Page 137 of Breaking the Ice

“You’re sure it’s not going to interfere with your work again?” Sidney questioned.

Gavin internally groaned. “Really, no. Everything’s fine now. We worked it out, and I can promise you, there won’t be any more of that.”

“Good.” Sidney nodded sharply. “You two are too valuable to this organization to possibly lose one of you.”

“You won’t. Not over this. I can guarantee that.”

“So you’re asking for . . .” Sidney trailed off, eyeing him steadily.

“Not permission, necessarily, since it’s already happening,” Gavin admitted. “And I suppose, not your blessing either, but I wanted to make you aware. And Ididwant to ask your opinion on us telling the team.”

Sidney set his fork down. “You’re very serious about this,” he said.

“Yes,” Gavin admitted. “Our guys have been very honest about their own lives, and I don’t want to hide in return.”

“As long as you’re sure the dramatics are over, I don’t see an issue,” Sidney said thoughtfully. “You’re leading by example, and I’ve always been a fan of that.”

“Very over,” Gavin reassured.

“Alright,” Sidney said, not looking particularly convinced by it, but then he’d been the one to receive Zach’s resignation and his phone call the next day, apologizing and saying he’d made a mistake.

Gavin thought that particular phrasing had been pretty damn generous of Zach, because it hadn’t beenhismistake, but entirely Gavin’s.

When Gavin had pointed this out, Zach had only laughed and hugged him, saying he was so happy he’d have been okay claiming responsibility for just about anything.

Gavin had laughed, too. Happy, too, and relieved and so many other emotions filtering through him.

He should say something else to Sidney, now, so Sidney wouldn’t continue believing that Zach had nearly quit the team in a fit of breakup pique.

“To be clear, just so you’re aware, I . . .it was all my fault,” Gavin said.

Sidney raised an eyebrow.

“And it wasn’t a breakup,” Gavin continued, internally wincing at how he’d suddenly transformed into a gossiping teenager. “We weren’t together before, and now we are.”

Sidney chuckled under his breath. “You don’t owe me the details, Gavin.”

“I know. I was just . . .” He swallowed hard. “I was married a long time, and I didn’t think I’d be with anyone else. That I’d even want to be with someone else. This thing with Zach took me by surprise, and I didn’t handle it well, at first.”

“But you’ve got a handle on it now?” Sidney asked.

“Yes,” Gavin said confidently. He didn’t add,I wouldn’t be telling you otherwise, but he thought it sort of went without saying.

If I’d fucked this up, Zach wouldn’t be here anymore, and I’d be alone and miserable and we’d probably be losing, and I’d be sitting here in front of you for an entirely different reason.

“Good,” Sidney said, nodding. “That’s all that matters.”

“We appreciate the understanding and the grace to . . .live how we want to,” Gavin said. Because Sidney didn’t have to be this accepting. Gavin wasn’t stupid enough to believe it came from anything other than a desire to keep both of them happy, employed, and winning.

Sidney smirked. “I’d be stupid to piss you off when you’re about to take us to the Frozen Four.”

“That’s not a guarantee—”

“Come now, Blackburn. You know what the team’s chances are. How they’re playing. Even the second power play team is better.”

“It is,” Gavin agreed.

“I’m just saying, winning covers a multitude of . . .I’ll saysinsbut I certainly don’t consider what you’re doing anything of the kind. We accept everyone here, at Portland U.”