to observe him discreetly. He’d sort of expected a physical reaction to seeing Craig after so long, especially given how he’d felt toward the man—or thought he had—before he was taken last fall. Instead, there was nothing. Nothing at all. No hidden affection, no wistfulness, no hurt, no resentment, not even an ounce of anything close to bittersweet.
It was a relief.
Craig had lost a few pounds. His dark hair was combed neatly underneath the same cap he always wore. He looked pretty much the same, and Gray wondered what kind of spell he’d been under to pine over this man for so long. He was handsome, sure, but… Well, Gray was under another man’s spell now, and he much preferred Darius’s well-worn jeans, leather jackets, and Wagoneer over Craig’s khakis, windbreaker, and Camry.
Justin pushed his traffic cone past Gray, skating quickly toward Darius, and Gray watched the boy sign something.
“Of course, I’ll help you.” Darius met Gray’s curious look. “He needs to go to the bathroom. We’ll be back in a bit.”
“Ah, okay.” Needing something to do, Gray skated over to Gideon and stole his stick. “I wonder if you should try a stick that’s lighter.” He loaded the puck onto the blade, dropped it back on the ice, and fired at the net.
“I wasn’t ready!” Gabriel defended.
“And you’re hoping to get drafted this year,” Gray chuckled.
Gideon stuck on the stick topic. “Really? Lighter?” That was the moment Craig reached them, and Gid offered him a nod. “Hey, Coach. Gray thinks I should try a lighter stick.”
Gray straightened and rested his forearm on the top of the stick. “Just sayin’. I increased the speed of my shots significantly when I switched to a lighter, more flexible one.”
“Hm.” Gideon grabbed the stick and went for the puck. “They break so fucking fast, though.”
“Only if you can’t control your temper,” Gray replied. “Borrow some of mine at Mom’s and see for yourself. Especially the Vapor and the Trigger Aiden got me last summer.”
“The Vapor is a good one,” Craig said with a nod.
Interesting. His voice didn’t make an impact either.
Gideon turned pensive and practiced a few shots while Jayden watched, utterly intrigued. And it gave Gray no choice but to face his former coach.
“Long time, no see,” he said lamely.
Craig mustered a small smile, and his dark eyes became misty. “I’m so glad you’re home, Gray. I thought I was going to lose my mind when…”
Gray cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. He didn’t want this to drag out or get serious.
“I moved out of the house,” Craig admitted. “When you went missing, I couldn’t hide my worry for you. She caught on, and I said I wanted a divorce.”
“All right.” Gray folded his arms over his chest and side-eyed Jayden. He was busy cheering for Gabriel when he caught Gid’s pucks.
“You’ve moved on,” Craig stated quietly. “I can see it in you.”
Gray nodded with a dip of his chin. “I’m not the same guy anymore.”
“And you’re with someone…” Craig glanced toward the exit.
“Darius—yeah.” Gray couldn’t hide his happiness completely. “It’s new, but…yeah. He knows me better than anyone.”
Craig stuck his hands down into his pockets and stared at his feet. “I had a feeling I’d lost my chance. I made you wait too long.”
“You did a lot more than that.” Gray frowned. Just because he didn’t feel anything didn’t mean the man couldn’t evoke fierce reactions, and if Craig thought all he’d done was keep Gray waiting…? Hell, did Gray have news for him. “I tried repeatedly to move on—for fuck’s sake, I quit the team—and you insisted on pulling me back. Constant texting, empty promises, pathetic love declarations—all while you stayed with your wife. I was a mess.”
Craig cringed and took a step back. “You’re right. I know, you’re right. I was a coward—a desperate fool.”
Darius and Justin were on their way back.
Gray wanted this to be over. At least this was one thing he could leave behind. “Get out of the closet, Craig. You’re just gonna die miserable and full of regrets if you don’t stop hiding who you are.”
Craig drew a deep breath and nodded once, and then he must’ve spotted Darius, because he straightened and composed his expression. “I’m sorry for how I treated you, Gray. I really am. You deserve much better than that.”
Gray lost some of the tension in his shoulders. “Thank you.”
Craig offered a final nod, and that was it. He walked over to the twins and told them to go home and get