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.
Epilogue
Just Outside Birmingham, Alabama - Two and a Half Months Later
“You’re not peeking through that blindfold, are you?” A.J. waved a hand in front of Ana’s face as he walked backward.
“No.” She reached out in front of her to find her balance as she walked. “But if you don’t plan on making love to me with this thing on—your reasons for blindfolding me better be good.”
“What makes you think we’re not going to have sex?” he teased while reaching for her forearms to stop her from walking any farther.
“Because you’re my husband, and I know you.” Her lips twitched into an adorable smile.
“Say that one more time.” He closed his eyes, relishing in how the word rolled from her tongue.
She made a show of wetting her lips. “Husband,” she purred with a lift of her chin.
And even after a three-week honeymoon of traveling to different romantic spots along the Mediterranean, where he’d had her say the word over and over again, he doubted he’d ever grow tired of hearing it.
Now they just had to find a time to tell their friends and family that they’d eloped. But hell, they had followed Asher and Jessica’s lead. When Jessica had dropped the bombshell on everyone at Wyatt and Natasha’s wedding in July that she and Asher had secretly eloped, well, Luke almost had a stroke. Surely the blowback for his and Ana’s wedding wouldn’t cause as big of a shock with his team. His parents and siblings on the other hand . . .
But he and Ana had been eager to make it official. To give Ana a last name she’d never have to change again.