Persuaded

By Jeanne Harrell

Anne Barrett and Mike Lawrence fell deeply in love in college and had wanted to marry. After graduation, he joined the Navy and had orders to go back East for medical school. She couldn't leave due to serious family obligations. They broke up bitterly. Four years has gone by and he returns while on leave. She watches as he dates a friend. Does he remember her? Because she's never forgotten him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeanne Harrell
• Release date: May 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311401465

Jeanne Harrell

Jeanne Harrell is an author who lives and writes romantic stories occurring in the Wild West. Her sweet and relatively innocent Western books include the Rancher series, The Westerners Series and Avila Beach Winery Series. Cowboys, Indians, stagecoaches and John Ford movies captured her interest long ago and held it. She lives in Nevada and captures many beautiful Western scenes with photos, found on her website. What she loves best is to tangle two strong characters, emboil them in conflict and let them hash it out. P.S. Jeanne also writes mysteries as SJ Slagle and children's books as Sinda Cheri Floyd.

Book preview

PERSUADED

By

Jeanne Harrell

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 by Jeanne Harrell

All Rights Reserved.

Published by Jeanne Harrell on Smashwords

Formatted by [e-mail]

* * *

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All right reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication my be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any mean (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

* * *

Thank you for downloading my book! I am happy that you have made it part of your library.

Dedicated to Jane Austen lovers everywhere…

Other books by Jeanne Harrell

Rancher Series

Rancher’s Girl

Whisperer

Always and Forever

Being Emma

The Darkest Hour

Riding the River

http://www.jeanneharrell.com

* * *

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

About the Author

* * *

PROLOGUE

She woke up startled to a wind blowing hard against the window. Maybe it’s going to rain. Had she remembered to roll up her car windows? Water, where’s some water… Why was she so thirsty? She headed downstairs quietly so she wouldn’t wake up Mark. She needed the quiet… It had been such a bad day…

Getting a glass of water, she sat down at the kitchen table to read the newspaper she hadn’t had time to read this morning. It was hard not to get a good night’s sleep, but it was very nice to just sit still… She turned to the Life section of the paper that listed happenings of local folks and started reading about a friend’s nephew who’d just enlisted in the Navy. It made her shiver like a cold breeze had just gone through the kitchen. But glancing down to read the article below it, the sudden chill turned to goosebumps and she began to shake.

There was his picture – he’d finished medical school at Johns Hopkins and was on leave from the Navy before he began his residency. He’d be visiting his younger sister for a while.

Tears started flowing and just wouldn’t stop. She thought she’d gotten past this, but apparently the pain could just be tapped into whenever. She put down the newspaper, slightly wet now and looked out the window remembering. The wind was still blowing and a few drops of rain appeared on the glass, followed quickly by a fast, driving rain. She could smell the damp air as it blew in through the partially open window. It had been four years… four long years. Obviously, it wasn’t enough time to repair the damage, if just seeing his picture was sufficient to bring it all back. All those memories pushed way, way back now screamed at her… Remember me! How could she ever forget … He was unforgettable…

They’d met at the student union at the university one day during lunch. She’d come in to meet her friend, Beth, and was trying to get a sandwich out of her backpack. Apparently, she couldn’t walk and pull it out at the same time – The sandwich fell on the floor and she immediately stepped on it. The aroma of tuna salad filled the air as it squished out of the sandwich bag and was now all over the bottom and sides of her shoe. She grabbed a napkin off a nearby table and bent down to clean it up. Laughing at how funny it probably appeared, she glanced up to see a guy standing in front of her. His gaze went right through her… He grabbed more napkins, helped her up and cleaned the mess for her. Then he just smiled and started for the exit. She couldn’t drag her eyes away as he walked up to a waste container by the door, threw away the soiled napkins, and glanced back before leaving. They’d never even spoken.

About a week later, she saw him again – this time in the library. She’d gone into the deep part of the reference section to look for a book she needed. The lighting wasn’t great back there and she accidentally bumped her head on a low-hanging light. Looking through the stacks, she saw him alone in the semi-private study area. He was surrounded by books and papers, and was very engrossed in whatever he was studying. Unruly, dark blonde hair fell in his eyes… Rubbing her head, she backed out quietly so she wouldn’t disturb him, and tried to find the most secluded study area in the library to hide. She found it on the side of the building where there was a back exit that no one ever used.

She scrunched up on a couch with her feet tucked under and her nose buried in a book. Only the top part of her head with her dark brown ponytail showed. One of her contacts started to bother her and an eye began to tear up. Searching through her pockets, she couldn’t find a tissue, so she used the bottom of her blouse to blot the tears. Doing that, she bumped one of her books and it fell loudly on the library floor. When she bent over to retrieve it, she looked up to see him standing in front of her. He picked up the book, handed it to her, but they still didn’t speak – They just looked at each other a little longer than was necessary and then he pushed that messy hair out of his eyes…Serious, blue eyes… She swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say. Apparently, he couldn’t think of anything either because he left again without speaking. This time he didn’t look back…

Two meetings in a week and no conversation – She was spooked now and decided to hide out in her apartment. One night a few weeks later, her roommate begged, pleaded, cajoled and insisted that she do something besides study, and dragged her off to a fraternity party. It wasn’t someplace that she wanted to go because this fraternity was known for their wild and crazy parties. But Beth wanted to meet some guy there, so she was persuaded to go. She doubted the wisdom of her going almost as soon as they arrived.

Loud music, yelling and other wild noises emanated from all the corners of the house and the liquor was flowing. They’d only been there about fifteen minutes when some frat guy came over and draped himself all over her – She couldn’t push him away, and he clung to her like a wet towel. He was drunk and pretty insistent that she go to bed with him. She got angry at him, angry at Beth who’d insisted she come, and angry with herself for being so stupid… Just when she thought she might be stuck with this creep, an arm came around her and lifted the guy’s hands off. The drunk fell on the floor and passed out. She turned to see who’d helped her and he stood there looking at her. His gaze lingered… This time he didn’t walk away.

This isn’t your kind of place, is it? he’d asked.

No…

May I drive you home?

Yes, please.

He drove her home and it felt natural to be with him…. calming. That was puzzling – He still didn’t talk much, but stole a few furtive glances at her.

I want to thank you for coming to my rescue – again. You aren’t a knight or anything, are you? She smiled at him.

No, but I seem to be around you.

They didn’t speak again until they arrived at her apartment.

Wait, he said and got out of the car, walked around to open her door. She was amazed… Guys she knew didn’t do this, in her experience.

He helped her out of the car and then walked her to the door. She still couldn’t find her voice to speak up because she was monumentally shy all of a sudden … Who are you? She was dying to ask. Reaching the door, he finally turned to her.

Will you be all right?

Pause…

… No…

He’d tilted his head to get a better look at her face, since she’d lowered it in embarrassment.

Why not?

It took a few minutes to find her voice. When she did, it was more of a whisper.

… I’m not all right unless you’re there with me… She peeked up at him.

His eyes widened and blinked, so she hurriedly put her key in the lock, opened the door and rushed in. Once inside, she leaned back against the door trying to slow her rapidly beating pulse. He just took her breath away… She heard a soft knock and felt its vibration in her back. She slowly opened the door knowing full well that deep down she was opening up to him. Several tears glistened on her cheeks…

Come here, he’d said while reaching out to brush away a few of her tears. He took her hand and they stood on the front step gazing at one another. Pretty girl…She pulled him toward her somehow… He couldn’t seem to stay away from her and he really didn’t want to… She shyly looked through her lashes at him and wondered what he’d say. Finally, he smiled…

Well, okay… If that’s the way it’s supposed to be…

He’d brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. It was her turn to be surprised.

My name’s Mike Lawrence. What’s yours?

Anne Barrett…

All right, Annie. Could I pick you up tomorrow and escort you to class? It’ll save me time trying to find you to rescue you again.

They’d laughed at that, Anne nodded and Mike watched her go back to the door. She just stood in the doorway…

Go in, he’d said. She lowered her eyes, but didn’t move. This time she was afraid she’d never see him again and he knew it. It’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Anne took a ragged breath still looking out into that rainy night. That was years ago now, but she could still hear him uttering those life-changing words. She remained seated on the kitchen chair holding onto her glass of water like it was a lifeline. Memories continued to overwhelm her as they cascaded, one after another.

After that night, they were inseparable. Anne remembered that they had fallen head first, blindingly, passionately in love. He was pre-med, wanting to specialize in orthopedics, and she was studying to be an elementary school teacher. They did everything together and made all their friends jealous of their happiness. He’d go help with her father who was very sick. Since her mother had died ten years ago, Anne had to help out with him and also deal with her irresponsible little sister. Mike wasn’t too crazy about the younger sister – she was immature and got into trouble needlessly.

But what he felt for Anne was shining and on his sleeve for her to see. He never was much good at hiding his feelings… And she loved him back with an all-consuming passion that surprised her, but not him. He adored her…

Graduation was looming… Mike had enlisted in the Navy to help pay for medical school and had orders to go back East to school. He’d asked her to marry him so she could come with him, and Anne happily said yes without hesitating. One day it hit her what he was asking her to do – Leave her ill father and younger sister.

They’d talked it over. Anne couldn’t afford to put him into assisted care, the sister was no help and there were no relatives