Arlington, VA
âIsabella Elizabeth Kane, what do you mean youâre engaged to two men?â
With her head planted between her legs, Isabella waited for the nausea to pass. It wasnât going to happen anytime soonâespecially not while her mother, Katherine, screeched at her.
âAnswer me, young lady!â Her mother stomped her foot. âDo you realize the mess youâve made?â
In response, Isabella released a long winding groan. Under the circumstances, it was the best she could do. Heck, she didnât understand how sheâd gotten in this mess either. Well, she did, but it was all so unbelievable that she didnât know where to start.
Crash!
Isabella jumped from the bed, hiked up the hem of her white beaded Badgley Mischka wedding dress and raced to the bedroom window of her parentsâ two-story home. Her mother and Isabellaâs team of bridesmaids/sorority sisters followed suit.
Outside, rolling around on the lush green lawn before hundreds of friends, family and Capitol Hillâs most powerful elite, Isabellaâs two fiancés, Derrick Knight and Randall Jarrett, duked it out as if a world championship title was on the line.
Reverend Williams, bless his heart, jumped in to pull the men apart, but his efforts landed all three in the Lady Justice stone-garden water fountain.
Everyone gasped in horror.
âNo. No. No. This canât be happening,â Isabella fretted, turning away from the window to pace around the room like a mad woman. âOh, God. What am I going to do?â
No one had an answer to thatâespecially since no one knew how she had managed to get herself engaged to two men at once.
âIzzy,â Keri Evans, Izzyâs best friend, spoke up. âYouâre going to have to do something.â
Talk about an understatement.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
All the women jumped and gasped at the sudden hammering on the bedroom door.
âIsabella, open this door!â her father, Senator Tyler Kane, roared.
Shrinking from the rattling partition, Isabella returned to the bed and tucked her head between her knees again. Meanwhile, her mother rushed to the door.
âEverybody out!â her father barked.
The command was met with the loud rustle of silk as her bridesmaids bolted. Isabella wished she could join them, but she no longer trusted her legsâ stability to carry out an escape attempt.
The Senator, as he was affectionately called, slammed the door behind the women. Waves of heat pulsed from him and, if Isabella wasnât mistaken, the floor trembled as he stalked toward the bed.
âWell, little lady?â
âIâm sorry, Daddy,â she croaked down at the pearl-colored carpet.
âSorry? I have spent twenty years on Capitol Hill,â he began, his voice laded with anger. âAnd Iâve never once been embroiled in a single scandal. Now my own daughter has managed to destroy my record in one afternoon. This is an election year for Godâs sake!â
âTyler, calm down,â her mother instructed softly.
âHow can I be calm? The media is here.â
Isabellaâs head snapped up and for her trouble the room spun. âOh, Daddy.â
âDonât âoh, Daddyâ me. You need to get out there and fix this.â
Fix it? How on earth could she do that?
A quick knock and Keri rushed back into the room. âTheyâre on their way up.â
âWho?â her mother asked.
âThe fiancés.â
Isabella sprang to her feet, thankful they still worked after all. âStop them! Donât let them come up here.â
âStop them?â Katherine questioned. âHoney, you canât stay up here and hide all day. Youâre going to have to talk to them.â
âNo. IâI canât,â Isabella said, bordering on panic.
âBy God! As much money as I have spent on this wedding, youâre getting married today.â
âTo which one?â her mother asked.
âDerrick/Randall,â her father and Keri answered in sync and then glanced at one another.
Only her mother thought to ask, âWell, which one do you love?â
âWhat the hell does love have to do with any of this?â the senator thundered. âSheâll marry who I say to marry!â
âTyler!â her mother screeched.
âWhat?â
Keri stepped forward. âIzzy? Itâs your decision.â
Before anyone had the chance to refute the statement, the bedroom door banged open and Isabellaâs two bloodied and soaking wet grooms spilled inside.
âRandall, get out of my way!â
âLike hell, Derrick!â
Isabella leapt behind Keri, hoping to use her as a human shield while the men continued to scuffle.
Her brave father stepped forward and ended the tussle with the powerful boom of his voice. âStop it, both of you! If you break one thing in this house, Iâll have you both thrown in jail!â
The angry grooms sprung apart, but their heated glares continued the war.
âIsabella?â her father prompted and all eyes turned toward her.