Abandoning the Rules (2 page)

Chapter Three

BREE
hesitantly clicked on the email from Adam. Two weeks had passed since she had broken things off with him and though she missed his company a great deal, she knew it could never work. In an effort to distract her thoughts from returning to him, she had thrown herself into several small projects around the house and refused to let her thoughts drift for too long, until now. She briefly considered deleting his message but curiosity overrode any remaining common sense she had left
.

To: Bree “Scaredy Cat” Daniels

Subject: Avoiding the subject

From: Adam Reagan

Dear Scaredy Cat,

I’ve come to the conclusion that all talk of love scares the pants off of you. Hmm, that just gave me an idea, but I digress. I’ve come up with a solution I think will work. Instead of calling what you’re feeling love, I’ve decided to give it another name. One that’s not so frightening. We’ll call the feelings you have for me Bob : )

So in Bob with you,

Adam

Bree narrowed her eyes. What utter gall he had. She was not in love with him and she would prove it. She furiously typed out a reply and sat back to wait.

To: Adam Reagan

Subject: Re: Avoiding the subject

From: Bree “not a scaredy cat” Daniels

Dear Not in Bob with M
e,

I appreciate your efforts even if it’s not going to work. I thought I explained this to you before. Please stop trying.

Not in Bob with you,

Bree

She chewed on her thumbnail while she waited to see if he would reply. Two minutes later, a telltale beep signaled another email had come in. She clicked on it and read
.

To: Bree “liar, liar, pants on fire” Daniels

Subject: Are too a scaredy cat

From: Adam Reagan

Dear I am too in Bob with you, Bree Daniels,

Deny it all you want. I know the truth. You can run, but the woman I know wouldn’t like that. She wants love; she needs and craves love. She wants to make love with a man who will look into her eyes and soul and treat her with the utmost care. And she wants to see the love and passion shining back at her.

We would have that, Bree, don’t fool yourself into thinking otherwise. I respect you, I care for you and I want the best for you. I also want to make love to you and show you what it feels like to make love to a man you’re in love with. I also want to fuck you deeply and feel you cumming over my cock. That ought to give you something to think about, Bob.

Denial ain’t just a river in
Egypt,

Adam

Bree bit her lip and tried not to let his shocking words get to her. She must not show any weakness. Her fingers worked the keyboard quickly
.

To: Adam Reagan

Subject: Am not

From: Bree Daniels

Just stop writing me, okay? I’m not going to see you anymore so it’s pointless to continue this.

Not in Denial but Reason,

Bree

She hit send and got up to pace her room. Another few minutes passed before her computer pinged again.

To: Bree “Reason” Daniels

Subject: Stubborn

From: Adam Reagan

To the most stubborn woman I know:

Phooey. Reason has nothing to do with the decision you
’ve made. It is fear that has you running away. You can’t handle admitting you’re in Bob with me and want to make love with me.

You, my dear, need a lesson in how to open up. Fortunately for you, I am just the man to show you all you need to learn. And I look forward to doing so promptly.

Soon to be your teacher,

Adam

Oh, she seethed, he had some nerve. He wanted to be her teacher, did he? She would show him what every teacher she’d ever had had learned at an early stage and often, she was not an easy student
.

To: Adam “So not my teacher” Reagan

Subject: Mule-headed

From: Bree Daniels, a most reasonable person

To the mule-headed man who refuses to leave me alone:

Thank you for thinking of me when offering your services as a teacher, however, I’m more inclined to learn at a prestigious university as opposed to the private tutoring you have in mind. Although I can’t thank you enough for the offer. (Sarcasm!)

Not your student,

Bree

Satisfied, she sat back to await his reply. It wasn’t long in coming
.

To: My student

Subject: Homework

From: Mr. Reagan

Private tutoring, brilliant! Now you’re thinking, Bob. I was going to offer my services to you in public where you wouldn’t be so scared, but I think this private tutoring idea of yours is better suited to what I have in mind.

Now as to your homework, I was thinking you could start by saying I Bob you, Adam in front of the mirror until you’re comfortable with saying the words. Then eventually we’ll move on to the actual L word. For now, I Bob you will work just fine, or I’m in Bob with you
:) Good luck and remember there will be a quiz later on.

Looking forward to the private tutoring,

Mr. Reagan

The man had lost his mind, it was that simple. He refused to listen to a thing she had to say. Private tutoring! Telling her to practice saying I Bob you in front of the mirror. How absolutely ridiculous! She immediately clicked the reply button and wrote.

To: Adam “mule-headed, still not my teacher” Reagan

Subject: Homework

From: Bree “still not your student” Daniels

Since I’ve already decided not to take you up on your offer of private lessons, I won’t be partaking in the homework assignment. And I don’t take quizzes.

You’re dreaming,

Bree

Adam was persistent; she’d give him that as another email arrived quickly on the heels of her reply.

To: Bree “you’re so going to pay” Daniels

Subject: Detention

From: Mr. Reagan

Dear Mrs. Daniels,

I was very disturbed by the defiance in your reply. I’m also very disappointed in your decision not to avail yourself of my services. I think you’re making a huge mistake. You could benefit greatly from my knowledge. Unfortunately, some students choose to learn the hard way. I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but perhaps it’s for the best.

I look forward to changing your mind and teaching
you all you need to know. My philosophy is defiance must be quickly stamped out in order to more fully appreciate all that life has to offer. For that reason, I must assign you detention. It will take place under my very direct supervision, of course.

Humbly yours,

Mr. Reagan

Detention, her ass. She smiled in spite of her ire at his witty way of turning things around on her. He definitely knew how to twist her words into something that worked for him and him only
.

To: Mr. Humble

Subject: Detention

From: Belligerent Bree Daniels

Dear Mr. Humble:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

And HA!

Not going to detention,

Bree

His reply wasn’t long in coming.

To: Bree Daniels

Subject: Laughing at my punishment will earn you extra time

From: Mr. Reagan

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I may appear to be a
nice guy who let you walk away once, but I won’t repeat the mistake again. Remember, when I want something, Mrs. Daniels, I don’t stop until I succeed.

Looking forward to detaining you under my very close

supervision,

Mr. Reagan

Bree resisted the urge to respond to Adam’s latest email. She shouldn’t have responded to any of them. He got under her skin though and she couldn’t help but shoot off replies to his smartly worded emails. She shut down her computer before the urge to set him straight overtook her again. It wasn’t working anyway. He wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to a thing she wrote.

Instead, she picked up the phone and called Wyatt. He would help distract her from thoughts of Adam. She wasn’t interested in sex with Wyatt, not anymore, not since the last encounter with Adam had opened her eyes to the dangerous game she was playing. Fortunately, Wyatt
understood and remained her friend, making her laugh and transitioning into their new relationship seamlessly
.

He answered in the same deep booming voice she had come to love over the years. He greeted her enthusiastically and they talked until she had to leave to pick up the kids from their swimming lessons.

On the way to pick up Beth and Josh, she went over the conversation with Wyatt in her mind. He had told her there was something different about her. When she asked him what, he had turned coy and refused to give her a clear answer. He probably knew more than she gave him credit for, but thankfully didn’t call her on it. That was just the way she liked it, no one to answer to, nothing to justify, just simple uncomplicated
friendship
.

After she picked up the kids, she had little time to ponder the situation with Adam. She was on Mom duty and it took all of her energy and time to keep up with her active children. Steven came home in time for dinner and they all sat around pretending to eat like a normal family, with the kids not eating their vegetables despite her warnings and Steven ignori
ng them all in favor of a stack of reports. The only time she had to endure Steven’s scrutiny was when Josh talked back to her. Steven had spared her a glance full of scorn at her inability to control her son. It never occurred to him to chastise his own child for bad behavior
.

After cleaning up, she raced around packing last-minute items for the kids’ trip to summer camp in the morning.

It wasn’t long before she was stumbling into bed and mumbling a good night to Steven, already snoring peacefully in their bed. He grumbled into his pillow, but didn’t wake up.

Bree closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Echoes of her email exchange with Adam kept replaying in her head. Using all the power she had accumulated in her denial arsenal over the years, she forced herself to think of other things; if the kids would have fun at summer camp this year, the painters coming tomorrow to paint the exterior of the house, anythi
ng to distract her mind from Adam. Invariably, her thoughts always returned to him.

Bree punched her pillow and squeezed her eyes tightly
closed. She refused to let him disrupt her sleep
.

CHAPTER
Four

HER shoulders sagged with relief as the bus loaded down with kids left. Beth and Josh would have a great time at summer camp. They would also be out of her hair for a full two months, something she looked forward to every year. She was finally free! Well, as free as she could get considering the circumstances.

Steven usually left her alone during the day and most nights, so she always took
the summertime to pamper herself. She took long walks, drank too much coffee, read too many books, and took even longer trips to the day spa. She loved it although she missed her kids and the activity they brought to the house.

Walking up the driveway, she thought about what she would do for the rest of the day. She could work in the garden or go shopping, but somehow neither appealed to her. Always a bit shiftless for the first few days the kids were
gone, this time was no different. In a few days, she wouldn’t even think twice about what to do with her spare time; she would be enjoying herself too much.

T
he restless energy seeking to escape had her fidgeting in her chair though and unbidden, images of Adam flooded her mind. She shook them off almost immediately. She hadn’t heard from him since they had exchanged all those ridiculous emails the day before and she certainly didn’t want to entertain thoughts of him now that she had all this free time on her hands.

She made a cup of coffee and settled on the porch to read the paper, still unused to the silence left by the kids’ absence. She forced herself to read at least two articles and drink half a cup of coffee before finally, mercifully giving up the pretense.

Grabbing her keys and purse, she headed to her car; the painters had a key and instructions and wouldn’t need her around, she reasoned.

She directed her car towards the state highway that ran parallel to the freeway and offered a more scenic view
of the rolling hills surrounding Belle County. Driving aimlessly, she exited at a turn-off she’d never taken before. She followed the road, not really caring where she was going. After a time, she entered a small town complete with its own main street full of little shops and restaurants.

Impulsively, she parked in a roadside spot and got out to explore.

The little sign announcing the town as Moreston with a population of thirteen thousand had a quaint small town feel to it that appealed to her.

Looking around at the unspoiled nature of Moreston’s
Main Street, she was charmed by its character and attention to detail. There were craft stores, old-fashioned candy stores, bakeries, and many restaurants and diners to tempt visitors. Like a lot of small towns, Moreston’s main business stemmed from tourism.

She spied the clothing stores and set off in their direction. Along the way, she noticed several businesses she wouldn’t have expected in a touristy type mall, an architectural firm, attorneys-at-law, and several medical practices; the town’s attempt to blend all the services a local or visitor might need in one convenient area.

The architectural firm brought thoughts of Adam to mind. He worked for several architects in the city on a contractual basis and was, by all accounts, fairly successful.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she avoided the businesses and concentrated on replenishing her su
mmer wardrobe. She may not have the best marriage or real love with Steven, but he always made sure she had enough money, not because he cared about her, because he wanted other people to know how well-off he was. She didn’t care about the money. Sure, it was nice, but it wasn’t everything, it never held her close or whispered words of love in her ear.

Bree pushed aside her maudlin thoughts. Today, she would spend Steven’s money without worrying about the price it exacted on her soul.

She wandered the quaint and trendy shops, stocking up on shorts, bathing suits, summer dresses, and shoes. On a whim, she splurged on some expensive lingerie after spying an exquisite scarlet lace bra and thong set displayed in a tiny establishment tucked into a corner of a clothing store. She filled her bag with enough underwear, nighties, and bras to last her a month. It was a ridiculous expenditure. Still, it didn’t stop her from smiling every time she looked at the frilly goodies poking out of the discrete bag.

High from her shopping binge, Bree sat outside a small café and ordered a glass of wine and a salad.

When her order arrived, she sipped the wine and picked at her meal, her appetite suddenly gone. No one waited for her at home, no chores demanded her attention, and she had just spent her afternoon doing what most women dreamed of, yet she was boohooing in her wine. Having the entire summer to herself was every mother’s dream, but all she felt instead was the start of a major cry fest. Before she could embarrass herself in public, Bree paid the bill and hurriedly returned to her car.

Throwing her loot in the general direction of the passenger side, she stumbled into the driver’s seat. She shouldn’t have had wine with lunch, it always made her weepy. Its effects, combined with her loneliness had her lowering her head against the steering wheel and lettin
g the tears flow. Sobbing, she allowed the pain to erupt in eerie wails of sorrow, something she rarely allowed.

Bree wasn’t sure how long she remained there, but when she finally lifted her head the sky had changed colors; streaks of red, orange and yellow casting an eerie glow over the picturesque town.

She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and face and squared her shoulders for the ride home. She always felt even more alone when the children were gone, it was something she should have been used to, but it never got any easier.

“Do you always cry like that?” A familiar voice asked from the backseat.

Bree yelped and whipped around in her seat. Adam was leaning over the SUV’s backseat looking at her expectantly, warmth and compassion shining in his eyes.

“What are you doing here? And why are you in my car?” she demanded, her hand already on the door handle in case she needed to make a quick escape.

“I had business in the area,” he answered quickly.

Despite her resolve not to get any more emotionally involved with him, she couldn’t help noticing his hair was longer and his eyes seemed richer, more golden than they had before. She shook her head at the distraction.

“You didn’t answer me, what are you doing in my car?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion while she waited for his answer.

“I would think it
’s obvious. I’m here to see you,” Adam answered without meeting her eyes.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“So you thought hiding out in my backseat was the way to go?”

“I thought it would be fun to surprise you. Would you have expected to run into me in Moreston? I didn’t expect to see you. I also didn’t realize you were going to start sobbing the minute you got in the car. Don’t most women enjoy shopping?”

“You surprised me all right,” Bree muttered. “It wasn’t the shopping that upset me.”

“What’s wrong, Bob?” Adam
asked concern evident in his voice.

“None of your business, Mr. Nosy Pants.”

Adam chuckled at her reply, but didn’t stop staring at her intently.

“What are you working on up here?” she asked despite he
r intentions not to.

“Have you ever heard of Bass Lake Resort?” he asked.

“Of course. ‘Bass Lake, home of the world-class Bass Lake Golf Course,’” she quoted the line from the commercial she’d heard countless times.

Adam nodded.

“Never had the chance to go there myself, but I’ve heard nice things about it.”

“They
asked me to design a new addition for them. It will house a community center, outlet stores, and conference rooms for those who still want to work while there.”

Bree raised her eyebrows. Bass Lake Resort was high class. If Adam was designing buildings for them, he must be really good.

“Would you like to see the resort?” Adam suddenly asked, leaning forward.

Bree considered his question. She had always wanted to see the famous resort,
but she wasn’t sure spending more time with Adam was a good idea, especially considering her fragile emotional state.

Adam, sensing her hesitation, jumped in.

“Come on, it’s not like you have anything better to do this evening.” He smiled at her disarmingly.

Adam on a good day was a lethal combination to her s
enses. When his smile radiated pure joy and mischief, he was impossible to resist. She nodded her assent and he whooped as she cleared off the front seat. He got out and back into the passenger seat, taking his place next to her.

She ignored how right it felt to have him sitting so close to he
r, started the car, and followed his directions to the resort.

~

Massive amounts of money had been poured into Bass Lake Resort to make it attractive to retirees and businessmen alike, but she was still awed at the opulence on display. Mansions with spectacular coastline views of the lake sprawled on generous manicured lots, while luxurious cabins balanced precariously on the tree laden mountains framing the lake. Walking trails, horse trails, swimming pools, and a spa along with a golf course took up the remaining land around the lake.

The massive
homes, while impressive, faded away when she caught sight of the lake. It took her breath away, sparkling like an emerald in the fading sun with waves lapping gently against the boat dock. The sight immediately filled her with a sense of peace.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Adam asked softly.

“Yes. Where to?” she asked briskly, keeping her eyes averted and refusing to acknowledge the shared special moment between them.

“Follow this road. It goes back quite a ways to more cabins at the back of the lake.”

Bree didn’t comment as she drove along the winding road lined with lush foliage and towering pine trees.

“Pull in here,” Adam directed her to a gr
avel driveway.

The road led to a small
two story wooden cabin with a large deck situated off the side overlooking the water. Various trees surrounded the home, providing a shady sanctuary to the home nestled beneath. A large pontoon boat was also moored at the dock. It looked comfortable and homey and a lot different from the McMansions dotting the rest of the resort.

“What is this place?” Bree asked anxiously. It looked suspiciously like someone’s residence. She didn’t want to get caught snooping around.

“Just come inside and look around, please?” Adam didn’t give her time to reply, getting out of the car and walking towards the cabin before she could protest.

Bree turned off the car and dropped her keys into her purse before following him.

Her suspicions increased when Adam pulled a key out his pocket and opened the door, motioning her in.

She walked into a comfortably furnished cabin with a living room, dining room, and kitchen all visible from her position at
the front door. Well-worn couches, a couple of cozy chairs, and a few battered tables were scattered around the fireplace in the living room. The huge glass doors that opened onto the deck allowed for a spectacular view of the lake beyond and were a magnet for her eyes.

Stairs l
ed up to a second floor that she assumed housed the bedrooms. She didn’t ask to see them and Adam didn’t offer a tour.

“Why do you have a key?” she asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

“It’s my compensation for designing the new Bass Lake Shopping and Business Center,” he said, the pride evident in his tone.

“You’re kidding! They’re giving you this place instead of paying you?” she asked, disbelief registering on her face.

“Well, they paid me, too, but the house was a bonus built into the contract. I accomplished what they asked of me in record time so I received this cabin. They were happy enough to give it to me.” He shrugged but it was a shrug full of pride at his accomplishment.

Bree was impressed. Adam had done very well for himself. The cabin was
perfect. It was bigger inside than it looked from the outside but not so large the intimacy was lost. Not to mention the million dollar view of the lake. She was proud of Adam for reasons she couldn’t name.

“Care for a glass of wine?” Adam asked from the kitchen, holding out a bottle of wine.

“I shouldn’t, no. In fact, I should probably head back home.”

“Why? Steven isn’t going to miss you and I know your kids aren’t there to miss you either. Why not stay here and enjoy a glass of wine with me on the deck
? We can watch the last of the sunset before heading back to town.”

Bree waivered for a moment, thinking of the possible ramifications of having a single glass of wine with Adam. He wasn’t pressuring her. But it was clear by the intense way he stared at her he hadn’t given up on them yet. She glanced outside and saw several boats gliding past in the emer
ald green water. It was a soothing scene and she relented, grabbing two wineglasses from the kitchen and following him out to the deck.