Chapter 45
Mac
Mac opened the door to find Jamie holding a laminated spreadsheet.
"Oh no," Mac said. "Jamie, no."
"It's an eight-minute drive to Rachel's apartment," Tyler said, walking in behind him. "How does that require five phases?"
"It doesn't," Mac said. "Jamie's overcomplicating things again."
"I'm not overcomplicating. I'm optimizing.
" Jamie spread the spreadsheet on the kitchen counter.
"Phase One: Large furniture. Phase Two: Kitchen and bathroom.
Phase Three: Books, this is the longest phase because Rachel has hundreds of romance novels.
Phase Four: Clothes and personal items. Phase Five: Final walkthrough and cleaning Rachel's old apartment. "
Mac looked at the spreadsheet. It had color-coding. Time estimates. Team assignments. Little checkboxes.
"This is excessive," Mac said.
"This is HELPFUL," Jamie corrected.
"No, this is Jamie having too much free time," Mac said, grabbing the spreadsheet. "Here's the actual plan: we load boxes, we move boxes, we unload boxes. Done."
"But the efficiency—"
"Will happen naturally without seventeen color codes." Mac handed the spreadsheet back. "But I appreciate the enthusiasm."
Luke bounced in carrying boxes Mac had left in the hallway. "I'm so excited! Moving day! Relationship milestone! This is huge!"
"It's carrying heavy things," Tyler said flatly.
"It's carrying heavy things for LOVE!" Luke dumped the boxes dramatically.
"Mac’s a love expert now?" Cole said, walking in with Ellie.
"How are you feeling?" Mac asked Ellie, pulling her into a quick hug.
"Better. Last night helped." Ellie squeezed him back. "And now I get to help you start your life with Rachel while my professional life is in limbo. Very therapeutic."
"We're grateful for the help," Rachel said, appearing from the bedroom in old jeans and a t-shirt, her hair in a messy bun.
Mac inhaled sharply. She looked beautiful.
His home. Their home now.
"You okay?" Rachel asked, noticing his stare.
"Yeah. Just realizing you're moving in today. Like, really moving in."
"Having second thoughts?" Rachel teased.
"Having fifth and sixth thoughts. All of them good." Mac crossed to her, kissing her quickly. "Ready to do this?"
"Ready to watch you and Cole try to move furniture while arguing about the best technique? Absolutely."
"We don't argue about technique—"
"You argued for twenty minutes last month about the right way to carry a couch," Rachel pointed out.
"That's because Cole was doing it wrong."
"I was doing it correctly," Cole said. "You were being stubborn."
"See?" Rachel grinned. "This is going to be entertaining."
Sophie arrived with thermoses of coffee and pastries. "Fuel for the workers! Also, I'm here to make sure no one breaks Rachel's things."
"Why does everyone assume we'll break things?" Mac asked.
Mac grabbed coffee and a pastry, looking around at his team crammed into his apartment, ready to help him and Rachel.
"Alright," Mac said, his voice taking on a team-captain edge even though Cole was actual captain. "Fair warning before we start: Rachel's mother and sister arrive at noon. Her mom is intense. Her sister Leah is apparently planning to flirt with all of you."
"I'm taken," Cole said, pulling Ellie closer.
"I'm emotionally unavailable," Tyler added.
"I'm married but I can appreciate flirtation as a social construct," Luke announced.
Jamie looked up with interest. "What's she like?"
"Chaos," Rachel said. "Pure chaos."
"I like chaos," Jamie said.
"We know," everyone said in unison. “So you can organize it.”
Mac grinned, grabbed his keys, and headed toward the door.