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