CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
On Thanksgiving morning, Thad’s stomach was in knots.
The team had played last night, then would play the following afternoon, but they all had the day off today.
It wasn’t the team’s schedule that left him feeling so anxious though. It was knowing Graham was about to come out to his family and tell them about his relationship with Thad.
Graham had assured Thad he had nothing to worry about, but he still couldn’t help but wonder if he was as confident as he seemed.
Sure, maybe they’d be fine with their son dating a man. But a man who was sixteen years older and had been incarcerated for a decade? Wasn’t that pushing their luck?
“Hey, it’s gonna be fine,” Graham assured him as he hit Dial. “And stop fussing, you look great.”
Thad huffed, but he dropped his hand from where he had been fussing with the collar of his olive-green button-down shirt.
He’d wanted to wear a suit, but Graham had rolled his eyes and told him he was going way overboard and to put on whatever he’d been planning to wear to the O’Shea Thanksgiving celebration they were going to this afternoon.
They’d compromised on the green shirt. Now, as the call connected, Thad rubbed his sweaty palms on his dark-wash jeans.
Four faces appeared on the call. Out of view of the camera, Graham took Thad’s hand and squeezed.
As greetings filled the air, Thad studied their faces. He saw the moment the young woman—clearly Graham’s sister, Corine—looked from him to Graham and put the pieces together.
Her face lit up and she mouthed, nice.
Thad let out a relieved huff, then realized he’d completely missed what Graham had said.
“What?” he croaked, internally groaning at the first impression he’d made. Great. Just great.
“I said we wanted to tell them something.”
“Right.” Thad drew in a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Cory, I think you’ve figured it out already but, Mom, Dad, Brody, this is Thad. He’s my boyfriend.”
Thad watched everyone’s reactions closely. Surprise flickered across all their faces—except Cory’s—but no anger.
That was something.
Graham’s mom recovered first. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you then, Thad. I’m Angela.”
“Nice to meet you, Angela,” he said.
She was beautiful, with the effortless blonde good looks of a well-off middle-aged woman who probably put a lot of effort into looking like she didn’t do much to improve her appearance at all.
She smiled. “This is my husband, Paul. My daughter, Corine. And her fiancé, Broderick.”
“Please, call me Brody,” he said with a grin.
Thad nodded.
Paul was good-looking too, with eyes like Graham’s and sandy brown hair going gray. He had the look of a college professor.
Cory was as blonde and pretty as her brother, with a mischievous smile.
Brody was another frat-boy-looking handsome fucker—he wore an argyle sweater vest for fuck’s sake—with chiseled cheekbones and a short beard.
Brody was also a Black man.
Okay, Thad hadn’t seen that coming. Maybe he shouldn’t have assumed, either.
After everyone had called out their greetings, Angela continued. “Thad? How did you and Graham meet?”
Thad’s brain sputtered out, unable to come up with a single word in answer.
“You work for the team, don’t you?” Cory asked, leaning in.
“Uhh, yes,” Thad admitted, grateful for the assist that had gotten his brain working again. “In the social media department.”
“It’s so nice to officially meet you,” Cory said with a twinkle in her eye. “When you’re fully dressed.”
Thad stifled a groan. So much for the assist. Maybe Cory should have been a hockey player with chirps like that. Then again, maybe she was. Thad had never asked.
“Cory,” Graham said warningly while everyone else turned to look.
“I’m sorry,” she said with a laugh. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Uhh, should I be worried?” Brody asked, but he looked more amused than threatened by the idea of his fiancée seeing her brother’s boyfriend undressed.
Graham made a face. “A little while ago, Cory and I were video chatting. Thad came out from the bedroom wearing his underwear. He thought I was talking on the phone, and he didn’t mean to flash Cory.”
Thad looked straight into the camera. “I am sorry, Cory.”
“Oh no,” she said. “It was a nice view. You have great taste in men, Graham.”
Graham laughed. “Thanks. I think.”
“So, you’re bi, Graham?” Paul said with a thoughtful look.
“Uhh, yes,” Graham said. “Apparently. Thad and I have been friends for about a year now and last spring I started to develop other feelings for him and …” He shrugged as if the rest was self-explanatory.
Angela frowned. “Weren’t you dating Madison then, Graham? And that other woman for a little while at the end of last season. I forget her name.”
“Yeah. It took me a bit to figure out what I wanted.”
“I hope you weren’t worried about what we would think, Graham,” Paul said.
“Because it’s perfectly normal. Sexuality is a continuum and it’s not uncommon that people don’t realize their orientation until somewhat later in life.
I myself didn’t realize I found men attractive until I was in my fifties. ”
Everyone except his wife turned to look at him.
“What?” Graham said, his words overlapping with Cory’s bewildered, “Dad?”
“What?” Paul responded, looking confused.
Angela chuckled.
“Uhh, Dad,” Cory said. “First of all, you’re not usually this talkative unless you’re fired up about something legal. Second, what the hell? Since when are you bi?”
“I told, you, I was in my fifties,” he said as if that explained it all.
“I think what she’s asking is what made you realize this,” Angela said with a small smile.
“Oh. I realized I was developing a crush on my racquetball partner. Don’t worry though, I spoke to your mother about it right away and we agreed it was a harmless fancy that needn’t have any negative impact on the relationship she and I have. We’re very solid.”
“That’s, uh, great,” Graham said faintly, even though he looked a little shell-shocked.
Thad knew the feeling. This was not going the way he’d expected.
“Would have been nice to know before now, Dad,” Graham said with a rueful little laugh, rubbing his head.
“Oh.” Paul looked startled. “At the time I didn’t think it would be relevant but, yes, in hindsight I suppose it would have been. I apologize.”
“Uhh, that’s okay,” Graham said slowly. “Anyway, yeah, I was dating some other people at first. It took Thad and me a little while to work this all out.”
“Oh, are you also newly coming to terms with your sexuality, Thad?” Angela asked, her tone as pleasant as if they were discussing the weather.
“No,” Thad croaked. He cleared his throat. “No. I, uh, have been aware I was bisexual since I was in high school.”
“An early adopter!” Paul said, grinning.
Everyone stared.
“He works as legal counsel for a tech firm,” Angela said with a shrug. “Ignore his bad jokes. Anyway, continue, Thad.”
Jesus, Thad couldn’t tell if this conversation was going well or was just … weird. Who Graham was as a person made a lot of sense now.
“Uh, so, yeah, I was aware of my sexuality early on,” Thad repeated. “But it took me a little while to realize I felt more than friendship for Graham. Plus, it was … complicated.”
“Why’s that?” Cory asked, her tone curious, though not at all accusatory.
“Well, my twin brother is Graham’s general manager.”
“Ahh yes, that is a conflict of interest,” Angela agreed. “Graham, once you two started dating, I assume you told Gavin and notified HR immediately?”
“Uhh,” Graham said. “Well, not immediately but yes they do know now.”
Thad bit back a laugh. That was one way to put it.
“That’s good,” she said with an approving nod.
“There’s more,” Thad said, taking a deep breath.
He and Graham had discussed this, and Thad had insisted he’d rather be the one to tell Graham’s family about his history than have Graham do it.
He was starting to regret the choice but he wasn’t about to back down now.
“I am, uh, an ex-con. I went to Pine Grove Correctional Facility for five years for robbery, then was sentenced to an additional five years for assault while I was incarcerated.”
Everyone was silent for a moment.
“Pine Grove? You lived in Pennsylvania then?” Paul asked, looking pleased.
“Yes,” Thad said, confused it was the part he’d latched onto. “I grew up near Pittsburgh. Graham and I have a lot in common there.”
“How long ago were you released?” Angela asked eventually, her expression a little more wary than Paul’s.
Graham squeezed his hand.
“It's been fourteen years,” Thad said, sitting up straighter. “I completed my parole and worked various jobs in Pennsylvania and New York. About a year ago, I got hired by the Harriers and moved permanently to Boston. I’m grateful my brother gave me a chance to prove myself in this position.”
“Yes. It can be so difficult to find employment after release,” Angela said with a nod. “That’s wonderful you were able to find a career that suited you.”
“Uhh, yes,” Thad said because he still couldn’t get a read on what everyone else was thinking. Their expressions were pleasant enough, but they had to be feeling shocked about what he’d shared, right?
Except maybe Paul. He seemed to be off in his own little world.
Thad cleared his throat. “Anyway, I am aware of your position as a district attorney, ma’am, and—”
“Oh, please, call me Angela,” she said. “And technically, I won’t take office until January. I’m the ADA until then.”
“Assistant district attorney, then,” Thad corrected. “I understand if you have some reservations about your son dating me, but I hope you’ll be willing to get to know me and know I love him very much and will do everything I can to be a good—good, uh, partner to him.”
“Well,” she said. “That’s wonderful to hear and I assumed he wouldn’t be dating you otherwise.
As far as any reservations we have”—she glanced at her husband—“I think we try to be open-minded people. We’re more than happy to take you at face value and base our thoughts on who you are now rather than your past.”
Paul nodded and so did Cory and Brody.