Chapter 13
Mac
O'Brien's Pub occupied a brick building on the corner of Main and Third, its weathered wooden sign swinging slightly in the early April breeze.
The place smelled like grilled meat and beer and the kind of comfortable worn-in history that only decades of service could create.
It was owned by Patrick O'Brien, a former semi-pro player who'd retired to Evergreen Cove and decided the town needed a proper hockey pub.
Cole and Ellie were already there, sitting close together in that effortless way perfect couples had, where they seemed to occupy the same space without trying.
Jamie was at the head of the table doing what Jamie did best: organizing.
He had menus arranged by seat, drink preferences memorized, and was probably planning the optimal food order for maximum efficiency.
Luke was gesturing wildly while telling some story to Tyler, who looked half-asleep but was nodding politely.
Cole spotted Mac first. "MacKenzie! You look nervous."
"Thank you? I'm not nervous," Mac lied, sliding into the seat they'd left empty for him, the one with a clear view of the door.
"You're definitely nervous," Jamie observed without looking up from his menu arrangement. "You've flipped back your hair twice since you sat down."
"Three times," Tyler corrected.
"I hate all of you," Mac muttered.
Ellie smiled warmly, her hand resting on Cole's arm. "Don't listen to them. We're excited to meet Rachel properly. Sophie's been telling me all about your dates."
"Sophie has a big mouth," Mac said, but he was smiling.
"Sophie has all the good gossip," Ellie corrected. "And apparently you've been very sweet. Ice skating? The bookstore? Mac, that's adorable."
Jamie looked up with interest. "Wait, you took her ice skating and didn't tell us? MacKenzie, that's prime date material. Did you do the whole 'hold her from behind' thing?"
Mac's cheeks heated. "Maybe."
"MAYBE?" Luke practically shouted. "That's like, the most romantic thing ever! Did she swoon?"
"She didn't swoon. She fell on top of me."
The table erupted in laughter.
"That's even better," Cole said, grinning. "Physical comedy. Very humanizing."
"I'm so glad my humiliation entertains you all."
"It really does," Jamie agreed cheerfully. "So. Tonight. Are you going to ask her?"
Mac's stomach tightened. "Ask her what?"
"To be your girlfriend, genius. Make it official. Bring her to the wedding?" Jamie leaned forward. "You've been dating for four weeks. You're texting constantly. Time to define the relationship."
"What if it's too soon?"
"What if it's not?" Cole countered. "Mac, you're clearly into her. She's clearly into you. What are you waiting for?"
"I don't want to push too hard. She's—" Mac stopped, not sure how much to share. "She's been hurt before. Badly. I'm trying to let her set the pace."
Ellie's expression softened. "That's very considerate. But Mac, at some point, you have to tell her what you want too. Relationships are about both people communicating."
"I know. I just—" Mac checked his phone again. 6:28 PM. Rachel would be here any minute. "I don't want to mess this up."
"Then don't mess it up," Tyler said flatly. "Statistical analysis suggests direct communication increases relationship satisfaction by forty-seven percent."
"Tyler, that's not helpful."
"It's accurate though."
The door opened.
And Rachel walked in.
Mac's brain short-circuited.
She looked beautiful. Dark jeans, a soft lavender sweater that made her skin glow, her hair down in loose waves around her shoulders. She spotted Mac immediately, and the nervous smile that crossed her face made his stomach clench.
Mac stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his water glass.
"Smooth," Jamie muttered.
Mac ignored him and crossed to Rachel, meeting her halfway across the pub.
"Hi," Rachel said, her fingers twisting nervously in front of her.
"Hi." Mac couldn't stop smiling. "You made it."
"I almost turned around twice in the parking lot."
"But you didn't."
"But I didn't." Rachel glanced past him at the table, where his entire team was definitely watching them. "They're all staring."
"They're going to embarrass me. Probably within the first five minutes. I apologize in advance."
Rachel laughed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.
"Right. Good. Yes. Okay." Mac offered his hand, and Rachel took it. Her fingers were cold, nervous. He squeezed gently. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
They walked to the table together, and Mac felt like he was introducing her to his family.
Which, in a way, he was.
"Everyone, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is everyone."
Cole stood first, extending his hand with the natural authority of a team captain. "Cole Hansen. Nice to officially meet you. Mac hasn't shut up about you."
"Cole," Mac said through gritted teeth.
Cole grinned. "Welcome to the chaos."
Ellie was already standing, pulling Rachel into a quick hug. "Hey! I'm so glad you came. I’ve seen you around town, but not properly met you! Sophie told me Mac invited you and I've been excited all day."
"Hi, Ellie." Rachel smiled, visibly more relaxed with a familiar face. "Thanks for letting me crash team dinner."
"Are you kidding? We need more women at this table. It's usually Sophie, me and sometimes Luke's wife Emma, but she mostly stays home with their kids when we do these team things." Ellie gestured to the empty seat next to her. "Sit by me. I'll protect you from the worst of it. I’m the team’s PT."
PTs and hockey players. That dynamic. The trust, the closeness, the way players looked up to their therapists like— She shut down that train of thought before it could fully form. Ellie wasn't Derek. And Mac wasn't Brad.
Jamie was next. "Jamie Lawson. Defenseman. Equipment manager. Professional third wheel to Cole and Ellie. I'm the one who interrupted your first date to embarrass Mac."
"I remember." Rachel's smile widened. "You're hard to forget."
"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week."
Luke bounded over. "Luke. Right winger. Married with kids who never sleep." He shook Rachel's hand enthusiastically. "I'm excited to meet someone who willingly agreed to hang out with this group, we're an acquired taste."
Rachel laughed, looking more and more relaxed.
Tyler waved lazily from his seat, not bothering to stand. "Tyler Ross by the way. Right defense. I'm just here for the beer and the chicken wings. Nice to meet you, Rachel."
"Nice to meet you all." Rachel looked slightly overwhelmed but also amused. Mac pulled out the chair next to his, and she sat down, her shoulder brushing against his.
That simple contact sent warmth spreading through Mac's chest.
Conversation flowed easier than Mac had dared hope. The team asked Rachel questions about the library, about how she finds Evergreen Cove and she answered, gradually relaxing into her seat, though Mac noticed her hands were still clasped together in her lap, knuckles slightly white.
She was trying. That much was clear. But there were moments; flickers of hesitation when someone asked a personal question, the way her smile sometimes didn't quite reach her eyes, how she'd pause just a beat too long before answering. She wasn't comfortable yet. Maybe not even close.
Jamie, true to form, couldn't resist steering the conversation into dangerous territory. "So Rachel, on a scale of one to ten, how awkward was Mac on your first date?"
"Jamie—" Mac started, already knowing where this was going.
"He was fine," Rachel said, her tone polite but guarded. "We had a nice time."
The answer was diplomatic. Safe. Nothing like the warmth she'd shown when they were alone.
"Fine?" Jamie pressed. "That's it? Come on, give us details. Did he—"
"Jamie." Cole's voice cut through smoothly. "Leave her alone."
"What? I'm just asking—"
"You're interrogating," Ellie said pointedly. "Rachel, ignore him. He has no social boundaries."
"Hey, I have boundaries. They're just very flexible boundaries."
Rachel smiled, but it looked strained. Mac wanted to kick Jamie under the table.
Cole intervened, clearly sensing Rachel's discomfort. "Rachel, Mac mentioned you're rereading Pride and Prejudice. Ellie loves that book."
Ellie's face lit up. "I do! Who's your favorite character?"
"Elizabeth," Rachel said, and for the first time since they'd sat down, something flickered across her face.
"Obviously. Mine too! The way she stands up to Lady Catherine? Iconic."
"That scene gives me courage when I need it."
"Ditto!"
Mac watched Rachel and Ellie bond over literature, something easing in his head. At least that was going well.
But then Luke, jumped in. "So Rachel, are you planning to stay in Evergreen Cove long-term? Or is the library job temporary?"
Rachel's expression shuttered immediately. "I... I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Really? You've been here six months, right? Usually people know by then if they're settling in or passing through."
"Luke," Mac said quietly, a warning.
"What? It's a normal question—"
"I'm still figuring things out," Rachel said. She reached for her water glass, and Mac noticed her hand was shaking slightly. "I don't plan that far ahead anymore."
Nobody moved.
"That's totally fair," Ellie said quickly. "Sometimes you have to see how things unfold."
"Exactly," Rachel said, but she'd pulled back into herself, her shoulders tense.
Mac wanted to reach for her hand under the table, wanted to tell Luke to back off, wanted to fix this. But something told him Rachel wouldn't welcome the intervention right now. She didn't want to be protected. She didn't want to be a problem that needed solving.
"Who wants another beer?" Jamie called out suddenly, his voice a little too loud, a little too bright. A few hands went up halfheartedly. Most glasses were still three-quarters full.
Mac glanced at Jamie, confused, then followed his line of sight to the bar.
Sophie had just walked in, talking to Coach Davies about something, probably team scheduling or administrative stuff. She laughed at something the coach said, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
Jamie's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. His fingers drummed once against the table, then stilled. His gaze lingered on Sophie for a beat too long before he forced his attention back to the group, plastering on his usual easy grin.
"They're on me," Jamie announced, already pushing back from the table.
He headed toward the bar, but his path took him deliberately wide of where Sophie stood. She glanced up as he approached, their eyes meeting for a fraction of a second before Jamie turned sharply toward the bartender, his shoulders rigid.
Sophie's smile faltered. She said something else to Coach Davies, then quickly headed toward the back office.
Mac filed that away for later. Something was definitely going on there.
"Anyway," Luke said, apparently oblivious to the tension he'd created, "Mac, you still coming to practice tomorrow?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Mac's attention snapped back.
"I'm saying, you've been distracted all week. Missing passes, spacing out during drills—"
"That's not—" Mac's face heated. This was exactly what he didn't want. His team making a big deal out of this in front of Rachel, implying he was so wrapped up in her that he couldn't focus, making it sound like she was a problem, a distraction, something that was affecting his game—
Except he had been distracted. And it did feel serious to him. Maybe that was the problem.
Rachel stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "I need the restroom."
"I'll come with you," Ellie said immediately, already on her feet, her hand on Rachel's arm.
Mac watched them weave through the crowded pub toward the back hallway, his stomach sinking with every step.
"Nice job, everyone," Cole said dryly once they were out of earshot. He fixed Luke with a withering stare. "Especially you."
"What did I do?" Luke looked genuinely confused.
"You asked if she was staying long-term. That's a lot of pressure, Luke." Cole shook his head.
"I was making conversation!"
"You were being Luke," Jamie said back with the beers.
Mac rubbed his face. "I'm an idiot for bringing her here."
"You're not an idiot," Cole said firmly. "But maybe slow down a bit."
"I don't know how to slow down," Mac admitted. “I like her a lot.”
"We know." Jamie's voice was surprisingly gentle. "We all can see that. But Mac? She looks like she's waiting for something to go wrong."
Mac knew Jamie was right. He'd seen it in Rachel's eyes all evening, that wariness, like she was braced for impact.
Jamie's gaze drifted back toward the bar again, where Sophie was laughing at something Coach Davies said, back at the bar. His expression did something complicated before he looked away, taking a long sip of his beer.
"Maybe I should take her home," Mac said. "End the night before I mess it up more."
"Or," Cole suggested, "maybe you ask her what she needs. Communication, Mac. It's revolutionary."
About halfway through dinner, Rachel and Ellie returned from the restroom. Rachel's expression was carefully neutral, but Mac could see the tension in her shoulders.
She slid back into her seat, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Everything okay?" Mac asked quietly.
"Fine." The word was too quick, too bright.
The rest of dinner passed in a strange limbo. Rachel participated in conversations, laughed at jokes, but there was a distance now that hadn't been there at the beginning. Like she'd retreated behind glass.
Mac tried to draw her out, asking about her favorite things to do in Evergreen Cove. She answered, but everything felt surface-level. Safe.
The check came around 8.30 PM. Mac grabbed it before Rachel could reach for her purse.
"Mac, let me split it—"
"I've got it." He said it more firmly than he'd intended.
Rachel's jaw tightened. "I can pay for myself."
"I know you can. But I invited you. This is on me." Mac realized too late how that sounded, controlling, presumptuous maybe. "I mean, if that's okay. If you want to split it—"
"It's fine." But her voice said it wasn't fine.
The team said their goodbyes in stages. Cole and Ellie left first, Ellie giving Rachel a warm hug and whispering something Mac couldn't hear. Luke and Tyler left next, still debating if ‘Die Hard’ was a Christmas movie or not.
Jamie lingered by the door, his eyes drifting once more toward where Sophie was now clearing tables at the bar before he caught himself and turned back to Mac and Rachel with his trademark grin.
"MacKenzie, Rachel,enjoy the rest of your evening. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That's not a useful restriction," Mac pointed out.
"I know." Jamie's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he disappeared into the April night.