CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE #2
“True.” Kiara stared out the large windows of the solarium. “Is Jude coming back today?”
Angela hadn’t talked much to Kiara about Jude and how much she missed him. For some reason, Kiara hadn’t been very interested in hearing about what was happening between Angela and Jude.
“Yes. He sent a text saying they’d be back around five.”
“I suppose you’re excited about him coming back.”
Angela’s heart ached at the distance that seemed to have developed between her and Kiara.
“I am,” she agreed.
“Guess you’ll have plenty to keep you busy once he’s around again.”
“Not necessarily. He’ll have work during the day, and we’ll still have training to do with Dawn and Derek.”
Dawn had continued to work with them on self-defense, and Derek had taken over the shooting practice. She had no idea if Jude would take that responsibility back from Derek once he was home.
“Are you really upset that I’m dating Jude?” Angela asked.
She didn’t want to have tension between them, but it was apparent that it was already there.
Kiara sighed. “I’m not upset. Just maybe a little jealous that you’ve found some purpose here.”
“Jude isn’t my purpose,” Angela said.
“But he gives you something to focus on.”
“To some extent,” Angela agreed. “But I’m still trying to find other things that give me the ability to be productive.”
Kiara slid further down, stretching her legs out while she pulled her hands into the sleeves of her large sweatshirt. She stared into the distance, focusing on something inwardly that Angela wasn’t privy to.
"I'm sorry," Angela said softly. "I know this is hard for you."
Kiara's mouth twisted. "I just feel so useless here. I should be grateful that we're safe, that we have all this." She gestured at the room around them. "But I feel like I'm just… existing. Not living."
Angela set her knitting aside and moved closer to her sister. "I understand that. I really do."
"Do you?" Kiara's voice wasn't accusatory, just weary. "Because you seem to be adapting so well. You have Jude. You're busy making things. You're finding your place."
Angela couldn’t deny any of that, but it hurt her that Kiara was still struggling to adapt.
After sitting in silence for several minutes, Kiara pulled her legs in and got to her feet.
“I didn’t mean to bring you down. I’m happy that you’ve found your place here and that you’ve found love. Truly I am.” She gave Angela a smile that was a weak imitation of her normal one. “I’ll be fine. Once I settle on something, I’ll be fine.”
With that, Kiara headed for the door, leaving Angela staring after her.
Kiara was a problem that she wanted to solve, but Angela knew that she couldn’t do that. All she could do was be there for her sister and support her whenever opportunities arose.
With a sigh, Angela gathered up her needles and wool and left the solarium. It was nearly lunchtime, so she went to her room to put her things away and freshen up.
When she got back down to the breakfast room, which was where they ate lunch, Elizabeth was there. Benji was at school, so he wouldn’t be home until later.
Kiara came in a few minutes later, having changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. She’d also taken the time to smooth all her hair back into a ponytail.
She still looked tired, however.
Elizabeth greeted each of them with a warm smile. The woman had been nothing but loving and gracious to them, and Angela was so grateful for that.
They’d all begun eating the salad and soup that were on the menu for the meal when Julian wandered into the room. He was wearing an untucked white button-down shirt and a pair of loose jeans. The shirt looked like maybe it hadn’t seen an iron after he’d pulled it out of his suitcase.
“Are you feeling alright, Julian?” Elizabeth asked, concern on her face.
“I’m fine,” he said as he sank into the chair beside Annie.
Angela didn’t buy that from him any more than she’d bought it from Kiara. The two of them were quite a pair. A miserable pair.
The conversation around the table was mainly carried by Elizabeth and Angela. Elizabeth was clearly looking forward to the return of her husband, and it was a feeling that Angela understood.
Once lunch was over, Kiara and Julian disappeared first. Angela decided to see if she could make some cookies. It would help kill time, though her main motivation was to have some for Jude when he arrived.
Thankfully, Mrs. Stevens had no problem with her being in the kitchen. While she waited for the cookies to bake, Angela also helped out a bit with the preparations for dinner.
She’d just finished putting the cookies into a container for Jude, as well as in the kitchen cookie jar for everyone else, when she received a text alert.
Jude: Just loading into the helicopter. Should be there in twenty minutes.
Angela smiled as she answered his text with one of her own.
I can hardly wait!
Jude: Me too!
Angela was glad to hear that. It made her feel like she wasn’t alone in the desire to be reunited.
She hurried up to her room and grabbed her thick coat, then went back downstairs. Watching the time, she lingered in the mudroom.
When it was five minutes from the estimated arrival time, Angela pulled on her coat and boots and left the house. The air was brisk, but not unbearably cold, so the walk to the helipad wasn’t too bad.
Maybe she shouldn’t be going to meet Jude there, but she couldn’t stay away.
She had just about reached the helipad when she heard the distant whomp-whomp of the helicopter. A black SUV and a large UTV were waiting there, and Derek waved to her when he spotted her.
Angela waved back, then went to stand at the edge of the helipad. She pulled her scarf up over her mouth and nose to keep them warm, then shoved her hands into her pockets.
When her gaze found the approaching helicopter in the sky, she didn’t look away, watching as it continued to grow in size until it hovered over the helipad.
Angela ducked her head as the wind whipped up as the machine slowly lowered to rest on the painted H on the helipad. When the propellers slowed, the door opened, and people began to disembark.
She spotted Jude right away, and though she wanted to rush over to him, she stayed glued to the spot. He was probably still on the clock, so she didn’t want to overstep more than she already had by showing up there.
As she watched Jude, her heart rate increased. He was followed out of the helicopter by Duncan, who laid his hand on Jude’s shoulder.
Jude turned to face him, and the pair appeared to have a brief conversation before Jude spoke to the other men who’d gotten off the helicopter with them.
Suddenly, he swung in her direction and walked toward her. Angela’s heart pounded against her ribs as he neared, and she couldn’t stop herself from running to him.
He didn’t hesitate to enfold her in his arms when they met partway on the helipad. Angela wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she murmured. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.” Jude seemed reluctant to let her go, and Angela was just fine with that.
“I hope it was okay that I came out to meet you.”
Jude loosened his hold on her enough so that he could look down at her. “Duncan told me I’m off the clock now, so it’s fine.”
She hugged him tight again, then stepped back. “Do you have to go to the security building?”
“Just to pick up my luggage later,” Jude said. “But Duncan said I should come for dinner with the family.”
“Oh, I’d like that very much.”
Jude bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Me too.”
Hand-in-hand, they wandered along the road back to the main house. Angela felt like she was walking on air.
It had been such a long week, but it was finally over. Jude was back, and Angela felt like she could breathe easy again.