Elizabeth sat shivering on the ground. She struggled against the twine that bound her arms to the large oak. The stench of partially cooked meat snaked into her nostrils from the necklace of deer meat Franklin strung around her neck and waist. The twine dug into her wrists. She ignored it and worked furiously to rub it back and forth against the bark.
“Beth!” She froze. Was that Josh’s voice calling her name? Was she imagining it? “Beth, answer me!” No, it was Josh!
Elizabeth screamed, “Josh! I’m here! Over here!”
Seconds felt like hours as Josh raced into the darkness. He broke through the trees following her voice. When he found her, his heart sank. Her shirt and pants oozed with blood.
“Beth!” Josh gasped, “Are you hurt?” He pulled out his pocketknife and made quick work of the twine bindings.
“No,” Elizabeth answered him, “it's deer meat.”
Josh cut the twine and yanked the meat off her. He tossed it into the darkness. The cry of the wolves was much closer. Josh helped Elizabeth to her feet. He tore her shirt from her body with one jerk and said, “Take your pants off. Your clothes are soaked with blood. We have to leave the scent here, or those wolves will be on us fast.”
Elizabeth pulled off her jeans. Josh made her put on his coat. He took hold of her hand and said, “You have to run hard. If the wolves manage to surround us, we won’t survive it.”
Elizabeth blindly followed Josh through the thick mixture of trees and brush. At one point Josh stopped suddenly and pulled the pistol from his belt holster. He spun, handed her the gun, whispering breathlessly, “The safety is off, so watch where you point it. All you have to do it pull the trigger. Don’t shoot me. If you see a wolf, aim for the chest. You have 14 shots. Don’t waste them.”
Josh needed two hands for his rifle but refused to let go of Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s breath came in gasps; her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her legs were like jelly. Suddenly they broke through the brush onto the maintenance road. Josh didn’t hesitate or slow his pace. He pulled Elizabeth behind him with one purpose in mind.
A snarling bark came from behind them, and Josh jerked Elizabeth, spinning her around to position himself between her and the wolf. He snapped his rifle up and fired several shots, and the wolf yelped in pain. Elizabeth couldn’t see in the darkness. The moon was only half-full, and the forest was a maze of shadows. She heard another growl on her left. She pointed the pistol and fired as Josh spun to face it. Another yelp of pain and Josh shouted, “Run!”
He grabbed her hand and pulled Elizabeth further down the road. They dove off the gravel back into the underbrush. Elizabeth was exhausted; she couldn’t catch her breath. Her mind screamed, “We're going to die!”
Suddenly Josh stopped and grabbed Elizabeth by the waist to lift her toward a tree trunk. She reached out blindly and felt a chain-link ladder dangling on the side of the tree.
“Climb!” Josh urged her lifting her higher.
Elizabeth reached up, grabbed the next rung and scrambled up the ladder to find a platform with a narrow bench and a small railing around it. She pulled herself up and reached back to pull Josh up. She could hear the wolves growl and snarl beneath them. They had made it just in time.
Josh pulled her against him on the narrow bench and kissed her long and hard. The fire of his passion forced the cold from her petite form. She clung to him. He released her and unbuttoned his shirt to wrap it around her bare legs. “Don’t worry, the wolves can’t reach us up here, but it’s going to get cold.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close adding, “Beth, I was so scared. When we found out it was Franklin I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been. Why hadn’t I seen it? When Amy got your call, I thought I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t get to you as soon as possible. When I realized what Franklin did to you...”
“Josh,” Elizabeth pressed her fingers against his lips. “I have to tell you something.”
Josh stopped talking and stared at her. She whispered, “When I was sitting in the darkness waiting for those wolves, all I could think about was you. I realized how much time I’d wasted hiding from my true feelings for you. I was hiding from the beauty of our relationship. All I needed was one more chance to see you, to speak to you, to tell you I love you. I fell in love with you the first night we met. I don’t care about the Three-year rule anymore. I don’t care about the statistics. All I care about is being with you.”
“I love you too, Beth,” Josh answered.
“I love your kids, Josh.” Elizabeth continued. “I can’t believe how fast I’ve become attached to them. They fill a place in my heart I had no idea was empty. I can’t imagine my life without them, without you.”
“Beth,” Josh whispered, “I’m crazy about you. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere. As for this Three-year rule, I think you’re on target. I agree that some people try too hard to become something they’re not, to please the people they love. However, the one thing you forgot about this pseudo persona, is love. When you love someone enough to marry them character flaws won't matter. You can get past a long lost secret that turns up ten years later. You deal with it; you accept it, and you keep moving forward.”
“You’re right,” Elizabeth continued, “I’ve been such a fool. You are honest and open. You weren’t hiding your past, you just weren’t ready to share it yet. I love you so much, Josh. I don’t care how long we’ve known each other. Joshua Miller, will you marry me?”
Josh’s face filled with joy as he answered, “Oh, hell yeah.”