Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Heath only stared at him, unblinking, for far too long.
Dayne’s heart was no longer beating in his chest but was now in his ears.
Was he having a panic attack? A heart attack? Why won’t Heath respond?
His “Well?” came out louder than he planned.
Shit.
“Well…” Heath repeated carefully. “On the chance I was looking to move, I’d be searching for beachfront property, not one in the mountains. However, moving here…on your property, in your home…I don’t want to be beholden to someone else, Dayne. I like my freedom and what I do for a living gives me that. I might lose some of it by moving here.”
That pounding heart dropped into his stomach. Did he just screw the pooch? If so, he needed to fix it. “Think how much money you’d save by living here instead. With me. With us.”
Heath’s head jerked. “So, you’ve run this idea by Cara already?”
“No, not yet. I planned on bringing it up to you both this weekend, but…”
“Right. She couldn’t make it.” Heath sighed, dropped his head back onto the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “You were right about this being a big change. I wasn’t expecting this from you.”
“You’re not interested.”
“I didn’t say that. But there are a lot of factors to consider first.”
At least it wasn’t a flat out no.
“You can work from anywhere,” Dayne reminded him.
“True. But you know who can’t?”
That right there would be a major obstacle. One he wasn’t sure how to overcome.
“Of course I want her here with us,” Dayne started, “but…”
“But she has a life that she can’t just pick up and leave.”
“Not unless we can figure out a way.”
“She’s a librarian, Dayne. I’m sure there’s no need for one in Fisher Falls.”
Well, at least Heath sounded as disappointed as Dayne felt. “No. The public library is too small here and doesn’t have much of a budget.”
Heath pursed his lips. “Schools have librarians.”
“Sure, if there are any openings. Public libraries in State College might be a possibility, but that’s about an hour drive and come winter…” Dayne trailed off.
He wouldn’t want Cara commuting to State College. Of course, more opportunities existed there than in Fisher Falls, but not at the risk of her getting into a crash.
“Yeah. Ice, snow, freezing rain. I wouldn’t want her driving in treacherous conditions, either.” Heath scraped fingers through his hair. “Okay then, how could this work? Besides asking her to continue to come up every weekend? Come winter, that drive could be worse than her commuting to State College. Something else to consider: would us living together without her possibly make her feel like a third wheel? That could fracture what we’ve built together.”
Dayne agreed. “That two and a half hour drive will get old quick if she continues to drive up every weekend. And if it’s a bad winter…” Her driving back and forth wasn’t what he wanted anyway. “This is why I asked you to move out here. I know your drive is even longer.”
Heath slid up from his reclined position to sit back against the heavy-duty headboard. His brown eyes bore into Dayne. “That’s the only reason? You’re concerned about my long drive?”
“Your long haul wasn’t a factor. Getting rid of it is simply a benefit.”
“What was a factor?”
Shit. Dayne squeezed his eyes shut. Of course Heath would want the reasoning behind his suggestion.
“Why do you want this?” Heath pressed.
“Why not?”
Heath shook his head. “No. Our long drives are no skin off your nose. It affects us, not you.”
“Okay, how about the fact I want you two here more than only on the weekends?”
“I think we all want that, but that doesn’t mean we should live together. You don’t ask someone to move in with you unless you need to split household expenses, which, in your case, I know isn’t necessary. Another reason would be because you can’t trust your partners and want to keep tabs on them. I can think of another reason, too…”
While Heath really wanted Dayne to confess to the real reason, he wasn’t sure if he could let the truth pass his lips.
Heath released another long sigh. “Look, as you know, I’ve been through one ugly divorce already. Cara suffered through a rough relationship. While you’ve only skated along, plugging your dick into available holes here and there. You never locked yourself down in a serious relationship before and now you propose this. That means you consider our relationship serious and more than sex. Am I right?”
“You don’t?”
Heath tilted his head and studied his sheet-covered lap for a second. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t continue to do that drive if I didn’t.”
“Then, there you go.”
Heath huffed. “No, Dayne, you’re avoiding the real reason.”
Being called out was irritating. “If you think you know what that real reason is, then say it.”
“Why can’t you?”
Dayne dropped his head and rubbed his forehead. When he lifted it again, he whispered, “Because I’ve never felt anything like this before and I’m not sure what this is.”