“Hey.” Someone bumped shoulders with Thad, and he glanced over to see his twin brother. “So it looks like you and Graham are still buddies, huh?”
“What?” Thad asked.
“You guysarefriends, aren’t you?” Gavin slid his hands into his trouser pockets and lifted his eyebrows. “Or did I misunderstand?”
“Uhh, yeah, I suppose,” Thad said warily. “Why?”
Gavin shrugged. “It’s nice. I like Graham. He’s very solid, responsible?—”
“Unlike me?” Thad snapped.
Gavin blinked, holding up his hands. “Woah. I never said that.”
Thad sighed. “I know. Sorry. I …”
“We’ve never been great at not pushing each other’s buttons,” Gavin finished drily.
“Right.”
It was true though. Somehow, they always assumed the worst about each other. They’d made a lot of progress since last Christmas, but they still had a long way to go.
“Anyway, I wasn’t trying to get a dig in, I swear it. I’m excited about our leadership for the team. Connor, Graham, and Mickey are very solid.”
Thad rubbed the back of his neck. “Absolutely. And I’m, uh, sorry if I leaped to conclusions there.”
Gavin waved it off. “It’s fine. We both have work to do.”
“So what do you think the team’s chances are?” Thad asked because they could talk endlessly about that without Thad accidentally putting his fucking foot in his mouth.
Gavin lit up. “Good. A lot better than last season. We’ll need to hit it hard at the beginning of the season, but I think if we can keep Tanner from infecting the team with whatever plague he brings home next, I think we have a shot.”
Gavin nodded toward the curly-haired defenseman who was talking animatedly to Jesse Webber about something, gesturing with his hands.
Even from this distance, the goaltender looked amused.
Thad smiled too because he liked Tanner. He was such a little shit-stirrer.
Gavin would probably tell Thad it takes one to know one. That was undoubtedly true in real life, although Thad had never been a pest like Tanner when he was playing hockey growing up.
No, he’d been serious. Dedicated to the game. Intent on scoring goals.
He’d never been the natural talent Gavin was. He’d had to bust his ass twice as hard to keep up with Gavin and their teammates.
Though, lately, he’d gained a little bit of a reputation as a chirper in the rec league. He was quicker mentally than most guys and knew how to rile them up.
Or calm them down.
It’s amazing what one learns in prison, he thought with a wry smile to himself as he saw Graham across the room, talking to Connor about something, still clutching his mangled water bottle.
Thad sighed.
If only he’d learned how to deal with having feelings for someone.
CHAPTER FIVE
An hour later, as Graham signaled to turn onto the cross street a couple of blocks away from the O’Shea’s row house in Charlestown, he spotted Thad.
He was walking quickly along the cross street, head up, scanning the sidewalk around him.
