“Rory will make it,” Ella quickly defended, then peered at Ana. “Rory is Jesse’s sister, and she sure took a liking to one of A.J.’s friends last weekend. Well, she didn’t use those words, but—”
“Chris?” Jesse asked as he returned to the table with A.J. and Caleb.
“Beeping gone?” Ella asked with a sarcastic tone.
“Taken care of,” A.J. answered before sitting. “And what were you all talking about?”
“How Rory has the hots for that friend of yours, Chris,” Jesse explained. “From what Ella is saying, at least.”
“Oh.” A.J. scratched his beard. “Yeah, feelings might be mutual.” He tossed out the words as casually as possible. “Anyway.”
“So, A.J. told me all about your professional singing career, Mr. Hawkins,” Ana quickly said, and A.J. looked up and sent a silent thank-you for the reprieve with his eyes. “I’d love to hear you sing.”
“A.J.’s the better singer,” his father admitted. “I think it’d be nice if you sing a song or two after dinner, don’t you?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” A.J. shook his head.
Ana had heard him sing in the car the other night, and her ovaries would probably burst if he were to serenade her in front of his family. But, how could she pass up hearing him sing again? “I’d love that.”
“Yes, please, Uncle A.J.!” McKenna pleaded. “Maybe we can dance, too. Good practice for the wedding.”
“How can I say no to that?” A.J. stood from the table. “My guitar in the usual place?” he asked his mom.
“Of course, dear.” Mrs. Hawkins stood and set her hands on her hips. “These dishes can wait. Let’s go out onto the patio down below.”
“Now is the time for that hat,” Ella said with an easy smile, the recent tension in regard to her wedding seemingly forgotten. “I’ll go get it.”
As Ella disappeared into the house, McKenna came skipping across the deck toward Ana with an outstretched hand. “Come on! You can dance with Jesse first.” She motioned toward A.J.’s good-looking friend. “Oh, wait.” McKenna made a huge show of shrugging her shoulders before pulling her hand away from Ana. “You probably shouldn’t since Uncle A.J. was making out with you earlier, right?”
Ana felt the heat rise up her neck and take over her face at McKenna’s comment.
“That’s okay, sweetheart, we all know how that boy feels about you. A.J.’s eyes say it all.” Mrs. Hawkins pointed to the backyard indicating they needed to get a move on.
Jesse saluted her and started for the steps off the back deck.
“I miss anything?” A.J. asked when he returned outside and found them on the patio area. He was now wearing his hat, the guitar strap positioned over his shoulder.
Holy shit. Now I have a thing for singing cowboys. Her body tensed, overcome with need. Memories of his kisses on her bare skin circled around in her mind as he stood close to her. “Just my near death by embarrassment. No biggy, though.”
He crooked her chin with his index finger and tilted her face up to find her eyes. “You okay?” he asked with a gentle sincerity.
“More than okay.” Despite everything, she was swimming in a crystal-clear ocean of “more than okay” right now. “And I can’t wait to hear you sing.”
“I ain’t that good. Don’t get your hopes up.” He withdrew his hand, and she wished instead he’d set his lips over hers.
“Here you go,” Ella announced. “This will look great on you.”
“Oh, hell yes,” A.J. drawled when Ella set the cowgirl hat on Ana’s head.
“Now you look like a Bama gal.” Ella winked. She started to walk away but glanced back when A.J. captured her upper arm.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Ella, remorse in his tone and in his eyes. “If Brian is who you want to marry, I’ll make things right. I just want you to be happy.”
Ana slipped away and left them alone, worried about intruding on a moment A.J. needed to have with his sister.
Ana glimpsed Jesse positioning a stool in front of the patio chairs, making her think a night like this was the norm for this family. Jesse’s eyes were on Ella, his clean-shaven jaw tight as he regarded her. Oh, he had it bad for that woman. The eyes say it all. “Your cabinets at Grant’s house are spectacular.” Jesse ripped his focus from Ella and released the stool.
“Thanks. The master bed was handmade as well.” A knowing smirk traveled across his lips. “But I assume you haven’t seen that one.”
“No, I haven’t.” And now I’m about to fan myself like a Southern belle. Thoughts of A.J. pinning her to a bed, the ground—hell, anywhere—had her body heating up.
“Mmmhmm.” Jesse’s smile stretched before he took a seat next to Caleb. A.J.’s parents and McKenna were already seated.
“Come on, A.J.,” Mrs. Hawkins called out. “I promised Beckett I’d get McKenna to sleep by nine.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A.J. strode toward the stool, and Ella chose the seat next to Ana. Despite A.J.’s apology, a tense energy emanated from his sister, more so, Ana noticed, when Ella’s gaze lingered Jesse’s way.
But when Ana moved her focus to A.J., one booted foot on the ground, the other on the rung of the stool, and the pick between his teeth while he tuned the guitar—her attention was solely on him. Where else could it possibly be?
A.J.’s eyes sparkled, a mischievous look she already knew all too well. She couldn’t help but picture his strong hands strumming her body instead of plucking the guitar strings.
“Any requests?” A.J. called out.
“Blake Shelton!” McKenna exclaimed. “The ‘Hell Right’ song, and no, Nana, I’m not swearing. That don’t count.”
“I think I remember that one.” A.J. closed one eye and took the pick from his mouth as if trying to call up the lyrics in his mind. “Okay, got it.”
Ana did her best not to clutch her chest when he began singing, his deep, husky voice delivering the uplifting song. Jesse and Caleb began dancing with McKenna, taking turns twirling her around, and then before Ana knew it, even A.J.’s parents were on their feet, clapping and swaying.
Was this what Southern life was like?
I could stay here forever.
“Dance with me!” McKenna offered her hand while dancing in place. Ana took it and let McKenna pull her up off the chair.
Let loose, she reminded herself. Dancing wasn’t her specialty. It required letting go, allowing your limbs to be loose and free. That wasn’t quite natural for her yet.
When Jesse requested Luke Bryan’s “What She Wants Tonight”—well, Ana’s insides melted while listening to A.J. croon the lyrics.
Yeah, A.J. knew exactly what Ana wanted.
Forget slow. Forget why they were in Alabama to begin with. She wanted A.J. tonight.
Caleb surprised Ana by pulling her in for a dance, only for the briefest of moments, and it was clear he was doing his best to try and rile A.J. up. But Caleb’s actions did have A.J. on his feet, eyes pinned on Ana.
“How about a little Lee Brice, ‘I Don’t Dance’?” The unmistakable husky tone of A.J.’s voice was heard by everyone. He left out the This one is for you, but Ana felt it in her bones as he sang. The lyrics had her swaying from side to side, unable to remove her gaze from him the entire time he sang. Her heart was going to explode. Each verse of the song had her feeling the intent of the words.