The Proposition (The Proposition #1)(64)

“Exactly,” she replied, with a grin.

Aidan’s couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping when they reached the barn. The outside rustic appearance was quite deceiving when it came to the inside. All the stalls had been cleared out to leave one giant room. There were ten to twenty round tables set up with folding chairs. In the center of the room, a small, wooden stage rose from the ground where several guys were tuning their instruments.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Emma asked.

“I had no idea you guys took it this serious.”

“Yep. There’s even a small kitchen in the back, too.” She giggled at what he assumed was his bewildered expressions. “With as much extended family as I have, we needed a place where we can all get together.”

“Jesus, I don’t think I even know this many people, least of all be related to them,” he mused, as she steered him toward the food table.

“Trust me, by the end of the night, they’ll consider you family. I like to think of us as the family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, except we’re Southern.”

Aidan wasn’t sure if that was really such a bad thing. Everyone had been so welcoming and friendly to him—even with him technically being the ass**le who had knocked Emma up and not married her.

After fixing teeming plates of BBQ along with mouthwatering sides, Emma led him to an empty table. When he bit into his sandwich, he moaned. “Oh.My.God. This is delicious!”

Emma smiled. “The sauce is Grammy’s own recipe.”

“Really? She could seriously sell bottle and sell it. It’s ten times better than most of the BBQ joints in Atlanta.”

“You’ll have to tell her that. It’ll make her day.”

“I’ll be happy to.”

An elderly man shuffled up to the table. “This seat taken, Em?”

“No, Uncle Pete. We were saving it just for you and Aunt Ella.”

Pete smiled broadly at Emma before giving her a hug. Aidan couldn’t help reveling in the effect she seemed to have on everyone up here. She was always charming to everyone back in Atlanta, but there was something almost angelic about her up here.

More people crowded inside the barn, and the band started playing. Aidan had just polished off his second plate of BBQ and was debating a third when Earl sauntered up to him. Aidan warily eyed the Mason jar in Earl’s hand that was filled with clear liquid.

“Ever had any homebrew, City Boy?” he asked.

“Granddaddy, his name is Aidan,” Emma hissed.

“Excuse me. You ever had any homebrew, Aidan?”

“No sir, I don’t believe I have.”

Earl thrust out the Mason jar. “Why don’t you try a little?”

“Is that a trick question, sir?”

“Whaddya mean?”

Aidan sucked in a ragged breath before he spoke. “Well, it’s just Emma told me about you being a very religious man, so I wouldn’t imagine you do a lot of drinking. If I accept, you’ll think me a drunkard who doesn’t deserve to date your granddaughter. On the other hand, if you do enjoy a drink once in awhile and I refuse, then you’re going to consider me a sissified city boy. Right?”

Earl stared Aidan down. Finally, a wide grin broke on his face. He thumped Aidan heartily on the back. “I like your way of thinking.” Without breaking Aidan’s gaze, he brought the Mason jar to his lips and took a long gulp. “A little sip of spirits never hurt anyone.”

Aidan laughed as he took the moonshine from Earl. The moment the liquid entered his mouth it burned a fiery stream of torment down his throat and into his stomach. With Earl watching him expectantly, he did his best to fight his watering eyes and the urge to choke and hack. “Good stuff,” he replied, mustering the manliest voice he could. He quickly passed the jar back before he could be expected to drink anymore.

With a chuckle, Earl turned to Emma. “Maybe he’s a keeper after all, Emmie Lou.”

She widened her eyes as Earl walked off. “I can’t believe you’ve managed to win him over, especially so fast. It took Travis ages not to get a death glare 24/7, and we’d known each other our whole lives.”

Aidan smirked at her. “After everything we’ve been through, I can’t believe you doubted my ability to charm the pants off your grandfather.” He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Let’s not forget all the times I’ve managed to charm the panties off of you.”

Playfully, she pushed him back. “You seem to forget the first time you tried to play Marketing McDreamy with me at the Christmas Party, and I said absolutely and totally not.”

Aidan chuckled. “That’s the truth. Worst rejection of my life.”

“I doubt that.”

“Trust me, babe. It was.”

She couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. To change the subject, she said, “Would you go get us some dessert?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Still hungry?”

She laughed. “Asks the man who ate two plates of BBQ to my one.”

“All right. I’ll go get you something sweet.”

She kissed his cheek. “The baby and I thank you for it.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re going to milk this pregnancy thing for everything it’s worth, aren’t you?”