Free Family Wanted (Willow's Haven Book 1) by Renee Andrews Page B

the smudges. “I’m better now,” she said, wadding up the tissue. “Sorry for the tears. Let’s go get that ice cream.”
    His arm propped on the edge of the car, and he was close enough that she could smell his woodsy cologne. Or maybe that was simply the way he smelled. Either way, she liked it, and she found herself inhaling deeply just to appreciate it, while she waited for him to ease back and let her get out of the car.
    But he didn’t budge and, instead, continued filling the space from the open door. “Isabella, I can tell you’re used to apologizing for things, even things you can’t control. You don’t need to feel badly for being upset. But I do want you to tell me what’s wrong. Maybe I can help.”
    She could tell he wasn’t moving until she answered, and again memories of the past ten years with Richard resurfaced. With her ex-husband, if she apologized, he’d merely accept the apology and they’d move along. He didn’t care what was wrong—he simply wanted her to dry it up and get over it. But Titus cared. She could hear it in his tone, sense it in the way he looked at her now. “It’s just that I’ve never had that happen before, and I guess it really hit me how wonderful it feels.”
    He eased back from the car a little and studied her. “You helped children who were afraid of the water in Atlanta, too. How was helping Savannah different?” But even as he asked her, she could tell that he suspected how very different it was. Everything about Savannah was different, because she reminded Isabella of herself and because she was the daughter Nan had never mentioned...and because she belonged to Titus.
    But none of those things were what Isabella referred to now. “That isn’t what I’m talking about.”
    “Then what is?” he asked.
    “I’ve never had a child...tell me that she loved me.”
    He hesitated, and she noticed his jaw flex before he spoke. She wondered if she’d told him too much. She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her, but he’d said he wanted to know why she was upset, and Isabella didn’t want to lie to Titus. Ever.
    Then she remembered the reason she had come to Claremont and that she had essentially lied, or at least withheld the truth, when she didn’t tell him about Nan.
    Isabella swallowed, thought about the misconception and decided she needed to tell him everything. Right here, right now. “Titus, I’m sorry...”
    “No,” he said. “I won’t let you apologize for earning a place in Savannah’s heart. I’ll admit that it surprised me when she told you that she loved you, but not in a bad way. Not at all. It means the world to me that she has found someone to trust again, someone to love. I know that she loves me, trusts me, but Nan leaving her really seemed to put a hold on her ability to have those types of emotions with anyone else. But ever since you came...” He took a deep breath, let it out. “Well, I want you to know that when Savannah says something, especially something like that, she means it. And I also want to thank you for giving her the confidence to love again.”
    Isabella couldn’t ruin this moment by telling him about Nan. He was as touched by Savannah’s words as she’d been, and that realization nearly pushed her tears free again.
    “Oh no, you don’t,” he said. “No more tears, or the girls will think I made you cry.” Then he stood and held out a hand. “Come on. You need ice cream. The Sweet Stop makes an amazing mint chocolate chip. What do you say?”
    Isabella put her hand in his and climbed out of the car. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter Seven
    I wanted to be a good wife.
    T itus barely tasted the ice cream, so consuming were his thoughts on everything that had happened this afternoon. He’d been taken aback with Savannah’s honest admission, even more with Isabella’s response to it and the fact that she’d never heard a child confess love. He wanted to talk to her more about her past and her reasons