A.J. thought back to dinner last night. Jesse had been staring intently at Ella all evening, looking as though his dog had died. Hell, worse than that. And then he’d abruptly stood from the table, and the room they’d rented at the restaurant fell silent. Jesse’s jaw was clenched, and his eyes were pinned Ella’s way. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” he’d rasped. “Brian ain’t right for you, and I can’t watch you marry him tomorrow.” And then he tossed his linen napkin on his plate and took off.
No one had been able to reach him since he’d gone God knew where last night. A.J. left him message after message after Ella had called off the wedding thirty minutes later. But knowing Jesse, he was off-grid now.
“Ella say anything to you? You think she’s got feelings for Jesse? Is that why she finally ended the charade of marrying Brian?” Shep went to the window alongside A.J.
A.J. shut his eyes, thinking back to what Ella had told him last night.
That soul-leaving-your-body feeling, Ella had said to him outside their parents’ house. I know what that’s like. But I don’t get that when thinking about not being with Brian. She’d squeezed his arm. Thank you for finally putting some sense into me.
A.J. was fairly certain Jesse standing before her and declaring he refused to watch her marry Brian was what actually set her mind right, but he had no idea what would come of the two of them. They were both stubborn as all hell, and he had no clue why they’d held back for so long.
“She wants a party.” A.J. folded his arms. “So, we give her a party.”
“Throwing her reception without the wedding, ain’t that gonna be a reminder that shit went sideways?” Shep turned toward his brothers. “I don’t want her suffering.”
“It’s what she wants, and you know how Hawkins women can be. You don’t stand in the way of what they want,” Caleb reminded him.
“Okay, fine.” Shep adjusted his tan Stetson. “I guess we can all breathe a little easier since we didn’t have to put on those monkey suits and watch our little sis marry that guy.”
“Let’s go help her get through today.” Beckett motioned toward the backyard, signaling for them to get a move on, but A.J. stopped Beckett from following Shep and Caleb outside.
“I wanted to thank you,” A.J. told him, hand on his arm. “I didn’t get a chance.”
Beckett removed his black cowboy hat and brought it to his side. “It’s clear how you feel about Ana. Clear as day. No doubt in my mind like I’d had with Ella and Brian.”
“Well, thank you. I wouldn’t want anything coming between us.” He reached for his brother’s hand. “You’ve always been there for me, even when I didn’t think I needed you. So, thank you.”
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