Page 42 of Breaking the Ice

“Well, obviously,” Morgan said, like Gavin’s question was top ten in the dumbest questions he’d ever been asked.

At least, Gavin figured, there was that. He didn’t have to convince Morgan that Finn was good. He just had to convince Morgan to leave Finn alone, hoping that without all that constant fatherly pressure, he might be not just good, butgreat.

“That helps,” Gavin said bluntly.

“Helps what?”

“Helps what I’m about to say to you,” Gavin said. “You gotta leave him alone.”

There was nothing but silence on the other end for a long, interminable moment. Gavin actually thought he might’ve hung up on him. That wouldn’t be that out of character.

“You trying to tell me how to father my own goddamn son?” Morgan finally asked, bordering on belligerent.

Gavin sighed. “No, I’m not telling you how to father him. I’m telling you to stop coaching him. Let me do that.”

More silence.

“You actually gonna do it?”

Gavinconsidered telling Morgan that nowhe’dasked the stupid question, but that would only piss him off, and he was on thin ice anyway.

“That’s the plan,” Gavin said, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.

“Well, if you do it better than that fucking idiot at Syracuse, then, sure, I’ll be happy to leave it to you.”

“What did he do?”

Morgan sighed, long-suffering. “All the wrong shit, okay? It was like he didn’t know how to deal with Finn at all. Kept pushing him. When he doesn’t get that we pushourselves.”

Gavin wondered if Morgan even knew he’d saidwe, like Morgan and Finn were a matched set, or if it just came naturally.

“What did Finn think about that?” Gavin could guess. He could also guess that when it came down to it, if asked, Finn would claim he’d transferred to get farther away from his father. Not that he hadn’t liked his coach.

“Oh, you know. He didn’t get it.” For the first time conversation, Morgan sounded human. Like a real fucking dad, who’d gotten blamed in full for something that he was undoubtedly partially—but not entirely—responsible for.

“He’s young,” Gavin said.

“Yeah.Yeah.” Morgan exhaled sharply. “So you’re gonna coach him?”

“Yes. The way he should be coached,” Gavin said. He was sure the Syracuse coach had promised similar things, and there was no way he could guarantee to Morgan he would be better. There was only his word.

Hopefully, that would be enough.

“You were a decent enough coach, back at Four Nations,” Morgan admitted. He didn’t sound entirely convinced, but he didn’t sound doubtful either.

“That was a ten day tournament, five years ago,” Gavin reminded him, though now that he was thinking about it, whyhadhe brought that up?

“Believe me, I know,” Morgan said dryly. “But still. You were good. I . . .I’m not gonna leave him alone entirely, though.”

“You shouldn’t. You’re his dad.”

“If I overstep and you find out, let me know, okay?” There was suddenly a vulnerable note in Morgan’s voice. “He’s got a mom, right? But she’s busy. Remarried, had more kids. I want to be there for Finn, but sometimes . . .it’s like the only thing we have that connects us is hockey.”

Gavin sighed.

“I know, right?” Morgan sounded almost amused now. “It was easier when you thought I was just a total asshole.”

“I’m sure at some point you’re going to remind me of that fact again,” Gavin retorted dryly.