Three-Year Rule

  Three-Year Rule

  Rule Series: Book 1

  By

  Alaina Stanford

  ©2013 Alaina Stanford

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  Dedicated to my loving husband, whose support means more to me than life itself.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One 4

  Chapter Two 12

  Chapter Three 19

  Chapter Four 30

  Chapter Five 44

  Chapter Six 57

  Chapter Seven 70

  Chapter Eight 81

  Chapter Nine 91

  Chapter Ten 99

  Other books by Alaina Stanford 111

  Chapter One

  “If love was a garden, dating would be the weed killer. Unfortunately many times the worst weeds survive the initial application, often requiring additional effort not only to identify the unwelcome plants but to remove them.” Elizabeth glanced around the room. She cringed at the multitude of blank expressions that stared back at her. Elizabeth wondered if she was making sense, sounding like an idiot or worse yet, a man hater or a possible serial killer.

  She made a mental note to check the local news for any poisonings committed by jilted girlfriends before she used this speech again. “Take my life for instance.” She continued, sliding a hand into the front pocket her pale green suit jacket in an attempt to look casual. “From the time I was a little girl I imagined my life would be a fairytale romance. The prince of my dreams would show up one day, on my doorstep and whisk me away to a huge flowery wedding, with a pearl encrusted wedding gown, a Brady Bunch home and a happily ever after marriage. Instead, I hardly dated in high school. In fact, my first love was a tattooed ex-marine, Harley rider who smoked pot. This was extraordinary since I didn’t even drink alcohol at the time. All in all, through my teens I managed to make a lot of bad choices in boyfriends. Finally, in my twenties I decided to ‘wise up’ and marry an older man who happened to be a preacher. How much safer could I have been? Admittedly, he was boring and straight-laced. He was merely slightly attractive. Which I considered optimal since all of the strikingly handsome men of my past managed to cheat on me. So at age 22 I gave up on the dream of a man that made my heart race as our eyes met and my stomachache when he was not around. I married Mr. Safe. Mr. Safe was supposed to be a perfect husband, great father and a good provider. Three years later, I realized he was actually an obsessive compulsive, narcissistic womanizer. “

  Elizabeth paused for emphasis and noticed a handsome man with an amused smirk on his chiseled face standing at the back of the room. He was tall, had golden hair and broad shoulders. His blue flannel shirt did nothing to mask his huge biceps. A pair of faded jeans perfected his persona. What was a man like that doing at a women’s conference? Elizabeth hesitated with her speech nearly forgetting the words.

  He was probably the self-defense instructor, she told herself. Yet something about this man’s expression irritated Elizabeth. She silently noted he probably had deep blue eyes, which she found even more irritating. At that thought, she felt the color rise in her cheeks. She fought for control of her senses as she forced her eyes to move further around the small conference room while taking a deep cleansing breath. She concentrated on the pale gold and bronze colors of the room as she continued.

  “Now this is where I’m supposed to tell you what I learned from that experience. “ She glanced back toward her only male audience to find him gone. She sighed with relief, which she found odd but kept going. “So here it is; you can’t possibly determine if someone is the right man for you from a first date, fourth date, survey, website questionnaire or even a year of marriage. The fact is when you first meet someone they aren’t showing you their true self. They are showing you either the person they want you to think they are, or the person they think YOU want them to be. I call this trait a 'pseudo personality'. This pseudo personality can be very deceptive not only to you but to them as well. In fact, it is entirely possible for someone to maintain a pseudo personality for several years. What is even more important is the fact that YOU could actually be the pseudo personality in your relationship. You could be fooling yourself, trying to become the person you think your significant other wants you to be. This is very caustic. I believe every single person in this room has used a pseudo personality at some point in their lives. Many of you are using one right now. It’s not exclusive to dating. It’s simply more destructive when used in a relationship.”

  With this statement, Carol casually flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder, straightened her stance, squared her shoulders and smiled softly at her now captivated audience. “Just think about it. When you are on a first date aren’t you at your best. You get dressed up, do you hair, get your nails done and check your posture in the mirror to make sure the outfit does you justice. Then you put on those killer high heels and make sure your hips sway just the right amount when you walk in front of him. You use your best manners at dinner; probably eat a salad or light entrée even though you are starving. Unless of course you grabbed a snack before he picked you up so you could eat light and not starve. You judge his sense of humor and react accordingly. You react to his manners, if he’s a complete gentleman or a klutz; you adjust your thought processes for a successful evening. If it’s going well, you use your best comebacks and give him that special come-hither look you’ve perfected for just the right moment. You have put on your ‘pseudo persona’ for the evening. First dates are notorious for it. Let me assure you, he’s put his on as well. If he’s smart, he’ll open the door for you. He won’t eat with his fingers. He won’t burp or pass gas. He won’t use foul language or tell you a dirty joke and he’ll try his best NOT to look at other women or your chest when you are talking to him.”

  The room was silent. All eyes and ears were on Elizabeth. She had them. They were all hers. She could scoop them up and put them in her pocket. She locked eyes with several prominent women in the audience before she continued. “How can you tell if your partner is ‘faking it’? How can you tell if YOU are faking it? You can’t. The only cure for this is time, plain, simple time. It can take between two to three years before someone drops their guard and starts allowing their true personality to show through to their lover. A normal person can maintain a ‘pseudo personality’ for up to three years. When your relationship reaches the point where the pseudo personality fades away and your partner reveals who they really are, wouldn’t you rather be dating them at that moment instead of married? I’m not saying a sociopath will suddenly appear next to you in bed one morning three years after your first date. What I am saying is a few minor personality changes are all it takes to ruin a relationship. Those personality changes can be as minor as toilet habits, food preferences or as major as views on child rearing, womanizing or physical abuse. Protect yourselves ladies, move slowly, get to know your partner before you commit to a sharing a lifetime with them.”

  Elizabeth signed autographs and answered questions for the next hours then bid them good night and headed to the dining room for her next meeting. Franklin, her publicist was waiting at a table near the back of the conference centers dining room. The room had a breathtaking view of the mountains through the floor to ceiling windows that lined the far wall. The white clothed tables held pink and yellow flowers draped with pearls in honor of the women's conference.

  Franklin was dressed in a gray silk suit and was tapping away at his IPad as she approached. His short black hair was as perfect as his manicured fingernails. Elizabeth amused herself envisioning his shoes although hidden under t
he table had a high shine.

  What Elizabeth didn’t realize until she reached the table was the flannel shirted muscle man was sitting across the table from Franklin. Both men rose as she arrived. Elizabeth concentrated on Franklin as he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Franklin turned to the man across from him and said, “Elizabeth darling, I’d like to introduce Joshua Miller. He’s the residential building contractor I told you about.”

  Elizabeth turned to face Joshua. Her stomach jumped as their eyes met. He did have blue eyes; the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen gazed keenly back at her. She offered him her hand and said, “Mr. Miller, thank you so much for meeting me tonight. I assume Franklin’s told you of my plan to build a cabin on the property my Uncle left me. It's not far from here.”

  Joshua’s face reached perfection when he smiled. The moment he touched her hand, Elizabeth’s heart raced. His touch was electric, sending waves of heat through her body. He said, “Ms. Steward, call me Joshua. I was happy to make time for you. It sounds like an incredible project. I went by the property today. You’re going to need a small bridge over the creek to access the area build site.” He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the luscious vision before him. Joshua always thought female authors where short mousey creatures with very little personality. This woman was slender with curves in all the right places. Her skin was perfect. Her lips were full and pouty.

  Joshua’s voice rang deep and sensual in Elizabeth's ears. He released Elizabeth’s hand and moved to offer her the seat next to him, pushing it in behind her as she sat down. Franklin sat, reached out for Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it as he waved for the waiter.

  Franklin explained, “Elizabeth is determined to make this her permanent residence so you’ll have to have an open attitude. I’m sure she has lots of ideas for the house and property.”

  Joshua sat down and concentrated on Elizabeth ignoring Franklin. He said, “You should be aware of the building restrictions in this area. We’ll need an environmental survey to insure building on your location won’t have a negative impact on the surrounding flora and fauna. I have every reason to expect positive results but we can’t even clear the ground until that’s completed. Franklin said you are ecologically conscious, which fits in well with this area. We do have quite a few material restrictions. We try to take advantage of renewable resources such as passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic equipment. I brought some examples of green roofs and rain gardens you should find helpful to reduce rainwater run-off. I recommend packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of asphalt for the driveway. It's easier on the ground water.” Joshua stopped himself, he was babbling. Her intense gaze was driving him crazy. Her long dark brown hair and deep green eyes causing him to swell in inconvenient places. He shifted uncomfortable in his seat. He had to get himself under control or he’d lose the sale and any chance he had of getting this babe into bed.

  Elizabeth was enchanted with this ruffian. She noted his eyes were dilated slightly and his face was flushed. He was attracted to her. So Mr. Muscle was human after all and much smarter than she expected.

  She said, “That all sounds perfect but why don’t we order some dinner and relax for a bit before we dive into business. I’ve been running full tilt all day and frankly, I could use some small talk and a stiff drink.”

  This produced a frantic wave by Franklin at the nearest waitress who came over quickly. He said, “Ms. Stewart will have a glass of Moscato and another round for Mr. Miller and myself please.”

  Joshua stared at Franklin; the guy was a six-foot pile of New York City stress bent on controlling Elizabeth's every move. She didn’t seem to mind so Joshua dismissed it. It was none of his business, but it irritated him nonetheless.

  Franklin turned to Joshua and said, “Sounds like rushing into this is not such a good idea. Perhaps tonight is not the right time to go over all this. Why don’t you leave the information with me? I’ll review it and then Elizabeth can look through it. We will give you a call in a few days with a list of questions.”

  Joshua smiled at Franklin; the guy was just too intense. He needed to get laid. Joshua turned to Elizabeth and said, “If you are looking for some relaxation, why don’t you try the local cuisine? I know a rustic little bar and grill just up the road. It has the best steak and ribs in the country.”

  Elizabeth stared at him in fascination. He was hitting on her. This had to be a record. The man went from business to solicitation in thirty seconds. This was just too good to pass up. She glanced at Franklin then turned back to Joshua and said, “Let’s do it.”

  Joshua rose saying, “That’s great, I’ll go get my truck. Why don’t you change into something more comfortable?” He picked up the binder and handed it to her adding, “We can go over the floor plans and options later.”

  Franklin rose and stammered, “Elizabeth, I thought we were going to run over the outline for your next book tonight.”

  Elizabeth accepted the binder and spun to follow Joshua out of the dining room calling over her shoulder, “I’ll catch up with you later. This won’t take long.”

  Joshua disappeared through the entrance as Elizabeth rushed up the double flight of stairs to her room. She quickly changed into her best pair of skinny jeans and intentionally chose a tight fitting low cut white blouse over a black lace bra. This was going to be a hoot. She couldn’t wait to see what pseudo persona Mr. Eco Construction pulled out of his hat. She threw on a pair of sexy black pumps and headed downstairs.

  Franklin met her at the bottom of the stairs. His face was beet red. His tone rose to a high pitch as he spoke, “This is a bad idea. You don’t know his guy from Adam and you have no idea where he’s taking you.”

  Elizabeth touched Franklin’s cheek and said, “I’ll be fine. It’s just dinner. I’ll be back in an hour or two. Relax.”

  When she walked out into the cool night air Joshua was there leaning casually against a very large dark blue pickup truck. Elizabeth smiled in appreciation of his tall stature and rugged good looks. He smiled back and opened the door for her, offering his hand. They drove to the bar and grill with the windows down letting the night air fill the cab.

  Normally Elizabeth would have been annoyed at the mess it was making of her hair. Instead, she found it 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 the 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.

  Elizabeth shot Joshua an uncertain look as he walked around and 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 quickly 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 cleaner 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, “A Midwestern girl eh? 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 that mysterious black panther that could never be found. 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 the waitress disappeared without another word.

  Slowly 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 arm. He didn’t say a word as they slowly moved to the beat 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 relaxed 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 Elizabeth through the entrance and up the stairs. They stopped at her door; Elizabeth pulled her room card from her purse. She gazed into his eyes, those incredibly 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 intended.