But now that he had a new wife to help him preserve his image, Isabella could finally do those things she dreamed of. She’d get a job. She had a degree, after all. Surely she could find some form of employment, even if she’d never worked a day in her life.
The thickness of the woods shrouding the long, gravel driveway gave the impression that the trees were closing in, and the unwanted yet familiar trickle of claustrophobia seeped through Isabella’s veins.
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
She breathed in, absorbed each word of the verse that had seen her through the scariest years of her childhood and continued down the darkened driveway. Ten minutes ago, she’d admired the brilliant sunshine of the June afternoon, the expanses of cotton, soy and corn fields bordering the road leading to Claremont like a patchwork quilt welcoming her in her quest to do the right thing. But now, as the trees closed in, she didn’t feel welcomed. She felt warned. And she considered turning the car around and leaving without sharing information with a man she’d never met.
But she didn’t want to break her promise to the woman who had provided Isabella with the dearest friendship she’d ever known.
She’d expected to find a construction crew working on-site, but there was no sign of anyone except a guy riding a bulldozer on the opposite side of the property. A trailer sat on its own to the right. She assumed that was the makeshift office. She parked beside a navy pickup with a Jameson Construction Company magnet stuck to the driver’s door.
Time to see Nan’s ex-husband. Her heart thudding loudly in her chest, Isabella climbed out and made her way toward the trailer, but a man in a baseball uniform opened the door before she had a chance to knock.
“Oh, hello, I’m Brodie Evans.” He waved her inside. “You must be here about the ad in the paper. Savvy said she got a couple of calls from people wanting to interview. Come on in. I’m heading out, but she’s on her way down from our place. She’ll talk to you about the job.” He motioned to the tiny living area. “Have a seat.”
Isabella sat on the sofa, not so much because she wanted to but because she needed to gather her thoughts and figure out what was going on. However, before she could ask questions, the door burst open and a teenage boy entered. “Hey, Dad, we’re gonna be late if we don’t leave now.”
“I know.” Brodie pointed to the teen. “This is our son, Dylan.”
“Hi,” Dylan said.
“Dylan, this is...” Brodie let the word hang. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get your name.”
“Isabella. Isabella Gray.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dylan said, holding out his hand.
Bewildered, she didn’t know what else to do but shake his hand. “You, too.”
Then the door opened again, and two little girls entered, their bright-eyed faces and blond pigtails so similar that Isabella wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.
“Hey, Daddy,” they chimed, energy bristling as they bustled in. “Hey, Dylan.” Then they noticed her and one asked, “What’s your name?”
“I’m Isabella,” she said, as a blond woman and another little girl entered.
The third little girl was about the same size as the other two, probably the same age, but she had long dark hair and a solemn disposition, as if she’d gotten in trouble before they arrived.
“Isabella, this is my wife, Savvy,” Brodie said. “Savvy, this is Isabella Gray. She’s here about the job.”
“Hi. Let me get the girls situated and then you and I can chat.” She turned to Brodie. “Y’all need to get going, don’t you?”
He kissed her cheek. “Heading on out,” he said. Then to Isabella, “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Isabella knew she’d need to set the record straight soon, but from what she could tell, Titus Jameson wasn’t in the trailer. Maybe he’d already left for the day and the company truck she’d seen had been driven by the guy on the bulldozer.
“One second.” Savvy held up a finger to Isabella and then turned to the girls. “Rose, Daisy, y’all take Savannah to the playroom and show her your new dolls.”
“Come on, Savannah.” One of the girls grabbed the quiet one’s hand and tugged her to the playroom.
Isabella didn’t get a good look at the third girl’s face, because she never took her attention from the floor as she walked, the same way Isabella had walked around the orphanage when she was about the same age. Sad. Lost.
What had happened to that little girl?
She couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Is she okay? Savannah?”
“I can tell you’re going to be good at identifying the children who need special attention,” Savvy said, her voice barely above a whisper so the girls wouldn’t hear in the next room. “That’ll be important if you work here, even if you’re in the office. We want everyone to care about the children and understand that they’ll need plenty of love to make it through the hard times.” She glanced toward the playroom and sighed. “Savannah is visiting our girls today. Her mom left her and her dad a few years ago, and even though I wasn’t living here and didn’t know Savannah then, her father said she’s never been the same. She does seem to enjoy playing with Rose and Daisy, though, so I plan to keep inviting her over and offering to watch her whenever I can.”
Isabella nodded, glad that the little girl still had her father and that she also had friends in Rose and Daisy, and a tenderhearted lady like Savvy watching out for her. Isabella hadn’t had anyone watching after her back then.
She started to tell Savvy that she hadn’t come for the job, but before she could speak, a knock sounded and then the door opened. Isabella’s breath caught in her throat as a construction worker entered wearing an olive-green T-shirt with Jameson Construction on the left of his chest, well-worn jeans and boots. She’d seen construction workers before, but none had ever looked like this. In fact, she would say he was way beyond nice looking. He was riveting, in a rough-and-rugged, outdoorsy and all-out-masculine kind of way. His hair was dark, a little longer than she’d have thought she would like, but she did like it, very much. And he had the kind of fit physique that you’d expect to see climbing the side of a mountain in a Mountain Hardwear ad. Was this the man from the bulldozer?
Isabella didn’t know what was happening to her senses. She wasn’t the type of female to ogle a good-looking man. In fact, one of Richard’s complaints had been that she was too reserved, a little distant even, when she first saw or met strangers. And it wasn’t as if she was looking for a man to fill some void in her life. She didn’t want another relationship. At merely eighteen, she’d allowed her attraction for Richard and everything he offered to lure her into a marriage that never should’ve happened.
So she resolved that she’d get a firm grip on this sudden yet undeniable fascination.
* * *
Titus had been clearing land at the site for Willow’s Haven since sunup, yet he’d only finished the space intended for the first cabin. At this rate, it’d take him until the middle of July before he had