Convince Me (Holton Series #1)

by B. L. Blair

  It was a long and lonely weekend. There was no longer any indication of the fire that had wreaked her life. The apartment complex had replaced her oven and repainted the walls so that the black streaks from the smoke no longer showed. Anna had purchased mini blinds for the window and had even managed to hang them herself. She had brought home a lot of her work but even so she spent most of the weekend thinking about Steven.

  Monday morning brought an unexpected cold front and the temperature dropped drastically. Anna worked steadily through the morning and into the afternoon when she was interrupted by a visit from Andrew.

  Andrew was still something of a mystery to Anna. He was an articulate and charming man but reserved. He was conservative in his dress and in his opinions. Anna had heard that he was planning on a career in politics and she thought he would make an excellent government leader for he was honest and caring. Yet, in spite of all this, Anna still felt as if she did not know the man.

  When he walked in, Anna was surprised but pleased to see him. She liked Andrew and as she had not yet spoken to him since the fire she wanted to apologize for her behavior.

  He didn't say a word but walked to the chair opposite her desk and sat down. His piercing green eyes studied her and Anna instantly knew this was no social visit.

  "What the hell have you done to Steven?" he asked in a tightly controlled voice.

  Immediately she grew defensive. "I haven't done anything to Steven."

  "Oh yes, you have." Andrew laughed without humor. "He is miserable and I want to know what you intend to do about it."

  Anna stared at him in amazement. Of all the people she knew she had never expected Andrew to confront her. He had never once asked her any type of personal question. He had always kept his distance respecting Anna's privacy. His success in the courtroom and public arena still amazed her. The private Andrew seemed so different but the public Andrew knew how to get the job done. Anna waited too long to answer for he grew impatient.

  "Damn it, Anna, don't you care for him at all?"

  "Of course, I care for him," Anna shrieked as she jumped from her chair. She could no longer remain calm. Her emotions were running high and Anna knew it would not take much to make her break down and cry. She walked quickly over to the huge window and looked out onto the street. There was silence in the room and Anna turned slowly back to Andrew.

  "I love him," she whispered out loud for the first time shocked that it was Andrew she told but somehow it just seemed right.

  Andrew's shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath. "So why don't you tell him that?"

  "It's not that simple, Andrew."

  "Love is never simple," he replied. "If is was, it wouldn't be worth as much."

  Again, Andrew had surprised her. For the first time, she wondered what his wife had been like. There was a lingering sadness in his eyes that she knew had not always been there. Anna walked back across the room and leaned against the desk.

  "I'm scared," she told him.

  Andrew rose from his chair and took her hand. "We're all afraid of something, Anna. The trick is to not face the fear alone. That is when it is the hardest. I have known Steven since we were ten years old and I can tell you I have never seen him so unhappy. If you love him, then you can't leave him like that."

  He leaned forward and kissed her on the check. "Think about it, Anna. You can stop his pain."

  She buried her face in her hands as Andrew walked to the door. She did not hear him leave. "What have I done?" she asked herself out loud. The one man she had truly loved, she had hurt. She could picture him in her mind as she had last seen him. Walking away from her had torn him apart. The misery had been there on his face.

  "If you ever want that love and you learn to believe in me, you know where to find me." Those had been his last words to her and they now echoed in her mind. Suddenly, Anna straightened and a smile crossed her face. Everything was now perfectly clear. Steven had been right. It was up to her. All she had to do was believe.

  Could it be that simple? She thought about what her mother had always told her. Love is a gift you give to another person. What they do with it you have no control over. Her mother had taught her to treat love as something special and Anna was ashamed that she had treated Steven's love so badly. It was her turn to make amends. As Steven had said, it was now up to her.

  Anna rushed to the door and quickly locked up her office. She had work to do. She had to find a way to convince Steven that she loved him.

  #

  The new batteries for the remote control worked perfectly. Steven flipped through each and every channel on his television. He would stop briefly to watch a show but nothing held his attention for long. He had the latest best seller sitting on his coffee table but he didn't pick it up. Two weeks ago he couldn't wait to read it but now he was no longer interested. There was work sitting on his desk, several briefs that needed polishing but Steven could not work up the energy.

  The Monday night ritual with his parents was off this week as Dan and Patricia had gone to California to visit Victoria. Steven was glad, as he knew he was poor company. Julie had invited him to have dinner with them but he had refused. She had enough to deal with putting up with him at work although she had not yet said anything to him about his attitude.

  She and Andrew had been tiptoeing around the office. He had snapped at them so many times they were afraid to even speak to him. His behavior was inexcusable but his friends had understood.

  He was miserable and nothing could distract him. He thought about Anna constantly and even though he knew he had made the right decision he had to force himself not to call her. But he had to see her so he had started going to the bank that was directly across from her office every day right before lunch just to catch a glimpse of her leaving her office.

  After a week without her, he had started to grow angry. If she had so little respect for his love then she didn't deserve it but Steven knew the anger wouldn't last. It was just a defense mechanism to stop the pain.

  He stopped the television on the local sports channel and tried to get interested in a tennis match but his mind soon wandered. He tried to think about work. The case against Cofax Chemicals had finally gone to trial. Andrew had been brilliant and they had won a hefty settlement for their clients. It was rewarding to know he helped someone but it was not enough to satisfy the need inside him.

  What is she doing? He thought to himself as his mind went back to Anna. Julie had told him that she seem okay. He knew that her apartment had been fixed and he no longer worried about her oven. His mother had seen her at the store and told him that she appeared to be fine but Steven couldn't rid himself of the fear that she was in danger. He knew it was unreasonable but it didn't change the way he felt.

  The doorbell interrupted his thoughts. He tossed the remote onto the table and went to answer the door. Michael Peters, a local high school student, was standing at the door. He gave Steven a grin and then handed him a large bouquet of flowers before walking away.

  Mindlessly, he closed the door and walked back into the living room. He had never received flowers before. There was no card but Steven knew whom they were from. The lilies were the exact same kind he had given Anna on their first date. His heart began to pound as hope began flooding through him. Steven searched his kitchen for some type of vase for the flowers all the while trying to determine what the flowers could mean. He finally found a large jar which he filled with water and deposited the bouquet just as the doorbell rang again.

  Hoping it was Anna, Steven rushed to the door. It wasn't Anna but the owners of The King's Court. Jeff and Margaret Ross had their hands full and Steven caught a whiff of beef stroganoff. His mouth started to water and for the first time in days he realized he was hungry.

  "Evening, Steve," Jeff said as he walked through the doorway followed closely by Margaret. "We'll just set this up in the kitchen, alright?"

  "Sure," Steven replied as he followed them into the kitchen. Things were beginn
ing to get quite interesting. Steven's mood was changing rapidly and he was beginning to really enjoy the evening. The smells from their bags were growing stronger and Steven's stomach began to growl.

  "Don't worry, Steve, we will take care of everything," Margaret told him which he took as a hint to leave the room. He did so walking slowly back toward the living room when the doorbell rang again.

  Grinning, Steven answered it. Michael had returned. This time he was holding a large silver bucket, which contained a bottle of champagne. The look on the boy's face was comical and Steven couldn't help laughing out loud.

  "My brother went all the way to Dallas for this," Michael told him as he handed over the wine. "I sure hope it was worth the trip."

  Jeff and Margaret had finished in the kitchen and they followed Michael out the door. Steven stood by with the champagne in his arms and watched them leave.

  "Everything is all set, Steve," Margaret told him. "Have a great evening."

  "Thanks," Steven said as he closed the door. He carried the champagne back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Finally, Anna had made her decision. Steven grinned as he leaned back on the couch to wait for her. He smiled faded a little as he thought about her problems. He hoped that all of tonight arrangements meant that she trusted him but he knew they had a long hard battle ahead of them.

  The doorbell rang again and Steven rose to answer it. She was standing there dressed all in blue. She was wearing the navy dress that so molded her body and flattered her small waist. Her face was carefully made up and every hair was in place. She was beautiful. Steven stood a moment and just drank in the sight of her. He looked into her eyes and saw the sadness and the fear there. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close but knew the time was still not right.

  Slowly he smiled at her and watched as the sadness and fear faded. He stretched out a hand and she placed hers into it. He felt her tremble as he pulled her across the threshold.

  "Hi," she said breathlessly. He could tell she was nervous as she fiddled with the button on her dress.

  "Hello," he answered softly. "Would you like to go into the living room?"

  Anna nodded once and hurried into the other room. Steven followed her and then offered her a seat. She refused and instead began pacing the floor. Steven watched a minute before he calmly walked over to the couch and sat down. Anna continued to pace but glanced at him from time to time. Steven waited. He had waited this long. He could wait a few more minutes.

  She stopped pacing and turned toward him. Steven could tell she was trying to find the words. Her hands were clasped in front of her and her eyes were worried. Finally, she spoke.

  "I need to tell you about my father."

  "Okay."

  "As you guessed, he beat my mother," she began softly as she resumed pacing. "It was never so bad that she had to be hospitalized or even go to the doctor but it was bad enough. People knew. I really don't know why but for some reason, he only hit me once. The night he died. "

  Steven's eyes never left her face. He could tell she was suffering and wondered if it was worth it. He wanted to know about her past but not at the cost of her pain. "Anna, you don't have to tell me anything else. You can st..."

  "No!" She gave him a tight smile. "You need to know and I need to tell you."

  Anna walked over to the chair opposite him and sat down. "Steve, I adored my father until I was about seven. We spent a lot of time together when I was young. It wasn't until after my grandfather died that things went wrong. My dad started drinking and didn't stop. The gossip about my parents started circulating around town. By that time, I was in school and I heard it all."

  She took a deep breath and rose from the chair again. "Well, after that we grew apart and my father's drinking got worse and he started yelling at me whenever any little thing went wrong. I learned to be quiet, controlled and organized. The littlest things would set him off."

  She looked at him and Steven wondered what she was thinking. "I'm telling you this because of the fire. I know you think I went a little crazy but there was a reason. My father died in a fire."

  Anna went on to tell Steven all about the night of her father's death and Steven's heart went out to her. He could now understand some of her fears. He knew how hard it must have been for her to deal with her childhood and her feelings of guilt.

  "I finally realized today," Anna said, "that I was allowing all my fears to control my life. I know I have a lot of work to do but I want to try to overcome those fears. I need your help, Steve."

  Steven closed his eyes. Finally, she had asked but it still wasn't enough. He wanted to know. He needed to know. "Do you love me, Anna?"

  There was no sound and Steven slowly opened his eyes to stare at her face. She was watching him with tears in her soft brown eyes. Then, she nodded once.

  "Say it," he pleaded in a whisper.

  "I love you, Steven," she said, tears rolling down her face. "I love you with all my heart."

  He was out of his seat in a shot and he pulled her into his arms. His hungry mouth covered hers in a long, urgent kiss. Anna's arms slid around his neck to pull him closer. Steven buried his face in her neck before planting little kisses across her face and returning to her lips. They kissed deeply and then he pulled back and cupped her face.

  "I love you, Anna," he said.

  "Will you help me Steve?"

  "On one condition," he replied with a smile.

  "What?" she asked skeptically.

  "That you marry me." He waited on baited breath as her eyes began to glow.

  "Well, okay," she replied with a grin. "You convinced me."

  Epilogue

  The church was packed and Anna stood nervously at the back waiting for her cue. She glanced through the open doorway and saw that most of the town was present. She could see Mr. Brockman and his wife along with Mr. and Mrs. Dorman. Tim Moreno was even present. It was a good feeling and helped calm her nerves.

  The music started and Anna looked at Rachel who flashed her a smile before heading down the aisle. Dressed in the soft green bridesmaid gown, she looked quite pretty. Both she and Julie had been delighted to be her attendants.

  Julie was next and gave Anna a quick kiss before following Rachel. Anna watched her with concern. Julie had her baby just three weeks before and Anna hoped the wedding wouldn't be too tiring for her. Julie had assured her she was fine and baby John was happily sleeping in his father's arms in one of the front pews.

  Anna' eyes followed her progress before landing on Steven's family. Patricia and Phyllis sat on the front row with Andrew's children between them. Victoria was on the other end in an incredible dress. It was a very unusual shade of purple. Her hair was pulled away from her face and she looked wonderful.

  Victoria had handled most of the wedding preparations and Anna didn't know what she would have done without her assistance although she did have to tone down most of Victoria's suggestions. Steven and Anna had not wanted to wait long before getting married but still wanted a traditional wedding, which often took months to plan. That was not a problem for Victoria. She had the whole wedding planned and organized in less than six weeks. Anna was really glad that her soon to be sister-in-law was moving back to Holton.

  Standing at the front of the church, Mitch and Andrew presented a handsome front. Mitch, on time for once, looked quite respectable in his tux. He had even shaved. Andrew looked like a man who was quite comfortable in formal clothes. He smiled at Julie as she joined them.

  Her eyes finally rested on Steven as he turned to see her standing in the doorway. He gave her one of his slow, gentle smiles and Anna responded as she started down the aisle on the arm of Dan Carson. Steven's father had offered to escort her and Anna had happily agreed. She already considered Dan and Patricia her family.

  Anna's smile widen into a grin when she noticed Steven's tie. He had ordered the tuxes and Anna had assumed the ties would be supplied but she had forgotten about Victoria. Looking at Steven now,
Anna was glad she had not asked about the men's suits.

  The tie was the perfect bow and made of excellent material. It was even the exact shade of the bridesmaid's dresses. It also had scattered all over it tiny, bright red polka dots. Anna thought it was perfect.

  Anna’s dress was very traditional with a long train and a bodice of delicate lace. She loved the traditional look but refused to wear a veil. She wanted to see everything with clear eyes and an unobstructed view. In her arms, she carried the same beautiful, pink and white striped lilies that Steven had given her on their first date.

  Dan gave her away with a smile. As she took her place beside Steven, Anna placed her hand into the hand of the man who had convinced her to love.

  Thank you for reading Convince Me. Please consider writing a review of this book on amazon.com.

  Also available:

  Notice Me (Holton Series #2)

  Andrew and Victoria

  Coming Soon:

  Trust Me (Holton Series #3)

  Rachel and Paul