Three Year Rule (The Rule Series Book 1) (11 page)

Josh grinned, “I’m surprised we didn’t run into each other at some point.”

Elizabeth added, “I was a very shy child and I stayed on the farm the entire time. We did go to the Fourth of July fireworks, but I was too shy to go play with the other children. Then when I reached High School my parents wouldn’t let me come anymore. I had a part-time job, and they wouldn’t let me leave it. They said that was irresponsible. My Aunt died of a heart attack a few years later. Uncle Wendell was devastated. His health went downhill after that. He kept the farm up, but his heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I couldn’t stand to see him so unhappy. Then the fire…” her voice cracked with the words.

Josh kissed her forehead and asked, “He left the farm to you?”

“Yes,” She whispered, “But my father was the executor of his Will and sold off all the livestock before my Uncle was even in the ground. He said it was the best thing for the animals. I was in college so dad insisted on demolishing what was left of the house and barn.  There’s nothing left up there now except an old abandoned stable.”

Josh leaned back listening to the sound of the rain as it began to pound against the roof and asked, “So why now? Why move here after all these years? What changed?”

“I changed,” Elizabeth answered. “I finally realized I'll never be able to please my parents. No matter how successful I am, it won’t be good enough. More importantly, I realized I don’t have to please them. I only have to please me. If I am satisfied with my life then it doesn’t matter if they approve. I wish things were different, but I am glad I chose to come here. It certainly has been an adventure, and I’m not even in the house yet.”

Josh laughed and rolled over on top of her. He whispered softly and nipped at her ear with his teeth, “I’m glad you came here too.”

A piercing scream broke the darkness. Kilo’s sharp bark of warning followed instantly. Josh bolted from the bed. He threw on his pants and he tore open the bedroom door. Elizabeth grabbed Josh’s shirt and ran after him. They raced down the stairs. They reached the landing as the front door exploded in a mass of wood splinters, followed by Randy’s large body. Josh and Elizabeth spun to follow Randy as he raced past them into the kitchen.

Amy lay sprawled out on the floor in front of the stove. The backdoor was standing wide open. Amy sat up as Randy reached her. She was still clutching the knife in her hand. Josh ran through the backdoor and out onto the deck. He glanced quickly around but saw nothing.

Amy stammered as Randy pulled her to her feet, “There was a man! I turned around, and he was just standing there by the basement door! Kilo chased him out the back!”

“Are you all right?” Randy gasped out of breath. He was dripping wet, yet didn’t feel the cold.  He looked Amy over; her face was extremely pale.

“I’m fine!” Amy hugged him fiercely and added, “I was so startled; I jumped back and ended up on the floor. Thank goodness for Kilo.” Amy gasped and spun toward the living room.

They all followed her stare to Charlie’s bed. It was empty. Without a word, Elizabeth disappeared through the backdoor and ran across the deck toward the stairs. Josh was at her heels by the time she reached the stairs.

“Charlie!” Elizabeth screamed her name into the darkness.

Josh came to her side and took hold of her elbow. “Charlie’s too weak to go far. We will find her. Kilo’s probably with her right now.”

Barking came from deeper into the woods at the side of the house. Elizabeth and Josh ran down the narrow path that led to a walking trail. The rain continued to pour down. The wind came in strong gusts. It howled through the trees mocking the black, starless sky above. The combined movement of the trees and loss of the moonlight slowed their pace to a fast walk. Josh took the lead taking hold of Elizabeth’s hand and pulling her along behind him. Suddenly the barking shifted to their left. Kilo bounded out of the brush before them, quickly followed by Charlie. Both dogs were soaking wet; Charlie was seemingly unaffected by the sudden dash into the woods.

Elizabeth and Josh knelt to check Charlie’s sutures; thankfully, they were intact. Josh greeted Kilo with a rough scratch and rose to stare into the woods. “Good boy,” Josh said softly then turned to Elizabeth and added, “Let’s get them back to the house.”

They met Randy half way back down the path. He nodded at them and said, “The house is clear.  Amy’s inside with the doors locked. Did you see anything?”

Josh said, “I caught a glimpse of some headlights. It could be the house next door.  We should check it out.”

Randy turned and glanced back toward the house. “We will, but not until morning. Whoever it is has gone. Kilo saw to that. Let’s get back to the house.”

Josh motioned to the house and ordered Kilo, “Go!”  Kilo took off running down the trail back to the house.  Charlie followed, much to Elizabeth’s surprise.

Josh smiled at her and said, “I think we underestimated your sweet little golden.”

The morning light shone brightly through the wall of windows overlooking the deck. The only sign on the previous night’s storm was a scattering of green leaves across the deck and pool.  Elizabeth poured Amy a cup of coffee. Amy yawned and sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter.  They were both dressed in t-shirts and shorts.  Elizabeth had showered and pulled her long hair back into a ponytail.  Amy was still sleepy-eyed, and her hair disheveled.  She sighed, and she brushed it away from her face to take a sip of her coffee.

“Where are the guys?” Amy asked, glancing around to see Kilo asleep by the back door and Charlie eating breakfast from a large bowl beside him.

Elizabeth handed Amy a bagel and said, “They went next door to talk to the neighbors.”

At that moment Josh and Randy came in through the back door. Amy and Elizabeth turned expectantly to them. Josh looked from one to the other then turned to Randy, who said, “The house next door is vacant. Looks like a foreclosure.”

Josh added, “We are pretty sure our visitor parked in that driveway, but it doesn’t look like they broke into the house. I can’t figure out how this guy knew about this house, and that we were here.”

Elizabeth walked over to Josh, placed her hands on his chest, and said, “I’ve been thinking about that very thing. Is it possible our stalker is one of your employees?”

Josh’s expression turned hard and cold. He said, “Absolutely not. I know all of my men very well. They’ve been with me for years. They are all good men.”

Randy moved closer to them and calmly offered, “Did you tell anyone you were coming out here?”  He glanced at Amy as he finished.

Elizabeth shook her head and glanced back at Amy. Amy shrugged and said, “I have a blog...”

Randy walked quickly to her as she jumped off the stool, her eyes wide in alarm.  She stammered, “I’m so sorry!  I had no idea…”

Randy hugged her and answered in a soothing voice, “It’s not your fault. There’s no way you could have known.”

Amy sobbed into Randy’s shirt, and Elizabeth came over and placed her hand on Amy’s back.  She said soothingly, “Amy, this is a good thing. Maybe Randy can figure out who this is from your blog and have him arrested. This is going to stop, I promise. “

Amy turned and reached out to pull Elizabeth to her.  Randy wrapped his arm around both of them and added, “Beth is right. We will find out who this is. There are footprints in the soil just outside the front window. The overhanging eaves protected them from the storm.  They look to be about a size 12, much larger than Josh and mine.”

Amy gasped and added, “Yes! He had on some kind of camouflage outfit. He was tall.  I’d say 6’5” maybe 6’6”.  His clothes were tight. He had broad shoulders and muscular arms, like an athlete.”

Randy released them and said, “Now that you’ve had some sleep I need to get a full description in the system and take a look at your blog.”  He glanced at Josh who still stood by the door and said, “I don’t think he’ll be back.”

Josh nodded; his expression was hard and cold.  He turned and left through the back door.

Elizabeth took that moment to confront Randy.  She walked to the fridge, pulled a pitcher of orange juice out, and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.  She sat the glass on the island as Randy and Amy sat down and asked, “Is there any way our stalker could be one of Josh’s men? From Amy’s description, it sounds like a construction worker could definitely fit the bill.”

Randy gulped down a glass of juice then answered, “I know most of Josh’s men.  They are all locals and typical construction workers. They like to have a beer or two after work and party hard on their days off.  Most of them have families, which doesn’t fit the profile. Stalkers are loners. I’ll check them all out just to be sure, but I’m not leaning in that direction.”

Elizabeth flashed him a questioning gaze and said, “You have a direction?”

Randy frowned with displeasure at her remark and answered, “Elizabeth, I maybe a small town sheriff, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know my job. Yes, I have a direction, and your friends and fans are first on my list. I’d like to get the names of the contacts from your cell phone.”

Elizabeth glanced at the back door and said softly, “My cell phone is dead. I forgot to bring my charger, and I don’t have any friends.” Without another word, she turned and followed Josh out onto the deck.

Josh stood at the railing looking out through the trees toward the lake. Elizabeth stood beside him and waited patiently for him to speak. She slid her hand into his and leaned against him.  Josh sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Josh’s jaw clenched despite the release of tension he felt when she touched him.  He glanced down at her full breasts that the thin t-shirt did little to conceal. Even dressed in shorts and sneakers Elizabeth’s lithe body made Josh’s heart race. He turned and pulled her against him.

He kissed her hard with much more passion than Elizabeth expected. She could feel her body responding in kind.  Elizabeth pulled back and gazed into his eyes confused.

“I want to kill him.” Josh whispered his voice deep and threatening. “I’ve never felt such a strong urge before. He broke into my home. He almost killed you and Charlie, and he still keeps coming.”

Elizabeth touched his cheek.  Her eyes grew moist with tears. “This is my fault. I must have done something to attract this man. Somewhere, somehow I met this man and caused all this with a simple word or a casual glance. Somehow I’ve attracted the attention of his lunatic who is hurting everyone I care about.”

Josh kissed her again, this time it was gentle yet just as passionate.  He released her reluctantly and said, “We can’t let him win. You have to keep living your life. Don’t let this defeat you.”  He glanced up as Amy and Randy walked out onto the deck and headed toward them. Josh added, “This guy is going to make a mistake and when he does we will be there. In the meantime, you ladies will be staying with us. My men will get to work on the house. It should be ready in about two weeks. You can stay with me until then. I don’t want you to stay in the cabin until the house is secure.”

Elizabeth reached out, touched Randy’s hand, and said, “I’m sorry I overreacted. You are just doing your job, and my ego is getting in the way. I’ll get you all the names and contacts for everyone as soon as we get back, I promise.”

Randy smiled and said, “I understand, this has been an emotional experience for us all.”

Amy flashed a big smile. She said, “Randy and I have been talking, and we’ve decided. I’m moving in with him.”

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On the trip back home, they concentrated on Amy and Randy’s decision to move in together. They made a quick stop at the cabin for the girls to pick up their belongings. Elizabeth packed quickly then checked her messages. She sighed as she listened to the messages, which drew Josh quickly to her side.

“What is it?”  he asked calmly through his clenched jaw.

“It’s Franklin,” She answered with great annoyance.  “I forgot he’s coming into town tomorrow.”

Josh cringed at the thought of the stuffy agent hanging around his home. Elizabeth watched his expression turn sour and laughed.  She said, “Don’t worry, I’ll meet him at the hotel.”

Amy and Randy came down the stairs with several suitcases and headed to the truck.  Josh grabbed Elizabeth’s overnight bag and said, “Are you sure this is all you need?”

Elizabeth smiled and said, “I’m pretty low maintenance compared to Amy. She has a moisturizer for every day of the week, three kinds of shampoo, four types of conditioner, an entire dresser full of makeup, and it’s a safe bet that at least one of those suitcases is dedicated entirely to shoes.”

Josh flashed a dazzling smile and said, “Have I told you lately how awesome you are?”

Elizabeth laughed and followed him out the door. She stood staring at the small stables at the rear of the clearing while Josh and Randy brought out the last of Amy’s bags. She turned to Josh as he closed the rear hatch and asked, “When will the stables be ready?”

Josh gave her a puzzled look and said, “It’s ready now.”

“Good, I want to buy some horses.”  Elizabeth announced with a huge smile.

“Exactly what do you know about caring for horses?” Josh asked as he opened the truck door for her. Amy and Randy climbed into the back seats as Elizabeth climbed into the passenger seat.

She said, “I fed my Uncles horses, and I know how to brush them down and I’m a good rider.”

Josh nodded and closed her door. When he sat down beside her he continued his questions, “So how often do they have to be ridden? What do you feed them? How much straw do you need?  Do you need hay too? Where will their water supply be? Have you checked the pasture for poisonous plants? What happens your horse gains too much weight? What do you do with a clumsy horse that continually gets bumps and scrapes? Will you keep them in the pasture or stable them? If you keep them in the pasture what kind of shade will they need?”

Elizabeth frowned at him then glanced out the front windshield as Josh triumphantly turned the truck around and headed back toward the main road. She would not be defeated.

“Maybe I don’t know much about caring for horses, but I can learn.”  She announced with determination.

“Good luck with that.” Josh smiled at her.

                                                                      ***********                                                                     

The next morning Elizabeth walked into the hotel restaurant to find Franklin waiting at their usual table.  He rose and flashed a weak smile.  This time he didn’t kiss her cheek when she arrived.  Elizabeth assumed it was due to their last parting.  She left him rather abruptly after his ridiculous idea of writing erotic romances.

She smiled brightly and said, “Franklin, it’s good to see you. How have you been?”

Franklin sighed with relief and his smile brightened. He said, “Great!  I’ve been busy promoting your next release. It seems your fans are eager to discover your views on blended families.”

Elizabeth laughed and sat down as a waiter brought her a large glass of orange juice and filled her coffee cup.

“By the way,” Franklin said with a suddenly serious expression, “I received a phone call this morning from Sheriff Connor.  He says you have a stalker?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth sighed and added cream and sugar to her coffee.  “It’s been a terrible ordeal.  He’s been in the cabin, caused Charlie to get hurt, and followed us to Josh’s lake house this past weekend.”

Franklin frowned and motioned for the waiter. “The Sheriff asked me if I’d gotten any threatening correspondence for you lately, and I have to admit that my team has received several rather odd postings on your blog.”

“My blog?” Elizabeth stared at him in confusion.

“Darling, every writer has a blog.” Franklin said with a knowing smile, “You’ve just forgotten because my people manage it for you, along with your Facebook page, Pinterest, and Twitter account.”

“Oh yes,” Elizabeth smiled. “You’re right, I hate those things and I never know what to say.”

“Which I find extremely hilarious, given your chosen profession,” Franklin smiled.  The waiter arrived and took his order. Elizabeth ordered a fruit plate and pulled out her iPad.

She opened the iPad and pulled up several files asking, “Did you receive the description?  I emailed it last night.

“Yes,” Franklin nodded and added, “I also received the cover mock up from Amy. Very nice, but I was hoping to meet with her today or tomorrow to discuss it further.”

Elizabeth beamed with excitement, and  took advantage of the moment she’d been waiting for, “That’s perfect because I want to discuss moving forward with Amy’s art career. I was hoping you could take her on as a client and connect her to some art shows. I have no idea how that works. I do think now is the time to move forward with her career, given her recent nominations for her cover art.”

Franklin’s face filled with a brilliant smile.  He said, “You’re thinking like a business woman, Elizabeth.  That’s an excellent idea, and at your recommendation, I’d be delighted to take Amy on as a client.”

“Thank you!”  Elizabeth reached out and took his hand, “You’re a good friend.”

Franklin smiled knowingly and added, “You do realize if she goes independent, she’ll have her hands full with her own career. She may not have any time left to work for you.”

Elizabeth smiled knowingly and said, “Amy has become such a good friend. I would love to see her spread her wings and fly. I can find another editor and cover artist. But I don’t think I will find another friend as precious as she.”

Franklin nodded, “Then let’s wrap up your next few months of publicity so my plate is clean to start work on Amy.”

Josh sat across the desk from Randy in the Sheriff’s office as Randy accessed Elizabeth’s Facebook Page and searched for any suspect entries. He glanced briefly at Josh and said, “Elizabeth’s Agent, Franklin Mallory, is a no-nonsense kind of guy. When I told him about the stalker, he responded quickly giving me Elizabeth’s ID’s and passwords to all the sites his company controls for her. He said he recalled one of his workers sending him an email concerning a few semi-threatening entries on her blog, but he said that’s pretty common so he thought nothing of it.”