Convince Me (Holton Series #1) Read online

  Victoria put him to work while Anna dumped the paper hearts. She looked around for something else to do but was delayed by the arrival of Andrew. He was carrying a large box and was followed by his mother and his children. Anna had not met Phyllis Moore but she had seen a picture of her at Julie's house. She would have known she was Julie and Andrew's mother at a glance. They had the same coloring and the same green eyes. Anna knew that Phyllis was a research assistant at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and was looking forward to meeting her.

  "Phyllis!"

  Anna smiled at the delight in Victoria's voice and watched as she raced across the room to greet her. Why walk when you could run? It seemed to be Victoria's philosophy. Phyllis seemed just as delighted and the two women exchanged hugs. Mark and Melissa also demanded their share of her attention.

  Andrew had carried the large box into the living room and set it on the table. He dug through it and pulled out some rose petal hearts. Victoria took them from him with a quick smile that, to Anna, seemed a little forced. She also noticed that Andrew and Victoria did not hug. For a group of people so free with affection, this struck Anna as a little odd. Briefly, she wondered if there was something between Victoria and Andrew but she was not allowed to ponder long.

  Victoria grabbed her hand. "Anna, you and Andrew can put up the hearts. Place them all around the room. Be creative and don't worry about how many you use. We have plenty."

  "Okay," Anna said taking the hearts and tape from her. She turned to Andrew who gave her a brief smile. He pulled the rest of the hearts from out of the box and then turned back to her.

  "Well," he said. "We've been given our orders. Shall we get to work?"

  Anna grinned and followed him to the nearest wall. She was having a great time. It was hard not to be happy with Victoria present. It was a fun atmosphere and Anna could feel the excitement building. Anna could now understand Rachel's comment about it wearing her out just to watch Victoria. Anna had to agree. Victoria's genuine love of life was very appealing but also very exhausting.

  Anna had to admit she also liked being in Steven's home with his family. It just seemed to fit. She felt at home here and everyone had made her feel very comfortable. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was part of a family and that was something she had never felt the whole time she was growing up. Despite, the image her father had tried to project to the community, Anna had not known what it felt like to be a family until she met Steven.

  It didn't take long to put up each heart and they were almost finished when Anna heard Steven across the room. She turned to see him removing a small machine from the box on the table. It appeared to be a boom box with a microphone attached.

  "What is this?" he asked his sister.

  Victoria swept across the room and took the machine from him. Instead of explaining, she set it on the table, picked up the microphone and flipped a switch. Suddenly, the room was filled with oldies music. Victoria immediately began singing to the words to the song `Sugar, Sugar'. Anna laughed and Steven grinned. Julie and Nick stopped what they were doing and Phyllis and the children returned to the living room to watch Victoria put on quite an amazing show. She only sang one verse before stopping the machine.

  "It's a karaoke machine," Victoria said with a grin and a flip of her head.

  "Apparently so," Steven replied. "What's it for?"

  "Its our entertainment."

  "Come on, Tori, there is no way we're going to get Mom and Dad to do this."

  Victoria just smiled and said in her rich, soothing voice, "We'll see."

  Anna laughed as she turned to place the final rose covered heart on the wall. She glanced at Andrew who had a perplexed look on his face as he watched Victoria. He saw Anna looking at him and smiled briefly.

  "Well, it should be an interesting evening," he said.

  It was an interesting evening and entertaining one too. After the decorations were completed, Steven went to pick up his parents. Anna glanced around the room and saw that it looked wonderful. In spite of the rather unorthodox style of decorating that Victoria used, the room had a convivial glow. The colors blended well and the bright red tablecloth enhanced the less colorful streamers. The room was full of fresh flowers. There were the traditional red roses but also intermingled were fragrant marigolds and some baby's breath as well as several types of lilies that Anna recognized as coming from Tim Moreno’s greenhouse. The wide scattering of balloons filled out any holes that were left and gave the entire room a festive mood.

  At one end of the room where Steven's desk usually sat, a large table was overflowing with food. The huge cake was the centerpiece but surrounding it was a variety of choices. There was fresh fruit and cheeses as well as crackers, dips and chips. A variety of sweets, like chocolate candy, sugar cookies and rich truffles were also available.

  As the party was a surprise, Steven had invited his parents out to dinner and made the excuse of forgetting his wallet at his house.

  When the Carsons arrived, the surprise on their faces was evident. Anna could tell they were touched by the gesture and joyfully greeted everyone present. They were thrilled to see their daughter and knew immediately that she had planned the party. Anna felt a little awkward as she had not yet met Steven's father but that was soon remedied.

  Dan was just as Rachel had described him. He looked at Anna with serious eyes so like Steven's. The color was different but the look was the same and Anna felt a kinship that surprised her.

  Both Dan and Patricia made sure she felt welcome and the party was underway. It was a huge success. It was evident that the people gathered together liked and respected each other and Anna momentarily envied their closeness. This is what she had missed out on. The love and simple closeness of a family.

  Anna watched the group carefully. She was pleased, although still somewhat surprised, to see that Nick was treated no differently than anyone else. This totally Anglo-Saxon group did not care about his background. They only cared about what kind of person he was. Anna knew she could no longer hold on to that fear. Her race did not matter to these people and she knew that would not change.

  They had a huge meal that had been carefully selected from Dan and Patricia's favorite foods. The conversation flowed as did the wine and everyone was in high spirits. After the meal, the rest of the guests arrived. Anna knew a lot of the people present but also saw several new faces. It was obvious that the Carsons were well respected in Holton and the party was well attended.

  There were people of all ages from the youngest inhabitant of Holton, the Johnson's newborn son to the oldest, Mrs. Emma Robinson who had just turned ninety-four. As Julie had said every little detail had been taken care of and it was a perfect night.

  Anna was sitting on the couch watching the Carsons open their gifts. She was relaxed and comfortable. Steven was on one side of her holding her hand and Victoria on the other. Rachel Lewis was nearby. She had cornered Anna earlier and made Anna admit that her fears had been unfounded. Laughter filled the room and Anna knew this would be a night they would talk about for a long time. She was glad to be a part of it.

  After the gifts, it was time to cut the cake and Julie brought a knife from the other room just as the doorbell rang. Steven and Victoria's eyes met over Anna's head.

  "Mitch," they said in unison.

  Mitch was Steven's brother and from the things Anna had heard the last few weeks, he was late to every event but always managed to make it for the most important part. It appeared this time was going to be no exception.

  Steven excused himself to answer the door and Victoria went to join her parents. Nick, Julie, Andrew, Phyllis and the children followed her. Directly in the center of the room, all the Carsons and the Moores were gathered when Mitch entered. The rest of the guests moved back and gave them this moment alone.

  Anna, too, sat back and watched as Mitch greeted his family. She knew it had been several months since he had been home and his welcome reflected this. He was pass
ed around for hugs and kisses and immediately drawn into their loving circle. Anna wondered what it would be like to be part of that circle-to be so well accepted and so well loved that the minute you walked into a room everyone was happy to see you.

  She didn't realize that her thoughts were on her face and so easy to read but she felt the tears fill her eyes. Suddenly, she knew someone watching her. She turned to see Steven leaning against the wall staring at her with a serious look on his face. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Anna believed he could read her thoughts. He walked slowly over to her and reached out a hand to caress her face.

  Anna was speechless. Steven's tenderness caused the tears to flow and Anna could not stop them. He reached down to pick up her hand and then drew her to her feet. Steven looked into her eyes and then wordlessly, drew her into his arms and kissed her head. The tears dried and a feeling of warmth and belonging filled her soul. For the first time in her life Anna felt safe. She held on to that feeling knowing it wouldn't last.

  #

  Steven held Anna tightly, not knowing what to say. The look on her face a few minutes before had nearly broken his heart. It was such a wistful look, full of longing and sadness and he vowed to remove that look from her eyes forever. He pulled her closer and savored the moment. They were soon interrupted when he heard his name being called. He turned to see his brother sauntering toward them.

  It was the only word for it. Mitch moved with a cat-like grace, his steps long and flowing. He wasn't a handsome man but oozed a sexuality that drew women like bees to a flower. Steven and Andrew had watched his success with women over the years with a quiet awe. Their own good looks passed over for Mitch's more earthy physique. He moved with the confidence of a man who knew who he was and enjoyed it.

  Subconsciously, Steven tightened his grip on Anna as Mitch drew closer. The light in his brother's eye made him realize what he had done and Steven forced himself to relax. Mitch and Steven were of the same height and build but Mitch had light brown hair and hazel eyes having inherited his coloring from their father. He was dressed in what their mother called his renegade clothes. He wore tight jeans, a black t-shirt and a black leather jacket. On his feet he had thick black boots and his face sported at least a day's growth of hair. He looked tough and dangerous and if everyone present hadn't known him since birth they would have run from the room.

  He stopped a few feet away and placed his hand on Steven's shoulder. The look in his eyes told Steven that Mitch was in one of his mischievous moods. Although not flamboyant like Victoria, Mitch had his own dashing personality.

  "Steve," Mitch said in his gravely voice. "Aren't you going to introduce me to this ravishing creature?"

  Shaking his head in affectionate irritation, Steven punched Mitch on the arm. He watched as a light blush ran across Anna's face and her eyes began to shine. Mitch at his most charming was difficult to resist and Steven had to remind himself that Mitch was doing this solely to irritate him.

  Pulling Anna closer, Steven made the introductions. Mitch flashed her his million-dollar smile and Anna shyly returned it.

  "I am very pleased to met you," she said in her soft voice. Mitch started to make a charming reply when Steven knew he had enough. He threw his brother a pointed look, which Mitch completely understood. With a resigned grin, Mitch made his excuses and wandered away looking for easier prey. Steven watched him go with amused affection.

  "Your family continues to amaze me," Anna said.

  "Why?" Steven asked puzzled.

  "The three of you couldn't be more different. Don't you think it is interesting?"

  "I guess so," Steven said slowly. He was used to his siblings and had long ago accepted their differences. "Don't you like them?"

  "Are you kidding?" Anna said in a delighted voice. "They are wonderful. Victoria is so much fun and Mitch, well, Mitch is too sexy for words."

  Steven frowned. He wanted Anna to like his family but this was something else. He sure didn't want her to be attracted to Mitch. Anna noticed his frown and reached up to run a finger between his eyebrows.

  "Why the frown, Steve?"

  "You think Mitch is sexy?" he asked.

  "Don't tell me you're jealous?" she said with a laugh.

  "Of course not," he denied. Anna just threw him a grin as she headed across the room. Steven grabbed her from behind.

  "Where are you going?" he asked still irritated.

  "I was going to help Tori with the cake."

  Steven glanced up and saw that his sister had started passing out the cake. He swallowed his impatience and let go of Anna's arm.

  "Okay, but stay after the party is over. I want to talk to you."

  "Alright," Anna agreed with a puzzled look.

  Glancing around the room, Steven realized that there were several people he had not yet greeted so he began to make his way around the room. As he saw most of the people present on a daily basis, he only lingered a moment before moving on. He welcomed the Brockmans back from their trip and heard all about their cruise. Mr. Brockman told him how happy he was to hear that Anna was doing so well. Steven was proud of her and made a mental note to later tell Anna about Mr. Brockman's comments. He continued around the room until he came across a group that he greeted with genuine delight.

  The Fishers were old family friends. Steven had not seen them in years as they had moved from Holton while he was still in law school. He had not even known they had been invited but he should have remembered that Victoria kept in touch with everyone. He was pleasantly catching up on their news when he was tapped on the shoulder.

  Steven turned to see the Fisher's daughter, Olivia, standing beside him. He and Olivia were the same age and had dated in high school. Steven was pleased to see her. They had been good friends in school.

  "Olivia," he said, giving her a hug. "How are you?"

  "Fine, Steve," she replied. "It's great to see you. I hear you made your dream come true. Steven Carson, Attorney-at-Law."

  "Yes," Steven said with a smile. "What about you?"

  When they were in school, Steven and Olivia and Andrew and whomever he was seeing at the time, had spent hours sitting by Tanglewood Creek talking about the great things they wanted to do. Olivia had wanted to become an artist. She had a great flair for painting. It was one thing that she and Victoria had in common. Victoria did not have Olivia's talent but they had often talked art. Steven knew Olivia had been accepted at a very prestigious art school.

  "I had my first show five months ago," Olivia told him. "It went really well and I sold several painting and a gallery has agreed to show my work on a regular basis."

  Olivia went on to tell him that her show had been in Los Angeles and that Victoria had seen the advertisement and had come to the grand opening.

  "That's great, Liv," he said giving her another hug. They continued to talk for over a half an hour and Steven was amazed at how much they still had in common. "Did you..."

  "Steve," Victoria's voice interrupted. "Will you help Anna refill the punch bowl? The containers are too heavy for her."

  "Sure," Steven replied. "Liv, excuse me for a minute. Don't leave without talking to me again."

  Steven headed to the kitchen to help Anna. Once there, he was surprised to see that Andrew and Mitch were already moving the large jugs from the refrigerator to the living room. Mitch was flirting with Anna and standing far too close for Steven's comfort. Anna was smiling at something he said when her eyes met Steven's. Instantly the laughter died and she gave him a look that would have frozen ice. Seeing the look, Mitch turned his head and saw Steven standing in the doorway.

  "I'll just take this into the living room," Mitch said, following Andrew out the door. "It should be plenty for the rest of the party."

  Anna started to follow but Steven stopped her. "Hey, what's wrong?'

  "Nothing's wrong," she said coldly.

  "Anna, the temperature dropped about fifty degrees when I walked in. Aren't you having a good time?"

  "I'm s
urprised you noticed. You were so busy with your little friend."

  The reference could only be to Olivia. Steven wondered if Anna was jealous. It was the only explanation and it warmed his heart.

  "Anna, are you jealous?" he asked softly.

  "Of course not," she snapped. "If you want to ignore your guests, that's no skin off my back."

  "Well, you sound jealous." Anna's eyes flashed and Steven grinned. "Oh, honey, you have no reason to be jealous."

  "Mitch said you and Olivia were really close in high school."

  Silently cursing Mitch, Steven patiently explained. "We were close in school but, Anna, that was twelve years ago. I have only seen her a couple of times since then. She is just an old friend."

  Turning to walk a few feet away, Anna took a deep breath. "I do sound jealous, don't I?"

  "A little, but I am glad to know that I am not the only one suffering from the particular ailment."

  "You've been jealous?" Anna asked with a surprised look on her face.

  Steven nodded. "You said so yourself earlier this evening when you met Mitch."

  "He is your brother."

  "So?"

  "You aren't really jealous of Mitch are you?"

  "You said he was sexy." Steven walked over to the sink and leaned against it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue this conversation but Anna still seemed a little angry.

  "Well, Mitch is sexy," Anna said slowly and Steven's heart sank. She walked slowly toward him and he watched her with apprehension. Suddenly, she smiled a very wicked smile and Steven's body leaped to attention. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply before whispering, "Mitch is sexy but you are sexier."

  Gathering her into his arms, Steven grinned at her once before covering her mouth with his own. He deepened the kiss as her lips parted under his. Pulling her closer, Steven molded her body to his and captured her head with one hand. Holding her still, his mouth trailed kisses all along her jaw before returning once more to her lips.

  "Excuse me," said an amused voice.

  Reluctantly, Steven raised his head and glared at his brother who stood in the doorway grinning. Unfazed by the look, Mitch walked toward them. He picked up the extension cord that was lying on the counter. "Tori is ready to start the entertainment."