Cole took a deep breath, nodding. "You're right. Okay. I can do this."
Rachel sat in the back pew watching, smiling at Mac whenever he looked over. But Mac could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she kept glancing at the church doors like she expected someone to walk through them.
After the rehearsal, as everyone filed out toward the rehearsal dinner, Mac caught up with Rachel in the parking lot.
"How are you doing?"
"Nervous," she admitted. "Tomorrow we're going to walk into that reception together. In front of everyone."
"We could always sneak in separately and pretend we don't know each other," Mac offered. "Very mysterious. People will talk."
"Mac."
"Or I could introduce you as my accountant. Very professional."
Rachel huffed a laugh despite herself. "Your accountant?"
"You handle my book budget. It's basically the same thing." Mac pulled her closer. "Rachel, everyone already knows we're together. Half the town watched me bring you flowers at the library. The other half saw us having coffee dates at Sophie's."
"That's different than being your official date to a wedding."
"True. This time I get to slow dance with you in front of everyone." Mac grinned. "Fair warning: I'm a terrible dancer. You're going to be very embarrassed."
"Somehow I doubt that's what I should be worried about."
"Then what are you worried about?"
Rachel didn’t speak. Then: "What if people think I'm not good enough for you?"
"Then people would be idiots." Mac cupped her face.
"You're ridiculous."
"You like me anyway."
"I do," Rachel admitted, squeezing his hand.
They stood there in the late afternoon sun, hands clasped, both thinking about tomorrow.
28
Mac
Friday night, Mac was in his apartment trying to focus on his best man speech when his phone rang. Cole.
"Turn on the sports channel. Now."
Mac grabbed the remote. And there, on the screen, was Matthews being interviewed from what looked like a hotel room.
"I'm excited to be in Vermont again," Matthews was saying, that charismatic smile firmly in place. "I'll be attending the Hansen-Winters wedding tomorrow as a gesture of professional courtesy. Cole Hansen's recovery has been remarkable, and I'm looking forward to meeting the physical therapist responsible. Ellie Winters. I think we'll have a lot to discuss abouttreatment protocols."
Mac’s blood ran cold. Which was ironic, given how hot his rage had been running lately. He was basically a human thermostat malfunction.
"He's coming to the wedding," Cole said through the phone. "That son of a bitch invited himself to my wedding."
"Did you accidentally send him an invitation?"
Not that Mac knew how that could happen.
