Convince Me (Holton Series #1) Read online

  Steven rose from the couch and walked over to the window that overlooked the backyard. Andrew’s house was beautiful. It was a huge colonial with four bedrooms as well as a formal living room and den. Steven knew the house had been purchased with Andrew’s political career in mind. It had been built the year Andrew had first started his push for a public office. Carolyn’s death had put those plans on hold.

  The house was impressive but the backyard looked like any other backyard where children lived. February had brought another cold spell to Texas but no rain. The trees were bare and the grass was brown but the sun was shining and Andrew’s children were making the most of the sunshine. Melissa and Mark were carrying boards and large branches from one end of the yard to the other. Why, Steven did not know and really wasn’t sure he wanted to but their apparent enjoyment was fun to watch.

  “I really don’t know if I need to talk or not,” Steven said still watching the children. This is what he wanted. Lazy Sunday afternoons, with children playing in the yard and friends gathered in his home. He wanted it with Anna but how could he explain that to Andrew or to Anna? “The biggest problem is I can’t seem to get a handle on Anna. One minute everything seems fine and the next, well, who knows?”

  “Steve, Anna is a lovely woman but you have only known her a few weeks. Don’t you thing you could be rushing things?”

  “Maybe,” Steven agreed. He turned back to his friend. Andrew had Julie’s coloring. He had dark hair and piercing green eyes. Those eyes were trained on Steven now. “But you know how I am. I know she is the one. “

  He paused for a moment. “She has agreed to come to the party. I guess that is a step in the right direction.”

  “You might want to try to see things from her point of view. We have known each other most of our lives and sometimes we don’t stop to think that something that seems so right to us isn’t always acceptable to others. You and I know Anna would be more than welcome at the party but she probably feel that way. She hasn’t even met Dan and Patricia.”

  Steven knew Andrew was right but he didn’t know how to explain it. He needed Anna to be a part of his life. She was still hiding in some ways. She had stopped avoiding him but she always wanted to do things outside of Holton. It appeared to Steven that Anna was ashamed of their relationship. This did not sit well with him.

  “Carolyn used to say that the Carsons and Moores were so close they didn’t have room for anyone else,” Andrew continued. “I think sometimes she felt left out. We have such a long history together.”

  Steven had never thought about it that way. He felt a little guilty. He hadn’t disliked Carolyn. She had been a very nice woman. She had been friendly and kind and a good mother to Melissa and Mark. He had just never felt close to her. He was sorry to hear that she realized that she was a little out of place in their group. He hoped Anna didn’t feel that way.

  “Do you think Anna could feel like that? Like she really doesn’t belong?” he asked.

  Andrew shrugged. “I suppose it is possible but I don’t know what else you could do about it. Julie really likes Anna and so do I. We have made her as welcome as we know how. I think the only thing you can do now, Steve, is let Anna do what she needs to do. Give her time to get used to us. We can be a little overwhelming.”

  Steven laughed. “That’s true. Just wait until she meets Victoria.”

  Andrew laughed also. “If she can survive Victoria, you know she can survive anything.”

  “Let’s watch the game,” Steven said taking his seat. He felt much better. Andrew was right. There wasn’t much else he could do for Anna. She had to make her own way. He would just try to be there to guide her along.

  After the game, Steven stopped by Anna’s on the way home. She was pleased to see him although she scolded him for not giving her any warning of his arrival. It was obvious that she had been cleaning. Her hair was pulled back and her cheeks flushed. She was dressed in a loose fitting, oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. Steven thought she looked adorable and told her so. She laughed lightly and invited him in.

  “I thought you were watching the Rockets’ game with Andrew,” she said as they sat on the couch.

  “The game is over.”

  “Oh? Did the Rockets win?”

  “Yes,” Steven replied with a grin. He knew she wasn’t really interested in the game but was politely showing her interest.

  Anna saw his grin and hit him lightly on the arm. “Okay, so I don’t even know what game the Rockets play but at least I remembered their name.”

  Steven threw back his head and laughed. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Anna responded immediately. Steven had no questions about Anna’s physical response to him. It was her emotional comment that worried him.

  He slowly and reluctantly ended the kiss. Steven hadn’t pushed a physical relationship. He didn’t want to scare her. They talked quietly for a few minutes before Steven asked her to have dinner with him at The King’s Court. So far, Anna had avoided eating anywhere in town and Steven hoped that her decision to come to the party was a sign she was willing to be more open about their relationship.

  “No, Steve, I don’t think so,” Anna said and Steven had to suppress his impatience. However, that feeling soon faded as she continued. “I don’t have the energy to dress for the Court. Why don’t we go to Tabby’s?”

  The all night diner was not the most romantic place in the world but the food was good and it was convenient and simple. Steven was pleased that Anna was willing to eat there for it was a popular spot and they were bound to be seen.

  The meal was pleasant. Anna remained relaxed and comfortable in his company. After they ate, they returned to her apartment for desert. Anna had purchased a cherry pie from the local bakery and Steven reheated it in the oven.

  They talked about their week for a little while but when he retuned to her kitchen for the pie, the oven had not heated it.

  “Anna is there something wrong with your oven?” he asked.

  Anna followed him into the room. “Oh, that. Sometimes it will not turn on. Here, just turn the knob this way.” She fiddled with the controls.

  “You should get that checked.”

  “I will,” she replied absently.

  “Maybe I can fix it, Anna. Here, let me try.”

  “No, Steve,” Anna said firmly. “I’ll take care of it. I can do it myself.”

  “Okay,” Steve replied. He did want to crowd her. Anna was very independent. She had taken a major step in their relationship tonight. That was enough for now.

  Chapter 7

  Although Holton would never be a major city, it was located on a state highway that headed directly toward the prosperous area directly north of Dallas. Because of this, Holton was able to support four gas stations, a restaurant, and three fast food chains along the highway but downtown the only place to eat was the local bakery.

  Owned by one of the oldest families in town, Mabel’s main business was the fresh pastries and pies baked daily. Named after the first Mrs. Dorman, Mabel’s was now run by the latest Dorman husband and wife team. A few years back they had started serving lunch during the week. The choice of delicious fresh sandwiches and hot soup made it a popular site.

  Anna ate at the bakery once or twice a week. Often she would take her order back to the privacy of her office but today she and Rachel Lewis were seated at one of the small tables facing Main Street.

  Over the past few weeks, Anna and Rachel had become friends. At first, it was simply because they were both friends with Julie but gradually they got to know each other and developed a solid relationship on their own. Anna liked Rachel. She was a quiet woman, not shy like Anna but she simply had little to say unless you asked her a specific question. When you did, she would answer with a candid honesty that was not always diplomatic but was very sincere. You always knew where you stood with Rachel and Anna admired that characteristic. She also had a wicked sense of humor under her quiet exterior and Anna thought she was ver
y funny.

  As Julie went home most days to have lunch with her children, Anna and Rachel had started having lunch on a fairly regular basis. Rachel worked odd hours at the library so she wasn’t always free but the two of them got together when they could arrange it.

  “I understand you are now deeply involved with the Carsons’ party,” Rachel said in her raspy, deep voice. They had just placed their orders and were waiting for them to be filled.

  Anna grimaced. “It’s amazing. I haven’t even met the Carsons yet. Today, I got a text from Victoria asking if I could come early to help with the decorations.”

  Rachel laughed. “I’m sure it was worded in such a way that you found it hard to say no.”

  “You’re right,” Anna said with a smile. “I’m just not sure what to do. I don’t know Victoria either.”

  “Don’t worry about Tori. You will like her. Everyone does. Tori is hard to resist. Actually all the Carsons are hard to resist.”

  Anna had to agree with that statement. She knew of one Carson in particular that was very hard to resist. She glanced at Rachel. “I’m a little nervous. You know Mr. and Mrs. Carson, don’t you?”

  Rachel nodded. “Yes. I have known them all my life. Why?”

  “What are they like?”

  There was a pause in the conversation as their food order was called. Anna went to pick it up at the counter. Rachel did not say anything until they were both settled and had eaten a little. “Dan and Patricia are great. You won’t have any problems with them, Anna.”

  Anna blushed at the obvious meaning behind Rachel’s words. That had not been what she meant but she was pleased to know that Rachel believed that the Carsons would like her.

  “What I meant was what are they like as people? Are they friendly, quiet, what?” Anna was still very curious about Steven’s family and a little anxious.

  “Well,” Rachel said slowly thinking about her answer. “They are both very nice. Patricia is friendly and very open. She is not as extroverted as Victoria but they are a lot alike and she is very smart.”

  Patricia was a professor at a local college. Steven said she had been offered jobs at several more prestigious universities but she liked the one on one atmosphere she had at a small college.

  “Now, Dan,” Rachel continued, “he is a little harder to understand. He is quiet, hardworking, nice, but there is a depth to him that most people don’t see.”

  “What do you mean?” Anna had been told by several people that Steven was a great deal like his father.

  Rachel finished her soup and leaned back in her chair. “I remember once when I was a child I decided to sell lemonade. There were several other children on the block and they had all gotten together to do the same. I guess even then I was a little out of place. The other kids had huge, bright colored signs and they rode their bikes up and down the street stopping people and selling their product. I, on the other hand, had one carefully written sign and sat behind my table the whole day reading a book. As you know, I am not very outgoing. Needless to say, I didn’t sell much lemonade. Actually, I didn’t sell anything that day.”

  Anna laughed as Rachel leaned forward placing her arms on the table. There was a faraway look in her eyes. “At the end of the day the other kids rode by and teased me until I burst into tears. I went home and my mother offered to buy me a new sign and to help me but I refused. I was determined that my way of doing things was the right way and I wasn’t going to let anyone tell me differently.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Oh, six, maybe seven. Anyway, the next day I set things up the same way. The other kids did too and taunted me in the process but I didn’t back down. Well, Dan was working on a house nearby and he must have noticed the situation because about an hour later he and his entire crew came to my stand and bought every drop of lemonade I had. Dan paid for it all. I had sold all my lemonade by ten o’clock and the other kids were still there after lunch. Every day for the entire week, Dan and his crew would walk down the street and buy all my lemonade. I’ll never forget that.”

  “He sounds really nice,” Anna said.

  “He never said a word to me about it but I know he remembers. That is they type of man Dan Carson is. Steve is a lot like him.”

  Sighing, Anna started to reply but was interrupted by a bright voice calling Rachel’s name. She turned to see a woman walking toward them. Anna knew she was about to meet one of the elder Carsons. The woman who greeted Rachel had to be Steven’s mother. She had Steven’s blond hair, sky blue eyes, and fair complexion. Her face was very feminine and her nose turned up slightly at the end. She was lovely and Anna could see where Steven got his good looks.

  “Rachel,” Patricia was saying, “I just wanted to tell you that I spoke with Phyllis and we would both be happy to help with the story hour at the library.”

  “That’s great.”

  Anna heard the excitement in Rachel’s voice. Rachel was trying to start a new program at the library for the children. A weekly story hour was fairly common at many libraries but Holton had never had such a program. Rachel wanted to see if one would work in her hometown. The problem was the library had few funds and Rachel had to rely on volunteers. She was also very picky about who she would allow near the children so that narrowed the field even more. Rachel had told Anna she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to recruit enough people to make the program work.

  “Thanks, Patricia,” Rachel said. “With you and Phyllis, that will give me five regular readers and two extras in case someone can’t make it. I think that will work out perfectly.”

  Rachel suddenly seemed to realize that Anna was still there for she quickly turned to her with a twinkle in her eye. Anna wasn’t fooled by her innocent expression. “Oh, Anna, let me introduce you. This is Patricia Carson. Patricia, this is Anna West.”

  Anna found herself presented with a dazzling smile. Patricia offered her hand saying, “Hello, Anna. I am so very glad to meet you. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about you.”

  “Thank you,” Anna said somewhat surprised as she shook Patricia’s hand. She detected nothing but sincerity in that statement. Now that she was finally face to face with Steven’s mother, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Patricia did not have that problem. She pulled a chair over to their table and sat down.

  “You don’t mind if I join you a moment, do you?” Both women shook their heads. Anna looked at Rachel and saw the laughter on her friend’s face. She sent Rachel a dirty look before turning back to Patricia.

  “Steven tells me you are from Mayville, Anna,” Patricia said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Anna said shyly. She didn’t know what to say but Patricia didn’t seem to mind. She chatted for several minutes asking Anna about how she liked Holton and how she was settling in. Patricia was very nice and Anna began to relax. Mrs. Dorman brought Patricia’s order to their table.

  “Well, I better get this home to Dan,” she said rising from her chair. “It was lovely meeting you, Anna. I hope you will join us for dinner sometime soon. I’ll get Steven to arrange something.”

  With a smile and a wave, she left as quickly as she came and Anna wondered if she had imagined the whole scene. Rachel laughed softly.

  “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Rachel asked.

  “No,” Anna said quickly. “It wasn’t bad at all. Is she always like that.”

  “Oh, yes,” Rachel replied. “Tori is even worse or better, depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I think they are wonderful but it wears me out just watching them.”

  As it was time for them to leave, they rose from the table and headed to the door. Just as they reached it, three men walked in. Anna didn’t recognize them but one of them spoke to Rachel. He was a large, older man, tall and a little overweight. His face was coarse and rough and he had beady little eyes. They skimmed over Rachel in a suggestive manner before landing on Anna with distaste. She shivered but continued walking.

  “Howdy, Ms.
Lewis,” he said to Rachel in a slimy voice.

  “Mr. Williams,” Rachel said coldly and followed Anna out the door.

  If it hadn’t been for the fact that the wind held the door open a little too long, Anna would have never heard what the man said. In a voice that was loud and obnoxious, he said the words Anna had hoped to never hear again.

  “I can’t believe that Carson boy is dating some colored girl. I don’t know what got into him.”

  Anna said nothing as she and Rachel walked down the street toward her office. She was numb. She had let her guard down. She had felt safe in this small town where everyone seemed so friendly. It now came crashing down around her.

  “Anna,” Rachel began.

  Anna shook her head. “I guess I should be grateful he used colored instead of, well, some other not so nice term. Rachel, do me a favor, drop it for now.”

  Rachel did not say anything else until they reached her office. The library was in the other direction and Anna finally realized Rachel should have gone the other way. She gave Rachel a bright smile although she could not look her in the eyes.

  “I enjoyed lunch, Rachel, but don’t you have to get back to the library?”

  Her friend said nothing for a moment then in her soft, firm voice, she said, “Anna, Howard Williams is an ass. Don’t pay any attention to anything he said.”

  Anna just wanted to be alone. She wanted to lick her wounds in private but she had to deal with Rachel first. Taking a deep breath, she looked her straight in the eye and said, “I know, Rachel. It’s okay. I’m fine but I do have a lot of work to do so if you don’t mind…”

  Rachel stared at her a moment longer and then finally took the hint and said goodbye. After she left, Anna rushed into the small bathroom and closed the door. She leaned back against it and felt the tears fill her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She looked in the small mirror and slowly shook her head.