“He’s moving into the farmhouse.” Dayne then added, “With me.”
Wow.That was unexpected. Especially when there hadn’t even been hints of this previously. “When?”
“As soon as I can sort some things out,” Heath answered. “As you know, I can work from anywhere.”
“I hate when he’s gone so I asked him to move in.” Dayne shrugged like it was no big deal.
But itwasa big deal. That also meant the men viewed their relationship as more than just sex. At least between the two of them.
Them excluding her bruised both her heart and ego a little. Had they bonded with each other more than with her? Had she been too much work for them? Would they eventually cut her out all together and find someone more their speed?
Of course, she hadn’t come to the ranch with the expectations to fall in love with any man, much less two, but… “That’s…great.” She was struggling to be more enthusiastic about their news.
Apparently, Dayne wasn’t done with his announcements. “I also hate when you’re gone.” He lifted her hand from her lap and pressed his lips to the back of it.
Hold on here.
He continued. “We want you to join us. It wouldn’t be the same without you.Wewouldn’t be the same. You’re an important part of this relationship.”
They wanted her to dowhat? “You mean you want me to move in with you, too?”
A minute ago she was sad when they didn’t include her. Now that they were, her anxiety spiked. While this was something she wanted, she had no idea how to make a move like that happen.
She couldn’t just pick up and leave Carlisle. She owned a house and had a job. Add in the fact that a job like herswasn’t easy to find and it became next to impossible. She had worked too hard and too long to earn her master’s degree to simply walk away from her career.
She was torn. While this was what she hoped for, she couldn’t simply give up everything. What if things went wrong? How would she support herself? She didn’t want to be financially dependent on Dayne or Heath. She didn’t want to be a “kept” woman where she had no independence.
And while she was sure positions were available on the resort, she was doing what she loved: helping people find their next favorite read, do research, or utilize all the resources provided for free in a public library.
Mucking stalls or sanitizing playrooms was not for her.
The bottom line was, wanting to live with her men and actually doing it were two different things.
“I can’t simply quit the job I love. That’s just crazy.”
With a tilt of his head, Heath swept a lock of her hair over her shoulder. “But we’re crazy about you.”
Cara shook her head. “While that’s all well and good, that doesn’t pay my bills.”
“What bills would you have if you sold your place in Carlisle and came to live with us here?” Dayne lifted one finger. “You would have no mortgage.” He lifted a second. “No utilities.” Then a third. “Hell, you’d even eat for free. Your expenses would be slashed.”
Sure they would, but at what cost to her self-reliance? “It’s not as simple as you’re making it out to be, Dayne. How about my self-sufficiency? How about the whole reason I earned my master’s degree? Should I simply throw it all away? It’s not like Clearfield County has a huge library system. It doesn’t.”
Dayne’s eyebrows pinned together. “How do you know?”
“Because I already checked out of curiosity.” While sheassumed they weren’t thinking about a future together, she had been.
“Then, your reluctance has nothing to do with me or Heath?”
“Not at all. Believe me when I say, I miss you two when I’m not here. I think about us all the time. I look forward to our weekends together. But you expect me to give up my home and the job I love for us to be together full-time. What if I do then we realize it’s not working? Then what? I’d be in a jam. I could end up unemployed and potentially homeless.” That was a scary thought.
“She’s right, Dayne. She deserves to feel secure in her life.”
Dayne responded with, “I wish I could offer you a job here at the resort. What I could offer you would benothinglike the career you’re so passionate about and we do understand what an accomplishment it was to earn that degree.”
Cara rubbed her forehead. “I want to be here with you two, I do. Believe me. There’s nothing my heart wants more. But my head is telling me to be reasonable and responsible.”
“Sweetheart, we’re good with whatever you decide,” Heath assured her. “We don’t want this to be the reason we lose you, because that’s the last thing we want. But before you make your decision, I want to mention that I’m keeping my place in Hoboken. For now, at least. I might rent it out. That’s always an option for you, too. You could keep your house in Carlisle and find a tenant. This way you have that security net.”