"Does he come to your games?" Rachel asked.
"Every home game. Sits in the same seat. Never says much about it, but..." Mac smiled. "He's proud. I can tell. Even if he shows it by just showing up."
"That's sweet."
"He's a good guy. Quiet."
“And the team? Are you happy with it? Playing here for the Eagles?”
"I always was, but having Cole here actually changed everything. Ex-NHL player coaching alongside Davies? I've learned more in the past year than I did in the previous five. They make a hell of a team."
"Sophie mentioned you've had offers from other teams."
Mac nodded. "A few. Better money, bigger leagues. But the contracts weren't enough to justify leaving. And honestly? This is home. The team's my family. Why would I leave that?"
Rachel looked at him with something that might have been relief.
They talked about Cole and Ellie's upcoming wedding, about life in a small town where everyone knew everyone's business. The conversation flowed easily, naturally, like they'd done this before.
After an hour, Mac worked up the courage to ask what had been nagging at him since yesterday.
"Can I ask you something personal?"
Rachel tensed slightly, her fingers tightening around her mug. "Okay..."
"Why did you seem so surprised yesterday? When I asked you out? Like you really couldn't believe I'd be interested?"
Rachel was quiet for a long moment, her expression carefully neutral. Mac waited, not pushing.
"I was in a relationship before. Derek he, Brad I mean—" she said finally, choosing her words carefully. "The guy, I mean. It ended badly." She glanced at her coffee. "I moved here from Burlington to start over."
Burlington. They had a hockey team there. Mac knew the team pretty well, the Eagles had played them many times. Brad… He could almost put a face to the name.
Mac bit his lip. "I'm sorry. That sounds really hard."
"It was." Rachel looked down. "And I guess I'm just... cautious now."
Mac wanted to ask more; who was he? What happened? Why did it end? But he could see Rachel pulling back slightly, her shoulders tensing, her guard going back up. He'd pushed enough.
"Well," Mac said carefully, "I'm glad you took a chance. Even if you're cautious. That took guts."
"Or insanity." Rachel's smile was small. "The jury's still out."
"Fair." Mac leaned back slightly. "For what it's worth, I get being cautious. But I want you to know; I'm here because I want to be. Not because I'm looking for something casual or temporary. I don't really do temporary."
Rachel glanced at him, something uncertain flickering across her face. "You barely know me."
"Then let me get to know you. At whatever pace you're comfortable with." He paused.
Rachel's expression softened. "You’re very understanding—"
"Cole gave me a detailed pep talk this morning about not being an idiot." Mac grinned. "Apparently 'don't rush her' and 'listen more than you talk' were key points."
"Well, is it working?"
"You're still here, so I think so?"
Rachel laughed, really laughed. "That's not exactly a high bar."
