Those two always made him laugh. They acted like siblings—honestly, they reminded Thad of him and Gavin—and although they seemed like an unlikely defensive pair, they played well together.
He watched the crowd, taking a few quick photos of them too. But, as always, Thad’s gaze eventually drifted back to Graham.
He sat on the bench, talking intently to Tanner. Thad couldn’t quite get used to the funny little jolt he got at the sight of Graham now.
Looking at him made him want to reach out and pull him close. Hold him.
And though Thad couldn’t do it in public, certainly couldn’t do it during a game, even if they had been close enough to touch, it still left him feeling exposed. Like everyone wouldseehow pathetically eager he was for Graham’s time and attention.
Graham laughed at something and without thinking, Thad zoomed in and got the shot. It wasn’t one he’d post on social media. From a compositional standpoint, it wasn’t very good.
But he liked the look on Graham’s face. The way his teeth flashed, even and white, as he opened his mouth to laugh.
That jolt went through Thad again. That desire to cup Graham’s cheek and feel him lean into it.
Thad swallowed thickly, lowering his camera and wondering how long he’d had these feelings for Graham. Because it didn’t feel like they’d started dating. It felt like they’d been … well, like they’d been working toward this for a while now.
Long before Graham had realized he liked men at all.
It was maybe understandable Thad missed what these feelings meant, since he hadn’t ever felt them before, but it still made him vaguely uneasy he hadn’t been aware of them growing.
He suddenly wished hecouldtalk to Gavin about it.
Wished they had a relationship where he could ask his brother for advice. They’d come so far but … but not far enough. Not yet.
Besides, he’d promised his brother he wouldn’t get involved with anyone from the Harriers.
Gavin had already cautioned him about flirting with people in the organization. He’d gotten two warnings last season and Gavin had made it abundantly clear if he did it again, he’d be out on his ass.
But the action on the ice picked up again and Thad focused on that.
He had a job to do and no matter how distracting Graham was, he couldn’t let anything interfere with it.
Graham scowled at the ice as he watched New York sweep around the net in the second period. They’d scoredtwice.
Thanks to the Harriers’ earlier goal, they only had a one-goal deficit and they could totally close it up if theyfocused, but New York had a way of getting under their skin.
The first goal had been on a power play after Crawford got into it with Mirsad Renner. No shock there. They had dropped gloves more than once over the years.
But at least Tanner had been focused.
He didn’t seem to be letting Leif Rasmussen rattle him. Though there was no denying the antagonism between them.
After Leif fired the puck into the net over Jesse’s shoulder for the second goal, he turned to look at Tanner on the bench with a smirk.
Graham couldseeTanner’s frustration as he chomped on his mouthguard and got off the ice, muttering about getting him back in the third period.
Thankfully, he was channeling it in productive ways.
The Harriers scored right off the faceoff at the beginning of the period. Mickey and Rafe had set up the play and Tom Bass got the shot in the net.
Graham gave Tommo his knuckle bumps as he cruised past and felt a little of the tension in his shoulders ease.
The score was tied so they still had a long way to go but it was a start.
Graham kept an eye on Tanner, but so far he was behaving.
Well, if you could call him being an absolute pest behaving. Since it was all in Boston’s favor … Graham was happy to see it.
