Page 89 of Body Check

Dakota nodded, wincing, because he hadn’t considered it. Hadn’t considered how risky it could be for her. “I get that. And the last thing I want to do is jeopardize what we’ve both worked so hard for.”

She reached out and took his hand. “I know. I just think sometimes … sometimes you let your head get clouded by a charming guy. And while I don’t think Gavin is like Bryce, this hookup is risky. For your careerandyour heart. I want you to make sure you’re thinking clearly.”

He nodded, squeezing her hand back. “I will. I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” She sighed, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “I do want you to be happy. You know I do.”

“Of course,” he assured her.

But it was like the bubble of joy had been pricked, leaving him deflated and questioning everything.

As the holiday skate wound down, the smaller children growing tired and leaving the ice in search of hot chocolate and cookies, Gavin approached the home bench where Thad was set up, filming the players and older kids still on the ice.

Gavin stopped beside his brother and saw the sudden tension in his shoulders indicating he knew Gavin was there, though he didn’t react otherwise.

Gavin tucked his hands in the pockets of his half zip sweater and waited.

Thad hitStopon the video, then lowered his camera, though he didn’t say anything.

“You do good work,” Gavin said softly.

Thad glanced away from the ice, squinting at him. “What?”

“Your social media campaigns. I’ve been keeping up with them since you started, and they’ve been really good.”

“Oh.” Thad looked confused. “Thanks?”

After Gavin’s little moment in the locker room, he’d checked the Harriers social media for the umpteenth time, scrolling through the content Thad had created since he’d been hired. He was impressed all over again.

Thad was doing a damn good job. Far better than Gavin had anticipated when he’d pulled some strings to get him hired.

“I know I’ve been kind of a dick to you since you showed up at HCI asking for a job,” Gavin admitted, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “And I’m sorry.”

To his surprise, Thad sighed rather than lash out like he’d expected. “I didn’t give you much choice, did I?”

Gavin shrugged. “Well, you did pretty much demand I hire you or else …”

Theor elsehad been implied, but Gavin had worried his brother would leak the truth about what had happened all those years ago to the world.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Thad admitted. “It was shitty. I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”

“No?”

Hurt flickered across Thad’s face. “You really think I’d torch your life that way?”

“I don’t know,” Gavin said honestly. “You seem pretty pissed about what happened. I can understand why it might feel fair to torpedo my life after I fucked up yours.”

“We both fucked it up,” Thad said thickly.

Gavin took a deep breath. For the first time in years, they were actually talking, rather than butting heads. Maybe Dakota was right. Maybe he should ask Thad about his holiday plans.

“Hey. I know this is out of the blue, but uh, would you—would you like to come over for Christmas?” Gavin asked, taking the plunge in this rare moment of peace between them.

“Um.” Thad flipped his ball cap around, so the bill faced front. “I can’t. I have plans with Mom and Dad.”

“You—what?” Gavin whispered, breathless, like he’d been boarded, stunned by the hurt sweeping over him. “They’re still speaking to you?”

Thad drummed his fingers on the boards, the heavy-duty plastic scuffed and scarred from years of hockey players going over them. “Uhh, yeah. They didn’t—they didn’t visit when I was in prison or anything but last year Dad had that heart thing and?—”

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