Three-Year Rule

by Alaina Stanford

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 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 halfway 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 splendid 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 excellent, but the bar was a dive. We didn’t stay long. I went right to bed when I got back.”

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

  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 large 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 eno
ugh 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 into 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 on 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 to stare 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 were 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.”

  Joshua couldn’t help but smile at her response. It was all fluff and girl. He calmly said, “If you don’t agree to keep this gun I will throw you over my shoulder, right here and now, and take you and Charlie home with me.”

  His ornery smile sent a chill through her, but also made her heart race faster. She refused to back down. She was not afraid. Frowning at him in silence, she searched his eyes. There was no anger there, only concern. He was sincerely worried about her and Charlie. Maybe she should listen to him.

  “Charlie seems to like you.” She said softly. “You have a way with animals.”

  Joshua bit the inside of his mouth, trying to stop from laughing. Her pouty frown was almost too much for him. She had no idea at that moment he would have agreed to patrol her property all night, if she would only kiss him.

  Joshua’s hard smile softened, and he said, “I’ve got a dog too. He’s older; I take him hunting with me.”

  Elizabeth took the gun from his hands and sat it on top of the case. She stared down at it and asked, “What kind of dog?”

  Joshua tilted his head and stared at her. She was beautiful. Even a plain t-shirt couldn’t hide her large breasts and small waist. He said, “He’s a Malamute and wolf mix. My dad’s girl malamute ran off. Dad wasn’t a bit surprised to find the pups were half wolf. I got my pick of the litter.”

  “What is his name?” She turned and met his gaze.

  “Kilo,” He answered softly. He wanted to kiss her so badly.

  Elizabeth laughed and asked, “Kilo, really? What are you, a drug dealer?”

  “Like you’re any better? Charlie? You have a female. You think she’s going to protect you?  The first time she sees a bear in the woods, she’s going to pee herself then hightail it out of there with her tail between her legs.” Joshua was no longer amused.

  “Oh Yeah?” Elizabeth felt stupid the instant those words left her lips.

  It was Joshua’s turn to laugh, “Well, you better hope so because the first time Charlie tries to play butt sniff with a bear or mountain lion, it’s going to rip her head off and have her for dinner.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes opened wide in shock. She said, “Are there real mountain lions around here?”

  Joshua sighed and reached out to take her hand. “A few, and bears, that’s why you need to keep Charlie inside, especially at night. It doesn’t have to be a problem if you are careful and keep your garbage can locked up in the garage.”

  She gazed into his eyes and found herself fighting the urge to ask him to stay the night again. She hesitated and asked, “Why haven’t you said anything about last night?”

  His face softened, “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t usually get involved with my clients. This is new territory for me. I don’t want things to be awkward.”

  She smiled and moved closer, leaning against him. “There isn’t anyt
hing to worry about. We are consenting adults, and honestly, I have no expectations. But if it will make you feel better, why don’t we agree to take this one day at a time, with no commitment required?”

  He stared at her in amazement and said, “I’m not the kind of guy that dates several women at a time, and I don’t want to be in a relationship with a woman who dates other men.”

  She leaned against him and explained, “That’s not what I meant. What I’m proposing is an exclusive relationship between us that has no expectations beyond the immediate future. Therefore, there is no pressure to plan any further than our next date. If either of us finds ourselves attracted to someone else, we end the relationship with no hard feelings and go our separate ways.”

  Joshua slipped his arms around her waist. She kissed his cheek and moved to nibble on his earlobe. He asked, “How can I say no to that?”

  He cupped her chin and raised her face to his. He kissed her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with fervor. His hands wandered down the hollow of her back pressing her against him as his urgency grew. His lips trailed down her throat to her breasts, eliciting a moan pleasure. He unbuttoned her blouse with one hand while still holding her against him. Then lifted her into his arms and carried her to the sofa. They fell onto the sofa as one.