CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
No one moved or spoke as Gavin glared around the locker room and Graham shifted uncomfortably, not sure what exactly he should say.
“Guys …” His tone was filled with warning.
Connor stepped forward. “It was Bobby Tucker causing trouble, Gavin. We handled it.”
Gavin narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to need a few more details.”
Connor gave their GM a succinct rundown of what had happened and when he was done, Gavin ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Guys, when I said I wanted you to bond and have each other’s backs, this isn’t quite what I meant.”
“It’s working, isn’t it?” Jesse asked with a trace of humor.
“Mmm.” Gavin let out a skeptical noise as he glanced around the room. “That remains to be seen.”
“Connor was right. We handled it,” Crawford pointed out.
Gavin’s gaze dropped to where he was still icing his hand, and he gave him a disapproving look. “I can see that. This isn’t how I’d like you to handle conflicts in the future, however. While I agree we don’t need Graham out with a hand injury, we need you on the ice too.”
“Ahh, I’ll be fine.” Crawford lifted the ice pack away and flexed his fingers again. “No permanent damage.”
“There better not be,” Gavin said warningly. “But still, you go get checked out by the trainers before you head out on the ice, okay? I’ll let Hoyt know why you’re not out there.”
“Yeah, okay,” Crawford grumbled.
“And if you can spare me a little bit of your time after practice, I’d like to speak to all of you. I have a story I want to tell you about why my hockey career ended the way it did that I think you need to hear. We’ll meet back here once everyone’s showered.”
“Sure,” Connor said slowly as he glanced around like he was checking to be sure everyone was on board. “We’ll be here.”
“Now finish getting dressed for practice, ” Gavin said. “Hoyt is waiting for you on the ice.”
As the team settled into their stalls, freshly showered and dressed casually, they looked confused.
All the ancillary staff had cleared out, except for Thad who leaned against a wall near the closed doors. He had a look of bored indifference on his face, but Graham knew he was probably feeling anxious as hell about what his brother was about to say.
“As you all know, Thad and I are twins.” He nodded toward him. “But the summer of our draft, he and I both made choices that would permanently impact the rest of our lives …
Everyone listened intently as Gavin continued to talk about what had led to the burglary and Thad taking the fall for the crime.
It was interesting to hear the story from Gavin’s perspective this time.
The facts were the same, but the way they interpreted it all was a little different. Still, the thing Graham noticed most was that Gavin and Thad were more alike than either of them would ever admit.
So willing to carry all the blame instead of letting anyone else shoulder it.
When Gavin was done talking, the room was silent.
He took a deep breath and loosened his tie. “The reason I’m telling you this now is twofold. The first is because I think being more honest about my past is the right thing to do, especially because Thad is the one who has to carry the stigma of having been in prison with him everywhere he goes.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Graham caught a glimpse of Crawford nodding.
“I’m proud of my brother.” Gavin’s voice cracked. “Proud of what he’s accomplished in his life despite the hardships. Proud of the man he is.”
Graham glanced over to see Thad duck his head and swallow hard.
Gavin took a deep breath. “But I also told you this story because it’s a reminder our actions have consequences. Split-second decisions can impact the rest of our lives. And whether on the ice or off it, every choice impacts not only your life but those of the people you care about.”
Everyone nodded.
“Hockey is a passionate sport. And it seems you are a particularly passionate group.”
Several guys chuckled.
“I think you’re all aware that the number of you dating each other has led to a handful of …
questionable choices on the ice.” He glanced slowly around the room.
“I haven’t felt the need for disciplinary action because I think you all know those choices generally didn’t lead to positive outcomes for the team.
I want you to learn from your mistakes on your own, not have it drilled into you through punishment.
Frankly, I don’t think the latter approach would do anywhere near as much.
“But I hope what I told you today will be a good reminder that actions have consequences. Choices have ripple effects. And it’s worth taking an extra fraction of a second to think before you act.”
There was a finality to his tone, like the discussion was over, and everyone nodded, their expressions somber.
In the background, Graham heard Kady whisper. “Am not sure I understand. Why does Gavin look like disappointed dad?”
Graham glanced over to see Jesse pat Kady’s thigh. “I’ll explain after.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, guys,” Gavin said with a quiet sigh. “Let’s get out of here, huh? Go home, rest up, and regroup.”
A couple of guys stood but Erik called out, “Uhh, Gavin. I have a question, if that’s okay?”
“Yes?” Gavin turned back.
Erik looked around. “Is this … is this like … a team secret?”
“No,” Gavin said firmly. “I do not feel good about being the GM who asks my players to keep a secret for me. We’ve seen how toxic that can be in places like Evanston. I don’t believe in hiding from the truth.”
“But wouldn’t you, like, get arrested or something if people found out?” Erik asked, his expression turning uneasy.
Gavin gave him a faint smile. “No. I appreciate your concern but the statute of limitations for a robbery charge is five years, if I remember right. There would be no legal consequences now. Professionally … there could be. But I’ve been fully upfront with the ownership group about my past, and am prepared to face any consequences if it goes public. ”
Thad pushed off the wall and walked over to stand beside his brother. “But there’s a difference between your GM asking you to keep it a secret and you choosing to do it on your own.”
“Thad …” Gavin said warningly.
“No,” Thad said, turning back to the room.
“Shut up for a minute, Gavin. And listen to me, guys. I agree with my idiot brother about one thing. Keeping secrets can cause some real fucking problems. And yes, sometimes it’s easy to convince ourselves we’re doing that for the right reasons, like protecting someone we love, which can lead to some really shitty things.
But this is exactly what Gavin was talking about earlier. About the consequences of our actions.”
He looked around. “Gavin and I, we both made our choices back then. And we can argue until we’re blue in the fucking face about what was right and what wasn’t.
But for me, this is what it all boils down to now: is telling the truth about something going to hurt someone or is it going to help someone? Do you get what I’m saying, Erik?”
“If we told someone the truth about, uh, Gavin’s past,” Erik said slowly. “It could hurt him. But it wouldn’t help anyone.”
As Erik worked through this, Graham was reminded of how painfully young he was.
“Exactly. Now, if Gavin had lied about someone else committing a crime and that person went to prison and was still there, that would be harming them by not telling the truth, yeah?”
Erik nodded, frowning. “Sure. But what if both choices would hurt people? Like, that might happen, right?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s the way life goes.
But then you have to decide which is worse.
And maybe sometimes both choices are shitty, and the hurt would be equal.
I don’t know if there are any rules for how you make choices under those circumstances.
Sometimes you just have to do it and hope for the best or at least be ready to face the outcomes, whatever they turn out to be.
But the better you get at making those choices when the stakes are low, the better you get at making them when they’re high. ”
He glanced around. “And look, no one is perfect. Not me, not your teammates, not your GM. Sometimes, you’re gonna fuck up, guys. You do your best, live with the consequences, and try to do better next time, okay?”
Erik nodded. “Like I did when I got drunk at the beginning of the season.”
“Exactly.”
Graham had to fight back a smile at how good Thad had been with the rookie. How patient he’d been and how well he’d explained it all.
He didn’t give himself enough credit.
Thad took a deep breath. “Gavin’s not going to ask you to keep this a secret, and neither am I.
Honestly, you’d have no reason to listen to me even if I did.
I’m just some dude who makes you look good on social media.
” Everyone chuckled. “But take some time to think about all of this and you’ll know what the right choice is. ”
The little speeches ended there, but guys milled around the locker room talking for a while. A lot of them came up to shake Thad’s hand and talk to him.
He looked vaguely uncomfortable with the attention, but Graham noticed the way Gavin smiled at Thad. How proud he looked at his brother.
He should be proud. But considering their history, it seemed like a pretty big step forward, at least to Graham.
“Your boy is smart,” Crawford said, sounding almost impressed a while later as he and Graham stood in front of the mirrors in the wet room following their showers.
Graham glanced over. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Crawford frowned. “It’s kinda wild that if things had gone differently, they might be in each other’s shoes right now. Thad could be the GM and Gavin the ex-con.”
“True,” Graham said, feeling a jolt go through him because he hadn’t thought about it until now.
Choices and consequences, indeed.
Graham wondered what kind of person Thad would have been then. How much of who he was had been shaped by his time in prison? How much was who he was fundamentally as a person?