Convince Me (Holton Series #1) (2 page)

Anna watched him walk back across
the street to his own car and drive away.  She slowly shook her
head.  He was a take-charge kind of man, just the kind of man Anna had
vowed to avoid.  She didn't want someone to take care of her.  She
wasn't about to give any man that kind of power over her.  She had seen
what it did to her mother and Anna would never live like that again.

"I am sure I will see you
soon," she muttered softly, quoting him.  "Not if I see you
first!"

With a smile like his, Anna knew
she needed to avoid Steven Carson at all costs.  He made her feel things
she didn't want to feel, think things she knew weren't possible.  She just
wished his eyes hadn't been so kind.

#

Steven slowed his car and watched
until her taillights faded into the fog.  He returned his attention to the
road wondering if this day was going to offer any more surprises.  Early
this morning, he had received a call about one of their cases and he had to
rearrange his whole day so that he could file an injunction this morning. 
Then he had been very surprised to see the other car coming from around the
bend.  There was seldom any traffic on the small country road just outside
of town and with the fog he had not expected to see anyone else.

He smiled softly thinking about the
woman in the other car.  He had been operating on pure adrenaline until he
had looked into her eyes.  When the car had swerved into the ditch, he
first thought had been for Andrew.  His best friend and law partner,
Andrew Moore, had a terrible fear of automobile accidents and with good
cause.  Andrew's wife, Carolyn, had been killed in an accident similar to
the one Steven had just witnessed only fifteen months before and Steven knew
how much it still bothered him.  So his first thoughts had been for
Andrew.  He didn't want his friend to hear about the accident from anyone
else.  He wanted to reassure Andrew himself.

Those thoughts had not stayed with
Steven long.  After watching the small Honda drive off the road, he had
quickly pulled his own car to a stop and ran over to offer his
assistance.  One look had told him that no one was seriously injured but
he immediately opened the door to ask if the woman was okay.  When she did
not respond, Steven had grown very concerned but then she had looked at him
with her large brown eyes and spoke in a soft, southern draw.  He had been
mesmerized.  At that moment, Steven had known that he had just met the
woman he had been searching for all of his life.

As he eased his car onto the
highway that would take him into McKinney, Steven chuckled.  He had always
known exactly what he wanted and it had driven his brother, Mitch, crazy. 
Steven had known since he was eight that he wanted to be an attorney.  He
had known where he wanted to go to college, where he had wanted to study law,
and where he had wanted to set up his law practice.  He had returned to
Holton to do just that and now he knew he wanted Anna West.

The rest of his family had never
quite understood that part of him.  The part that always knew when
something was exactly right.  Steven wasn't sure he understood it either
but he followed his instincts and they had seldom failed him.  On the
other hand, Mitch was never sure about what he wanted and had spent years
searching for it and their sister, Victoria, had never really wanted anything
but things fell her way anyway. 

Both Mitch and Victoria would have
enjoyed this morning.  Mitch would have loved the adventure and the
excitement of the accident.  He would have heroically helped Anna on her
way and stored up the story to retell at some later date.  Victoria would
have helped Anna and made a new friend in the process.  Victoria never met
a stranger.  But these types of mornings didn't usually happen to
Steven.  He was the calm one, the stabilizing factor, the older
responsible brother.  For once in his life, he was glad this morning had
been different.

Once he arrived in McKinney, which
was the county seat, Steven quickly made his way to the courthouse to file the
injunction against a chemical company.  Although he and Andrew had not
planned on working so soon after the holidays the report had arrived early that
morning.  Steven knew he had to act quickly to stop the company from
continuing to mix a certain product in their factory.  They finally had
proof that it was having harmful side effects on some of the employees. 
The doctor's report had directly linked the mixture to certain health problems
experienced by his patients.

Usually, Andrew handled all the
court hearings.  Steven did the paperwork and the background reports while
Andrew handled the public side of their practice.  It worked well for them
for Andrew was a natural in the courtroom, charming and persuasive while Steven
enjoyed the research.  He knew Andrew was planning a career in politics
and that if he did enter the public arena things would change but for the time
being their personalities complimented each other.

After filing the injunction and
speaking to the judge, it was nearly lunchtime so Steven decided to stop by the
local college and see his mother.  Patricia Carson was a professor at the
college.  She, too, was working although classes weren't scheduled to
begin for another week.  Like Steven, his mother liked to be well
prepared.  Although, he had seen her the night before, Steven thought
lunch would be a nice break for both of them and he was anxious to tell someone
about Anna.

Anna West, he thought with a smile,
a practical name for a practical woman.  She was practical, too. 
Steven had noticed the way she dressed and acted.  She was a pretty woman,
not classically beautiful like Andrew's late wife and not flamboyantly
beautiful like his own sister, Victoria but serenely beautiful like a calm,
summer day.  She wore her straight black hair in a simple style just
touching her shoulders.  Her large brown eyes were framed with thick
lashes and held just a hint of vulnerability.  Her skin was a soft, light
brown.  Steven thought she must have a mixed racial background.

She was a small woman but thin with
a tiny waist and high breasts.  Her smile was sweet but not freely given
and she dressed efficiently in jeans and a heavy sweater.

Steven pulled his thoughts from
Anna and walked quickly across the small campus to his mother's office. 
He paused at the door as she was on the phone.  Patricia was a lovely
woman.  She had a heart-shaped face and lovely blue eyes.  Steven had
inherited his blond hair and blue eyes from his mother and his serious,
protective nature from his father.  When Patricia looked up and saw him, a
bright smile crossed her face and she motioned for him to have a seat.

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.