“He definitely is,” she agreed.
“And I was hopin’ the two of you might wanna pitch in. Even if it’s only to hang out while I work.”
She was near tears, so overwhelmed with relief she could hardly hold them in. Since her voice wouldn’t work, she nodded in agreement.
“That is if you’re plannin’ to stick around,” Rafe said, directing his comment at Holt.
“Depends.”
Bailey looked at him. “On?”
“On us. What we’re doing. The three of us.”
Was that a question? Did he expect her to answer? Confused, she looked at Rafe.
“If we’re doin’ this, we’re doin’ it right,” he said, sounding more assertive than she’d ever heard him. “We’re not gonna drag it out any longer. We commit or we don’t.”
“And by commit, you mean…?”
Holt had asked the question, but Bailey was hanging by a thread, waiting for the answer.
“I’ve wasted too damn much time already,” Rafe explained, glancing between them. “I’m ready to start livin’ my life. And I’d like to do that with the two of you.”
A sob choked her.
Rafe looked at her. “I was thinkin’ we could move into the B and B for a while. Unless you’re opposed to that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not opposed.”
Rafe glanced at Holt. “I’m sure we’ll outgrow it since you’ll need a space for writin’ and whatnot.”
Holt grinned. “I might’ve talked to Rex about renting one of the rooms for a while. As a writing space.”
How had she not known that? “You did?”
“Not officially.” Holt smiled sheepishly. “More like I put a bug in his ear.”
“Or we could keep my apartment above the bookstore,” Rafe suggested. “You could convert it into a writin’ spot.”
Holt’s eyes widened. “Nowthat’snot a bad idea.”
It really wasn’t.
Bailey’s head was spinning. A few minutes ago, she’d been worried Rafe was about to kick them to the curb. And now they were talking about moving in together. A future.
“But before we jump into the deep end,” Rafe said, drawing her attention. “I need to tell you a few things.”
“Like?”
“My past, for starters. I think you deserve to know—” He cleared his throat. “You need to know what happened to me. It might change how you see me.”
Bailey shook her head. “No.”
Rafe’s eyebrows arched upward. “No? You don’t wanna know?”
“I do. But not like this. What happened to you, Rafe … whatever it was, it shaped who you are. And I love you. Just like this.” She gestured toward him. “Flaws and all. That won’t change. I know it was bad. I can tell. And I want to listen when you’re ready to tell me. But only then.”
Rafe glanced at Holt, then back to her.
