Page 42 of Finders Keepers
They sat for a moment in silence, the hum of the city far below them.
Kincaid finally stood and clapped a hand on Nate’s shoulder. “Keep your head down when you need to. Stand up when it counts. If Tommy runs his mouth again, let me earn my C. You’ve already shown the team you won’t put up with that kind of crap. And if I’m not around...” He shrugged.
Nate nodded. “Thanks, Kinner.”
A faint smile. “No problem.”
* * * * *
Nate sat in the car, letting the cool air wash over him.
What the hell just happened?
The AGM and the assistant head coach were gay.
They didn’t care if he dated men.
And Kincaid—Jesus. The team captain hadn’t just tolerated him; he’d thanked him. Backed him up. Promised to handle things going forward.
That backing shouldn’t mean as much as it did. But it mattered.
Nate pulled out his phone and texted Wesley.
You won’t believe what happened.
If you haven’t started cooking something, let’s go out.
Could they make a relationship work? It wasn’t long distance, not exactly, but Nate was away a lot. They could try, though, right?
If Wesley was interested.
They’d grown rather domestic, and Nate had found contentment in their simple, shared moments. Their easy routines, however, were gonna come to an end. Wesley had school and Nate had the upcoming season, but they could start fresh. Go on actual dates.
Management didn’t care if he dated a man.
Dating a man would come with a lot of drama. The team’s acceptance was one thing. Social media, the rest of the hockey world, the rest of the regular world…that was another shitshow entirely. Was he ready for everything a gay relationship entailed? Aside from Tommy, how would the rest of his teammates feel about a queer in the room? Would the captain still have his back then?
Of course, he didn’t have to come out. He could remain an “ally.”
Nate backed out of his parking spot and headed home.
The trill of his phone filled the cab, and his heart somersaulted. The name on caller ID was Claire, not Wesley. He swallowed his disappointment. He really was happy to hear from his sister.
“Claire Bear, you’re not going to believe what just happened.”
“Hi Nate. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”
“Fuck you.”
“No, thanks. That’s gross.”
“Ain’t that the truth. Hello, Claire, how are you? To what do I owe this honor.”
“Har har har,” she said and laughed. “I was just checking in. Hadn’t heard from you in a few days.”
“Where to begin.” Pure joy poured out of him in sudden laughter.
“How about with whatever’s got you laughing like a lunatic.”
