgan Reynolds has come up more than once.”

“I thought it was just the once—”

“No,” Moira corrected gently. “More than once. And one session, you spent quite a bit of time telling me about how you wanted to be his friend—how youtriedto be his friend—but he insisted on continuing your feud. On and off the ice.”

“Well, that’s not really why I messaged you. I really just wanted to know why I could barely get on the ice at the fundraiser and now? I’m asking Finn’s coach if I can cometo practice. About additional ice time,” Jacob said, awkwardly changing the subject.

“And you don’t think those two things are related? Finn’s last name and your sudden desire to get back on the ice?”

“It’s not adesire. I do want to help him, and the ice part is kind of non-negotiable.”

“Ah,” Moira said. One of those noises she made that said about a hundred things, just not out loud.

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