Page 91 of On Thin Ice

“I’m sure you know this,” he said conversationally, “but being ready doesn’t mean being without fear.”

It was the most they’d touched since entering the rink.

Jacob hadn’t had to tell Finn that touching or kissing or even more would be a terrible idea here. Finn understood when it was time to focus, when hockey superseded their relationship.

But that hadn’t stopped Finn from kissing him in the car, before they’d walked in, his lips hot and lush against Jacob’s.

“I do,” Jacob said, nodding. Or at least he always had, when it had come to hockey. There’d been plenty of times he’d been so nervous he’d thought he might end up puking on the ice.

But fear had never gotten in his way of performing.

He’d never let it. Until now.

Finn knew it and he’d pointed it out as gently as possible. That feeling that Jacob tried to pretend he wasn’t feeling swelled inside his heart.

“Then you know you’re ready. Youwantto do this. And once it’s done, it’s done.”

“You ever listened to the podcast?” It was easier to ask this question than to contemplate any of Finn’s comments. Or to listen to the heartfelt support and loyalty in his voice.

“To Neal Fisher’s podcast? Yeah. A handful of times.” Finn shot him a grin. “You know when I did.”

“After you heard about it at the dinner.”

Finn nodded and Jacob swatted him on the chest. “Go finish warming up,” he said. “We’ve got work to do that isn’t hand-holding me through the closet door.”

“But I’m happy to, you know?” Finn said, shooting Jacob one last look full of tenderness and affection as he skated back over to the net.

Jacob knew he would, freely and without judgment.

“I know,” Jacob said. “And I’ll think about it. I’vebeenthinking about it.”

But Finn was right; he’d been letting fear make him believe he wasn’t ready.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Moira.I know we talked today, but can you fit me in tomorrow? I only need ten minutes.

Yes,she texted right back.Everything okay?

It will be,Jacob told her.

A minute later, he got an appointment notification and was just adding it to his calendar when a noise behind him caught his attention. Zach had mentioned possibly dropping by, and he expected that was him.

“Just a second,” he said, and then looked over.

But it wasn’t Zach standing there.

It was Morgan.

Jacob froze as Morgan looked between him and Finn, finishing his stretches in the goal.

He knew the moment Finn saw his dad, because he froze, too.

All of them frozen, staring at each other.

Morgan unfroze first, of course. Pulled his hands out of the pockets of his leather jacket and waved at Finn like he was an assistant on one of his ESPN sets. “Get over here,” he called out.

It shouldn’t have pissed Jacob off.

Okay, no, that wasn’t true. Itshouldpiss Jacob off. The resentment crawling up his throat, along with anger and bitterness, was entirely justified. He just shouldn’tsayany of it out loud because none of it was going to help the situation.

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