Imperfect Saint

by Jess Bryant

  “Boyfriend.” Her father finished for him, squinting as he eyed him up and down, “Gotta say, I had my doubts when you first showed up with her, but this thing between you two is more than some game she’s playing, huh?”

  “Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Chuck.”

  “Good catch.” The man pointed at him with his pinky and sipped at his drink again. “You know she’s too good for you right?”

  Hunter swallowed the urge to argue, knowing it was pointless. To Chuck, Millie was a Turner. She came from wealth and privilege. Hunter was nothing but an Army grunt with scars, a simple man that couldn’t give her half of what she deserved. Of course he thought Millie was too good for a man like Hunter.

  The thing was, Hunter agreed.

  Millie was too good for him. She was sweet and kind and generous. She was a better person than he’d ever been and just being near her made him want to be a better man. That wasn’t the kind of goodness that Chuck Turner was talking about though and Hunter wasn’t about to start an argument with the man right before his son’s wedding, so he nodded.

  “I know.”

  “Good. So long as you know that she’s too good for you, I expect you’ll treat her right.”

  “Always.” He promised with a firm nod.

  Chuck Turner sighed and leaned back against a wood beam, “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for her, you know? The best. It’s what she deserves. I tried to give it to her but… I’m just a man and I didn’t know a damn thing about raising a girl alone in this world all by myself.”

  Hunter tilted his head and watched as Chuck Turner drank down the remains of his glass of whiskey and then tossed it aside. The glass broke somewhere behind a bale of hay but the man didn’t seem to notice. He looked around and then sat down on the stack of hay, dropping his head into his hands. Hunter looked around too, wondering where Hank the horse guy was and if he was coming back anytime soon.

  He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. He’d thought Chuck Turner intended to confront him about his intentions for Millie. Now he thought the man was about to spill his guts like Hunter was some kind of priest and this barn was a confessional. He wasn’t sure which was worse but he stood still and kept quiet, not knowing what else to do.

  “I made mistakes.” Chuck Turner shook his head, “I didn’t do right by her mama. I know that. I let her down. I let my girls down, the both of them. If Cami had been alive, she’d have known something was wrong. Millie could have gone to her. She would have gone to her mama but she didn’t come to me. She doesn’t trust me. She doesn’t think I’d care or help her or… I guess I just I let her down too many times.”

  Hunter had no idea what the older man was saying, not really, but he listened intently. This was about Millie and he wanted as much information about her as he could get. He knew from his internet search that her mother, the original Camilla Evelyn Turner, had passed when Millie was just a little girl and he’d noticed since their arrival that she wasn’t particularly close with her father, but she hadn’t opened up enough to talk to him about that, not yet.

  “I’m sure she knows you care.” He finally said, hoping he could keep Chuck talking now that he’d started.

  Chuck only scoffed, “She thinks the only thing I care about is that damn company.”

  “Turner Bell?” Hunter narrowed his eyes, watching for a reaction when he already knew that was the company the older man meant.

  “Turner Bell.” Chuck harrumphed. “If it’d just been Turner, we’d all be a hell of a lot better off, especially my Millie.”

  Hunter felt the words like a punch to his solar plexus. This was about the Bell family. Realization sank in and brought new questions with it.

  Did Chuck Turner know that Joshua Bell had hurt his daughter? Did he know there was more to the story than just the infidelity? Did he know what the more was? And if Millie hadn’t told him, which seemed the most reasonable bet considering Chuck’s confession that his daughter didn’t trust him or come to him for help, who had told him?

  “You mean Joshua?” He pressed his luck by asking another question.

  “Joshua.” The older man spit the name like it was a bug he’d accidentally swallowed and Hunter had his answer.

  Millie’s father knew enough. Maybe he only knew as much as anyone else seemed to. Maybe he only knew that the Bell heir had cheated on and broken his daughter’s heart. Was that enough to have him this distraught? For him to seem to hate the kid so much? And if he hated him, like it seemed he did from the venom in his voice, why was he pushing Millie to take the bastard back?

  “I thought you wanted Millie to get back with Joshua and marry him?”

  Chuck glared up at him for a long time. Hunter stood his ground. He didn’t know the man well enough to read his face, but he thought there was something Chuck wanted to say so he waited. Finally, Chuck shook his head and looked away.

  “I just want her to be happy. That’s all a parent ever wants for their kid. I thought he made her happy but…” Chuck glanced back up. “I haven’t seen her smile like she does with you in a long, long time.”

  Something warm and soft opened up inside him and Hunter let himself smile. He liked hearing that. He’d liked getting to spend the day with Millie and he’d loved seeing her smile and hearing her laugh. He’d thought that he was missing out on those things because of the self-imposed rules she’d placed on their relationship, because she’d been keeping him at arm’s length, because she only acted strictly professional. Now he wondered if maybe he hadn’t seen her smile like that before because she just hadn’t been happy.

  Did he make her happy? God, the thought alone could keep him warm at night. He’d prefer her company though.

  “I like making her happy. She makes me happy too.” Hunter offered when Chuck continued to look at him.

  “You keep making her happy and we won’t have any problems.”

  “I don’t have any plans to…”

  “Mr. Turner?” Another male voice came from the shadows, interrupting their conversation, and Hunter groaned. He’d been hoping to keep this conversation going. He wanted to see what else Chuck Turner might say. Instead, Hank the horse trainer chose that moment to come around the corner. “Mr. Turner, is there something I can help ya with?”

  “No, Hank.” Chuck groaned as he pushed himself back up from the haystack. “We were just leaving.”

  “We were?” Hunter spun back around.

  “Yeah, come on kid. I’ll show you the grounds.”

  Hunter turned back to the horse trainer, looking uncertain, “I told Millie I’d help get the horses put up.”

  “Stop trying to do Hank’s job.” Chuck snorted, “He’ll take offense. Now come on. I need another drink and there’s not anything in this barn but horse piss.”

  Hunter gave the horse trainer one last look but ultimately followed Millie’s father as he swaggered out of the barn. He expected Chuck to turn back up towards the house but instead the man headed in the opposite direction. Hunter paused again, trying to decide if the man was drunk and lost or if he was planning to take Hunter into the woods to kill him.

  “Uh… Chuck?” He pointed over his shoulder when the other man glanced back. “The house is this way.”

  “I know where my house is, kid.” Chuck snorted, “I told you I was going to show you the grounds and this is the way to the still.”

  “The still?” Hunter’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “Yup. Make my own whiskey same way my daddy and his daddy did before him. Family tradition and all. Oh and speaking of family tradition, you can’t tell Millie where it’s at. The location is a secret, passed down through the male side of the line. No girls allowed.” The old man chuckled.

  Hunter opened his mouth only to shut it again. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. He wanted to say that there was no way in hell he was going to keep secrets from Millie because of some stupid, old boys club rule. Then it hit him what Chuck had said and he reconsidered lambasting the ol
der man.

  The male side of the Turner line.

  Did showing him the still mean Chuck thought Hunter would be part of their family someday?

  Hunter watched Chuck take a couple more steps and then thought better of following him again, “Uh, shouldn’t we be getting back up to the house?”

  Chuck frowned at him this time, beginning to look irritated, “What for?”

  “The rehearsal? You’re missing it.”

  “Colly doesn’t want me at his rehearsal.” Chuck scoffed.

  “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “You seem like a nice guy so I’m gonna let you in on a family secret. My kids hate me. They think I’m a no good drunk. Maybe I am a drunk, but I ain’t all bad. I only want the best for them. Done whatever I could to make sure they got it too. I gotta make sure they find what me and Cami had. You know what I mean? They deserve that. So maybe I pushed and maybe I meddled but, I did it for them. I’d do it the same way every damn time.”

  “I’m sure they understand that.” Hunter offered even though he didn’t think Chuck was waiting for his response.

  The older man was looking back towards the house now. In the distance, they could see people on the back lawn but it was hard to make out the figures. People in black suits were putting out chairs and others were hanging flowers from the trees and scattering the grass with petals, at least that’s what Hunter figured they were doing. It was hard to tell what they were scattering from this far away. The rehearsal was in full swing though, the other figures moving in and out, up and down the makeshift aisle the workers were making.

  There was even a small, shaggy dog running around, barking and yelping occasionally. It was a three-legged dog according to what Hunter had learned last night at dinner but he’d yet to meet the mutt the grooms had adopted. He couldn’t even imagine what they were thinking using their dog as the ring bearer.

  Hunter glanced back at Chuck and caught the wistful look on the older man’s face. He could say what he wanted. He could pretend he didn’t care that his kids hated him, pretend he wasn’t hurt if Colin really didn’t want him at the rehearsal. But it was clear to Hunter no matter what mistakes the man might have made with his kids, that he did care, a lot.

  “I just want them to have what me and Cami had.” Chuck repeated, his gaze still on the figures in the distance, two of which were his children and one of which was about to become his son-in-law. “I just wish I could tell them that I tried.”

  “You still can. There’s time. You’re here. They’re here. We can go up to the house. You can tell them right now. It’s not too late.”

  Chuck turned back to him, a sad smile making him look even older than he was, “Nah, we’re past that now. My kids and I… well, they outgrew me a long time ago. Good for them too. They deserve the best. Seems like Colly found it. Maybe Millie did too.”

  “I’ll always give her my best. I promise you that.”

  Chuck surprised Hunter by reaching out and gripping his shoulder. He gave a slight squeeze. The old man dropped his arm before Hunter could say anything else.

  “Come on. Stop stalling or I’m going to start thinking you’re trying to sober me up.” Chuck smirked, “You’re not trying to sober me up are you, kid?”

  “No sir. I mean, no Chuck.” Hunter played innocent and the old man laughed.

  “Good, because I was just starting to like you.”

  Hunter gave the rehearsal up on the back lawn one last look and then he followed Millie’s father down a curving path into the woods. Sobering Chuck Turner up was exactly what he should be doing but he knew it was no use. The man would find another drink just as soon as Hunter got him back to the house anyway.

  Instead, he followed along and let Chuck talk, hoping he’d be able to put the ramblings of the older man together into something that resembled a picture of the real Millie, the girl he was still trying to get to know even as he was falling head over heels in love with her.

  11

  Millie tried not to fidget as she held her mock bouquet of flowers in front of her and watched her brother and Reed exchanging fake vows for the five hundredth time as their adopted dog, Hoppy, bounced around them like a kid on a sugar high. They’d been rehearsing for over an hour and she wanted to scream that this wasn’t a Grand Ol’ Opry performance, and that it was only a wedding. But it wasn’t her wedding so she kept her mouth shut, forced a smile and tried to focus on what the wedding coordinator was saying instead of letting her mind drift to thoughts of Hunter.

  He’d told her that he would be fine on his own. He’d said not to worry about him and she knew she shouldn’t. He was a grown man and the only person here that might be any danger to him was currently standing across the aisle from her trying to get her attention. Joshua was here and Hunter was probably taking a chance for some free time up in their room to check emails and whatnot just like he’d told her he planned to. He was fine, but even with the reassurance that he didn’t need her worrying about him, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

  It had been a problem for her even before today if she was being honest with herself

  Hunter was a good man. He was kind and sweet. He was gentle with her in a way that she’d never known. When he touched her, she didn’t feel the strength coiled inside him or think about the hurt all those muscles could cause. With Hunter, she felt safe and special, protected, which she knew was technically his job but she didn’t think that was why he was here.

  He’d never lied to her. He’d told her the truth. He’d been open with her from the start when he’d told her this was more than an act to him. So how could she not believe him when he said there was something special between them?

  This morning when he’d kissed her, she’d never felt anything like that. The need that had coursed through her had been overwhelming. He’d taken control of her and she’d let him, because, she’d realized in that moment, she trusted him not to abuse the power she gave him. She trusted him and there were far too few people in the world she could say that about these days.

  She hadn’t realized until today, with Hunter, just how little fun she allowed in her life. She kept a strict calendar. She worked on a schedule. She was organized and determined and she didn’t let anything sidetrack her. But this morning, going for a ride with Hunter had been fun. Being with him was fun. He was always teasing and joking and flirting with her. He made her smile. He made her feel good. And being near him, being with him, just felt right.

  “Camilla.” A harsh voice hissed her name, jerking her back to reality at the same time a big hand landed on her wrist and squeezed just a touch too hard.

  She winced and jerked away from her ex-fiancé, “Don’t you dare call me that. You know I hate it when you do that.”

  Joshua was right in her face, “What I know is that it gets your attention. If you’d focus on what we’re here to do instead of mooning around like an idiot I wouldn’t have to get your attention in the first place.”

  “Everything okay over there?” It was Reed and when Joshua moved back a step, she could see that her almost brother-in-law was eyeing them suspiciously, watching their interaction, and she knew that if she gave away just how uncomfortable being this close to Joshua made her that it would ruin everything.

  Millie plastered a fake smile on her face, “Everything’s fine.”

  “Good. Then back to square one and let’s take it from the top people.” The wedding coordinator cut in and Millie sighed as she forced herself to appear happy and go through the motions.

  She hated that Colin had arranged his wedding this way. He could have let her walk the aisle alone like any other bridesmaid, but no. He’d had a plan to push her back into Joshua’s arms and now, even though she had Hunter and Colin had agreed not to continue promoting his biased agenda, she was forced to take the arm of the man she despised and let him walk her down the aisle to the makeshift altar again and again and again as they rehearsed.

  She was fairly certain she was g
oing to kill Colin before he ever got married for real if he didn’t call this soon. They all knew how to walk. They knew where to stand. They knew what the vows were that required them to hand over the rings and when they would pause for a song. She was a planner, sure, but Colin was trying to plot every second of the ceremony and even she knew it was impossible to plan for every possible problem, especially when the ring bearer was a dog. All of this rehearsing was only keeping her away from Hunter and she was officially getting annoyed.

  “Hey there, space cadet.” Jill nudged Millie to get her attention and she realized she’d zoned out again.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “I asked if you’d like some water.”

  “Oh, that would be great. Thank you.” Millie took the small bottle the other woman offered and downed a long swig of it. She sighed as she put the cap back on, “Sorry, my mind is elsewhere.”

  Jill smirked, “Oh I think I know where your mind is. It’s on that superhot boyfriend of yours.”

  Millie felt her face heat, “Is it that obvious?”

  “That you’re crazy about him?” Jill shrugged, “Maybe just a little.”

  “That’s embarrassing.”

  “Nah, it’s cute. You two are good together. Trust me, he looks at you the same way.”

  “He does?” Millie found her heart skipping when Jill nodded.

  “He looks at you like…”

  “Jill!” That harsh voice came again, louder this time, and both women jumped.

  Joshua glared at them when they turned to face him. Millie glared back but the other woman dropped her gaze and she instantly knew that this wasn’t the first time Joshua had yelled at her. It wasn’t the first time he’d embarrassed her in public. And no doubt, whatever punishment he saw fit to deliver when they were alone wouldn’t be the first glimpse of the real Joshua that this girl had gotten either.

  He barked, “Get over here and give me that water you’re supposed to be passing out.”

  When Jill started to take a step towards him Millie grabbed her arm, “You don’t have to do what he says.”