CHAPTER SIXTEEN #2
“How long is she staying?” Duncan then shifted his attention to Angela, pointing at the half-eaten cinnamon roll on his plate. “This is very good, by the way.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“They are very delicious,” Elizabeth agreed. “And they’re going to be far too tempting.”
Jude took a sip of his coffee, then set the mug down. “She’s staying through Sunday.”
Duncan grimaced. “I have half a mind to fly myself and Liz out of here for that period of time.”
“We can’t abandon the children,” Elizabeth said gently as she rested her hand on Duncan’s arm. “As challenging as it is to deal with Jill.”
“Well, there’s really no reason you should have to deal with her,” Jude said. “Will Julian be back?”
“Yes, he’ll be flying back here tomorrow night.”
Angela was glad for that, though hopefully Julian would be sober for the visit.
"Good," Jude said. "That will make things easier for Angela."
"I'm nervous about meeting her," Angela admitted, then immediately regretted the confession. She didn't want to seem weak or childish.
"That's completely understandable," Elizabeth said warmly. "Meeting a parent for the first time—especially under these circumstances—would be overwhelming for anyone. And having to do it twice is probably double the stress for you."
Duncan's expression softened as he looked at Angela. "If at any point you feel uncomfortable or want to leave, just tell Jude. He'll get you out of there immediately."
"I will," Jude confirmed, his voice steady and reassuring.
Angela felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Having Jude there would definitely help. Even with their complicated friendship, she trusted him completely when it came to her safety and well-being.
"What about Annie?" Angela asked. "Will she be meeting with her mom while she's here?"
Duncan and Elizabeth exchanged a look that Angela was beginning to recognize—the kind of silent communication that came from years of marriage.
"That's up to Annie," Duncan said carefully. "Jill will probably ask to see her, but I won't pressure Annie into doing anything she's not ready for."
"She's been doing better lately," Elizabeth added. "More confident in setting boundaries. But the idea of seeing her mother is still difficult."
Angela nodded, understanding more than she wanted to about difficult family dynamics. The irony wasn't lost on her that she was nervous about meeting her biological mother while simultaneously grateful for the distance she’d had from her.
“Any other plans for the week?” Duncan asked.
“We’ll continue with the self-defense training and driving lessons as time allows.”
“No weapons training yet?”
Jude shook his head. “Once this week is over, we’ll start with that.”
“Kiara seems to be looking forward to it,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“Oh yes,” Angela agreed. “She’s been so excited about learning all this new stuff.”
“She’s definitely been an eager pupil,” Jude said.
Angela felt a twinge of insecurity. Would he have preferred her to be more enthusiastic, like Kiara was?
“You’re not as eager, Angela?” Duncan asked.
“I, uh… tend to approach things with a bit more caution.” Angela gripped the glass of water she’d filled for herself. “But once I feel a little more confident, I enjoy learning new things.”
“Caution is good,” Duncan said. “Don’t let anyone tell you differently. As long as it’s not fear that keeps you from ever tackling things.”
She’d had a lot of fear in her life, but that had been more about what would result if she didn’t learn fast enough. Without that pressure, her caution wasn’t completely based in fear. Mainly her normal reluctance to tackle new things.
“I hope you’re better with a gun than I was,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. “I think I was Jude’s worst student ever.”
“I’d like to say you are wrong,” Jude said. “But sadly, you are quite correct.”
“I might take that title,” Angela said.
“You haven’t practiced in a while, Liz.” Duncan glanced at his wife. “Maybe you should spend some time refreshing while the girls are taking lessons.”
“I could do that,” she replied with a smile. “It will give me something to do while you’re gone.”
“You’re leaving?” Angela asked, the question slipping out before she realized what she was saying.
“Next week, yes. I need to go to New York and then Miami for some meetings.”
“Do you have bodyguards when you travel?”
Duncan nodded, then Jude said, “He travels with a team of four. He is well protected.”
“I lost my best bodyguard when I promoted you, though.”
Jude chuckled. “You didn’t get rid of me completely.”
“True. You have my back when it’s most vulnerable.”
“What do you mean by that?” Angela asked.
“I take Jude with me when I go to areas where the risk is higher. I trust him implicitly to keep me safe.”
Angela’s stomach clenched at the thought of Jude putting his life on the line to protect Duncan.
“But the team you have guarding me right now is great. I trust them without question.”
“How do you trust them?” Angela asked. “After what happened to me and Annie, how do you trust them?”
“The main reason I trust them is that I trust Jude. He has done due diligence in vetting each member of our staff. Whether they are a driver, a gardener, or on the security team.”
When Angela looked over at Jude, she saw he was focused on his cinnamon roll.
Duncan chuckled. “Jude doesn’t like it when people toot his horn, but someone has to do it as he never will.”
It made Angela feel good that her heart had landed on a trustworthy man. An honorable man. At least it proved that she had the ability to discern whether a man was good or bad. Even if he would only ever be her friend.
"Jude has certainly earned our trust over the years," Elizabeth said, her warm gaze settling on him. "He's proven himself time and again."
Jude shifted in his seat, clearly not enjoying being the topic of conversation. "It's just my job."
"It's more than that," Duncan said firmly. "And you know it."
Angela watched as Jude's jaw tightened slightly, a flush of color rising on his neck.
She found his humility endearing—another quality that made him different from the men she'd grown up around.
Jim and Craig had boasted about even the smallest accomplishments, demanding recognition for everything they did.
"Speaking of your job," Duncan continued, mercifully changing the subject, "how is the plan coming for the new security system at the girls' house?"
"Garrett and I have been exchanging ideas," Jude replied, visibly relieved by the shift in focus. "I think we've landed on something that will provide maximum security without making it feel like a fortress."
"That's important," Elizabeth nodded. "It should feel like a home, not a prison."
The word "prison" made Angela's stomach tighten. She'd felt trapped for so long on that isolated farm—even though she hadn't fully realized it until they'd escaped. The idea of her new home feeling even remotely like that was disturbing.
"It won't," Jude said, as if reading her mind. His eyes met hers briefly. "The security features will be invisible unless they have to be obvious. Hidden exterior cameras, reinforced glass that looks normal, door locks that respond to your fingerprints. Nothing that would make you feel hemmed in."
"That sounds better," Angela said, though she still felt a flutter of anxiety at the thought of needing such extensive security measures.
"The goal is for you to feel safe without feeling trapped," Duncan added gently. "I know that's a delicate balance, especially given what you've been through."
Angela nodded, grateful that he understood without her having to explain. She picked at her cinnamon roll, suddenly not very hungry.
"On a lighter note," Elizabeth said, clearly sensing the need to change the subject again, "have you given any more thought to what you'd like to do? Duncan mentioned you and Kiara were discussing options."
"Kiara's looking into online classes," Angela said. "She's always been good at academics. I'm… still figuring things out."
"What interests you?" Elizabeth asked. "Besides baking, which you're clearly talented at."
Angela felt heat rise in her cheeks. "I don't know. I've never really had the chance to explore different things. On the farm, we just did what needed to be done."
"Well, now you have time to discover what you might enjoy," Duncan said. "There's no rush."
Angela knew there wasn’t. But the more time that passed without having a direction, the more worried she became that she wouldn’t find something meaningful to do with her life.
But for the next week, her focus was going to be on meeting her mom. Once that was accomplished, she’d get serious about finding something to do with her life.
When they’d finished eating their cinnamon rolls, Jude said that he needed to leave. Angela felt a bit bereft that they hadn’t had more time with just each other to talk.
She put a few more cinnamon rolls into a container, then gave it to Jude before he left. Alone in the kitchen, she put away the rest, then headed up to her room.
By the time Wednesday afternoon came, Angela was a ball of nerves. Her anxiety about meeting her mother was even worse than how anxious she’d felt over meeting Duncan.
The clothes they’d ordered had arrived Tuesday morning and, thankfully, they’d fit, and Angela thought they looked okay. She still didn’t know how to dress as a rich person since she and Kiara always had to just settle for whatever they found at the thrift store.
Annie seemed to go for comfort over style. Elizabeth, however, tended to dress more stylishly, so Angela had tried to land somewhere in the middle.
Kiara hadn’t seemed nearly as worried about what to wear. Though Kiara had always been more confident than her, Angela wasn’t sure what to make of her confidence since coming to the estate.
Was she really that confident about everything?
“No time to think about that now,” Angela muttered as she slid her feet into the heeled boots she’d ordered. “Let’s get this over with.”
She swung her door open to find Kiara in the hall.
“Ready to go?” Kiara asked with a smile.
Was she? Not really. But it was time to suck it up and face yet another new challenge.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
She was once again leaning on that strength to get through a difficult situation. Nerves fluttered wildly in her stomach as they left their rooms.
“Everything is going to be okay, Angie,” Kiara said as she looped her arm through Angela’s.
“Is it?”
“Duncan has already made it clear that he’s not going to force you to have a relationship with Jill,” Kiara reminded her. “So go into it hoping for the best, but with the knowledge that if it doesn’t go well, you can walk away with Duncan’s blessing.”
Except that Angela felt like she’d be failing if she couldn’t establish a relationship with her mother. Her real mother.
“Let’s go,” Kiara said. “Jude will be waiting for us.”
That was the only bright spot in the whole situation. She might be facing something challenging, but at least she’d be doing it with Jude by her side.