Rachel
Rachel watched her mother pull Mac aside, her stomach churning. This was the moment. Her mother was about to realize Rachel wasn't moving into her own apartment. She was moving in with Mac.
A man she'd known for two months.
A man she'd had a massive fight with just days ago.
Leah appeared beside her. "So, are you going to tell Mom, or is she going to figure it out when she sees Mac’s name on the boxes?"
"I'm going to tell her. Eventually. When the right moment—"
"There is no right moment, Rach. You're stalling." Leahsqueezed her hand. "For what it's worth, I think Mac seems great. The way he looks at you? That's real."
"You've known him for five minutes."
"I'm an excellent judge of character. Also, any man who can make Mr. Darcy obey him is clearly magic."
Rachel laughed despite her nerves. "I love him, Lee."
"I know. Mom will come around. Eventually. Probably."
Mac
Linda Morrison had pulled Mac aside, her arms crossed, her expression evaluating and vaguely disapproving.
"So," Linda said. "You're the hockey player my daughter is dating."
"Yes, ma'am. I love Rachel. Very much."
"Brad said the same thing. Right before he humiliated her in front of everyone she knew." Linda's chin lifted, eyes narrowing. "What makes you different? Besides the obvious fact that you play for a smaller team with lower prospects?"
Mac blinked at the jab but held his ground. "I turned down a contract with better prospects to stay here with Rachel."
"Hmm. Romantic. Or financially unwise." Linda's eyes narrowed. "Rachel has a pattern, you know. Choosing men who need her validation. Now you; a hockey player in a small town who's probably flattered by the attention of an educated woman."
"That's not what this is—"
"Isn't it? I saw the video of that town hall meeting. Very dramatic. Rachel standing up there talking about assault and manipulation." Linda didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to. "Leah showed me. It's all over Facebook. Half the comments are sympathetic, the other half are saying Rachel is playing the victim."
"Rachel IS a victim. That bastard Matthews assaulted her—"
"I believe my daughter. But Mac, do you understand whatyou're signing up for? Rachel comes with trauma. With a history of choosing men who ultimately choose themselves over her." Linda leaned closer. "Her father left when she was eight. Brad destroyed her publicly. What makes you think you won't do the same thing when things get hard?"
"Because I won't. Because I love her."
"Love isn't enough. Brad loved her too, in his way. He just loved his career more. Loved other people's approval more. Lovedhimselfmore." Linda's gaze was piercing. "What happens when your career demands you leave Evergreen Cove? When loving Rachel means sacrifice?"
"I already made that choice. I turned down—"
"One contract. One time. What about the next ten times? The next twenty?" Linda leaned in, not giving an inch. "Rachel is settling, Mac. She's so traumatized by Brad that she's choosing the first man who shows her basic decency. She deserves better than 'good enough.'"
That landed like a physical blow.
"Rachel isn't settling," Mac said defensively. "And I'm not 'good enough.' I'm the man who loves her. Who sees her strength. Who chose her over everything else. Who will keep choosing her."
"Pretty words. Brad had pretty words too."
"I'm not him."
