CHAPTER FIVE
Angela looked around the small bedroom, a knot of sadness in her stomach. This had been the first place she had been able to truly call home. A place that had offered her safety and security.
It may have been small and a bit dingy, but it had been theirs. She and Kiara had made some happy memories there, even though they’d lived there only a month. And during that time, they’d added little touches to make it their own.
But now, it was back to just being a dingy basement apartment. They’d taken down all the things that had made the space their own.
It was hard to think about leaving it all behind, even though that was what they’d been hoping to do one day. Now that the day was upon her, Angela felt sad and more than a little anxious about leaving it all behind.
She pressed her hands against her stomach and blew out a breath, glancing up as Kiara came into the room.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
“No.” Angela sank down onto the twin bed that had been hers while they lived there. “I’m worried.”
“Everything is going to be fine,” Kiara said as she sat down next to her.
Angela wasn’t so sure about that. Everything was rushing at her like a tsunami, threatening to overwhelm her. To drown her.
In the couple of days since the meeting with Jude at the library, everything had changed. Even before the preliminary DNA results came in, plans were underway for her and Kiara to depart Briar Hollow.
At Jude’s insistence, they weren’t telling anyone about their plans to leave. He’d told them that he’d make sure that their landlady was compensated for them vacating the premises so abruptly.
Angela had written out a letter to Ida, letting her know the basics of their sudden departure, but not going into detail. She was going to miss the spritely older lady.
Kiara felt bad about leaving the library and the gas station in a lurch, but Angela wasn’t as concerned about the bakery. While she’d enjoyed the work, she hadn’t enjoyed working for Patty.
The woman had been demanding, forcing her to work long hours for more days in a row than she should have. But Angela had put up with it because there weren’t a lot of job options around the area. And she didn’t exactly have any other skills to fall back on.
Patty had been the baker before she’d hired her, so as far as Angela was concerned, she could do it again.
“Jude said he’d be here at seven, so we need to have everything ready.”
Angela looked at her phone.
6:55
Just five short minutes until she left everything familiar behind. Again. Her stomach quivered with nerves.
“Let’s go,” Kiara said as she got to her feet. “There’s nothing left in here.”
Angela watched her sister leave the room, wishing she had the same level of confidence that Kiara had. Maybe Kiara would feel differently if it was her family they were meeting.
With a sigh, Angela got up and left the bedroom, hitting the light switch as she walked by it. They didn’t have much to take since the apartment had come furnished with plenty of mismatched dishes and silverware and well-worn furniture.
They’d never bothered to buy things to replace any of it, choosing instead to save their money for the future. Now, it made walking away from Briar Hollow even easier.
A pair of large suitcases and three large boxes sat by the door. They each had a suitcase, but only one of the boxes belonged to Angela. Kiara had needed two to contain all her books.
Angela’s box held some books too, but unlike Kiara’s collection of fiction, they were cookbooks. Though she loved reading fiction, she tended to read whatever Kiara had around.
The box also contained her journals and a binder that held all of Sandra’s handwritten recipes. Even though she was angry at the woman, she hadn’t wanted to leave that behind.
Only a couple of minutes passed before there was a light knock on the door. Kiara rushed over to open it.
“Good morning, Kiara.”
Jude’s deep voice didn’t rush the greeting, and the timber of it washed over Angela, settling something inside her. She didn’t know what it was about the man, given he was virtually a stranger, but having him around made her feel safer.
That could be because of he had revealed that he wasn’t just a friend of the Burke family, he was the head of their security team. The man obviously knew a thing or two about keeping people safe.
And though he was bigger in stature than Craig and Jim, Angela didn’t feel any fear in his presence the way she did when she was around those two.
“Good morning, Angela,” Jude said when he spotted her.
Angela attempted to give him a smile, but it felt like a weak imitation. “Good morning.”
“Is everything ready to go?” Jude asked, looking around the room.
“Yep. We just have these suitcases and boxes,” Kiara said, motioning to the stack by the door. “Is it too much?”
“Not at all,” Jude said. “I rented a small trailer to take everything to the airport.”
It didn’t take long for them to carry their belongings out into the cool, early morning air. Jude stacked the boxes and suitcases into the trailer with ease.
Kiara told Angela to take the front seat next to Jude in the SUV. Angela thought she probably should have insisted Kiara sit in the front because Angela wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold any kind of conversation with Jude.
Still, she took some comfort in his nearness as he competently drove the SUV and trailer out of Briar Hollow. Angela couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder as the town’s lights slipped into the distance behind them.
“How are you doing today, Angela?” Jude asked.
She glanced over at him, taking in the man’s chiseled profile. “I’m fine.”
It was clear that she was going to have to fake it until she made it. She couldn’t cower her way into this meeting with her family. She had to meet them with a confidence that she didn’t feel.
She’d always struggled with confidence and with having a backbone. In recent years, with Ida’s help, she’d been learning to lean on God, especially in those times when she felt like she wasn’t strong enough.
Philippians 4:13 had become her life verse. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. She’d been reciting it many times since that first meeting with Jude.
“It’s okay if you’re not fine,” Jude said. “I’m sure everyone involved is feeling a little apprehensive about this.”
“Really?” Angela asked, angling her body toward his. “You think they’re a little anxious about meeting me?”
Jude nodded. “I’m sure they hope you’ll accept them.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Angela asked with a frown. “It’s more likely that they won’t accept me.”
“Not gonna happen.” Jude glanced over at her, his eyes shining in the morning light. “You didn’t cease to be part of the family just because you’d been taken from them.”
“I don’t know how to be in that world,” Angela said, giving voice to just one of the many worries she had.
“You’re very fortunate in that Duncan has kept his two younger kids—Annie and Benji—out of the spotlight. They’ve lived a fairly normal life, all things considered.”
Angela hoped her skepticism wasn’t too apparent on her face. She didn’t know how normal a life people could lead when their father was extremely wealthy, the way Duncan Burke was.
“Okay. I realize that perhaps that sounds ridiculous,” Jude said. “But honestly, Annie and Benji are very down-to-earth people. Benji goes to the local high school and plays on the basketball team. Both of them attend church in Serenity Point.”
It wasn’t long before Jude pulled the car into the lot of a private airport. “You two can go ahead and get on board the plane while I supervise the loading of your things.”
“I’ve never been on a plane before,” Angela said as she stared out the window at the jet that sat parked nearby.
“Well, you’re getting introduced to the best way to travel for those who can afford it,” Jude said as he opened his door. “You’ll never want to travel commercially after this.”
“I can’t wait,” Kiara said as she got out when Jude did.
Angela moved a little more slowly. But soon, she and Kiara had been escorted on board the luxury private jet. A woman wearing a dark blue pantsuit with red trim greeted them with a friendly smile.
After they’d settled into a pair of soft leather seats, the woman asked them what they’d like to drink. Since they hadn’t even had breakfast yet, Angela asked for a cup of coffee.
“Once we’re in the air, I’ll have your drinks and some breakfast for you.”
After she’d left them, Angela turned to the window and stared out at Jude as he directed the men moving the boxes and suitcases from the trailer to the plane.
A man wearing a thigh-length black coat approached Jude, and the two men talked for a couple of minutes before Jude handed the man something. They shook hands, then the man went to the SUV and slid behind the wheel.
Jude stood watching as they loaded the last box into the plane, then he turned and headed for the stairs that led up into the jet. Angela watched as he disappeared from view outside, shifting her gaze to catch him as he walked into the area where they were seated.
“Everything is loaded,” Jude said as he took off his black wool jacket. After laying it on an empty seat, he sat down in the chair facing Angela. “We’re ready to go.”
Angela wasn’t sure that she was ready to go yet, but that decision had been taken out of her hands.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
“This is so exciting,” Kiara said as she buckled her seatbelt. “How long is it going to take to get to Idaho?”
“Should be about three hours or so once we get in the air,” Jude said. “We’ll have to transfer to a helicopter to fly from Coeur d’Alene to the estate.”
Angela’s stomach clenched. “A helicopter?”
“Wow,” Kiara said. “We’re getting all the new experiences in one day.”
Jude chuckled as he buckled himself into his seat. The flight attendant came back into the cabin of the plane, greeting Jude with a familiar smile.
“We’ll be taking off shortly.”
“Thanks, Tanya,” Jude said.