A.J. lowered his palm from his face. “Different Ana,” he attempted to bullshit a bullshitter. Caleb wouldn’t buy it.
“Well, I gotta go see the woman who has you all tickled pink in the face like this.” Caleb swirled a finger in A.J.’s direction and then scurried off to the house.
“Don’t mention the FBI thing, please,” A.J. called out in a low voice. Caleb whipped around and zipped his lips shut like he used to do when they were kids. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath and looked to Jesse for—help? He wasn’t so sure.
“You protecting a Fed?” Jesse asked once Ella took off toward the house as well.
A.J. gripped his temples with his thumb and middle finger and applied pressure. “Something like that. And coming here wasn’t the plan, but Mom showed up at Grant’s rather unexpectedly while I was making out with Ana.”
“Whoa, rewind.” Jesse slapped a hand to A.J.’s chest. “You did what with the pretty Fed? And she’s a looker, right?”
A.J.’s chest puffed out with a deep breath as he lowered his hand to his side. “More than pretty,” he said on a sigh. “And you can’t tell a soul we’re here.” He removed his glasses so Jesse could see his eyes and understand he meant every word.
Jesse held both palms in the air and smiled. “You’ve kept all my dirty secrets. I suppose I could return the favor and finally keep a few of yours.”
A.J. trusted him. McKenna, too, despite her youth. No one would rat out his location. Small towns were great at gossiping, but they’d protect a secret from outsiders down to their dying breath. “Let’s not talk about why I’m here, though. I’m worried about Ella and Brian.”
“She told you about moving to Mobile?” he asked with a wince. “She didn’t tell me, but I overheard her talking to Brian Sunday night before he hightailed it out of town.”
“And you didn’t knock the shit out of him?”
“I wanted to, but then Ella would hate me,” Jesse said. “She’s pissed at all of us.”
“Well, we gotta fix this. I just need some time to handle a work matter first. But before their wedding—”
“She’s gonna marry him,” Jesse said, his tone defeated. “The more we try and stop her, the more stubborn that woman becomes.”
“Hawkins women,” they both said at the same time.
“Uncle A.J.! Mr. Jesse! Lunch!” McKenna called from the back porch, hands on each side of her mouth.
“I guess it’s time I go meet the girl that’s got you all googly eyed.” Jesse grinned, and A.J. quickly placed his shades back on.
“Shut up,” he mumbled as they started up the hill to get to the house.
“I absolutely insist you stay for dinner!” Ella said the second he opened the sliding glass door to go inside. “I just won’t take no for an answer. I’m cooking tonight, and it’d be inhospitable of you to turn down a Southern meal.” Ella was laying it on thick. Revenge for Brian.
“Please, please, please, Ms. Ana,” he heard McKenna beg next as he and Jesse entered the kitchen.
Ana’s gaze cut straight to A.J. for a clue as to how to handle the situation. The woman could take down Russian spies, but throw some sassy and stubborn Southerners her way, and she was waving a white flag of surrender.
“Ohhh, you must be the one I’ve heard so much about.” Jesse left A.J.’s side to introduce himself to Ana, offering her a momentary reprieve from answering the dinner question.
“So, it’s agreed.” A.J.’s mom slapped her hands together while Jesse pulled out a chair for Ana to sit at their big white kitchen table. “After lunch, we’ll give you a tour of the ranch—not too many of them in Alabama, so our place is all the more special—then after, you’ll clean up and have dinner.”
What just happened? And he saw the same look in Ana’s eyes once she sat at the table.
“You just have to stay,” Ella insisted as she helped set out the barbecue sandwiches and sides.
“I’m, um, sorry, but we probably won’t be able to stay for too long.” An A for effort from Ana, but the woman was toast with three Hawkins women in her presence. She really had no idea what she’d gotten herself into. Russian espionage would be a cake walk after a day with his family.
Maybe he could fake a call from his team, and they’d be able to escape that way?