Convince Me (Holton Series #1)

by B. L. Blair

  He found a seat in the only extra chair in the room. Her office was small and crowded. It was full of books and pictures. Steven smiled as he glanced around seeing his life on display. Pictures of himself and his siblings lined the walls and bookshelves. It was a warm room reflecting the personality of his mother.

  "Steven," Patricia said warmly after hanging up the phone. "What are you doing here?"

  "I had to file an injunction at the courthouse and I thought you might like to have lunch."

  "I'd love to," she replied.

  "Great. May I use your phone first? I left my cell phone at home. I need to call my insurance company. I had a small car accident this morning and I want to let them know."

  "An accident?" Patricia asked, concerned. "What kind of accident? Are you alright?"

  "Yes, Mom, I'm fine but there was another car involved so I better call them just in case. I'll tell you all about it at lunch."

  Thirty minutes later, Steven was sitting across from his mother in a local restaurant. He had just finished telling her about this morning's events and he was waiting for her reaction.

  "Well, you've had a busy day."

  Steven grinned. He loved his mother's humor. It was subtle and warm. She always found a way to make things seem brighter. She also always managed to get right to the heart of the matter.

  "So tell me more about this Anna," she said, watching him carefully.

  For just a moment, he debated about telling her. It was all still too fresh and now several hours later, his reaction seemed a little ridiculous. How could he know in just one moment that Anna was the woman for him? He looked at his mother and saw that she was waiting calmly.

  "She's nice," he said softly, still afraid to put his feelings into words.

  Patricia smiled knowingly. "You fell for her, didn't you?"

  Steven sighed. "I-I don't know. I mean, I do know but I'm not really sure."

  "Steve, you have always known immediately what you wanted. You have always been able to decide things in a heartbeat. So don't question yourself now."

  "Okay, you're right. I do think she is the one."

  Patricia nodded. "Sometimes it happens like that. I can't wait to meet her."

  Steven laughed. "I'll introduce her as soon as I can convince her to let me. She seemed a little frighten of me. Maybe it was just the wreck and she is new to town. That's got to be a little scary."

  "Don't worry, son. Just be patient. If anyone can convince her, it's you."

  They finished their lunch and Steven took his mother back to the college before returning to Holton. He felt better after talking to her. She didn't make him feel like he was acting impulsively. Although, he resembled his father in nature, there was a streak of practicality in Steven that he inherited from his mother.

  It had been an eventful morning and when he returned to his office, it appeared it was going to be an eventful day. He was greeted by the sight of his receptionist trying to wrestle a television remote from a very determined seven-year-old boy.

  "What's going on here?" he asked.

  "Oh Steve, thank goodness you're back," Julie Riley exclaimed. Julie was their receptionist/secretary. She was very good at her job and in a town the side of Holton, good help was not always easy to find. She was also Andrew's sister so Steven had known her most of his life. Julie and Andrew had moved in next door when Steven was ten years old and he and Andrew had been best friends ever since.

  "Hi, Steve," said the boy letting go of the remote to run across the room. Steven reached down and ruffled the boy's hair.

  "Hi, Mark." He looked across the room to the chairs by the wall. Sitting quietly in one of the chairs was a young girl reading a book. "Hello, Melissa."

  Melissa looked up from her book and gave him a shy smile. "Hello."

  Steven grinned. He loved Mark and Melissa but their personalities were so different. The children belonged to Andrew and if they were in the office then something was wrong. Steven turned back to Julie. "What's happening?"

  Julie turned off the television, which they usually used to view videotapes of testimony, but had just now been playing 101 Dalmatians. She gave him a quick smile. "Mrs. Stewart twisted her ankle this morning right after you left. Andrew took her to the emergency room and the doctor told her to stay off her foot for two days. Andrew couldn't find anyone to take the kids on such short notice and he had to be in court this afternoon. Mrs. Williams divorce hearing."

  Steven nodded. Mrs. Stewart was Andrew's housekeeper and sitter. The Williams case was a difficult one and had been postponed three times already. Steven knew Andrew didn't want to postpone it again.

  He turned to Julie. "If you need to take the kids home, I can handle things here."

  "No, thanks. Mother is on her way. She should be here in a few minutes." Julie paused a moment and looked at him. "Are you alright? Rebecca Neil called. She said you were in a car accident."

  Briefly, Steven felt the resentment that sometimes comes with living in a small town. He understood his brother's disenchantment with Holton. Mitch hated everyone knowing his business and in Holton everyone did. But Steven felt the good outweighed the bad.

  "Yes, I'm fine. I didn't even hit the other car. She just rolled into a ditch. No harm done. Are there any messages?"

  Julie handed him three pieces of paper. He glanced through them.

  "Mitch called?" As Julie nodded, he read the message. "He didn't leave a message?"

  She gave him an impatient look as she guided Mark over to the other chair. "Steve, it's Mitch. Of course, he didn't leave a message. You know how he is. He was just calling to check in. He said he would call you tomorrow."

  Steven started toward his own office as the outer door swung open. Phyllis Moore walked in and gave them all a brief smile. The children gathered up their things and with quick competence, Phyllis had them headed out the door. She gave Steven and Julie each a kiss on the cheek and then disappeared as quietly as she had come.

  Steven looked at Julie who just grinned and sank into her chair. "You know, I have two children of my own but ten minutes with Mark and I swear, I am more tired than if I spent ten hours with my own two kids. I don't see how Mrs. Stewart handles him every day. He has way too much energy."

  "It probably doesn't help that you are pregnant. Do you want to go home and rest?"

  Julie shook her head. "Sometimes, Steve, you are as bad as Nick and Andrew. I'm fine, really."

  "We just care about you. You're like a sister to me. Heaven knows I certainly understand you better than my own sister."

  Julie laughed. "Well, that's not saying much. Tori is my best friend and I don't understand her either. But don't worry about me, Steve, Nick does that enough for everyone."

  As always, when she spoke of her husband, Julie's face lit up. Steven felt a surge of envy at the look on her face. He wondered how it would feel to be planning the birth of a child with the woman you love. A mental image of Anna West crossed his mind.

  He walked slowly into his office, savoring the image. He definitely wanted to see Ms. West again. Now all he had to do was convince her.

  Chapter 2

  "Good morning."

  Anna looked up from her desk at the sound of the voice. She hadn't heard the door open and was surprised to see a woman standing in the doorway holding what smelled liked a basket of banana bread. Anna gave her a polite smile.

  The woman was her fourth visitor of the morning. When she had first opened that morning, she had thought that she would have plenty of time to set up her office and organize her files but she had been wrong. Anna had forgotten what a small town was like when a new person arrived. Within minutes of unlocking her door, she had been visited by the bank manager from across the street and by the owner of the gift shop next door. An hour later, the insurance agent, whose office was next to the bank, also stopped by to meet her.

  Most of the businesses were located on the main street in town, which contained three blocks. Anna's office was on the
end of the first block. Directly across the street was the bank, then the insurance company, and at the other end was Charlie's garage. On Anna's side, there was the law firm, the gift shop and her own office. She thought it was the perfect location.

  The next block contained the library, the city offices, a local bakery and the town park. The final block of downtown Holton consisted of a grocery store, two small clothing stores and a gas station. It was a friendly town and Anna felt right at home.

  Although only two rooms, her own office was quite spacious. There was a huge front window, right next to the door and she could see most of Main Street. She had set up her desk in the front room and decided to use the back room for her files. Her desk faced the window and she had two large over-stuffed chairs in front of it. As there was still quite a bit of space, Anna wanted to find a couple of large plants to sit in the corners. It was a simple arrangement but one she thought would work well.

  Currently most of her files were scattered around the room as she was still trying to make sense of Mr. Brockman's system. It was an ordered chaos but Anna was eager to have everything in its place.

  As she had not expected to see many people, Anna had dressed casually that morning in a modest denim skirt and a heavy sweater. She was pleased to see that most of the other merchants were dressed similar. The woman standing in her office now was dressed in plain black slacks with a blouse and blazer.

  She looked at her newest visitor. The other three had come bearing well wishes and offers of help, all of which Anna was grateful for, but banana bread was even better. She rose from the desk and walked around to greet her.

  "Good morning," she said.

  The woman stepped into the office and gave her a bright smile. "I'm Julie Riley. I work two doors down at Carson and Moore. I thought I'd stop by and welcome you to the neighborhood, so to speak."

  Anna had been in Holton for six days now and had met a lot of people. When she moved into her small apartment, all her neighbors had stopped by to greet her. Mr. Brockman had introduced her to the mayor and several city counsel members before heading off with his wife for a long awaited cruise. She had met several of the other merchants in town before today but until now had managed to avoid anyone connected with Steven Carson.

  Carson and Moore had been mentioned often enough. Both Steven and his partner, Andrew Moore, were well thought of in this small town and their law firm was one of the most prominent businesses in town. Anna had been told that they handled cases from all over the county as well as some from Dallas. She had been impressed.

  Anna had not seen Steven since her first day in town. He had called her the next day to ask how she was and if he could help her with anything but she had politely turned down his offer. He had also called everyday since then to see how she was doing and to again offer his assistance. She had turned down all his offers but it had been difficult. Steven had been charming and persistent. She had not heard from him yet today. She had even convinced herself she was glad.

  "I'm Anna West," she said now to the smiling woman in her office. Julie had brown hair, twinkling green eyes and a wide smile. Anna liked her immediately.

  Julie smiled again. "I know. Word gets around. I am on my coffee break and thought you might like some company."

  Anna smiled back. If the coffee included banana bread, she definitely wanted company. "I would. Please sit down."

  Julie moved across the room to take the chair opposite the desk and Anna noticed she was pregnant. A shot of envy ran through her. Anna's one regret was that she wasn't going to have children. She loved kids but she knew she would never marry and Anna just couldn't see herself raising a child on her own.

  She took her own seat opposite Julie and watched with amazement as Julie unloaded her basket. First, she pulled out the banana bread, which looked as delicious as it had smelled. It was followed by plates, a knife, two forks and napkins. Finally, a thermos and two cups were set on the desk.

  "You came well prepared," Anna said.

  Julie shot her a grin. "When Steve mentioned how nice you were and your age, well, I couldn't resist meeting you. I love Holton and I love working for my brother but other then he and Steven, there are very few people my age who work here. Rachel Lewis, over at the library, is one but her hours are so irregular that it's hard to know when she is free."

  There was a small silence while Anna tried to suppress the shot of pleasure at the thought of Steven talking about her. Anna was also flattered to know Julie had been anxious to meet her. She didn't quite know what to say. No one had ever been simply happy to meet her before and she was shocked at how good it felt.

  "I hope I am not overwhelming you," Julie said cautiously. "We are all pretty close here but I don't want to seem pushy."

  "Oh, no, you're not. Not at all. I'm just not used to everyone being so friendly but I like it."

  "Good," Julie said picking up the thermos. "I'm afraid it's decaf. I had to cut back on the caffeine because of the baby."

  "Decaf is fine," Anna replied. "When are you due?"

  "Not for four more months."

  Anna was surprised. She thought Julie looked further along than that but she was afraid to say anything in case it showed her ignorance. Anna didn't know much about babies or pregnancy. Julie noted her surprise.

  "I know. I look bigger than that but it always happens this way. I shoot out right at first then don't gain any more weight until the last six weeks or so. Don't ask me why. I have no idea."

  Anna was delighted. Julie was nice and friendly and very easy to talk to. Anna tended to be a little shy. She was happy to talk but needed someone else to begin the conversation. Julie seemed just the type. Anna gave her a smile. "You have other children?"

  Julie nodded. "Two others. One boy and one girl. Katie is four and Michael is two. Nick, that's my husband, and I love kids but this is going to be the last one. I am tired of being pregnant."

  Again, Anna felt a twinge of envy. She liked her new friend and was happy for her but hearing Julie talk about her husband and her children made Anna wish for things she had long ago decided against. After watching her mother and her father, Anna knew it would take a very special man to make her change her mind.

  She and Julie talked for about twenty minutes and Anna learned a lot about Holton and it inhabitants. Julie had lived in this town for almost twenty-five years and she knew everyone. Julie's family lived in town and she had a lot of interesting stories. Anna was laughing at Julie's description of the elementary school's Christmas play when the door of her office opened again.

  Her laughter died when she looked up and saw Steven standing in the doorway. He stood there watching her with his serious, blue eyes not saying a word. Anna jumped from her chair and was followed more slowly by Julie. She stared at Steven and he returned her gaze. Neither one of them said a word but just stood there staring at each other.

  "Hey, Steve," Julie said, breaking the silence. "Were you looking for me?"

  Slowly, Steven took his eyes off of her and turned to Julie. Anna took a deep breath and slowed her heart. She watched Steven nod once. She glanced away and took a moment to collect herself. Never had any man moved her in such a way. It frightened her.

  "Yes," Steven was saying, "Victoria is on the phone and she wants to talk to you. Something to do with the party. As you left your cell phone on your desk again, she called the office. I told her to call back but she insisted on waiting for you."

  "That sounds like Tori," Julie said with a laugh. "Steve, grab my things please and bring them when you come. Anna, I'll talk to you soon."

  Anna watched helplessly as Julie headed out the door and down the street. She resisted the urge to call her back. Anna turned to see Steven watching her. He gave her his slow, gentle smile and Anna found herself responding in kind. It was a hard smile to resist.

  "Hi," he said softly.

  "Hi," she answered.

  "How are you settling in?" he asked as he began gathering up Julie's things.
>
  "Just fine, thanks," Anna replied. Now that her heart was back to normal, Anna was able to think a little more clearly. "Look, you don't have to do that. I'll straighten up and then bring Julie's basket to her later."

  He gave her a quick glance but continued cleaning. Soon everything had been packed away and Anna stood fidgeting behind her desk. She didn't know what to say to him. She hadn't been this tongue-tied since her first date with Willie Martin.

  Steven seemed to fill the room and Anna couldn’t look away. Every time she tried, her eyes returned to him. He was dressed similar to the first time she had seen him but this time the suit was gray. It was neatly pressed and the white shit was starched. Once again, the tie seemed out of place. This one was a dove gray color and matched the suit well but it contained a large picture of a giraffe. Anna was fascinated by the fact that a man who appeared so conservative and serious would wear such an item. She realized she was staring at it when she heard Steven chuckle.

  “Hideous, isn’t it?” he said with a smile, picking up the tie and looking at it. “Victoria gave it to me so I have to wear it.”

  “Who’s Victoria?” Anna tried to stop herself from asking but her curiosity got the better of her. She knew Steven wasn’t married but he said the name Victoria with such affection that she had to ask. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know the answer.

  “My sister.”

  Relief flooded through her at his simple statement. Why she was so relieved? She wasn’t interested in Steven herself. Was she? No, that couldn’t be it. Anna wasn’t looking for a relationship. She shook off the feeling.

  “She has interesting taste. Did she give you the multi-colored one too?” she asked.