Chapter 20
Mac
Mac stopped by Cole and Ellie's house the next afternoon to finalize wedding details. As best man, he had responsibilities: speech writing, ring holding, making sure Cole didn't have a panic attack before walking down the aisle.
Ellie answered the door in yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt, her amber hair in a messy bun. "Mac! Perfect timing. Come in. We're in the middle of seating chart hell."
Cole was at the dining table, surrounded by papers, color-coded charts, and what appeared to be a detailed floor plan of the reception venue. He looked up with the expression of someone who'd been arguing about table arrangements for too long.
"Help," Cole said dramatically. "Ellie has very strong opinions about where people should sit."
"I do! Seating matters! You can't put your college teammate who talks about nothing but protein powder next to your aunt who's vegan and has strong opinions about nutrition."
"My aunt Carol doesn't hate protein powder, she just has concerns."
"She has a blog called 'The Evils of Processed Food.' That's not 'concerns,' Cole. That's a vendetta."
Mac laughed, pulling out a chair. "Should I come back later when you two have sorted this out?"
"No, stay. We need your input on something important." Ellie shuffled through papers. "Rachel's coming, right? As your date?"
"She is."
"Perfect. I'm putting you two at the head table with us, Jamie, and Sophie. The family table will be next to us, and we will alterate during dinner. Is that okay?"
"More than okay." Warmth spread through his chest at the thought of Rachel sitting beside him, officially his date, in front of everyone they knew.
Ellie's expression turned knowing and soft. "Mac, I'm glad you found Rachel. You two are good together."
"I happen to think so too," Mac said with a lop-sided smile.
Cole looked up from the color-coding system. "By the way, did you see Matthews is supposedly coming to Vermont? There's an article saying he's 'consulting' with some regional teams."
Ellie's coffee mug hit the table hard enough to slosh. "Derek Matthews? That asshole is coming back?"
"Apparently," Cole said grimly.
Mac's stomach dropped. "I saw. Actually, I need to talk to you both about that."
"If he thinks he's getting anywhere near our training facilities again—" Ellie cut herself off, her jaw tight. "After the shit he pulled last time, questioning my methods, acting like semi-pro PT work is beneath him—"
"He's an arrogant prick," Mac said flatly.
The memory of Derek Matthews walking through their facility a few months ago still made his blood boil.
The way he'd dismissed Ellie's rehabilitation protocols, made condescending comments about 'local-level' sports medicine, treated their whole team like they were playing beer league hockey instead of working their asses off.
"That's putting it mildly," Cole muttered.
Mac's hands clenched. "Yeah, well, now the bastard's coming back. And—" He took a breath. "I think Rachel knows him. From Burlington. Personally."
Ellie's face went pale. "Oh no."
Mac pulled out his phone, bringing up the photo he'd found. "I found this online. That's Derek Matthews with Brad Reese, Rachel's ex, from last year. They were together. Friends, maybe. Matthews must have been consulting with Brad's team."
"Jesus," Cole breathed, looking at the photo.
"Rachel completely shut down when I mentioned Matthews last night. Wouldn't talk about him at all. And she's been distracted lately, checking her phone constantly, acting worried." Mac set his phone down. "She knows something about him. Something bad. And she won't tell me what."
Ellie stood up abruptly, her chair scraping. "Mac. If Derek Matthews was in Burlington when Rachel was there..." She paced to the window, her hands clenched into fists. "Based on what he tried with me, based on how he operates—"
"You think he hurt her," Mac said quietly, the words like lead in his mouth.
"I think it's possible." Ellie turned back to face him, her expression fierce. "And I think you need to prepare for that possibility."
"I don't know how to help her because she won't tell me what I'm up against," Mac said quietly.
Ellie's voice was steel. "Mac, I'll talk to her. Woman to woman. Sometimes it's easier to open up to another woman, especially about something traumatic. Let me see if I can get her to tell me what's going on."
"You don't have to."
"Yes, I do." Ellie looked at Cole, then back at Mac. "Rachel's my friend too now. And if Matthews is coming here with some agenda that involves hurting people I care about, you, Rachel, Cole, our team, then I want to know about it."
"We're not letting him near any of us again. I don't care how much influence he has in the hockey world."
"Agreed," Cole said firmly. "Last time he was here, we didn't know what he was capable of. This time we do."
"Thank you," Mac said.
Cole was still looking at the photo on Mac's phone, his brows knitted. "You know, if Matthews really was involved in something with Rachel, and he's coming here now... that's not a coincidence. He's got an agenda."
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Then we figure out what it is before he shows up," Cole said, his voice hard. "And we make damn sure he doesn't get what he wants."
Mac nodded. Whatever was coming, at least he wouldn't face it alone. And neither would Rachel.