Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A.J. had opted to take his own vehicle and followed his mom to the Hawkins Ranch.
The last thing he wanted was to be trapped into staying there all day.
He wasn’t sure if Ana had deliberately distracted him during the short drive with all of her flirtatious shenanigans, but there’d be payback later regardless.
He’d nearly sent them careening into a ditch when she’d spread her legs and snuck a hand beneath the hem of her skirt as though she might dare get herself off. Who knew there was a little vixen beneath all those layers she began shedding since her arrival in Alabama?
“Nice view.” Ana’s hands were set on the granite counter in his mom’s kitchen as she observed a good portion of the Hawkins Ranch from the large picture window. She stood on her tiptoes and angled her head, trying to take it all in.
His mom had stepped out of the kitchen to fetch Ana an apron from the laundry room. She’d hosted a girls’ baking party the previous evening and her collection of University of Alabama aprons were all in the dryer.
A.J. hooked an arm around Ana’s waist from behind and set his chin on her shoulder, joining her to take in the view. He pointed out the pasture lands, then the stable off in the distance. “I’ll take you on a tour after lunch.”
“That sounds nice,” she murmured, then surprised him by wriggling her ass against his crotch.
He bit down on his back teeth and ordered his hands to stay on her waist . . . no roaming. He’d already been caught in the act of groping her once by his mom. “Be careful, sugar, you keep on provoking me, and we’ll be skipping that dessert you’re looking forward to,” he growled against her ear.
She gave him a saucy look over her shoulder. “What will you do?”
“I grew up on a ranch, and I’m a sailor, which makes me damn good with knots. I might just have to bind your wrists and torture you with my tongue if you keep at it.” He could play the tease game, too.
“And there you two go again,” his mom said, crushing the moment. No wonder I never got away with any bullshit as a kid. She has ninja skills. A.J. sighed in frustration but stepped back and unhanded Ana as his mom continued to talk. “I remember those days with your father.”
“We were discussing Ana’s lack of cooking skills.”
“Oh, you can’t cook, my dear?” Deb handed Ana a red apron, which had a giant white A at the center, then put on a matching one.
“I can teach you a few things. But don’t worry, A.J.
can cook for you, too. I raised my boys not to expect women to wait on them.
” Her expression suddenly changed to one of mild shock, and she clutched her imaginary pearls.
“You’re not an Auburn or Tennessee alum, are you?
” This was part jest, part serious on his mom’s part.
He just never knew which way she was leaning at any given time.
“Mama,” he said, delivering a warning flavored with a little love.
“No, ma’am. I assure you I’m a newly proud Bama fan.” Ana’s lips tipped into a broad smile. Her cheeks were a soft pink, still flushed from having been caught in the act with A.J. again.
“Glad to hear you have good sense,” his mom replied as A.J. helped Ana tie on the apron.
She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, which was a shame since he was loving the relaxed version of Ana, her auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders in soft waves.
She’d let it air dry today, which enhanced her naturally wavy hair, making it look like she belonged on a beach, not on the run from the FBI while chasing down Russian spies.
“Where is everyone?” he asked while his mom busied herself with washing her hands in the farmhouse sink.
She dried her hands on her apron. “It is Wednesday. We don’t all have wild hours like you. But Caleb will be in soon for lunch. Dad had to run some errands. And Ella and McKenna are around here somewhere.”
“Why aren’t they in school?” he asked before turning to Ana. “McKenna is my niece, and Ella’s my sister. She’s a teacher.”
“It’s summer, or have you forgotten? And you know Ella helps Beckett by entertaining McKenna while he’s at work.” His mom tipped her chin at A.J., and he got the message. Go find Ella and apologize about the “bachelor” party.
The fact his sister had yet to call A.J. and yell at him meant she was still too angry to talk to him.
“I need to go find my sister.” He looked at Ana for permission to leave. “You’ll be okay?”
“She’s in good hands,” his mom answered for Ana, and Ana shooed A.J. away. Her body more relaxed. Already fitting in. She’d make a great Alabama woman, wouldn’t she?
And did he want to move back home someday? He sure did miss his small town and family.
A.J. raked a hand through his hair as he wandered out of the kitchen in search of his sister. This was all a bit strange. He really was beginning to wonder if he was fast asleep in the forest, and Mrs. Shaw was playing some mind tricks on him.
He shook off his doubt, or nerves, whatever it was, while checking the rest of the house. After finding it empty, he made his way outside. He snatched his shades from where they hung on his shirt to protect his eyes from the glaring June sun.
Ella stood outside the white and green horse stable with McKenna off in the distance. As he strode their way, McKenna spotted him and trotted her colorful, spotted Appaloosa closer to Ella and dismounted.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Yo!”
Ella spun around in surprise, her cowboy boots kicking up dust, and shielded her eyes with her hand beneath the brim of her straw cowboy hat. “What in blazes are you doing back here?”
“Uncle A.J.!” McKenna tore the thirty or so yards to get to him while Ella handed off the horse to one of the guys who worked on the ranch.
“Hey, sweet pea.” He scooped her into his arms, forgetting she was eleven, not five, and spun her in a circle.
Her long black hair, which she’d inherited from her mother’s side, fanned out behind her.
McKenna’s birth mom was part Cherokee, and McKenna had been blessed with her grandmother’s rich, silky black hair.
“You’re back already!” McKenna exclaimed once he set her down, her face beaming. “Why are you here?”
He didn’t want to lie to a kid, so . . .
He shot an uncomfortable look Ella’s way as she took her sweet time to get to them. “I’m here with a friend for work, but can you do me a favor?” He leaned down to eye level with her. “Can you not tell anyone I’m back home? It’s kind of top secret.”
McKenna brought a finger to her lips and nodded before he pushed back upright. “Who is your friend? Mr. Chris? Mr. Finn?”
“No, you haven’t met her. Name is Anastasia, but she goes by Ana.” He jerked a thumb back toward the house. “She’s with Nana in the kitchen.”
McKenna glimpsed Ella and faced him again. “I’m going to go see her!”
“Right.” He set a palm to his thigh in anticipation as Ella made her way over while McKenna took off in a sprint toward the house up the hill.
Can I go back to making out with Ana back at Grant’s?
“What are you doing here?” Ella’s blonde hair was plaited in two braids, one on each side of her face.
Her blue eyes—she took after their dad—were sharp on him.
She was giving him her signature teacher stare she whipped out for her students to let them know they’d done something wrong.
“Dad and the others know you’re back so soon? ”
He mimicked her stance, arms across his chest, attempting to hold his ground against a Hawkins woman. Ella was as strong, if not stronger, than their mom. “I’m here for work, and if you wouldn’t mind, don’t let anyone outside the family know I’m home.”
Her brows stitched together with mild curiosity before she said, “Brian’s not here if you were wondering. Back in Mobile until the wedding. And thanks to your shenanigans, he won’t be taking a local banking job. He insists we move to his place once we’re married.”
“What?” His arms plummeted to his sides. “Your job is here. Your family.”
“And his job is in Mobile, and he’s not looking to sacrifice everything for our crazy family.”
“Sounds like Mr. Perfect ain’t so perfect to me, then.” He huffed out an angry breath, momentarily forgetting the real reason he was in Alabama after hearing the news that his sister was hurting, and it’d been, in part, his fault. “Mom know you’re going to move to Mobile?”
“No, and don’t you dare say anything. Not until I find a way to tell everyone, especially McKenna.” Disappointment from her harsh stare cut him hard.
“I swear, woman, you just—”
“What?” Ella stepped closer and lifted her chin to bring her face closer to his from her height of five-six. “You need to apologize to Brian is what you need to do.” A finger stabbed his chest. “Since you’re down here, take a trip to Mobile and tell him you’re sorry.”
“I can’t do that, and you know it. I’m here for work, and even if I wasn’t, I don’t want to see him,” he admitted, an angry bite to his words. He hadn’t meant to come across that way, but he didn’t like the fucker for whatever reason. “Brian’s not good enough for you.”
“You don’t know him.” She spun away to face the stable off in the distance as Jesse exited the building alongside Caleb.
“Jesse’s here, too?” Too many people would know he was home.
Jesse and Caleb spotted A.J., and Jesse made a “yeehaw” noise and kicked up his pace to approach them. His gaze hung on Ella for a few seconds before he threw his attention to A.J. “Whatcha doing back here, man?” He reached around and slapped a hand to A.J.’s back as his version of a hug.
“Work,” A.J. said, still a bit taken aback at Ella’s news about moving to Mobile.
Ella placed a hand at the side of her mouth as if she were about to divulge a secret.
“Don’t tell anyone he’s here or Alexander will get his skivvies in a twist.” Great, Ella was pulling out his first name.
She really was pissed, and given Brian’s reaction to the bachelor party, he couldn’t say as he blamed her.