And kissed her.
And kissed her until she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, her tears touching his cheeks, her hold on him so tight his lungs couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t feel that they needed to, because he didn’t need the oxygen.
He just needed Anna.
He kissed the wet trails down her face, threaded his fingers through her soft hair, cradled her close. “Ah, Anna Grace,” he murmured, “you are one magnificent woman.”
She pushed her hair off her forehead with a shaky hand. “I just insulted your mother.”
Sweet Lord, she had. She’d done it good too. Shouldn’t have been funny, an outsider insulting his momma in her own home, but Momma’d started it, thinking he’d bring home any woman who couldn’t hold her own.
Anna Grace, he’d decided, could hold her own with the devil if she had to.
The laughter welled up inside him again. This time, he didn’t try to hold it back. “Darlin’, you did it right good too.”
“I need to go apologize.”
“Oh, no, ma’am.” His fingers flexed at her waist. “You go on and let her stew on that for a night. You do whatever you need to in the morning, but tonight, you go on and let her stew.”
“But—”
“Trust me on this one.” He cradled her closer. “Besides, we got somewhere better to be.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
And he felt only a mite bad that she probably expected somewhere quiet and alone.
When he pulled into the parking lot of Mamie’s favorite bowling alley, Anna Grace looked at him as though he’d just told her all the ketchup factories were closing up shop. “You were serious.” Her voice broke.
He almost shifted the truck back into gear.
But this was the closest he’d get to introducing her to his daddy. “Five minutes,” he said. “You still want to go after five minutes, we’ll go.”
She looked at the building, then back to him, a silent plea in her eyes.
“Trust me?” He brushed his thumb over her ear and followed it with a kiss.
She scrunched her eyes closed, then blew out a sigh. “Five minutes.”
He checked his watch. “Ready?”
“Don’t push your luck.”
But she climbed out of the truck. He had three minutes and forty-three seconds left when he spotted Mamie’s crew. Took another thirty-three seconds to pass the eight lanes to get to them.
Miss Dolly saw him first.
Then she saw Anna. Her eyes went wide, and she tilted her head at Mamie. “You didn’t tell us Jackson was bringing a friend tonight.”
Mamie’s head popped up from where she was lacing her designer bowling shoes. “You’re late, sugarplum.” She frowned. “What’s this? You make this poor girl go to dinner at that old house? Ophelia, get this sweet thing a Coke. You like root beer, honey pie? Jackson, what did your momma do?”
Anna Grace still had that wary, shell-shockedlook about her. He squeezed her hand. “She tried that old nobody’s-good-enough-for-my-baby thing, but don’t you worry none. Anna Grace here blessed her heart and set her straight.”
Anna’s cheeks went all sweet and embarrassed. Mamie wrapped her in a hug. “Don’t you give Deb any mind.” The top of Mamie’s tightly rolled hair barely hit Anna’s shoulder, but she patted Anna’s back and said all the right Mamie things, and he felt the tension leaving Anna as much as if it’d been his own.
Miss Ophelia dove back into the pit with a root beer. “Hope y’all don’t mind sharing,” she said with a wink. “They’re plum short on cups tonight. Y’all done introductions yet? I wanna meet this girl who got our Jackson’s attention without a single biscuit to her name. Lots of disappointed mommas in these here parts over you,” she said to Anna, who was looking on the mend.
