Her Kind of Man Read Online Free Page B

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