“Daniel really likes you, Emma. He said you nailed the interview, and you came highly recommended by all of your college instructors. You graduated at the top of your class. He was going to offer you the job regardless.”
“Maybe, if he would’ve gotten to my application. But now I’ll never know.” That thought weighs heavily on my mind, and I sit on the edge of the bed. “I really wanted this job. I had a great first week. How am I supposed to walk away from it now?”
Ryan sits down beside me. “You’re not.”
“I don’t want to because I need the money. I have student loans to pay off, and rent and a car payment that I need to think about. But, I have to.”
Grant takes the spot on the other side of me. “No, you don’t. You’re going back to work on Monday, you’ll work your ass off, and soon, Daniel will promote you on your own merit.”
“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I need to call Daniel and resign. And then I’ll have to apply for some other positions, and I’ll probably end up having to take a job in the city.”
“Absolutely not.” Ryan pushes off the bed.
“Excuse me?”
“This is exactly what we were trying to avoid. You can’t move. We won’t let you.”
“You won’t let me? You don’t really have a choice.”
“She’s right,” Grant says, surprising both Ryan and me.
Ryan lifts an eyebrow. “She is?”
“We were wrong to fuck with your life, kicker. We should’ve talked to you about our feelings first.” Grant takes a deep breath and blows it out dramatically as if admitting he was wrong was the hardest thing he’s ever done.
“Did that hurt?” I ask, trying not to smile.
“Yeah, a little.” He rubs at his chest and looks at me. The side of his mouth tilts up in sexy grin, and I find my anger waning just a bit.
He shrugs. “If you move, we’ll just have to go with you.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“He’s right.” Ryan kneels in front of me and takes one of my hands before reaching for one of Grant’s. “We love you, Emma. You’re so much more than our best friend. You’re our confidante and our lover. You’ve seen us at our worst and our best, and you love us despite all the stupid shit we’ve done. We can’t be without you. We fucked up, and if you feel you can’t keep the position at Hartford Group and you end up moving to the city to take a job, we’ll just go with you.”
“You can’t.” The fact that they’re even offering tells me all I need to know about their commitment to me and our relationship. But as grateful as I am, I can’t let them follow me to the city. “Your lives are here. Your jobs are here. And what about the lodge? You’ve got so much work to do out there.”
“I can commute,” Grant offers.
“And we can sell the lodge,” Ryan says.
“This is crazy. You guys are talking about uprooting your entire lives. For me,” I add softly.
“Don’t you get it?” Ryan cups my cheeks in his hands. “You are our life.”
Grant slides to the floor beside Ryan, propping himself up on one knee. “Our whole life.”
Each man is in front of me, holding me as if they’re terrified I might slip away. The love shining from their eyes is almost too much, and I can’t do anything but stare and shake my head.
“We can find new jobs and a new house, but we can’t find a new you. You’re it for us.”
“We want to marry you,” Grant adds.
My heart stops beating. My lips part, and I try to form words, but I can’t. It’s official, they broke me. I’m completely paralyzed. I don’t even think I’m breathing.
“Take a breath, Emma,” Ryan coaxes, rubbing a large hand up my thigh.
I suck in a breath and then another and another until I can finally feel my fingers again. “You want to marry me? Y