Her Kind of Man (2 page)

3 Weeks Later

D
o you love him?”

The large door slammed behind Allina as she entered Christian Dreams Church, startling her. The simple question had haunted her the entire way to the church. This was her wedding day. It should be the happiest day of her life. But melancholy had set in the night before, and stuck with her throughout breakfast, her hair appointment, and the slow drive to the sprawling church.

The weather wasn't cooperating either. It had rained for three days in Cleveland, Ohio. The temperature had fallen to record lows. Her friends couldn't come, and her dress wasn't as perfect as she'd wanted, but she was getting married to the man of her dreams.
Right?

Frozen in place, she flashed back to the conversation she'd had with Kent before she left Michigan. The answer should have been obvious.
Right?
She'd uprooted her life for her fiancé, turned down a business opportunity to move back to Ohio and marry him.

But that conversation—
well, argument
—with the man that she'd once thought she'd love until the end of time had etched itself into her mind. Kent had challenged her to look at her motives, and to really think about taking the big step of marriage with a man she'd met only months before. She had to admit Kent was on to something. As wonderful as Isaac was, as perfect as he presented himself, there was a nagging feeling that something was off with him. But nobody was perfect.
Right?
In the end she'd decided that Isaac was the man for her, and she would become Mrs. Hunter before the day was out.

One of the church mothers stopped in front of her. “Are you okay?” the elderly woman asked, a concerned look on her face.

Allina swallowed and nodded quickly. “I'm good, thanks, Mother Bell.”

The older woman patted her arm gently and tucked a roll of tulle under her arms. “Great,” she said in a caring tone. “Do you need help with your things?” Mother Bell eyed Allina's dress bag and the small suitcase that sat next to her.

Shaking her head, Allina told her no. “Have you seen my mother?”

The woman craned her head around and turned back to her. “I saw her earlier,” she explained, “but she disappeared. I can go find her for you and send her into the changing room, if you'd like?”

Allina thanked the woman and watched as she hurried into the ceremony space. There was a flurry of activity around her as people scrambled to prepare for the ceremony. Shaking off her umbrella, Allina started toward the hallway leading to the changing room. “Bride's nerves” was what her mother had called it a few hours ago when she'd called to make sure she was on schedule. It was normal to feel this way.

She turned toward the foyer again. Since the wedding was kind of last minute, her mother hadn't had much time to prepare. But Sharon Parker had worked a miracle and managed to transform the church into an elegant yet whimsical space. There was an art to planning and Sharon had it down pat. It didn't matter if she had two years or two hours. Anything she put her name on would be lovely and evoke emotion. It had been that way since she was a child.

Allina would have preferred an outdoor wedding, though. There was something about the natural beauty of a garden that appealed to her—the sound of the wind, the feel of the sun on her skin. The sanctuary wasn't a bed of grass with beautiful wildflowers, but it was a close second. Looking around at the mint green and coral decorations with shades of peach accents, she felt a calm wash over her, a peace. What did the venue matter? The wedding was only a day; she and Isaac would have the rest of their lives together.

As she approached the large Sunday School classroom that would become her changing room, she heard voices coming from the church secretary's office—a woman…and Isaac. The boom of his voice sounded like an echo and she stopped in her tracks. In all the time she'd known Isaac, she'd never heard him yell at anyone. He was mild mannered and rarely lost his temper. Curiosity got the best of her and she glanced behind her before she tiptoed toward the room.

“You need to leave this alone,” she heard Isaac say. The harsh edge of his voice stopped her mid-step. It was a threat. He wasn't yelling anymore. His voice was calm, a whisper; but the intent was clear.

“You don't know him.”

Kent's words flooded back into her thoughts. She hadn't given him the satisfaction when he'd accused her of marrying Isaac for the wrong reasons, telling her that she couldn't love someone she didn't know. But listening to the quiet yet menacing tone of the man on the other side of the door—
her
man—she thought maybe Kent was dead on in his assessment.

There had to be an explanation.
Church business? Maybe a bill collector?
Determined to find out, she set her dress bag on top of her suitcase and raised her hand to knock on the door.

“I'll never leave it alone,” the mysterious woman snapped. “You don't deserve to live, let alone inherit this great church. You destroyed lives, and you won't get away with it. You're an evil man. I've kept quiet long enough.”

A heavy feeling settled in her stomach and she let go of the doorknob as if it were a hot coal.
Evil man?
Surely the woman didn't know Isaac. This was a man who was respected in the community by men, women, and children. He volunteered at the hospital's pediatric wing three days a week, had pioneered the church food drive and clothes exchange to help out the homeless. How could this woman call him evil?

Leaning her nose against the door, she waited for Isaac to respond, hoped he would say something that would alleviate the dread that had crept in. This wasn't the first time she'd felt this way, either. There was
something
that felt off with him.

Allina had noticed subtle changes once she'd accepted his proposal. Isaac had started to become possessive, controlling. He didn't want her to go anywhere, hang out with anyone but him. She'd exerted her independence by spending a couple of months in Michigan with her friends. Her best friend, Sydney, had just had a baby and she'd used that event as an opportunity to get some time away, think about if this was what she really wanted. In the end, she'd decided that there was more right than wrong with their relationship. And things between them had seemed fine since she'd returned home.

“How much?” she heard him say.

A slight shiver crept up her spine.

“I don't want your money,” the woman said. “Your father tried to pay me off, and I can't be bought.”

The sound of glass breaking startled Allina and she stumbled away from the door. The door swung open and the woman rushed out. Allina scrambled backward, pressing herself against the wall.
Oh God
. As the woman stomped to the front of the church, Allina exhaled. She tried to get a good look at her, but the young woman was sporting huge shades. Odd, since the sun hadn't shined in days. Frowning, Allina noted her thin frame, light skin, and long weave. The woman didn't seem familiar, but she had to know who she was and how she knew Isaac. The urge to catch up to her shot through her and she started after her.

“Excuse me?” Allina called as she rushed forward. “Wait.”

Allina caught up with the woman and grabbed hold of her arm. The woman turned to look at her. “What?” the woman spat, crossing her arms in front of herself.

“I'm sorry,” Allina said, trying to get a good look at the woman's face. Unfortunately, the thin woman seemed to purposefully avoid a direct gaze. “I'm Isaac Hunter's fiancée, and I—”

The woman froze, lowered her head, and gripped the belt of her huge purse. “I know who you are.”

“Okay.” Swallowing, Allina thought about how to proceed. “You were just talking…I overheard you in the room talking to Isaac.”

“Wow,” the woman said, lifting her head up finally, but turning away just as quickly. Allina was able to see her face long enough to note the streaks of mascara running down her cheeks, signaling the woman had been crying. But what stood out to Allina was the angry, red scratch peeking out from under her shades. “This is just great. Get out of my way.”

“Wait,” Allina blurted out. “I just want to talk to you, ask you some questions. Who are you?”

“I have to go.” The woman pushed past her. Allina, not wanting to cause a scene, backed away. Just as the woman reached the door, before she pulled it open, she sighed. “Don't do it,” she warned, without turning around. “If you know what's best for you, get far away from that man. He's not who he seems. And neither is his family.”

Allina let out a haggard breath she hadn't realized she was holding. “But—”

Her words were cut off by the slam of the door. Allina quickly tugged it open, but the woman had already jumped into her car. The woman sped off, her tires screeching as she rounded the corner.

Running a shaky hand through her hair, Allina went to search for her mother. She needed to talk to her, tell her what had happened. Sharon Parker would know what to do.

Something was definitely not right. She opened the door to the sanctuary. A handful of workers were decorating pews and setting up floral arrangements on pillars. But her mother wasn't there. Maybe she'd left the church?

Patting her pockets for her cell phone, she realized she'd left everything in the hallway. She raced to get her stuff. Her purse, suitcase, and dress were right where she'd left them. She picked up her small clutch and pulled out her phone.

“Allina?”

She gasped and the phone slipped from her sweaty palms and crashed to the floor. When she picked it up she noted the cracked screen.
Shoot
.

Slow, hesitant footsteps neared her and she fought back the surprising urge to flee. She'd never had a reason to be scared of Isaac before, despite his controlling ways. He'd never shown her anything other than kindness. He had his faults, but he'd never been cruel. But she couldn't deny that overhearing that conversation earlier had changed her perception of him. He'd threatened that woman and offered to pay her off. That alone was enough to make Allina question everything she thought she knew about him.

Then there was the warning from the mystery woman before she'd bolted out of the church. Too much to sweep under the rug.

The feel of his breath on her neck made her hair rise. He touched her shoulders and she held her breath. “What's going on?” he asked, his voice low.

Her heart pounded in her chest. “Nothing,” she croaked. “I dropped my phone.” She made a show of rubbing the face of her phone and tapping the screen.

“We can get you a new phone,” he offered in the same loving and concerned tone he'd used with her so many times before. It was hard to reconcile that with what she'd heard from him earlier.

Unable to turn around and face him yet, she shrugged. “I know. I just…I'm not due for an upgrade and I…” Allina struggled to finish her sentence, to say something. No luck.

“Are you okay?” His voice seemed far away, but she heard everything else, from the clang of a hammer to the sound of furniture being moved.

Allina's first thought was to pretend she hadn't heard anything, which would give her time to talk to her mother and maybe her father.

On second thought…

“Who was that woman?” she asked finally.

He turned her around to face him. He looked normal enough. His short hair was freshly cut. He smelled like Isaac. Gucci Guilty, his signature cologne. But the man in front of her wasn't the man that she'd gotten to know. This man was a stranger.

“Shouldn't you be getting dressed, sweetie?” He grazed a hand down her cheek. Instead of the warmth that normally accompanied a touch from Isaac, she felt a chill. “We don't want to be late for the ceremony. I can't wait to make you my bride.”

Frowning, she asked, “Are you going to answer my question?”

He paused as if he was thinking it over. Finally, he said, “No. It doesn't matter. She's nobody.”

The man in front of her lied to her face without even a hint of remorse in his brown eyes. Assessing him, she thought about what the other woman had told her…that scratch.
Did he do that to her?
Allina didn't have to see the woman's face to know. It was in her mannerisms, her movements, and her voice. Mystery woman had tried to play it off, but her fear had been unmistakable.

Hugging herself, she moved back to put some space between them.

But he only stepped forward, crowding her, hovering over her. Allina was a tall woman, but he had a couple inches on her.

How can you love someone you don't know?

Allina had thought she had all the answers. She had a plan—marriage, family, happiness. Now, she wasn't sure if she knew anything. There was a reason that woman was scared of Isaac. And Allina needed answers.

Here goes
. “That woman…I heard her.” Her thoughts scrambled as she tried to decide whether she should come right out with it and tell him that she'd not only heard their exchange in the classroom, but she'd talked to the lady. But the blank stare on Isaac's face, the dangerous air that swirled around him, prevented her from revealing everything she knew. Who was this man in front of her?

“You offered to pay her off,” Allina accused, finally finding her voice. “Then you lied to me and told me it was nothing. How can I trust you if you can so easily lie to me?”

“What exactly did you hear?”

“What happened between you two?” Allina pressed. “Who is she?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Isaac grumbled through clenched teeth. “Shouldn't you be getting dressed?”

“Just answer the question, Isaac,” she demanded. “What is going on?”

“It doesn't matter,” he told her again, in a stern tone. “It's church business. Nothing to concern yourself with. Let it go.”