to the window. Curious, A.J. followed his sister to get a view of the “guy” Ana knew.
Owen was outside talking to both Beckett and Grant, standing in front of Beckett’s sheriff’s truck. “What . . .?” He raced a hand over his hair before reaching for his hat on the floor.
“Your brother called me right after I dropped you off at the airport, and he convinced me to get my head out of my ass—his words—and get on the first plane down here.” She lifted both shoulders. “There were no flights, so Adriana suggested Owen fly me here. You know, since he has a pilot’s license.”
“Right.” He shook his head, still in disbelief.
“I’m so glad our plan worked.” Ella approached Ana and pulled her in for a hug. “When we heard you weren’t coming with A.J., well, we decided to have Beckett call and guilt-trip you into coming down here.”
“Well, I gotta say I’m surprised. But grateful.” And now he felt guiltier than ever for pushing Ella about her wedding tomorrow, and all the while, she’d been going behind his back to make sure he was happy. “Thank you, Sis.” He swallowed. “I guess we have a dress rehearsal dinner to get to, then.”
Ella smiled. Damn it. It wasn’t a real one. “Meet you there?”
A.J. leaned in and pressed a kiss to his sister’s temple, then reached for Ana’s hand. “See you there.”
“Howdy, stranger,” Ana said once they were alone in the hall.
He spun her around and pinned her against the wall, nearly knocking a collage of family photos to the floor. “Thank you for coming,” he said, bringing his mouth close to hers. “Did you happen to hear what I was saying just before I saw you in the doorway?”
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