Three Year Rule (The Rule Series Book 1) (2 page)

Normally the rushing wind and the mess it was making of her hair would have annoyed her.  Instead, Elizabeth found it was invigorating. She glanced toward the sky; it was full of bright stars. Elizabeth thought of her Uncle Wendell. She could see him in her mind. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, walking his horse out of the small stables. She pushed the thought from her mind as they pulled up to a small bar and parked next to a handful of vehicles in the large gravel parking lot. To say the bar was rustic was an understatement.  It was a small square building with peeling paint and windows so dirty you couldn’t see inside.

Joshua noticed the uncertain look on Elizabeth’s face when he opened her door. “Don’t worry.” He flashed a brilliant smile. “They really do have great steak, and it’s one hundred percent pure beef, not Opossum, I swear.”

Elizabeth cringed when they walked in the door.  The ancient looking wooden tables and chairs were scattered around the dark, musty room.  They helped themselves to one of the tall wooden booths along one side of the room. The bar lined the other. As they sat down Elizabeth glanced immediately under the bench, almost afraid of what she might see.

She glanced at Joshua and said, “Speaking of Opossum ....”

Joshua laughed. “I can assure you if you walked into that kitchen you’d find it sparkling clean. It's cleaner by far than any of those fancy five star restaurants in New York.”

Elizabeth said, “I’m not actually from New York.”

“New Jersey?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“St Louis.”  Elizabeth tried not to smile but failed.  He was just too darn adorable.

He nodded his approval and added, “Midwestern girl; City or County?”

Elizabeth answered, “Jefferson County actually. You’ve been to St Louis?”

Josh said, “My grandparents on my mom's side were from Southern Missouri.  I spent several summers driving to St Louis and tramping through the woods looking for a mysterious black panther. I’ve certainly had my share of drunken float trips and jaunts up to the top of the Arch. I love Missouri.”

A tall blonde-haired woman with breasts overflowing her low cut T-shirt appeared at their table asking if they wanted a drink.  Joshua glanced at Elizabeth and asked, “What would you like?”

Elizabeth glanced at the waitress, noting her tiny blue jean shorts and high heels, and said, “Jack and Coke.”

Joshua chuckled at how wrong Franklin had been and said, “Bring me the usual, Sal, and if the lady has no objections bring us a couple of steaks with all the trimmings, medium.”  Elizabeth nodded her approval and Sal disappeared without another word.

Gradually, couples and small groups began to fill the tables. A three-man band appeared and began to sing a variety of time-honored country rock tunes.  As the bar filled with smoke and the lights dimmed further, Elizabeth found herself on the dance floor in Joshua’s arms. He didn’t say a word as they slowly moved to the rhythm of a soulful tune.  Elizabeth wasn’t sure if it was Joshua or the three drinks she’d had with dinner, but she was feeling very comfortable and unusually uninhibited. She leaned against him and nuzzled his neck with her nose taking in the scent of him.

When the song was over Joshua released her and announced in a throaty voice, “It’s time I get you back to the hotel.”

When they arrived at the hotel Joshua offered Elizabeth his hand as she climbed out of the truck.  He slid his arm around her waist to guide her through the entrance and up the stairs.  They stopped at her door, and Elizabeth pulled her room card from her purse.  She gazed into his eyes, those magnificent blue eyes. He flashed what she could only describe as an incredibly sexy half smile, pulled her against him, and kissed her with more passion than he meant.

His kiss burned like fire.  Elizabeth's breath left her instantly.  When he released her, Elizabeth gasped for air and found herself saying, “Would you like to come inside?”

Joshua's eyes grew wide in surprise. This was almost too easy.  He took the key card from her hand and unlocked the door, opening it for her.  “I’d love to.”  he answered, and followed her inside.

Elizabeth spun slowly to face him as he closed the door.  Their eyes met as he slowly walked toward her.  He ran his hand down the length of her arms, took hold her hands, and gently pulled her to him.

He kissed her softly and said, “You sure you want to do this?  You’re a bit tipsy.”

Her pouty lips parted slightly and she drew a slow, deep breath that sent a ripple of fire through Joshua.  She said, “Shut up, and kiss me again.”  She’d never wanted anyone more.

He slid his hands around her waist and slowly moved them downward, pulling her against him. She moaned as their lips met and gently dug her fingernails into his back.  His lips broke away and explored the hollow of her throat as his hands moved to unbutton her blouse.  Elizabeth sighed with pleasure and kicked off her shoes.  She quickly removed her jeans and allowed her blouse to fall to the floor, then unbuttoned his shirt as he removed his jeans.

Her bra fell to the floor, and Joshua hands trailed across her breasts. She arched her back and moaned.  They fell onto the bed clinging desperately to each other.

                                                                      **************                                                       

Elizabeth forced down her second glass of orange juice and half of the bagel that room service had delivered. She knew hydration was the key to ending a hangover. She dropped her robe on her bed, took a quick shower, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and dressed in a loose pink T-shirt and a pair of shorts.  She couldn’t understand what she allowed to happen last night. In one fell swoop she successfully initiated herself as the New York City slut before she even managed to move into the upper scale rural community.  She stopped and touched her throat, remembering the heat of Joshua’s kiss.  It was an incredible night of passion she knew she would never forget.  Joshua made her feel things she’d never thought imaginable.

She finished her juice, took another bite of the bagel and then headed for her car. Elizabeth had a seven o’clock appointment to look at a rental property.  She was going to need temporary housing. Her uncle's home was demolished long ago. The fire completely gutted the inside leaving only the frame behind. The house was located near the rear of the 200 acres that she’d inherited, but she was going to build near the center of the property, closer to the road.  She couldn’t bring herself to rebuild on the site where her Uncle had died.

The trip to the rental house was quiet and serene.  Elizabeth opened the sunroof of her rental and allowed the cool morning air to flow through the car.  She turned off the main road and headed onto the wooded property up a narrow, winding, gravel road with large ruts that mirrored her tire width.  A small creek with a thin trickle of water ran right across the road.  It appeared that no one seemed to care since the road simply sank into the creek and back out again. No wonder this house was cheap, Elizabeth thought.  You’d need a huge four-wheel drive for rainy days, and a snowmobile to reach it in the winter.  As the ruts in the road grew deeper, Elizabeth struggled to straddle them with her car’s small  tires.  It reminded her of the road to her uncle’s house. She was beginning to understand why he always drove a pickup truck.

The trees began to thin as the road curved one last time to show a clearing with a small cabin, detached garage, barn, and a small corral.  There was a tiny pond with a layer of green on top next to the corral, and another slightly larger clear water pond at the far end of a small clearing.  Elizabeth was enchanted.  She pulled up in front of the split-level cabin.  It had a big picture window that overlooked the large front lawn and pond.  It was a charming, rustic little log cabin with a one-step front stoop and a few small bushes.  A large tree grew just close enough to the front of the house for a rambunctious boy to climb out his bedroom window and down the tree for a midnight adventure.  A cobblestone walkway led to the door.  She glanced around and noticed a faded gray pickup truck parked behind the stables.  An elderly gentleman dressed in jeans and a blue jean jacket appeared from inside the stables and waved at her.

She waved back and went to meet him.  She pictured her dog, Charlie, running across the gap and rushing around the perimeter.  Her seven-month-old Golden Retriever would certainly be at home here.

The man offered his hand when she reached him, “You must be Elizabeth.  I’m Gene Weller, it’s nice to meet you.”

Elizabeth shook his hand. “Hello, Mr. Weller, you have a charming place here.  I can’t wait to see the cabin.”

He motioned toward the cabin and she turned to walk with him as he added, “It needs some updating, but everything is clean and in working order. It’s fully stocked with dishes and such, so you will only need the daily food essentials.  My son uses it during hunting season and the holidays.  He’s an avid the elk hunter.  I was just checking the stables and did a quick check of the area.  I only found a couple of snakes. I’ll go ahead and bring Topper and Knobby by for a few days to clear out any that I may have missed.  You can’t beat tom cats as snake eaters.  My two boys will clear this area in the wink of an eye.”

“Snakes?” Elizabeth glanced down at the grass when they veered from the road to cut across the lawn.

“Rattlers,” he explained. “These Mountains are full of them, but I don’t think there’s a den close by, so not to worry. I found one snake way back behind the stables. I’ll leave my boys here for the next couple of weeks if you like. They’re good snake hunters. Your retriever won’t even know they’re here.”

Elizabeth stopped and stared at him, “Rattlesnakes? My Uncle Wendell always said they usually kept deep into the woods.”

Mr. Weller stopped and turned to face her, “Darlin’ you
are
deep in the woods.”

                                                                      *************                                                                     

Joshua walked into Sheriff Randal Connor’s office. It was located in a small storefront converted to hold the only law enforcement office in town. He sat down on the seat in front of his desk.  The Sheriff glanced up from his paperwork briefly then returned to his work.

Joshua frowned and said, “Don’t pretend to be working. Unless someone robbed the general store or the wolf pack returned to Beldon Falls, you are completely free of paperwork today.”

The Sheriff put his pen down and stared at Joshua. Pushing his light brown hair from his eyes, the Sheriff flashed Joshua a huge smile, “So I take it your meeting didn’t go so well last night.  Was she everything you expected?  Dowdy, fat, and covered with warts?”

Joshua sighed and put his feet up on the Sheriff’s desk. He leaned back in his seat and said, “Randy, she was the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. The night couldn’t have gone better.”

Randy asked, “Then why are you such a grouch?”

“It was too good to be true.”  Joshua sat up abruptly.  “I hit on her right out of the gate, and she didn’t bat an eye. We went to Sadie’s and a couple of hours later we were back in her hotel room.”

Randy stared at him in disbelief and said, “You’re worse than I thought. Did you bed the old shrew? I know you took a hit when the real estate bubble burst, but that’s no reason to prostitute yourself for a contract.”

Joshua’s feet landed on the floor, and he leaned forward in his seat, “First of all, she was gorgeous.  Probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.  Secondly, it had nothing to do with the contract. It was... I don’t know… It was crazy; it was intense, it was more than I expected.  What I’m confident of, is it was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

Randy looked at his best friend since childhood and said, “So you’ve entered new territory.  Is it safe to say you just might have feelings for this gal?”

“No!” Joshua rose to his feet and headed for the door.  “It’s not that at all.  She just wasn’t what I expected.  I plan to get this relationship back on a professional level.  I’m not going to have some lovesick loner hanging all over me for the next few months while I build her home. That’s the last thing I need.”

Randy called after him, “Not every woman is like Joanne.”  His response was the sound of a slamming door.

The phone rang as Elizabeth finished packing.   It was the front desk informing Elizabeth that her assistant had arrived with her dog, Charlie.  The bellhop appeared at the door and grabbed her bags as she rushed downstairs.  Her assistant, a young college graduate named Amy Rothchild, stood outside the entrance. She held tightly to Charlie's leash when Elizabeth walked out the door.

Amy’s French braid had several strands of hair trying to escape. There were dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.  Her light blonde hair and big blue eyes accented her pale complexion and rosy cheeks.  Amy’s petite body was no match for the golden retriever’s potential.  When Charlie saw Elizabeth, there was no stopping her from greeting her master.  Charlie bounded away from Amy with one leap and reached the Elizabeth’s side.  Amy lurched forward and stumbled along behind Charlie. Elizabeth laughed and caught Charlie’s front paws as she jumped up to greet her.

“How’s my little puppy?”  Elizabeth asked, scratching Charlie behind the ears.

After straightening her clothes and checking her hair, Amy handed Elizabeth the leash and said, “Puppy?  You have to be kidding.  She’s a few pounds away from becoming a horse.”

Accepting the leash, Elizabeth released Charlie’s paws.  She smiled at Amy and said, “Amy, what would I do without you!  You are my angel of mercy, driving Charlie half way across the country so she wouldn’t have to fly.”

Amy stared at Elizabeth with one raised eyebrow and countered, “A two day trip in a Mini Cooper is
all
the way across the country,
not
half.”  She hugged Elizabeth, adding, “Charlie was actually a very good girl. She made me feel safe.”

The bellhop appeared with Elizabeth’s bags, followed immediately by Franklin.  Elizabeth headed for her car, saying, “We’ve got a 20 minute drive to the rental property, then you can relax and even take a nap if you like.  Franklin is going to return my rental car after we unpack.”

Franklin hesitated when he saw Amy, then flashed a quick smile and dashed off after Elizabeth. He climbed into the passenger seat and began his interrogation of Elizabeth’s spontaneous date with Joshua before she even reached the road. “Where did you go? What happened?  When did you get back?”

Elizabeth shrugged and said, “The steaks were very good, but the bar is a dive.  We didn’t stay long.  I went right to bed when I got back.”

“But you were supposed to call me,” Franklin said quietly.

Concentrating on the road, Elizabeth refused to look at him. She was scared she might actually see him pouting.  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you when I got back to the hotel.”  Elizabeth offered gently, “I just wasn’t in the mood for work.”

Franklin frowned and stared out the window.  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.  Was it possible Franklin somehow knew Joshua spent the night? No, they went straight to the room. The hallway was empty and they didn’t see anyone along the way.  Even if he did know, she wasn’t going to discuss it with Franklin.  He was her agent, not her father.  She did consider him a friend, but her sex life was none of his business. Gripping the steering wheel firmly, Elizabeth wondered why she allowed that to happen. She never had sex with someone on the first date, not even a second date. Most of her relationships never got that far. Elizabeth was a romantic soul.  She believed in love before sex. Somehow, last night love didn’t even cross her mind. Last night was only about the sex. There were no emotions involved; there couldn’t be. She barely knew Joshua. Although she had to admit, he was incredibly sexy. Josh had a body like a Mack truck, all brawn and hard muscle. He made love as if the world was ending. The mere thought of their encounter made her breathe faster.

She flashed a guilty glance in Franklin’s direction, and then smiled in relief as the entrance to her new temporary home appeared up ahead. “Here we are. You’re going to love this place, Franklin. It’s full of character and a little adventure. The cabin backs to the woods. The landlord installed a large picture window on the rear of the house, so there’s a gorgeous view. Mr. Weller said if you are quiet, and leave the lights out, you could watch the deer come into the yard to eat the acorns early in the mornings. I saw a flock of turkeys crossing the road when I left yesterday. This place is fabulous!”

Franklin sighed and shook his head then smiled. He said, “I’m sure it’s awesome, but does it have electricity and indoor plumbing?”

                                                                      ***********                                                                                   

Joshua had a hard time calling Elizabeth. He sat at a desk in his home office and stared at the phone. He’d just spoken to the inspector, and he'd scheduled the environmental study for tomorrow. His last project was in clean up mode. All he needed was her decision on which plan to go with, and he could break ground within the next week. Still he hesitated. Why in Hades name was he putting this off?  Joshua grabbed his phone and viciously punched in Elizabeth’s number. He’d keep the relationship strictly business from now on.

“Hello?”  Elizabeth’s sultry voice came over the phone.

“Hi Elizabeth, this is Joshua.  The environmental study is tomorrow morning. I don’t expect any complications. So whichever floor plan you’ve decided on, shouldn’t be a problem.” Joshua kept his voice low and monotone.

Elizabeth frowned and walked out the back door of the cabin to watch the sun sink behind the mountains.  She was surprised at the lack of pleasantries but held to the topic at hand, “That’s great, Joshua.  I’ve chosen the two-story log cabin.  I like the design and square footage, but I’d like to add a 2 car attached garage and possibly a three-stall barn, placed deeper into the lot.  There is a pond about an eighth of a mile from the building site. I thought it would be ideal to incorporate inside a horse fence.”

Joshua relaxed; she wasn’t going to push the relationship.  He said, “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll pull up some basic barn plans and get you some samples of fencing. My foreman can check the design of the pond and surrounding landscape, and then we can discuss your options. I’ll check back with you tomorrow afternoon and we can set an appointment to finalize everything.”

He was blowing her off! Elizabeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He wasn’t even going to mention last night. Gripping the phone fiercely, she answered in a quiet voice, “Sounds great! I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

“Okay,” Joshua hesitated, “Talk to you soon. Have a great evening.”

“Oh, I will,” Elizabeth’s voice reeked with sweetness, “I’m in my new place, Mr. Weller’s cabin.”

“Gene Weller?”  Joshua asked confused, “I thought his son owned that cabin?”

“He does, but he won’t need it until deer hunting season. As long as you stay on track, I should be out of here by then.” Elizabeth felt triumphant at his continued conversation.

Joshua knew exactly where that cabin was. It sat on the edge of Beldon Falls Preserve. “Elizabeth, there have been wolves sighted in that area. Given the fact the cabin is vacant most of the year, I think you should stay inside after dark for the first few days.”

What?
Now
he was concerned for her welfare. Elizabeth paced back and forth along the small porch as her face flushed with anger. Forget about the fantastic night of wild sex, let’s talk about hiding from fictitious wolves, she thought. She took a deep breath and answered with slightly more irritation than she meant, “Don’t worry about me. I’m not alone. My assistant arrived today with my golden retriever, Charlie.”

“What?” Joshua couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Elizabeth, listen to me. Don’t let Charlie outside after dark. A golden retriever is no match for a pack of wolves or a bear. You are on the edge of a huge preserve. There are more than just deer and elk roaming around in those woods.  Promise me you’ll keep to the cabin after dark and not go too deep into the woods alone during the day.”

Elizabeth lifted the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Who did he think he was? She placed the phone back to her ear and asked, “Just exactly what gives you the right to tell me how to live my life?  One night together and suddenly you’re trying to walk all over me! It’s bad enough you refuse to acknowledge what happened between us last night, but now you have to add to it by being uber controlling.”

Joshua had a bad feeling in his gut. She wasn’t listening and she was going to get herself, or more likely her dog, killed if she didn’t learn how to respect the animals in the area. “Beth, listen, I’m not trying to boss you around.  I’m trying to give you some very practical advice. These woods are not like the forests you hike around in Missouri. There are mountain lions that would sooner eat Charlie or you rather than sit pretty and wait for you to take their picture.  Do you own a gun?”

“What?”  Elizabeth gasped. She completely missed the point; he called her by a more intimate name. She snapped, “No, I do not own a gun!” Just then, something rustled in the brush at the far end of the backyard; Elizabeth almost jumped out of her skin. Charlie charged out of the back door and headed right for it. “Charlie!  No!”

“Beth!” Joshua was on his feet, heading for the door. “What is it? Are you outside? Let Charlie go and get in the house!”

“Leave me alone!” Elizabeth yelled in the phone and hung up just as Charlie dove into the bushes.

Amy appeared in the doorway as Elizabeth started to run after Charlie. She took only a few steps, when a huge deer broke through the bushes and dashed across the yard to disappear into the trees.  Charlie was at its heels.

“No, Charlie! Bad dog! No!” She screamed.

Amy ran to her side waving a large knife asking, “What is it? What’s happening?”

Charlie followed the deer to the tree line before deciding to obey her master. Charlie turned and galloped back to Elizabeth who sank to her knees and hugged Charlie with all her strength.  She was completely out of breath. Her heart was racing. Damn that Joshua Miller, he’d pumped her so full of nonsense she’d nearly scared herself to death.

She rose and smiled weakly at Amy saying, “Let’s keep her inside for the rest of the night.”

Amy nodded and surveyed the yard, adding, “Us too. Good thing Franklin headed back early.  He would have been crying like a baby after all that excitement.”

Laughing, Elizabeth said, “He was terrified it would get dark before he reached the hotel.  He does not like the country at all. He told me once that St Louis was too small town for him, not enough cement and high-rises.”

Amy giggled and said, “Can you believe it’s after 9 o’clock, and it’s still bright daylight outside?  Frankly, it doesn’t matter; I’m exhausted. The light is not going to keep me awake. I’m closing my curtains and going to bed.  I’ll get all your paperwork together for the build in the morning. What time are you meeting with the builder?”

“Builder?” Elizabeth gasped and glanced down at the phone. Should she call Joshua back and let him know everything was okay? She closed and locked the back door, and stood staring out at the large backyard into the forest beyond. It was so beautiful but maybe Joshua was right. Her phone began to ring. She glanced down and recognized Joshua’s number.

She hit the answer button and immediately said, “Everything is fine. It was just a deer.”

Joshua growled into the phone, “Dammit Beth! You scared the crap out of me! Is Charlie all right?”

“She’s fine; I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye.”  Elizabeth snapped.

“Oh no, we will talk right now. I’m almost there.” Joshua countered and hung up.

Elizabeth quickly glanced around the room to see if everything was clean. When she realized what she was doing, she chastised herself, ‘What are you thinking?  He’s nothing, a one-night stand.  Clearly, he considers it just a casual fling so get over it.  Everyone has one at least once in their life; it’s just your turn.’ She calmly walked to the front door as the roar of Joshua’s truck could be heard coming up the driveway. Charlie appeared at her side when she opened the door.

Elizabeth allowed Charlie to leap out the door to greet Joshua, who was climbing out of his truck.  He turned, and without hesitation, knelt and greeted Charlie with a quick scratch between the ears. When Joshua glanced at Elizabeth, her stomach jumped and her pulse quickened. Those damn blue eyes. Joshua turned and reached into the back seat of his extended cab and pulled out a long brown case. He whistled at Charlie, who wandered down the driveway, and Elizabeth cringed as her devoted dog came trotting up and escorted him happily to the door.

‘Traitor,’ Elizabeth admonished her silently, and stepped aside to allow Joshua to enter. Her eyes ran up and down the length of him as he passed. He had on a plain white T-shirt and faded pair of jeans. Her eyes hesitated at his broad shoulders and lingered on the pockets of his jeans. She took a quick breath and admired his small, firm behind.

Joshua went straight to the kitchen table and opened the case. He pulled out a short-barreled shotgun and turned to face Elizabeth. He said, “Keep this right here, in the central living area. You don’t have any kids, so there’s no concern about that.”

Elizabeth snapped back to reality and walked over to him. She glared at the gun he held out for her inspection. Elizabeth met his iron stare with open hostility and said, “I am
not
keeping that gun.”