Chapter 38 #2
She arched a brow and set her palms to his chest as he leaned in closer, setting his hand on the wall.
“I did,” she whispered, lifting her chin.
“And I feel the same, which is why it didn’t take any convincing to get me here when your brother called.
In fact, I was already in the middle of packing, prepared to hijack Air Force One if need be to get down to you. ”
He lifted a brow and smiled. “Oh, really?” He caught her lower lip between his teeth, then swept his tongue into her mouth.
“Young love,” his mom called out in her booming voice, startling A.J. into breaking the kiss. Deb Hawkins was grinning from ear to ear as she strode their way.
He brought his forehead to Ana’s and laughed. “Sounds about right,” he said before kissing her again, and no one would be stopping him this time.
“Are we really doing this?” A.J. eyed his brothers, trying to wrap his head around what happened last night, and what was about to happen now.
“Ella is insisting, so yeah, I mean—it’s the Fourth and all, and everyone in town was planning on being here today, anyway.” Caleb braced a hand on the mantle in the living room as Shep paced back and forth on the wood floors, the click of his cowboy boots in A.J.’s ears.
“But she called off the wedding in the middle of the rehearsal dinner last night.” A.J. peered out the window, searching for Ana.
The two hundred folks on Ella’s guest list were slowly filtering in for the “Fourth of July party.” The backyard had been transformed for the wedding reception, and it was now being repurposed for America’s birthday.
There was a large platform beyond the pool for a band and dancing. An open tent with enough tables and chairs to accommodate half the town. Catering trucks had already arrived. Champagne flutes were being filled. Kids were running around with sparklers and laughing.
But no wedding had taken place at the church today.
And A.J. knew why. Hell, everyone knew why, but no one was talking about it.
Brian hightailed it back to Mobile with his appalled friends and family last night after Ella announced she wouldn’t be marrying him.
But Independence Day was a huge event in his town, so Ella declared the party was still on.
And it was the damndest thing, but A.J. was fairly certain it was the first time Ella looked happy since agreeing to marry Not-So-Perfect Brian.
There hadn’t been tears when she broke things off with Brian, much to A.J.
’s surprise. He might have felt a little guilty about that, but he’d get over it.
“I still can’t believe she called it off,” Caleb said as A.J. faced the room again.
Beckett stood in front of Shep, effectively putting a halt to his pacing.
A.J. thought back to dinner last night. Jesse had been staring intently at Ella all evening, looking as though his dog had died.
Hell, worse than that. And then he’d abruptly stood from the table, and the room they’d rented at the restaurant fell silent.
Jesse’s jaw was clenched, and his eyes were pinned Ella’s way.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” he’d rasped.
“Brian ain’t right for you, and I can’t watch you marry him tomorrow.
” And then he tossed his linen napkin on his plate and took off.
No one had been able to reach him since he’d gone God knew where last night. A.J. left him message after message after Ella had called off the wedding thirty minutes later. But knowing Jesse, he was off-grid now.
“Ella say anything to you? You think she’s got feelings for Jesse? Is that why she finally ended the charade of marrying Brian?” Shep went to the window alongside A.J.
A.J. shut his eyes, thinking back to what Ella had told him last night.
That soul-leaving-your-body feeling, Ella had said to him outside their parents’ house. I know what that’s like. But I don’t get that when thinking about not being with Brian. She’d squeezed his arm. Thank you for finally putting some sense into me.
A.J. was fairly certain Jesse standing before her and declaring he refused to watch her marry Brian was what actually set her mind right, but he had no idea what would come of the two of them. They were both stubborn as all hell, and he had no clue why they’d held back for so long.
“She wants a party.” A.J. folded his arms. “So, we give her a party.”
“Throwing her reception without the wedding, ain’t that gonna be a reminder that shit went sideways?” Shep turned toward his brothers. “I don’t want her suffering.”
“It’s what she wants, and you know how Hawkins women can be. You don’t stand in the way of what they want,” Caleb reminded him.
“Okay, fine.” Shep adjusted his tan Stetson. “I guess we can all breathe a little easier since we didn’t have to put on those monkey suits and watch our little sis marry that guy.”
“Let’s go help her get through today.” Beckett motioned toward the backyard, signaling for them to get a move on, but A.J. stopped Beckett from following Shep and Caleb outside.
“I wanted to thank you,” A.J. told him, hand on his arm. “I didn’t get a chance.”
Beckett removed his black cowboy hat and brought it to his side. “It’s clear how you feel about Ana. Clear as day. No doubt in my mind like I’d had with Ella and Brian.”
“Well, thank you. I wouldn’t want anything coming between us.” He reached for his brother’s hand. “You’ve always been there for me, even when I didn’t think I needed you. So, thank you.”
Beckett eyed his hand for a moment. “This is Alabama, boy. You give me a hug.” He pulled A.J. in and slapped his back twice, and A.J.’s throat thickened with emotions.
Once they were outside, A.J. navigated through the crowd already in full swing as the sun set—dancing, eating, and drinking—to try and find Ana.
And, jackpot.
Ana was laughing at something Grant was saying while they danced.
She had on a soft yellow wrap dress that hugged her curves and fanned out when Grant spun her.
But it was the cowboy boots paired with that dress that was his favorite accessory on her.
They must have been Ella’s. God, she was gorgeous.
“A.J.?”
He blinked and turned at the sound of Savanna’s voice. “Hey, you came. I wasn’t sure if you would.” He pulled Marcus’s widow into his arms for a hug. “Been too long.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Things have been hectic in the city. I started my own little bakery and coffee shop this year,” she announced when he released her.
“That’s great. Congrats. Marcus would be so damn proud of you.”
She drew a hand to her chest and smiled. “Is it strange that I can still feel him here? Like he’s watching us right now?”
He tilted his face to the sky and closed his eyes. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“I heard you and the pretty Federal agent are together,” she said with a smile. “Marcus would want you to be happy.”
He gently gripped her arm. “He’d want you to be happy, too, you know.”
“Is that you? Hot damn, Savanna! So good to see you!” Shep charged their way and scooped Savanna into his arms, and she laughed. “Girl, you better come out here and dance with me.”
“How about we teach Ana a little two-step?” Savanna suggested once Shep finally put her down.
“What makes you think she doesn’t already know it?
” A.J. teased, but hell, he was pretty sure Ana wouldn’t have a clue.
“Nah, you’re right.” He went to the small raised stage above the dance area and put in a request for “The Git Up” by Blanco Brown, and then a more romantic song by Clint Black for another round of two-step after.
He made his way to Ana, the anticipation of pulling her into his arms and dancing lighting a fire inside of him. “Mind if I cut in?”
Grant kissed Ana on the cheek, then allowed A.J. to take over.
“I’ve been patiently waiting for you,” she murmured.
“Hopefully you don’t change your mind after this.” He set his hat on her head, then snatched her hand and spun her once the band leader began playing his first song request.
“What are we doing?” Ana asked with a chuckle when the guests began dancing in synchronized fashion.
“A little two-step boogie.” He grinned. “Directions are right in the song,” he promised, and his smile stretched when she held the hat on her head and surprised him by letting loose, following along with the crowd.
She swayed her hips, rolled her shoulders, and took it down.
And damn he was in love.
“Get it, girl.” Ella came to stand in front of Ana and danced with her, and even Ella was laughing. She hadn’t married Brian, and this was her wedding reception, but . . . everything happened for a reason. And maybe the next time she planned on marrying it’d be to the right man.
A.J. went still when he lifted his gaze and saw Jesse coming down the hill from where the cars were parked out in a field.
Ana looked up as well and slowed her movements at the sight.
So, Jesse finally got his messages. About damn time.
When the band switched to singing a Clint Black song, A.J. stole Ana into his arms, prepared to teach her the next moves himself. He wanted her as close to him as possible. “Later,” he whispered into her ear, “when the sun sets, how about we go into the back of my old truck and—”
“Make love?” she mouthed seductively.
“I was gonna say check out the stars,” he said with a grin and leaned in closer, bringing his mouth to hers. “But I like the way you think.” He kissed her, then surprised her with a spin.
When he caught her in his arms, he chanced a look Ella’s way, happy to see her dancing with Jesse, and from the looks of it, tonight was going exactly the way it was supposed to go.
Shep had Savanna laughing and dancing.
Caleb had McKenna on his shoulders as she swayed her arms from side to side to the crooning of the music.
Even Owen had stayed for the party, and A.J.’s mom was teaching him a few two-step moves.
With Ana in his arms in his hometown . . . yeah, it was about as perfect as perfect could get. And there wasn’t a place in the world he’d rather be. Hell, now he sounded like a living country song.
“Sing for me?” she asked as if reading his thoughts.
“Oh?” He tightened his hold of her waist, drawing her closer. “And what would the lady like to request?”
She teasingly worked her lip between her teeth for a moment. “‘Somebody Like You’ by Keith Urban.”
“That I can do.” His hand drifted down to her ass cheek, and he squeezed, the material so thin he practically felt her skin, and was she wearing panties?
He’d have to do an inspection later. “I love you, woman.” He snatched his hat back from her and set it on his head. “But I gotta get you your own hat.”
“I don’t know,” she said, drawing her eyes down the front of his jeans when he stepped back. “I think it looks pretty good on me, especially when that’s all I have on.”
Tease. Temptress. He ran through a list in his head of words to describe her. And his favorites, all mine.