Chapter 23 #2
“You have, like, fifty hammers, and you came over because you left one here?” This hadn’t been in his “What Could Go Wrong” plans. And now I’m making lists? Ana was rubbing off on him, and hell, he didn’t mind.
“It’s my favorite. McKenna got it for me for my birthday in March, not that you made it home to know that.” And there it was, he was going to get an earful from his mom. She’d held back last weekend, too focused on Ella and Brian’s upcoming wedding, but she was going to take the time to jab now.
“I sent you a gift.” He stepped forward, eyes sweeping to the gun on the counter his mom had pointed at them. In fact, the Winchester, with the mossy oak finish he’d chosen to appeal to his mom’s decorator sensibilities, had been his gift, and this was not how he envisioned she’d be using it.
His mom tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears.
“One of my favorite movies is The Bodyguard. Such a shame what happened to Whitney Houston. Absolutely loved that woman.” She waved an accusatory finger in front of him and Ana.
“Is that what’s going on here? You falling for your bodyguard?
” she yammered on. Typical. Embarrassing.
“I mean, I don’t blame you. My boy is the best of the best, but isn’t there a rule about sleeping with the woman you’re protecting, Son? ”
“Mama, you should go. And don’t tell anyone I’m here, okay?”
His mom’s green eyes shot to Ana. “I’m fixin’ to make lunch. You’ll join us.” A.J. didn’t fail to notice it wasn’t a question.
“Oh, thank you, but I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” Ana rushed out, but she didn’t know his mom. When Deb Hawkins set her mind to something, there would be no arguing.
They couldn’t possibly go there, but, shit.
“Lunch”—she pointed her finger at A.J.—“and I’ll forgive you for missing my birthday.
” And now you’re just playing dirty. “I’ll go grab my hammer and be right back.
Be ready.” She marched out of the kitchen without another word.
A.J. faced the kitchen island, placing his palms down in front of the gun.
“I don’t even know what to say,” he grumbled, and Ana set her hand on the center of his back. “She’s not going to back down. You just don’t know my mom.”
“You’re lucky you have a mom, especially one like her,” she answered softly, her wistful tone a reminder her parents were not only gone, but they’d betrayed the country that Ana put herself in harm’s way for every day to defend and protect.
“That mean you want to go to my house for lunch?” he asked in surprise and turned around. But could they? Would they be putting his family in danger? No one followed us to Alabama. We’re safe, he reasoned with himself as he debated the possibility of lunch.
Ana’s hands went to his arms, and her eyes journeyed from his chest up to his face.
“You said she won’t back down, and since I’m not yet marked as a fugitive,” she responded in a whisper, “I think we’d be okay to have lunch at your parents’ house.
Well, as long as they don’t tell anyone we’re in town. ”
“Are you sure you want to go to my parents’ place?” he asked, finding his voice unusually timid.
Her lips twitched into a smile. “You said we can’t be of any help to your team, right?” One shoulder lifted. “And if we stay here alone, there’s a pretty good chance we might do more than kiss.”
They’d been on the brink of doing a lot more before his mom showed up.
He leaned in and brought his chest closer to hers while she maintained her grip of his forearms. “Oh yeah, and would that be a bad thing?” he rasped, visions of their naked bodies entangled as they made love coming to mind.
“Not bad at all,” she murmured when he took hold of her hips, locking her in front of him, forgetting his mom was upstairs.
He angled his head. “But?”
“But I wouldn’t mind getting a glimpse into your life, what it’s like to be surrounded by a warm and loving family.” Her brows scrunched and her gaze pinned to his. “Is that crazy?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” he responded, eyes narrowing on the incredible woman before him. “But taking you home feels right somehow. Having you here in my hometown. It feels really, really right.” He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers.
“You two can’t keep your hands off each other, huh?”
Holy hell. A.J. set his forehead to Ana’s, and he felt the soft rumble of a chuckle escape her body when they both should’ve ducked for cover. But he gave in to the laughter, too, because why not?
“This ain’t a dream, is it?” he whispered into her ear. “I’m not still unconscious in the woods by Old Man Shaw’s cabin?”
“Now you know better than to go near his place. That man will shoot you,” his mom warned, somehow overhearing his hushed words.
A.J. stopped himself from bellowing out another “mama” and pulled away from Ana, part of him wishing they were going to stay at Grant’s and make love instead of having lunch with his parents.
“Just lunch,” he gave in, facing his mom with a hand in the air, hoping she wouldn’t protest because heaven help him, she always won.
His mom winked and tucked her shotgun under her arm. “We’ll see.”
“Maybe dessert, too?” Ana smiled. “I heard you have some of the best pies in Alabama.”
And now Ana was in trouble. His mom would never let her go.
But that wasn’t such a bad thing since he had no intention of running this time.