CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jude poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the buffet in the breakfast room, then took a sip.
“You have my permission to shut the meeting down if things start going south,” Duncan said.
Jude nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Duncan hadn’t defined what going south really meant, but Jude had his own definition. Basically, if the meeting with her mother was causing Angela even the smallest amount of distress, it would be over.
Jill would be livid. She’d always had a bit of a temper, and though he hadn’t been on the receiving end of it, his dad and Duncan certainly had been. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to be a fan of his anymore than she’d been a fan of his dad’s.
Her biggest problem with his dad had been his unwavering loyalty to Duncan. As far as Jude’s dad had been concerned, Duncan always had the last word, and Jill hadn’t always liked that.
Jude operated in the same way. Duncan had tasked him with protecting Angela, and he would do that, regardless of what Jill might think.
“Basically, I don’t want Angelica to suffer emotionally.
She’s already dealing with a lot. I would have preferred that this meeting wait, but I know Jill has been as anxious for this day as I was, and she has a right to reunite with Angelica too.
We’ve been lucky to delay this meeting as much as we have. ”
“I’ll make sure Angela’s okay,” Jude assured him. “And Kiara will be there for her too.”
Duncan took a sip of his coffee. “Julian will be there as well.”
Jude wasn’t sure how much help that was going to be. The man had been drinking more than usual since Angela had arrived, and Jude couldn’t help but wonder what was causing that.
Plus, Julian had taken his mother’s side in most things, and Jude wasn’t sure that this would be any different.
“Good morning.”
Kiara’s voice had Jude turning toward the entrance to the breakfast room, which was where they came for coffee throughout the day, especially when the cook was busy in the kitchen.
Angela was at her side, her face pale and tense. Jude wanted to go to her and reassure her that everything was going to be fine.
And everything would be fine because he’d be there to protect her. It would be within his power to remove her from the situation, even if she wasn’t being physically threatened.
As the ladies approached them, Jude drank in the sight of Angela.
She was wearing a navy blue sweater dress that brought out the blue-green of her eyes, paired with knee-high brown boots that added to her height.
Her hair was styled in soft waves that framed her face, and she'd applied just enough makeup to enhance her natural beauty without looking overdone.
She looked elegant and poised, even though he could see the anxiety in her expression.
"You both look lovely," Duncan said, greeting them with a warm smile. "How are you feeling, Angelica?"
"Nervous," she admitted, her voice thin. "But ready, I think."
Jude’s protective instincts were heightened as he observed how nervous she was. "We don't have to leave for another twenty minutes. Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?"
Angela shook her head. "I don't think I could keep any food down right now."
"I'll have some coffee," Kiara said, moving toward the sideboard where the coffee service was set up. "Want some, Angie?"
"Maybe just a little," Angela said, though she looked like she might be sick.
Jude watched her carefully, noting the way her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the cup from Kiara. She hadn’t seemed this nervous over meeting Duncan, but then, she also hadn’t heard negative stories about Duncan the way she had about Jill.
"Would it help if I go over what to expect?" Jude asked gently.
Angela nodded, her fingers wrapped tightly around her coffee cup. "Please."
"Jill has a suite at the resort, but we’ve reserved one of their small boardrooms for this meeting,” Jude told her.
“We needed to have control of the location because Jude is going to stay for the duration of the meeting,” Duncan added. “If the meeting had been in her suite, she might have kicked him out.”
“And we don’t want that,” Jude said.
Duncan set down his coffee mug with a slight clink. "Remember, Angelica, you're in control of this situation. If you need a break, take one. If you want to leave, you leave. There's no pressure to make this work if it doesn't feel right."
"What if she asks about Annie?" Angela's question was directed at Duncan. "What should I say?"
"Tell her the truth—that Annie wasn't ready for this meeting yet," Duncan replied. "You don't owe her any explanation beyond that."
Kiara reached over and squeezed Angela's hand. "And I'll be right there with you. If you need me to change the subject or speak up, just give me a signal. Tug your ear or something."
Angela gave a soft huff of laughter, though the color still hadn't returned to her cheeks. Jude found himself wishing he could somehow absorb her anxiety, take it on himself so she wouldn't have to face this meeting feeling so uptight.
"Julian will meet you there," Duncan added. "He's already at the resort with Jill. I just hope they haven’t decided to have a pre-meeting drink."
"What if she doesn't like me?" Angela asked after she took a small sip of her coffee.
Jude felt something tighten in his chest at the vulnerability in her voice. "Angela, any mother would be lucky to have you as a daughter."
"But what if she expected someone different? Someone more like Annie?"
"Then that's her loss," Kiara said firmly, settling into the chair beside Angela. "You are exactly who you're supposed to be."
Duncan leaned forward slightly. "Angelica, I want you to remember something. Today is just a chance for you to meet her and see how it goes. You don't owe Jill anything, especially if she starts making you feel bad about yourself."
Angela's eyes widened slightly at Duncan's words. "But she's my mother."
"Biology doesn't automatically grant someone the right to hurt you," Duncan said gently but firmly. “Our situation is very unique, and we all need to approach it with love. Jill may or may not feel the same way.”
Jude glanced at his watch. “We need to be going in a couple of minutes.”
Angela took a deep breath and then exhaled. She gave her mug to Kiara when she held out her hand for it. Kiara set both of the mugs on the tray where they placed the dirty dishes.
Duncan approached Angela and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “Just remember that you are enough. You are perfect just how you are, and I love you.”
Jude heard Angela’s swift intake of breath. “You do?”
“Yes. I love you because you’re my daughter, but I also love the woman I’ve come to know.” Duncan smiled down at her. “So you go and stand tall, and I look forward to hearing how it went when you get back.”
“Okay.”
Kiara led Angela from the room, and after a nod to Duncan, Jude followed them.
The ride to the resort was quiet, with Angela spending most of it staring out the window.
Kiara was also looking out the window, but she seemed more interested in the scenery, asking questions about what they passed as Jude drove.
Since he had lived in the area for most of his adult life, he was able to satisfy her curiosity.
“Wow,” Kiara said as they neared the hotel at the resort. “That is beautiful.”
Jude pulled the SUV into the porte-cochère of the hotel. “We can get out here.”
He got out and came around to hand the keys to the valet who stood waiting. Before guiding the ladies inside, he glanced around. One of the other security vehicles had pulled in behind them. Two more of the security team got out.
While he was inside the room with Angela and Kiara, they would be keeping an eye outside. Probably overkill, but he and Duncan never wanted to regret not having enough security in place should something happen.
The manager of the resort was waiting for them at the front desk and greeted them with a warm smile.
“Hello,” she said, offering him her hand. “I’m Kayleigh St. James. Welcome.”
He took her hand. “I’m Jude Kessler. Thank you for setting up the room for us.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned toward Angela and Kiara, her eyes suddenly growing wide. “Annie?”
“Uh.” Angela sent Jude a worried look.
Jude had forgotten that one of Cole’s sisters worked at the resort. He hadn’t thought they’d run into anyone that knew Annie.
“No,” Jude said. “This isn’t Annie. Rather than explain here, perhaps you should call Cole. Tell him that Jude says it’s okay to tell you what’s going on.”
“Okay. I will certainly be doing that.” Kayleigh gave Angela a smile and a wink. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, whoever you are.”
Angela returned her smile. “You too.”
“I’m sure you’ll meet again,” Jude said. “Maybe once you’ve spoken with Cole and Annie.”
“That would be lovely.” Stepping toward a hallway, Kayleigh said, “In the meantime, let me show you to the room we’ve reserved for you.”
They followed her down the hallway to a room that had a cozy vibe to it. There was a gas fireplace at one end of the room that had flames dancing in it. Instead of a large table dominating the room, there was comfortable furniture clustered around the fireplace.
It definitely was better suited for the meeting to come than a space set up as a boardroom.
“Beverages have been set up,” Kayleigh said, gesturing to a buffet against the wall. “And there are some snacks as well.”
“Thank you,” Jude said. “It’s more than I expected.”
“We try to make sure people feel comfortable here.”
“We appreciate it.”
She handed Jude a business card. “Give me a call if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
When Kayleigh left the room, Angela asked, “She knows Annie?”
“Definitely,” Jude said. “That’s Cole’s older sister.”
“Oooh. So he didn’t tell his family about me and Annie being twins?”
“I guess not,” Jude said. “Or if he did, he didn’t tell them all.”
“Is that going to be a problem?” Angela asked. “If they know?”