by B. L. Blair
It turned out to be easier than he had thought. Early the next morning, he received some information on Cofax Chemicals that would affect their case against the company. Cofax had several plants around the country but their main office was in Seattle. The president of the company was claiming that the main office did not sanction the chemicals that had been mixed in Holton. He invited Steven to Seattle to discuss the company’s practices and the current situation.
He arranged for a late afternoon flight and then went home to pack before returning to the office. As he was going to be out of town, Steven thought this would give Anna some breathing room. It would also be easier for him if he didn’t see her every day. He wanted to call her but he knew he had no reason. It was possible that Anna was still angry. Steven knew his little macho act had not gained him any points with her. He just hoped it had not ruined things beyond repair.
Just before leaving for the airport, Julie cornered him. “I just wanted to tell you to be back by Saturday,” she said in an excited voice.
“Why?” Steven asked with a laugh. Julie’s delight was enjoyable to see.
“Because Mom has volunteered to take the children for the whole day and …” she paused dramatically, “…for the whole night. She, Dan, and Patricia are taking them and Mark and Melissa to the Fort Worth Stock Show and then they are spending the night in the city.”
“Okay, I understand your excitement,” he said slowly, “but what has that to do with me and Saturday night?”
“Well, since I’m free, I’ve decided to have a dinner party and you are invited.”
He gave her a quick hug and a grin. “Okay, Julie, I’ll try to make it back in time.”
Steven started for the door but Julie’s voice stopped him. “You do that, Steve. By the way, Anna will be there.”
On that parting note, Julie picked up some folders from her desk and headed into Andrew’s office without looking back. Steven watched her go with an admiring smile. She knew exactly what to say to ensure his cooperation. He would definitely be back by Saturday.
Chapter 4
The phone rang breaking the silence of the apartment and starling Anna out of her half dream state. She was exhausted and didn’t welcome the interruption. She gave the offending instrument an ugly look. She gently pushed Sophie off her lap and then rose from the chair to answer it. The cat protested and walked away in a snit.
“Hello?” Anna said after picking up the phone.
“You haven’t forgotten about tonight, have you?” It was Julie’s happy voice on the line. Anna felt some of her tiredness melt away and she smiled at the excitement she heard in her friend’s question.
“No, of course, I haven’t forgotten,” Anna replied quickly. She hadn’t forgotten. She just hadn’t realized it was so late. One glance at the clock told her she had less than an hour to get ready. Good thing Julie had agreed to call her with directions to her house or Anna would still be half-asleep in the chair.
“Good. I was just calling to tell you that you don’t have to worry about directions. Steve said he would pick you up and you can ride with him.”
“Steven?” Anna said sharply. When she had accepted Julie’s invitation to dinner she had not expected Steven to be there. She had managed to avoid him all week but it appeared her luck was about to change.
“Yes, Steve,” Julie replied.
“Oh, Julie, there is no need for him to pick me up. I will drive myself.” Anna tried to keep the desperation out of her voice. She wouldn’t know how to explain it to Julie.
“Nonsense. It’s right on his way. His house is just around the block from your apartment. He’ll be there a little before six. See you soon.”
“Julie,” Anna called but it was too late. She had already hung up.
Now what? Anna thought to herself. She could not very well call Julie back and demand to drive herself. It would be petty and childish. Besides, how could she explain to her new friend that she didn’t want to be alone with Steven? Julie adored Steven. She considered him a second brother.
Although they were two separate families, the Carsons and the Moores acted as one. If Julie or Andrew needed someone to look after their children and Phyllis Moore wasn’t available, they called Dan and Patricia. When Andrew had needed help building a storage room behind his house, Dan and Steven had pitched into help. Anna knew that both Andrew and Julie were as involved with planning the Carsons anniversary party as Steven and Victoria. They were a close-knit group and Anna should have realized any dinner party Julie gave would include Steven. She just hadn’t been thinking very clearly lately.
It had been a busy week. She had finally gotten her office all organized but then most of her customers had stopped by during the week to meet her. Anna knew most of them were simply being friendly but she also realized they wanted to check her out. She was new to town and a stranger who was handling their money. She could understand their curiosity and their fears. She tried her best to reassure them but it had made for a nerve-racking week. She knew she would probably lose a few. Some people would think she was too young. Others might hold the color of her skin against her and still others might just not like her personally. It was all just part of doing business.
To add to her troubles, Anna had been also trying to settle into her apartment. The last of her things had finally arrived from Mayville earlier in the week and she had spent every night unpacking and putting everything away. She had unloaded the last box the night before and had spent today hanging her pictures. As it was Saturday, she also had to do her laundry and shopping. She had just finished unloading her groceries and was taking a well-deserved break when Julie called.
Now she had to face Steven. Although, she had seen Julie every day, Anna had not seen or heard from Steven since his sudden and rather abrupt departure from her office. She knew he had been upset when he left her on Monday but she had expected to hear from him again. Even though he had been angry, Anna had not believed that it would be the end of their relationship. Steven wasn’t the type of man to give up so easily. It wasn’t until Julie mentioned that he was out of town for most of the week that Anna realized she had been waiting for him. The thought so angered her that she had immediately tried to put all thoughts of him from her mind. She had only partially succeeded.
During the day when she was busy, Anna was able to keep from thinking about Steven but late at night when she was all alone her mind had a will of its own. She would replay their kiss in her mind over and over again. Anna was having trouble sleeping and it worried her. The nightmare had not reoccurred but Anna still dreamed about Steven or she would lie awake thinking about him. She had never lost sleep over a man and didn’t know quite how to handle the situation.
She had worked hard at trying to discover what it was about Steven that made him so hard to forget. As she was unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, Anna decided it was simple physical attraction. If she didn’t allow her emotions to become involved, she knew she would be able to resist him.
Anna glanced at the clock again and realized that she had wasted yet another ten minutes thinking about him. She quickly jumped into the shower to get ready. Afterwards, she dressed carefully for the evening. Julie had told her to dress casual so she wore black tailored jeans with a soft, pink silk blouse. Over it she could wear her short lightweight jacket as the weather had suddenly warmed. It was typical for Texas and despite it being January, Anna had used the air conditioner in her car that very afternoon.
She had just slipped into a pair of flat, half boots when the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Anna moved across the room and opened the door.
It happened again. Every time their eyes met, time seemed to stand still. Anna stood awkwardly by the door and drank in the sight of him. Something inside her relaxed. She had missed him. He looked wonderful. Dressed neatly in blue jeans and a button-down shirt the exact color of his eyes, he exuded masculinity. She caught just a whiff of cologne and had to steady her heart. He gave her
his slow, gentle smile and Anna discovered it was more than simple physical attraction. She knew, in that moment, that she was in love with him.
Quickly, she grabbed her purse, pushed him out of the doorway and pulled the door closed behind her. Frightened by the intensity of her feeling, she was unable to face him so she raced down the stairs and waited at the bottom, her heart pounding.
“Hey,” he said when he reached her. “What’s the hurry? I wanted to see your apartment.”
“I’ll show it to you later,” she said breathlessly. “We don’t want to be late to Julie’s.”
He gave her an odd look but to Anna’s relief he didn’t question her. He took her by the arm and led her over to his car. Once inside, Anna took several deep breaths. She couldn’t be in love with Steven, could she? Anna knew what loving a man could do to a woman. She had sworn that would never happen to her. It had to be simple physical attraction.
When Steven climbed into the car, she gave him another quick look and knew she was only trying to fool herself. There was nothing simple about her feelings for Steven. Miserable, she looked out the window and said nothing. Steven started the car and drove slowly out of the parking lot. Steven was silent for several minutes and Anna could feel the tension mounting but she didn’t know how to stop it.
“You want to tell me what’s going on?” he finally asked.
Anna shook her head and said nothing. She heard Steven sigh and waited for his response. It never came. They rode in continued silence and Anna was grateful when he pulled the car to stop in front of a cozy, two-story house. She reached for the door handle but Steven grabbed her arm.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “We can’t go in there like this. Everyone will know something is wrong and it will spoil Julie’s evening.”
Anna nodded. Steven was right. Julie didn’t get to entertain very often. With two children, it was difficult for her to arrange evenings such as this one and Anna knew she had been looking forward to this dinner all week. Her mother had offered to take the children for the night and Julie intended to make the most of her free time.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said softly.
For a moment, Steven did not say anything. He simply watched her but she could not meet his eyes.
He sighed again. “You don’t have to be sorry, Anna. Just tell me what is wrong. Are you still angry with me about Monday? If so, I apologize again.
“No,” Anna shook her head, “of course not. I’m just tired. It has been a rough week and I haven’t been sleeping well. New place and all. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the evening.”
She gave him a bright smile aimed somewhere near his ear. She still couldn’t look him in eye. Again, she reached for the door handle. This time Steven did not stop her but got out of the car and walked around to join her. They walked quickly toward the house. Right before they reached the door, he took her arm and pulled her around to face him.
“I think it’s more than that but I won’t push you. You do look tired.” His finger gently traced the circles under her eyes. Anna’s knees went weak at the tender look on his face. “We’ll make an early night of it and you can get some rest.”
In spite of the fact that his statement told her he had made another decision without her consent, Anna was willing to go along with it. She could use an early night. She just hoped she could make it through the rest of the evening without falling apart.
Steven made no further comment but rang the doorbell. A large man with a broad face answered the door. He was tall, even taller than Steven and big boned. His face was coarse and his shoulders wide. His hair was dark, not black like Anna’s but darker than Julie’s chestnut brown and he wore it long and tied in the back at his neck. His eyes were an unusual mixture of brown and gold. His face was naturally tanned and Anna knew in an instant that he was Native American. He gave them a broad grin and opened the door wider.
“Steve,” he said in a booming voice. “Come in, Come in.”
“Evening, Nick,” Steven said as he led Anna into the house. “This is Anna West. Anna, this rascal is our host, Nick Riley.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Anna. Julie speaks highly of you. I’m glad you could come.” Nick turned and led them into the living room. Anna followed slowly. She hadn’t known that Nick was Native American and it had never been mentioned in any conversation she had with Julie or Steven. She wondered if it was because they were ashamed of him. Anna instantly dismissed that thought. Julie was very proud of her husband and spoke of him only in loving terms.
When they reached the living room, Anna saw Andrew had already arrived and was sitting talking to a woman she did not recognize. They both looked up at the sound of their entrance and Andrew rose to his feet. Anna had only spoke to Andrew a few time since their first meeting at Steven’s impromptu lunch but she found him charming and friendly although somewhat reserved. He greeted her warmly and then introduced her to the woman.
“Anna, this is Rachel Lewis. Rachel was recently promoted to head Liberian. Julie may have mentioned her.”
Anna had heard Julie speak of Rachel. She knew Rachel had been raised in Holton but had only returned recently to work at the library. She and Julie were good friends and Anna had been looking forward to meeting her. Rachel gave Anna a friendly smile and offered her hand.
“I am very pleased to meet you, Anna. I have been wanting to tell you how grateful I am you moved to town.”
Unsure what she meant by that statement, Anna returned her smile cautiously. She heard the others laugh and saw Rachel smile again.
“Sorry. That sounded a bit odd, didn’t it? What I meant was I am glad you took over the Brockman firm because when Mr. Brockman retired so did his wife. Doris Brockman was the head Liberian and I return to Holton knowing that the job would be mine when she finally did retire. Only she was waiting for her husband and he refused to retire until he found someone to take his place. So in a way, you did me a big favor.”
“I’m glad I could be of help,” Anna replied with a laugh. Rachel seemed nice. She had a wonderful voice, low and husky. She was not an outwardly attractive woman but there was something that drew you to her. She wore loose fitting clothes and little makeup. Her hair was a lovely share of red, not bright flaming red but a more subtle strawberry color. She wore it in a short easy style. Her eyes were hidden behind dark framed glasses but Anna could see they were a clear green. She had a quiet serenity about her that was very attractive.
Nick asked them what they wanted to drink and Julie came in from the kitchen to greet them. They all settled down in the living room and Anna began to relax. She glanced again at Nick. He was very comfortable in this group of people. The Riley home reflected his proud heritage and Anna was glad to know that her newfound friends really did look beyond the color of a person’s skin.
Her own experience with prejudice had left her cautious and she wanted to see how Julie and Nick handled their situation. Anna knew she was acting out of character. She also knew Steven was the reason. Her subconscious was working overtime. She wanted a relationship with Steven even if it meant heartache. Was she brave enough to try?
She glanced at him and felt her hear race. Watching him was both joy and grief. As if he had felt her, Steven turned his head and their eyes met. He returned her gaze, serious and steady. He was not going to give up. He was there for her and wanted her. All that came through in that look. Anna knew at that moment their relationship had changed. Steven knew it also and Anna hoped she was strong enough to handle it.
#
The food was delicious and the company enjoyable but Steven could not relax. Something had frightened Anna earlier and it worried him. It was a different kind of fear than he had seen before which worried him even more. When she had first opened the door of her apartment, she had given him her usual polite smile but then their eyes met and her smile faded. Her face paled and Steven had seen the fear flash across her face. He had started to reach for her when she suddenly burst past him and r
an down the stairs. He had wanted to question her but she had seemed so upset that he decided against it.
Hearing her laughter, Steven studied her now. The fear was gone and she seemed perfectly at ease. He knew she was enjoying the evening so he put is concerns away. The look she had given him before dinner had told him all he needed to know. Anna was no longer running. Something had happened to her and he had seen it reflected in her eyes. She was no longer fighting their attraction. Steven was glad but knew it wasn’t enough. He wanted more from Anna. He wanted a future. He wanted forever. But at least this was a start.
After the meal, they all gathered once again in the living room and the conversation flowed. Nick and Julie were considerate hosts and Nick had a very dry sense of humor, which kept them all laughing. As with most discussions lately, the talk turned to his parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.
“Thirty-five years,” Julie said softly. “I wish Mom and Dad could have had thirty-five years together.”
“They had thirty,” Andrew said to his sister. The two of them exchanged a sad look and Steven felt their sorrow. Jack Moore had died six years earlier and they all still missed him.
“What crazy thing does Victoria have planned?” Andrew asked Steven trying to lighten the mood.
Steven flashed him a grin and shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows? With Tori anything is possible and remember, she has been planning this party for ten years.”
“Ten years?” Anna questioned.
“Well, I guess that’s not exactly accurate. You see, Tori had wanted to give them a surprise party for their twenty-fifth anniversary but she was a senior in high school and she contracted mono and her plans fell through.”
“Yes and then,” Julie said picking up the story, “she had the whole thing planned for their thirtieth anniversary but Mitch was out of the country and hadn’t been getting his emails so he didn’t know about the party. He arranged for a Hawaiian cruise for Dan and Patricia so the party was canceled again.”