CHAPTER SIX
Jude watched as Angela’s expression closed off when Tanya let them know they’d be landing soon.
For most of the trip, he’d told her about the Burkes. He was trying his hardest to give her the information she needed in order to feel at least somewhat prepared for the upcoming meeting.
She’d had questions. Lots of them. But they hadn’t just been about her family. She’d asked about him and his life too.
Jude wasn’t surprised that she wanted to know more about him. He knew that he was the bridge between her old life and the new one that awaited her, so he didn’t mind her questions too much.
It had just been odd to talk about himself. Sure, his mom asked him questions about his life. But Angela was asking more than how his week had gone.
Perhaps it had just been a way to keep her mind off all the changes she was facing. Focusing on his life might be easier than focusing on hers.
"We'll be landing in about fifteen minutes," Tanya announced as she collected their empty plates. "Please make sure your seats are in the upright position and your seat belts are fastened."
Angela nodded mutely, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. The curious woman who'd been peppering him with questions throughout the flight had retreated, replaced by someone who seemed determined to hide her emotions.
He didn’t like the idea of her closing herself off. How would he know if she needed something if he couldn’t read her expression?
He was better than most at reading people. His dad had reiterated over and over how important that skill was when dealing with potential threats.
However, there were moments when Angela’s face went completely blank. He was coming to realize that those moments were usually when she felt the most vulnerable.
Given what he now knew about her past, it didn’t surprise him that she’d learned to hide the softest parts of herself. The environment she’d grown up in had almost guaranteed that would be the result.
"Hey," Jude said softly, leaning forward. "It's going to be fine."
She met his gaze, the vulnerability missing from her expression was clear in her eyes. “You keep saying that."
"Because it's true." He wanted to reach across and take her hand, but held back. That wasn’t his place. "Duncan has been waiting for this moment for over twenty years."
"What if I'm not what they expect?" The words tumbled out in a whisper. "What if I'm not… enough?"
The question hit Jude in an unexpected place. He'd spent years proving himself worthy of his position, worthy of Duncan's trust. The man had given him a chance, a life after his dad had died. Jude understood the fear of not measuring up better than most.
"You're exactly who they want to meet," he said firmly. "Just you. You’re perfect as you are."
Angela's eyes widened slightly at his intensity, and Jude realized he'd let more emotion into his voice than he'd intended. He cleared his throat and sat back, composing himself.
"Thank you," she murmured, a hint of pink coloring her cheeks.
The plane began its descent, and Angela's knuckles turned white as she gripped the armrests. Jude wanted to reassure her again, but he also understood that some fears couldn't be talked away.
Unfortunately, all he could do was sit across from her and offer his verbal assurances.
When they landed with a gentle bump on the runway, he watched her exhale the breath she'd been holding. Her sister turned around in her seat, grinning widely.
"That was amazing!" Kiara called back. "Did you see how small everything looked from up there?"
Angela managed a tight smile. "I didn’t look out the window."
After they taxied to a stop, Tanya informed them they could unbuckle and prepare to disembark. Jude stood, reaching for his jacket and slipping it on with practiced ease.
"The helicopter is waiting for us," he explained. “But we have time if you need a moment."
Angela shook her head, squaring her shoulders. "No. Let's keep going."
Jude admired her determination. Many people would have been overwhelmed by now, but she kept pushing forward despite her obvious anxiety. It spoke to a strength that perhaps even she didn't recognize in herself.
As they stepped off the plane into the bright Idaho sun, Angela lifted her hand to shield her eyes.
"This way," Jude said, placing a gentle hand on her back to guide her toward the helicopter that sat waiting on the tarmac.
The helicopter was painted a deep blue with gold and red accents. The pilot in a crisp uniform stood beside it, checking something on a clipboard.
"Mr. Kessler," the pilot said as he lifted his head at their approach. "Good to see you again."
"Marcus," Jude replied with a nod. "How's the weather looking for the flight to the estate?"
"Clear skies all the way. Should be a smooth ride."
Kiara was already approaching the open door of the helicopter with enthusiasm, but Angela remained rooted to the spot.
"Second thoughts?" Jude asked quietly, moving to stand beside her.
"It's just… small," she said.
The irony was that the helicopter was actually one of the larger luxury models. But next to the jet, it did look a little smaller.
"Marcus has been flying for the family for over a decade. He's one of the best pilots I know. And Duncan would only ever have someone flying his aircraft that he trusted."
Jude hoped his words would reassure her. However, he didn’t know if her reluctance to board it had as much to do with the aircraft as with what waited at the end of the flight.
“C’mon,” he said, placing a hand on her back and once again gently urging her to follow her sister onto the helicopter.
Finally, she approached the steps leading up into the body of the helicopter. Jude waited until she’d climbed inside before following her up the steps.
The seats were configured with three seats facing two, which were then backed by another two, facing three. Kiara had taken one of the two seats, choosing the one closest to the window.
Angela had also chosen a seat, but rather than sit across from her sister, she’d chosen the middle seat of the three facing her.
Jude was left with the options of sitting beside Angela, beside Kiara or by himself in the other section of seats behind the pilots.
Knowing how Angela felt about flying, Jude couldn’t bring himself to sit far away from her. Turning, he settled into the seat beside her, closest to the door.
“This is a more complicated seatbelt,” Angela said as she tried to get herself strapped in.
“Here.” Jude helped her loop the straps over her shoulders and across her hips before snapping them all into the center buckle.
“Thanks.”
A man checked in with Jude to make sure that everything was okay and to let him know the luggage had all been transferred to the truck that Jude had arranged for since there wasn’t room for that amount of cargo on the helicopter.
As the door was shut and secured, Jude strapped himself in, then glanced at Angela. She sat with her hands gripped tightly in her lap, her posture ramrod straight.
“How long is this flight?” Kiara asked, her eyes alight with excitement. She was definitely showing herself to be someone who embraced new experiences.
“We should be at the estate in about twenty-five minutes.”
“So soon,” Angela murmured.
When the engines spooled up with a deepening whine, Jude handed headsets to Angela and Kiara, then put a set on himself.
Outside the window, the five-blade rotor began to turn, sluggish at first, slicing the crisp morning air with a rhythmic whump-whump that quickened into a blurred disc overhead.
“This is so cool,” Kiara said, her voice clear in Jude’s ears.
“That’s one word for it,” Angela said. “I didn’t know it would be so loud.”
“It’s a bit different from a plane,” Jude explained. “So wearing these just makes it easier to communicate.”
“Does the pilot hear us too?” Angela asked.
“No, they’re on a different frequency, though they can switch to ours in cases of emergency.”
“Emergency?”
Jude wanted to slap his forehead. That wasn’t the best thing to reference when he had a nervous flyer on his hands.
As the helicopter lifted off, a gentle shudder rippled through the cabin, the seats vibrating beneath them.
Jude wasn’t surprised when Angela reached out and grabbed his arm. He covered her hand with his as the helicopter tilted forward slightly, beginning the short journey north to the estate.
“Look at all the snow, Angie,” Kiara said, her face pressed close to the window. “It’s so beautiful.”
Mindful of how cold it would be in Idaho compared to Kentucky, Jude had had Duncan’s assistant order and overnight deliver winter wear for both women to the hotel where he’d been staying.
She’d sent heavy coats, scarves, boots, and mitts.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been prepared for the weather that had greeted them once they’d arrived in Coeur d’Alene.
“I’ll take your word for it, Kiki,” Angela said, keeping her head pressed back against the seat, her gaze straight forward.
There was a bit more sway to the helicopter than there had been to the plane, and Jude could tell that Angela felt it because her fingers tightened on his arm.
He always enjoyed riding in the helicopter and turned to watch the evergreens standing tall above a carpet of snow. It looked like they had gotten more snow in the few days that he’d been gone. Or maybe he’d just forgotten how much had been there after spending time in a place without any.
Jude didn’t interact much for the remainder of the flight, just listened as Kiara tried to convince Angela that she was really missing out by not looking out the windows. Angela’s responses were short and to the point.
She wasn’t going to give in to her sister’s attempts to get her to look out the window.
The nearer they drew to the estate, the more it settled on Jude that his part in this family reunification was nearly over. His job had been to verify Angela’s identity, and then get her safely back to the estate.