Three Year Rule (The Rule Series Book 1) (12 page)

“Franklin’s an idiot.” Josh growled. He couldn’t take the prim and proper Franklin seriously on any issue other than fancy clothing.

Randy suppressed a chuckle and said, “Then it’s a good thing I’m checking her sites personally, although I can’t spend all day surfing the internet. Wayne Grody called to report that he’s lost a calf to that wolf pack. I’m going to have to get up to the reserve and drive them off again. You interested in giving me a hand?”

Josh leaned back in his chair and relaxed for the first time in days. “Deer season is coming up.  We need to get those wolves as deep into the mountains as we can or the deer will be so scattered the season will be a bust.”

Randy raised his eyebrows and added, “We don’t want any hunters running across a wolf pack at 4 o’clock in the morning while setting up for a deer hunt. That would be a very dangerous situation indeed.”

Josh nodded, “That’s the problem with wolves. You don’t see them coming until it’s too late. All right, let’s do it this Saturday. Jake and Molly will be back in town Sunday night.”

“Then it’s settled.” Randy announced moving to sign into Elizabeth’s Twitter account. “We’ll make it a day trip, and the girls can hang out at my house. I seriously doubt a stalker would try a break in of a Sheriff’s house. Anyway, I’m teaching Amy how to shoot a handgun.  I bought her a Cobra 380. It’s a tiny gun, and she bought pink handles for it, but it will do the job if necessary. It might not be a bad idea to teach Elizabeth the ins and outs of that shotgun.”

Josh laughed and said, “I’m afraid to have her shoot it. It will knock her on her ass, and she’ll never pick it up again.”

Elizabeth pulled her SUV up the drive at Gene Weller’s farm. It was easy to spot. The farm sat right up against the road. The drive led into a large circular driveway that centered on the main house, barn and a storage shed. She could see the stables a short distance away from the main road.  Mr. Weller waved at her from the pasture as she climbed out of her SUV.  He led a chestnut mare over to the fence and waited for her.  Elizabeth stared at the gorgeous mare.  It was dark brown with the only blemish being a white mark on its forehead. Behind it stood a gray speckled mare with a light gray mane, equally beautiful.

When she reached the long white vinyl fence, Elizabeth smiled and said, “Thank you so much Mr. Weller, for meeting with me.”

“It's my pleasure, Miss Elizabeth,” he said, returning her smile. “This here is Mazie; she’s a two year old mare with a sweet disposition. Her sister, Flo, is behind me, and she’s a bit feistier, so I thought we’d start with Mazie. My son John owns these two beauties, but he’s willing to part with them for the right price. He’s here this week prepping the cabin for hunting season.”

“They are both beautiful!”  Elizabeth said, reaching out to touch Mazie’s nose. “I want to learn everything about them and how to care for them before I take them home.”

Just then Amy’s smaller SUV pulled into the driveway and Elizabeth added, “So does Amy.”

For the next few days while Josh and Randy dug into Elizabeth’s past acquaintances and fans, she and Amy spent all their time at Mr. Weller’s farm.

Thursday afternoon Josh and Randy invited the girls to lunch at Sadie’s, then took them to view Elizabeth’s house. They sat on the built-in bench on the deck out back taking in the view of the pond and the pasture that ran along behind it.

Elizabeth’s thoughts filled with her childhood adventures spent on this land.  The camping trips and hikes her Aunt and Uncle took her on each summer. She whispered softly to Josh, her voice throaty with emotion, “My uncle would pack up the horses, and we’d ride deep into the woods near the back of his property and camp. A little brook runs along the property line where we would fish and catch tadpoles. The water was crystal clear and ice cold. The bottom of the brook was full of sand and smooth, colorful rocks; it was perfect.”

Josh wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said, “We should go there. I’m sure we could find it. Jake and Molly love to go camping.”

“I’d like that,” Elizabeth said, leaning against him.

“Speaking of Jake and Molly, they are coming home on Sunday,” Josh said, gauging her reaction to the idea of meeting his children.

Elizabeth smiled brightly and said, “That’s incredible!  I’d love to meet them.”

Josh smiled, pleased at her response. Amy and Randy went back inside to look at the house again. Josh decided to delve further. He turned to face Elizabeth and said, “We spoke a few weeks ago about our expectations. You never really answered my question.”

Elizabeth gazed into his eyes confused, “What question was that.”

Josh smiled softly and said, “I asked if you were ready for a serious, committed relationship.”

“Isn’t that what we are in?”  Elizabeth answered holding his gaze.

“Perhaps I should make myself clearer.” Josh’s smile vanished. His eyes held such deep emotion Elizabeth couldn’t breathe. He knelt on one knee still holding her hands and whispered, “Elizabeth Stewart would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Elizabeth gasped; this was not what she expected. She stood staring down at him unable to speak. She hadn’t even considered marriage to Josh, or anyone for that matter. Marriage is so permanent, so final. She refused to take it lightly. Josh stared up at her waiting for a reply. His eyes turned such a deep blue Elizabeth felt she was losing herself in them, wanting to say yes, but she was so frightened of betrayal. She suddenly heard her voice said, “Josh, this is so sudden and so unexpected.”  Why was she saying that? She felt herself pull her hands from his as she continued, “We hardly know each other. We’ve only been together for a few months.”

Josh rose; his face lost all color as his expression turned cold. He said, “A few months of being together constantly; unlike other couples, who only see each other once or twice a week. I’d say these few months have been intense. Elizabeth, I love you. I understand your hesitation about an engagement, but I need to know if you’re in this relationship for the long run. Beth, I can’t introduce you to my children if we are not going to try to make this thing work. I won’t do that to them.”

Elizabeth touched his face saying, “Josh; I love being with you. I cherish our time together. I care deeply for you.”

“Deeply?” Josh back away from her.  He asked, “What the hell does deeply mean, Beth? Either you love me, or you don’t. It’s not something you have to think about, it’s something you feel. If you don’t love me now, then I seriously doubt you will suddenly fall in love me in six months or three years.”

“Josh, please.  It’s not that simple.”  Elizabeth moved toward him, desperate to make him understand they had to give it time to get to know each other before they commit.

“Simple? No, love is not simple. Actually, it’s made quite a fool out of me lately. I’ve followed you around like a lost puppy. I’ve spent every spare moment trying to discover who the maniac is that’s been stalking you, and for what? For your deep affection?” Josh stopped to study her expression.  He asked, “What is it, Beth? Are you scared? Are you afraid we’ll end up like your parents? I’m not like them. You could never be like them. They were cold, emotionless zombies who didn’t know how to show you how much they loved you. That’s not us, Beth. Why can’t you trust me? Why can’t you believe in us?”

“If you could only read my book,” Elizabeth stammered.

“Your book?”  Josh said with astonishment. He stared at her for a moment, then turned and went inside the house.

The drive home was quiet. Randy and Amy immediately sensed the tension between their friends. When Randy dropped them off at Josh’s house, Josh climbed out of the truck without a word and headed into the house. Elizabeth said a quick goodnight and followed him inside.

She followed him to the bedroom and stood watching while he grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his drawer. He turned and walked past her without as much as a glance. He called to her as he walked down the hallway, “I’m sleeping in Jakes room tonight. Your furniture is arriving in the morning. Maybe it’s a good idea to get packed for the move into the house.”

He shut Jake’s door behind him. Elizabeth stood staring at the door, unable to move. What just happened? Why couldn’t he understand? They can’t possibly know each other. It takes three years for people to drop their guard and relax enough to reveal their true selves. Love has nothing to do with it. You could love someone desperately who is completely wrong for you and end up miserable for the rest of your life. She stared at the bedroom door in disbelief. She wanted to scream at it, to tell the door to open. She wanted to shout for Josh to come back so she could make him understand.

Instead, she turned and shut the bedroom door quietly. She walked slowly to the bed and fell onto the pillow sobbing.

Josh was gone when she woke up the next morning. Elizabeth quietly packed her bag and loaded Charlie in the SUV. She called Amy on her way to her new house and asked her to meet her there.

The first furniture trucks arrived soon after Elizabeth. Amy showed up a few minutes later. They kept busy instructing the movers and deliverymen where to place the furniture. Finally, the last of the deliveries arrived. Amy went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. She searched the kitchen until she found the box labeled
crystal
. She poured a large glass, and insisted Elizabeth sit down on her new living room sofa and relax while she cleaned up.

Once Amy had finished she sat down on the couch next to Elizabeth, and said, “Spill it. What happened between you and Josh? He was really upset.”

“His kids are coming home on Sunday.” Elizabeth said with a shrug.

“So…” Amy urged her to continue.

“He asked me to marry him and I said no.” Elizabeth eyes filled with tears as she calmly stated the gist of the situation.

“Why did you say no? You’re crazy about him. I’ve never seen you like this before.” Amy jumped up and grabbed her purse off the kitchen island. She dug inside, pulled out a package of tissues and handed them to her.

“He’s so different from any man I’ve ever been with.” Elizabeth sobbed into the tissues.

“That’s why he’s so perfect!” Amy said hugging her.

“But we don’t even know each other?” Elizabeth stammered between sobs.

“What are you talking about?”  Amy asked in surprise, “Beth, he knows you better than anyone, better than even I do. He can tell when you are upset or angry by the tone of your voice.  He’s not intimidated by your bossy, know-it-all attitude. He’s a real man, like Randy. You can take them both at face value. They have no ulterior motives; they don’t need any. They are not complicated or intense. They don’t have high power positions or conquer the world jobs. They are down to earth, everyday Joes.”

Elizabeth stared at Amy trying to comprehend her reasoning. Finally, she said, “What would my readers say if the author of the three year rule strategy ran off and married a man she just met?”

Amy smiled and gazed back at Elizabeth. She said in a wistful tone, “They’d be thrilled that true love still exists.”

“I’d look like a fool.” Elizabeth snapped.

“So you write a new book called Love Conquers All.” Amy laughed, undaunted by Elizabeth’s’ negativity.

“That’s ridiculous!”  Elizabeth jumped up from the sofa and walked quickly to the kitchen.  “You can’t possibly understand, Amy. You’re a sprite, an enigma. You can plunge headlong into a relationship, and it will last forever simply because you are unyieldingly happy all the time.”

Amy’s smile disappeared as she rose from the sofa. She followed Elizabeth to the kitchen and placed her wine glass on the counter next to the sink. Gazing down at the still full glass of golden liquid, Amy said, “I’m unyieldingly happy, because I choose not to surrender to negativity.”  She turned to face Elizabeth and added, “I choose to move beyond the things in my past that threaten to drag me into a deep depression. Beth, I choose to take chances with my heart. I choose to live everyday ruled by my emotions. I choose to love with all my heart because if life is not about love and friendship, then I don’t know why we exist at all.”

“It’s not that easy.” Elizabeth said softly, looking out the large kitchen windows.

“Yes, it is, Beth. Yes, it is.” Amy whispered, “Can’t you, for just one moment put your intellect in your pocket and let your heart guide you. I promise you, no matter what happens you will be better for it.”

Elizabeth never felt more alone her first night in the new house. She set the security alarm and brought Charlie upstairs, leaving all the lights in the house on. She lay in her new bedroom in her large canopied bed and tossed and turned all night. Finally, as the sun rose, she surrendered to a sleepless night and went downstairs to make some coffee.

She opened the refrigerator and stared at the large array of fresh fruits and vegetables. Why had she bought this much food? The refrigerator and freezer were completely full. What had she been thinking? Was she unconsciously planning to feed Josh and his kids? Was she unknowingly planning to hide out in this huge house, alone for days on end?

The doorbell rang, jerking her out of her stupor. She walked quickly to the door and looked through the peephole; it was Randy. She opened the door, and Kilo bounded in to greet Charlie. Randy tried to smile but couldn’t manage it.

He motioned toward Kilo and explained, “Josh and I are going onto the reserve tomorrow to push the wolves back up into the mountains. He thought you might like to have Kilo here for a night or two.”

Elizabeth nodded as disappointment surged through her. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting Randy to say. She shut the door behind him and said softly, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”

“Sure,” Randy answered and followed her to the kitchen and sat at the island. She took two coffee cups out of the cabinet and came to sit beside him.

Randy took a sip of the steaming black liquid and then placed the cup down on the countertop. He gazed at Elizabeth and said, “Don’t give up on Josh, Elizabeth. He’ll come around. He’s crazy about you. You just need to give him a little time.”

Elizabeth smiled softly at Randy and said, “I don’t think Josh is the problem.”

Randy nodded and added, “Just don’t over think this. You and Josh have something special. He’s been alone for a long time, just him and his kids. He’s scared. Josh’s way of defeating fear is to jump into it head first. He’s always been that way. I think the kids coming home just set him off.”

“I understand Randy.” Elizabeth gazed at him. Amy was right; he was a good man. He had a good heart. “I don’t think Josh is scared at all. I think he knows what he wants and usually get his way.”

“What do you want?” Randy asked, meeting her eyes.

“Josh,” Elizabeth answered honestly.

Randy smiled and said, “Give it the weekend. His head will clear once we are out in the woods, and seeing the kids again will calm him down. You’ll see, everything will be fine.”

Randy rose and gave her a quick hug adding, “Amy’s coming over tomorrow morning. She told me to tell you, Mr. Weller’s son, Tom, said you can have the horses tomorrow if you’re ready.”

Elizabeth rose and smiled, “I am definitely ready. I’ll run to the Farmer’s Supply and get what I need this morning.”

“Oh,” Randy stopped at the door and turned back to her, “Did Amy tell you, Franklin is setting up an art show for her in Los Angeles?”

“No, she didn’t!”  Elizabeth gasped, “That’s incredible! I can’t wait to hear all about it!”

“Oh, and Josh’s foreman, Mike, has a horse trailer for sale.”  Randy added, pulling a piece of paper from his wallet. “I told him you might be interested. He said to give him a call. It’s in good shape. Mike is a little OCD so you can count on the fact he’s taken good care of it. Josh loves the guy; he never worries about any project when Mike is in charge.”

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When Amy arrived at Elizabeth’s, Mike had the horse trailer hooked up to Elizabeth’s SUV and was teaching her how to back it into place. “That’s it.” Mike said, “Now turn the steering wheel to the right and keep backing up slowly. Great, you got it.”

Amy’s eyes wandered down the length of Mike’s tall lanky body. At first she thought he was thin, but quickly realized he was all muscle from his broad shoulders to his firm behind. Mike glanced back at Amy and caught her checking him out. She blushed and spun quickly to pull the overnight bag from the car. When she turned back, Mike was heading across the drive to her, behind Charlie and Kilo.

“Amy,” Mike’s rugged face was all smiles. “Good to see you. I hear Randy and Josh are heading out to do some wolf chasing.”

“Yes,” Amy said as she glanced past him to see if Elizabeth was coming, as well. “I’m surprised you’re not going with them.” She knelt down to embrace both dogs, and they knocked her off her feet in their enthusiasm. Mike laughed and offered her his hand.  He pulled Amy to her feet as the dogs took off across the yard and disappeared into the trees

“I wish I could,” Mike laughed, “but I’ve got something to attend to this weekend that can’t wait.”

“Too bad,” Amy closed the car door as Elizabeth came up beside Mike.

“What do you think of my new trailer?” Elizabeth was glowing with excitement.

“It’s beautiful!” Amy hugged Elizabeth then scooped up her bag. “I’m here to help, and I thought I’d stay the night.”

Mike raised an eyebrow and said, “Well, I better be getting back to work. Have fun with the horses, and Elizabeth if you need any help or advice with the horses, just give me a call.”

“Thanks Mike,” Elizabeth called after him and they watched him climb into his pickup and drive off.

Elizabeth turned to Amy and asked, “Staying over?”

Amy turned and headed for the house, “Yes, ma’am. The boys are heading out around 3a.m. for some unknown reason, so I thought I’d just cozy up with you tonight.” Amy turned back to wait for Elizabeth to catch up, and then added, “I brought some marinated chicken breast and Moscato.”

“Oh, Amy,” Elizabeth cooed, placing her arm across Amy’s shoulders. “You really know how to charm a girl. Wine and chicken; add a chick flick to that, and we are set for the night.”

“After we pick up Mazie and Flo.” Amy reminded her.

“Mr. Weller is ready when we are.” Elizabeth giggled and opened the front door for Amy. She turned and whistled loudly for the dogs as Amy dropped her bag at the foot of the stairs and put the wine and food in the fridge.

Charlie and Kilo bounded through the door and skittered across the wood floor to their water bowls by the back door. “Let’s leave the dogs here,” Elizabeth said, as Amy headed back to the front door.

Tom Weller greeted them. He was a large man with broad shoulders and a slight beer belly. He helped them load the horses and fill out the paperwork. In less than two hours, they had the horses released into the pasture, fed, and watered with plenty of time to relax with a glass of wine before starting dinner.

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Josh and Randy unloaded the ATV’s from Josh’s trailer and loaded their supplies. Both men carried a pistol in a holster clipped to their belt, and a rifle secured behind the seat. Dawn’s golden rays were just breaking over the horizon when they headed deeper into the preserve searching for any sign of the wolves.

Randy followed Josh to the ridge that overlooked Beth’s rental cabin. Josh climbed off his ATV, pulled a string of red flags from his backpack, and handed them to Randy.

Josh asked, “Do you really think those flags are going to scare off the wolves?”

“Yeah,” Randy said, tying one end of the string of flags to a large tree. “I spoke to the Ranger’s and they are using these in Oregon. The flags flutter in the wind and spook the wolves, so they stay away. They also have a mild electric charge that zaps anything that grabs hold of the wire. We’ll stake them high enough so anyone hiking or riding can easily see them, and we’ll keep them off the main trails. These are short enough strands; they shouldn’t cause any problems.  It’s a short-term solution, but it should work long enough to keep the wolves from backtracking while we are driving them deeper into the mountains. The sound of our ATV’s should get the wolves moving in the right direction.”

They spent the rest of the day tracking the wolves’ movements and pushing them deeper into the mountains while staking the flags. As the sun began to sink behind the mountains, they turned to head back. Randy stopped his ATV when they neared John’s and yelled across the trail to Josh, “Let’s make a run down the maintenance road before we head in.”

Josh knew Randy needed to check for any signs of a stalker, so he offered no objections. They dove into the woods and cut across to the maintenance road. The violet sky grew dark as the sun disappeared behind the mountains. They didn’t have much time, but the road wasn’t far; it ran along the rear of Mr. Weller’s property. The dirt road was dry and covered in a thin layer of grass and weeds, but was empty of any vehicles.

They walked further up the road toward the edge of Mr. Weller’s property. Josh caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye and pulled the ATV to a stop. Randy turned around and pulled up next to him. Josh motioned deeper into the trees. They turned off the ATV’s and headed into the brush. Approximately 50 yards from the road, they found a portable tree stand in a large tree. Josh climbed up the chain-link ladder. When he reached the top, it was clear the tree stand wasn’t for deer hunting.

The stand was high enough in the tree to give a complete view of Mr. Weller’s cabin and all the comings and goings of the girls when they lived there. Josh scanned the woods for any other sign of the stalker but could find nothing. He climbed down as his anger rose. This stalker was a dead man.

Randy gazed at him expectantly, waiting for a statement. Josh took a deep breath and said, “You can see the cabin and the clearing around it, as plain as day.

Randy smiled and said, “Josh, this is a good thing. I’ll get the print kit from my office, and we can dust it for prints in the morning.  Maybe we’ll get lucky and find this guy in the database.”

Josh shook his head to clear his mind and loosen his clenched jaw. He patted Randy on the shoulder and said, “Sounds good. Let’s get going before it’s too dark to see the trail.”

Josh released his hold on Randy and walked quickly past him back toward the trail. He felt the impact and a sudden flash of pain drove through his chest. Randy shouted, "Get down!" and pulled out his gun. Josh felt Randy shove him hard to the ground, and then there was only darkness.

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Amy had a Skype meeting with Franklin to discuss her art show, so Elizabeth took Mazie out for her first ride in the pasture. A cool, gentle breeze rushed across the thick green grass of the pasture. Elizabeth urged Mazie into a gallop. Lifting her face to the evening sun, Elizabeth basked in its warm glow. She rode the perimeter of the pasture then returned, gave Mazie a handful of oats, and took Flo for a ride. By the time she returned the sun had disappeared in an orange glow behind the mountains. The cloudless sky allowed the moon’s light to fill the pasture with a soft light. Elizabeth gave Flo some oats and left the horses in the pasture. She stood gazing up at the star filled sky as Amy appeared on the small front porch. Charlie and Kilo rushed over to her darting around the grassy yard as Elizabeth’s eyes focused on Amy.

Amy stood silently on the porch waiting for Elizabeth. As she neared, Elizabeth could see the stricken expression of Amy’s pale features. “What’s happened?”  Elizabeth asked racing up the steps.

“It’s Josh,” Amy stammered and started to cry. “He was shot.” She managed through her sobs.

Elizabeth’s heart pounded as she took hold of Amy’s shoulders and asked, “Is he alive? What happened? Where is he?”

Amy took a deep breath and said, “He’s alive; it was an arrow through his chest.  Randy got him to Dr. Hallowell who called in Life Flight. They are airlifting him to Salt Lake City General Hospital.” Amy brushed the tears from her eyes as she gazed up at Elizabeth adding, “It’s bad, real bad.”

“Let’s go!” Elizabeth spun and yelled for the dogs. They bounded up the stairs and into the house after her.

Amy stood helplessly by as Elizabeth grabbed her purse and keys. She took hold of Amy’s arm, dragging her out the door. Once Elizabeth reached the main road, Amy suddenly snapped out of her stupor and said, “Randy is going to meet us at his office. He can drive us in his truck. He doesn’t want you to drive.”

Elizabeth concentrated on the road and answered, “If he’s not there when we arrive we are not waiting for him.”

They spent the night in the waiting room while Josh was in surgery. It was nearly dawn before the doctor appeared. Dr. Jones was an older, stocky man with short white hair. He pulled them into a family room and said, “Joshua has lost a lot of blood. He is extremely weak. The arrow nicked his artery and collapsed his left lung. However, he’s a lucky man. The arrow missed his heart, and he’s in excellent physical condition.  He has a good chance of survival as long as there are no further complications. The Sheriff’s quick thought to stabilize the arrow instead of removing it saved Joshua’s life. We are going to wait and give him some time to heal before we decide if he needs additional surgery”