Her Kind of Man (3 page)

“It matters to me,” Allina hissed. “That woman said she couldn't be bought. And I'm not going to—”

Marry you
died on her lips when his fingers dug into her cheeks. He pulled her to him, his eyes boring into hers.

“Allina,” he whispered.

She gasped as he squeezed tighter. To anyone who should happen to pass by it would probably look like they were sneaking some time in with each other before the ceremony. But Allina was terrified. The tight grip he had on her jaw and the glare in his eyes took her back to another time in her life, to a similar threat from someone who was supposed to love her. A few minutes earlier, she'd bargained with herself that Isaac would never hurt her and now she was sure he would. Pushing against him, she ground out, “Let me go.”

“Allina?” The sound of her name on his lips had once made her feel treasured, but now she felt trapped. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I'll never let you go. You
are
going to marry me.”

“I won't,” she cried softly, whimpering when she felt the sting of his fingernails against her skin. Her response sounded hollow to her own ear. Allina squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shove him away. She had to get away from him. She needed to call her father.

“You don't want to play with me. I know too many people. I'll ruin you and your father's precious reputation with one phone call.”

He leaned closer. “I can make your life ten times worse than you think it is now. And I
will
hurt you if you leave me. If you even think about not going through with this wedding, you're dead.” With his mouth against her ear, he whispered, “Don't cry. Go put on that wedding dress. And make sure you smile wide for the camera.”

“Minister Hunter,” a voice called from behind them. Allina recognized Mother Bell's kind voice immediately.

Allina opened her mouth to scream, but Isaac's other hand dug into the muscle of her arm. His height and broad shoulders, along with the hold he had on her, prevented her from seeing past him to meet the woman's gaze. Not that anything she said to the woman would be received well. The truth was everyone in the church thought Isaac and his family walked on water. No one would believe her if she told them what had happened.

“Yes,” he replied without looking at the woman.

“Your father is looking for you,” the older woman said. “And don't you know that seeing the bride before the wedding is bad luck?”

Isaac laughed then, a terse chuckle. “I know. We just can't seem to help ourselves. I can't wait to make Allina my bride.”

The older woman giggled. “We're all so excited.”

“Can you do me a favor?” Isaac asked, glancing at the woman over his shoulder and flashing her a devious smile. “Do you mind taking my love's suitcase and dress to her changing room?”

“Sure thing,” the lady chirped.

“Leave her purse,” he added.

The woman shouted “Okay” and rolled the luggage away from them. Allina bit down on her lip and tried to push Isaac away again.

Then he let her go, and she fumbled backward. Leaning against the opposite wall, she rubbed her face where his hands had been and frantically looked down the hall for help. She heard voices toward the front of the church, but the hallway was empty; the woman had disappeared.

His threat was more of a promise. She believed every word of it. She eyed Isaac as he picked up her purse and pulled her cash out.

“If you say anything about what you heard,” he continued, “you won't like what I do.” He snatched her phone out of her hand and tucked it into his pocket. Without another word, he pushed her empty clutch into her arms and walked away.

S
afely in her changing room, Allina sagged against the door and ran a shaky hand over her hair. She rushed to the mirror, leaned in, and ran a finger over her jawline where Isaac had grabbed her. No marks yet.

She scanned the empty room. Spotting the phone on a small table, she hurried to it. Before she could dial her mother, Mother Bell walked in after a short knock. Right behind her was another, younger woman.

The younger woman waved. “Hi.”

“Baby,” the older woman said. “This is Toya. She's going to help you get dressed. I didn't see your mother. One of the other ladies said she had to run to the flower shop. So I figured we'd help you get dressed.”

The women went to work, the younger one opening a small makeup bag and plugging up a curling iron while the older woman unzipped the garment bag holding the gown.

Allina walked over to the dress hanging on the closet door, ran a hand over the soft material. She'd designed it herself for another bride, one who'd changed her mind about getting married. With the short notice, she hadn't had time to make the wedding dress she wanted, so she'd gone with something she already had. The dress was a beautiful A-line, but it wasn't her. She'd always envisioned wearing a ball gown.

Designing wedding dresses was Allina's passion. She'd done so happily for the last several years. She'd had dreams of opening up her own bridal shop. She'd even had the opportunity to take over the one she'd worked in for years when the owner retired. But she'd left it all behind to follow Isaac, to give love a chance.
Now look at me
.

“All right, now,” Mother Bell said. “Let's get you into this beautiful dress.”

Sighing, Allina took the dress off the hanger. Her hands shook as she dressed. Could she go through with this? The warning in his tone, the hard glimmer in his eyes, told her he would
hurt
her and her parents. She warred with her thoughts.
How can I be so sure he won't hurt them anyway?

Once she was dressed, the smiling women nudged her toward the full-length mirror on the bathroom door. Allina studied her reflection. She'd straightened her natural curls for the occasion and put a simple, decorative clip at the base of her scalp. The women had suggested a light foundation and blush, but Allina had decided against it. Makeup wasn't her thing.

“There you are,” her mother said, entering the room.

Allina's gaze snapped over to the doorway. She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her mother fiddling with a handmade bouquet as she made her way to the far corner of the room. When Sharon looked up, she gasped. “Oh my goodness. You're beautiful.”

Sharon's chin trembled and she gave Allina a wobbly smile. “I hate that I missed helping you get dressed.” She waved the bouquet in her hand. “It took longer than I thought at the florist.”

Allina rushed over to her and hugged her, holding on to her as if her life depended on it.

She closed her eyes as her mother's arms wrapped around her. The smell of her mother's signature cologne comforted her as it always did. Sharon told the two women to give them a moment and Allina heard the sound of the door closing.

Can I tell her what happened?
But Sharon Parker was a worrywart, and she knew her mother would be crushed. Isaac had told her that he'd hurt her, but he'd also threatened her parents. If anything happened to them because of her—

“Allina? Babe, are you okay?” her mother asked, leaning back to meet Allina's gaze, concern in her eyes. “I tried to call your cell phone. Sydney called, too. She's been trying to reach you. Is your phone dead or something?”

She smiled sadly at her mother. “Mom, I…”

Her mother caressed her face, brushing her thumb over her cheek. “I remember when you were a little girl, and you would dance around the house with my white towel on your head. You told me it was your veil. Now I have the honor of watching you realize that dream. I always knew you'd make a lovely bride.”

Stepping back, her mother dabbed her eyes with a piece of tissue and fiddled with the bouquet she'd brought in with her. Sharon Parker was beautiful from head to toe. Her long gray dress flattered her small frame and loose tendrils of her light brown hair framed her face. Sharon used to joke that Allina was her “mini-me,” and as she grew older, Allina had to agree. They had the same fair skin and light brown eyes. Both were thin, but Sharon was petite while Allina was pretty tall at five-foot-nine. And both had heads full of thick brown hair.

They'd been through so much together and shared a special bond. Allina remembered her mother showing her how, after her sixth birthday, to sew a button on a blouse. Growing up, her mother had always told her she'd do anything for her—and she had. The woman had risked her own freedom to save Allina. Watching her mom, standing before her with a straight pin in her mouth and a determined look in her eyes as she wrapped gray ribbon around the stem of the bouquet, Allina choked back a sob. Calling off the wedding would devastate her mother. Ever since Isaac had asked her father's permission for Allina's hand in marriage, Sharon had been giddy with excitement and the prospect of grandchildren.

The situation was a mess. Sure, it was her wedding, but whatever she did would affect her parents. If she called off the wedding, her parents would be smack dab in the middle of the scandal. What if Isaac was serious? What if he made good on his threats? The thought of running, getting the heck out of there without looking back, appealed to her. But she couldn't put her parents through that. They'd be worried sick about her if they came to get her for the wedding and she was gone.

Her mother's hands stroked her back slowly. “Oh, baby. You're still nervous?”

Nodding, Allina stepped away, averting her gaze. “Yes. Mom, what if I can't do this?”

“Why wouldn't you be able to do this? Isaac is a good man. The members here love him. Everyone was willing to pitch in on decorations, food. The church is excited about this wedding.”

Yep. Everyone was excited about the wedding—except her. Looking at her mother standing before her, pride in her eyes, Allina knew she couldn't tell her right then. She had to come up with a plan of action first. Eyeing the clock on the wall, she knew she had to make a move fast.

Her mother reached out and wiped Allina's eyes, gave her a loving smile. “You're going to be fine; you'll see. When you see Isaac standing at the end of the aisle waiting for you, everything will become clear and you'll race toward him.”

Allina wanted to throw up. The thought of seeing Isaac made her sick. “Mom, I—”

“You've overcome so much. I know that you thought you would never find love. But you have, and you deserve to be happy.”

Allina thought about her mother's words. As much as she'd wanted the dream, there was a part of her that feared it would never happen. She'd spent years alone until she'd fallen for Kent. Then she'd spent years hoping he'd actually
see
her.

Briefly, she considered calling Kent. After the argument they'd had, she doubted he'd want to talk to her. He had refused to come to her wedding.

“Mom,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Do you think I could have a minute? I really need to get my nerves under control.”

“Sure,” her mother said. Sharon took a slight step back and tilted her head, peering into Allina's eyes. “Are you sure you're okay?”

Allina nodded, just a little too fast. “Yes,” she lied. “I'm fine.”

Her mother bit her thumbnail and stared at her for a few seconds. Allina wasn't sure how much longer she could look at her mother and not tell her everything that had happened. But Allina wasn't ready yet.

“Okay,” Sharon said finally. “Just call me if you need me.”

A few minutes later, a knock on the door drew her from her thoughts. She walked to the door and opened it. Her father stood on the other side in his gray tuxedo, his salt-and-pepper hair slicked back, a smile on his face. He ducked as he walked through the door, pulling her into a warm embrace. She took in his smell and immediately felt at ease. Old Spice. Judge Owen Parker, or simply Judge, had always made her feel safe. He was tall and slender, but strong.

“You look beautiful, baby,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes. “I'm so proud of you.”

Allina couldn't help but tear up. The love that shone in her father's eyes comforted her. She knew what she had to do.

“Daddy, I love you.”

His eyes lit up. “I love you, too.”

Allina took a deep breath. “There's something I have to tell you.”

Judge frowned. “Baby, is everything okay?”

“I don't know if I can do this.”

Allina told her father about the scene in the hallway, everything from the overheard conversation to the mystery woman's warning to the not-so-veiled threats Isaac had leveled against them. By the time she finished, Judge was staring at her, his mouth a straight line.

“Daddy, say something.”

Her father sighed, long and low. “I've spent my life trying to protect you from the things that would hurt you. I haven't always succeeded. We know this. But you don't have to marry Isaac, or do anything else that would make you uncomfortable. Please don't feel like you have to do anything to protect me or your mother.”

“But he said he could ruin our lives. What if he knows—”

“He doesn't.” Her father's voice left no room for argument. “I think he's just desperate because he doesn't want to lose you. So he's making baseless threats, hoping to intimidate you into staying with him. That's what a coward does, baby. Plain and simple.”

“I don't…I can't do this. I can't marry him.”

Judge stood up and pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his tuxedo. He handed it to her. “Take this.”

Allina met her father's gaze. “What is this?”

“Open it.”

With her eyes still on her father, she opened the envelope and pulled out the card. Dropping her gaze, she ran her thumb over the beautiful design on the front. Her father always picked out the best cards. The heartfelt words reminded her of the love and bond they'd always have; the unwavering support they'd provided throughout her life. When she opened the card, she gasped at the check sitting inside.

“Don't say anything,” he said as if he'd read her mind.

Allina was as stubborn as the man standing before her. She'd never asked her parents for any help, even after she moved back to Ohio and struggled to find work. So seeing a check of this amount immediately made her want to give it back to her father.

“Read the rest,” Judge ordered.

Under the check, in her father's impeccable handwriting, were the words
Remember to always keep a stash.

It was the same thing he'd often told her growing up. He'd taught her to “pay herself first,” to save money and keep it hidden from everyone else, including any future husband. And she'd followed his instructions to the letter, until she'd recently had to dip into that stash to support herself.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she breathed as her tears fell down her face. “I don't know how to handle this. Should I just call off the wedding?”

“I'll support you in any decision you make.”

Allina thought about that for a minute. Calling off the wedding, telling everyone who had donated time and energy to making her day beautiful, made her want to throw up. They wouldn't understand. This was Isaac's church, Isaac's family. As much as she hated leaving her parents to deal with the fallout, it was the only way. She'd just disappear for a while, give Isaac time to calm down and save face.

She blinked and looked at her father. “I have to go.”

Her father took his handkerchief and brushed it over her cheeks. “Take this,” he said, wrapping her hand around the soft cloth. “And this.” He pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills and placed them in her other hand. “Now, I'm going to step outside and give you a minute. You take that money and do what you have to do. Just call me in a few hours, let me know where you are.”

Allina nodded.

“Hurry.” He placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

“What about Mom?” she asked, imagining the disappointed look on her mother's face. She wished she could at least lay eyes on her again, give her a parting embrace.

“Don't worry about your mother. She'll be all right.”

“And Isaac?”

“You let me handle him,” he grumbled before he pulled her into a tight hug. “I'll do a little investigation of my own. I love you.”

She swallowed past a lump in her throat as she watched him disappear around the corner. Picking up her purse, she stuffed the money in there. Opening the inner pocket of the clutch, she said a silent prayer of thanks that Isaac hadn't thought to take her driver's license or her debit card earlier.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and down the hall. But instead of heading toward the foyer, she turned and rushed down the back hallway, through the cafeteria, to the side exit. Her heart raced as she neared the door. She glanced back to make sure no one saw her. Pushing the door open, she stepped outside and took off to the limo. She pulled the door open and slid inside.

The driver turned, his eyes widening when he saw her. “Ma'am?” he asked with a questioning look.

“Just drive, please,” she ordered, clutching her purse against her chest when he sped off. Allina needed to go where she felt safest, to the one person who would protect her from the fallout.

Kent Smith gripped the tumbler in his hand and gulped down the contents. Closing his eyes, he relished the burn of the liquid. It was his second drink of the day—and it was only eleven thirty in the morning. He'd tried to go to work, but he couldn't concentrate so he'd ended up at the Ice Box. The bar wouldn't open for a few hours, so he had the place to himself.
Perks of being one of the bosses
.