CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
It took a moment for Annie to orientate herself the next morning when she woke up. She rarely spent nights in the mansion when her home was so close.
But Cole was there. They’d celebrated their first New Year’s Eve as a couple.
A smile curved her lips as she snuggled into the warmth of the bed. He was such an amazing man. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve him, but she wouldn’t take for granted the gift he’d been to her.
But even as she lay there, the rest of the evening’s events filtered into her mind.
Her sister… they’d found Angelica.
How had she forgotten?
The smile slowly faded from her face and a knot formed in her stomach. She wanted to be excited about the prospect of her sister coming home.
But there was no denying she had some concerns. She’d lived her entire life as Duncan Burke’s only daughter, the primary focus of his protective nature. Benji had shared it to some extent, but he’d always had fewer restrictions placed on him.
Would her dad be that way with Angelica too? What would it mean to suddenly share that focus with someone else? Someone who looked identical to her but was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger?
Annie rolled onto her back, staring at the intricate molding on the ceiling. Nyla shifted at the foot of the bed, stretching before padding up to nuzzle Annie’s hand.
“Morning, girl,” she whispered, scratching behind the dog’s ears.
The concerns that had been mere whispers last night now seemed to shout in the quiet of the morning.
What if Angelica—Angela—didn’t want anything to do with them? Maybe she just wanted answers without the entanglements of a relationship with them. Or worse, what if she only wanted access to the Burke fortune? There would be no way to hide that from her. Suddenly, her father’s caution made more sense in the cold light of day.
And then there was Julian. He’d been so drunk the previous night, and was probably still sleeping it off. How would he react to the news? Julian had been just as affected by Angelica’s disappearance, though he showed it differently—through reckless living, through keeping everyone at arm’s length.
A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in,” she called, sitting up and pulling the covers around her.
Elizabeth peeked in, already dressed in casual but elegant clothes. “Good morning, sweetie. I thought you might like some tea.” She entered, carrying a steaming mug.
“Thanks, Mom.” Annie accepted the tea gratefully, inhaling the soothing aroma.
Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed, her hand reaching out to smooth Annie’s tousled hair. “Your father told me about yesterday’s discovery.”
“Big surprise, huh?”
Elizabeth nodded. “How are you feeling about it all?”
Annie cradled the warm mug between her palms. “Honestly? I don’t know. Part of me is thrilled, but part of me is…”
“Conflicted,” Elizabeth finished for her.
Annie nodded. “Is that terrible of me?”
“No, darling. It’s completely natural.” Elizabeth’s hand found Annie’s. “This isn’t a simple reunion. It’s complicated by decades of separation, by the circumstances of her disappearance, by the lives you’ve both lived apart. This will change things for all of us. It’s okay to acknowledge that.”
“I’ve never had to share Dad with another daughter.”
Elizabeth’s eyes softened with understanding. “Your father has enough love for both of you. That won’t change.”
“I know that logically, but…” Annie sipped her tea, grateful for Elizabeth’s understanding. “Did you ever think we’d find her?”
Elizabeth’s gaze drifted to the window, where morning light filtered through the curtains. “Your father never stopped believing. I… I had to prepare myself for the possibility that we wouldn’t.” She reached out to squeeze Annie’s hand. “But I never stopped hoping for his sake that we would.”
“What if she doesn’t want to know us?”
“Then we’ll respect her wishes,” Elizabeth said gently. “But Annie, she recognized you in that photo. That has to mean something. The likeness wouldn’t have made her reach out unless she was willing to deal with what that might mean.”
Annie nodded slowly. Elizabeth was right. Angela—Angelica—had reached out, however tentatively, because of that recognition.
“Did you see the pictures of her?”
“I did. It’s remarkable how alike you are.”
“It’s like looking in a mirror.” Annie took a sip of tea. “What do you think will happen when Julian finds out?”
Elizabeth’s expression grew more serious. “That’s harder to predict. He’s carried this loss differently than you and your father.”
They sat in contemplative silence for a moment, the only sound Nyla’s contented sighs as she lay at Annie’s side.
“I should get ready,” Annie said, setting aside her tea. “Is Cole up yet?”
“Yes. He and Benji came down just as I was bringing you your tea.”
A sigh escaped Annie as she held the mug close. “I can’t believe we’ve reached a point where Dad is willing to let us be together.
“Well, that young man is quite special,” Elizabeth observed, her tone lightening. “And I think your father sees that, too. The way Cole looks at you…”
Heat swept into Annie’s cheeks as she smiled. “He is special. I love him, Mom.”
“Oh, darling.” Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I’m so happy for you both. And now I’ll leave you to get ready for your day.”
Once Elizabeth had gone, Annie didn’t linger in her bed, eager to see Cole.
She showered quickly and pulled on her most comfortable jeans and a soft green sweater that Cole had once complimented. Her long hair was still damp, so she left it loose, thinking it should have time to dry before they had to leave for the rink.
Once she was ready, Annie headed downstairs with Nyla padding faithfully beside her.
The scent of coffee and bacon led her to the breakfast room, where she found Cole and Benji deep in conversation about basketball stats, plates of food in front of them. The buffet against the wall was loaded with food warmers and baskets of muffins, croissants, and bagels.
Cole looked up when she entered, his face brightening in a way that made her heart flutter.
“Morning, love,” he said, rising from his chair to meet her. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well?”
“Better than I expected,” she admitted, leaning into him briefly before heading to the buffet to get some food. “What time are we leaving for the rink?”
“Probably around eleven-thirty,” Cole said as he sat back down. “Wilder texted that they’re planning to head there around eleven, so we have plenty of time. They’ll have food there too.”
Annie turned from the buffet, her plate only half full. “Should we bring something too?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Frowning, Annie returned to filling her plate. “Maybe I’ll text Lexi and ask.”
“We really don’t need to bring anything, but if it will make you feel better, I’ll ask my mom. She’ll probably know better than Lexi.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Annie said as she set her plate down at the seat next to him. “Do you want a top up of your coffee?”
“Sure.”
Taking his mug when he held it out to her, Annie made her way to where the coffee station was set up. She made herself a mug, then poured more coffee into Cole’s.
She’d barely finished saying a silent prayer of thanks for her food when Julian came into the breakfast room. The three of them watched as he walked right over to the coffee station, seemingly oblivious to the others in the room.
“Not eating?” Annie asked when he sat down next to Benji with his mug of coffee and nothing else.
He wrinkled his nose. “Not yet.”
“You look rough, Jules,” Benji said.
“Thanks, Benny.” Julian lifted his mug in his brother’s direction.
Annie sighed, wishing that Benji wouldn’t needle Julian. The two never seemed to get along.
“Do you want to come skating with us today, Julian?” Cole asked.
Julian’s brows lifted. “Ice skating?”
“Yep. My family has reserved the rink at the resort for the day for all of us.”
He dragged a hand down his unshaved chin. “I’m not sure I’m up for that, to be honest.”
“You should come,” Annie urged. “It might do you some good to get out of the house and be around some genuinely nice people.”
“Think some of the niceness will rub off on me, Annie?” Julian asked, a sarcastic edge to his tone.
“One can always hope.”
“Downside for you is that there won’t be any eligible single women there for you to flirt with,” Benji informed him.
“Well, that settles it,” Julian said, a grin quirking up one side of his mouth. “I’m definitely not going now.”
“Benji…” Annie shook her head. “Leave Julian alone.”
Benji shrugged. “I just figured he should know in advance that there wouldn’t be any women to mess with there. He’d probably take one look at Lexi and start flirting with her.”
“Oh, he could try,” Cole said with a laugh. “But Lexi would probably freeze him out. And if that didn’t work, Wilder would happily let him know that she’s off-limits.”
“You think he’d punch Julian?” Benji asked, sounding just a little too eager at the prospect.
“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been decked.”
Annie sighed. Trust Julian to turn the mood of the room.
“Regardless, you’re welcome to come,” Cole said. “The women in my family know how to take care of themselves. And the ones who might be too shy to rebuff you have husbands who will help them out.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Have you talked to Dad this morning?” Annie asked. She didn’t think he had or they wouldn’t be having such a ridiculous conversation.
Julian scowled at her, then glared down into his mug. “I thought I’d try to avoid the lecture for as long as possible.”
“You know you could avoid the lecture altogether if you didn’t act like such a jerk,” Benji said, getting up and taking his plate back to the buffet for more food.
“Benjamin isn’t wrong about that.”
All of them straightened at the sound of her dad’s voice. He came into the breakfast room with Elizabeth at his side.
“Good morning, Mr. Burke,” Cole said as he got to his feet.
“Good morning, Cole.” He nodded in Cole’s direction, then bent to kiss the top of Annie’s head. “Good morning, Annalisa. Boys.”
“Morning, Dad,” Benji said.
Julian settled for a simple, “Father.”
“Why don’t you sit down, darling,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll get your food.”
Her dad drew Elizabeth into his side and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Thanks, my love.”
Her dad went to the head of the table and sat down, laying the folder he held down on the table beside him. Even though they were in a different room, they’d all ended up in the same positions around the table that they’d had the previous night.
“Julian, I have news for you,” her dad said. “I would have told you last night, but you were in no condition for that conversation.”
Julian turned his hard gaze to his father. “What have I done this time?”
“That is a loaded question, indeed. However, this has nothing to do with any of your errant activities.”
“Then what is it?”
“We’ve received a credible lead on Angelica’s location.”
Julian’s jaw dropped as he stared at his dad. “What? You’ve found her.”
“It is more that she found us,” her dad said. “Or rather, she found Annalisa.”
Julian shot Annie a look before focusing back on his dad. “Explain.”
Normally, her dad would have taken umbrage at the command, but it appeared he was willing to cut Julian some slack that day. He took a few minutes to explain what had unfolded over the previous twenty-four hours, then slid the folder toward Julian.
Annie could see her brother’s hand was shaking as he picked it up. Julian uttered an expletive as he opened it and saw the picture of Angelica.
As they waited for Julian’s reaction, Annie reached for Cole’s hand. He didn’t just take her hand, he moved his chair closer to hers and put his arm around her.
“Does Mom know?” Julian asked.
No one at the table assumed he was talking about Elizabeth. She’d never been Mom to him.
“Not as of yet.”
“Why not?” Julian demanded.
“I wanted to make certain.”
“If she knows,” Julian said, jerking his head in Elizabeth’s direction. “Mom should know.”
“I know, and I will tell her once we’ve made contact with Angelica and have been able to parse out her intentions.”
“What if I decide to tell her?” Julian asked.
“You’re potentially setting her up for heartache. If you’re okay doing that to her, then by all means, call her.”
Annie could see the indecision on Julian’s face. He was very protective of his mom—their mom—and if there was one person he would probably not want to hurt, it was her.
“I’ll wait,” he said finally. “For now.”
His dad gave a nod as Elizabeth set a plate of food and a mug of coffee in front of him. “Thank you.”
“So, what’s the next step?” Julian asked.
“I have made the decision to have Jude fly out to meet with her,” he said.
“Jude? Why him? Why not one of us?”
“Julian, until we have more information on who she is and who all is part of her life, we need to keep some anonymity.”
“And you trust Jude to do this?”
“I trust Jude with all our lives,” her dad replied as he picked up his mug. “Why wouldn’t I trust him with this?”
Jude’s father had been head of security for her dad before he’d passed away unexpectedly. Jude had been part of the security team at that time and over the years since, he’d worked his way up to assume the role his father had once held.
“You don’t think one of us should go along?” Julian asked. “Maybe Annie, since Angelica’s already seen her?”
Her dad was already shaking his head before Julian finished speaking. “That won’t be happening.”
“Still protecting her, I see,” Julian said. “How do you feel about all this, sis?”
Cole’s hand rubbed her shoulder as Annie tried to formulate a response. “I’m… excited, but a little worried, I suppose.”
“Worried why?”
“Just because we share DNA doesn’t mean she’ll like me.”
“Kinda like how you don’t like me, Julian,” Benji said.
The silence that followed his comment was painful. Annie’s heart ached for her little brother. Cole had paid more attention to him than Julian ever had.
Julian cleared his throat. “I just think that Jude can be a little intense. Perhaps a friendlier face might be good.”
“Don’t be a jerk, Julian,” Annie spat out when he didn’t bother denying that he didn’t like Benji. “You’re officially uninvited to the skating rink, so that Benji can enjoy the afternoon with people who really do like him.”
She turned to Cole and tried to give him a smile. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with all this.”
“Hey.” He cupped her cheek, his gaze fixed intently on hers. “You have nothing to apologize for. All families have their issues. Benji is lucky to have you for a sister, and I’m also lucky to have you for a girlfriend.”
He leaned forward to brush a soft kiss on her lips, then gave her a gentle smile. The tension eased out of Annie at his words.
“Angelica will probably get one look at the relationships in this family and want to run for the hills,” her dad said.
“I’m finished,” Benji said as he got to his feet. “Please text me when it’s time to go, Annie.”
“Julian, one of these days, you will come to understand that Benji is an innocent in what happened between your mother and I. Just like Elizabeth is. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again and again, until it sinks into your head… there is no one to blame for Jill’s choices except Jill. She could have divorced me and remained as a present mother to you and Annalisa. Instead, she chose to abandon Annalisa, and even you, for a time.”
“It was hard for her to see Annie,” Julian said.
“But that is not your sister’s fault. It’s not Elizabeth’s fault. And it most certainly is not Benjamin’s. I will not stand in the way of Jill having a relationship with Angelica, but I will never force Annalisa to have one with her. Your mother made her bed, and now she can lie in it.”
Annie blinked at her dad. This was the first time she’d heard him speak so forcefully about her mother to Julian. It seemed that he was drawing boundaries as their family was faced with a major change.
“I apologize, Cole,” he said, turning to face him. “But if you’re going to date my daughter, you might as well be aware of all the dynamics that exist within her family.”
“Annie has already explained some to me,” Cole said. “And I’m not here to judge any of you. I would just like to be a support for Annie and Benji through this time.”
“I appreciate that,” her dad said.
Annie could see a grudging respect in her dad’s eyes, and she was so glad that she and Cole had made the decision to fight for their relationship.
“Now, you two go and enjoy your afternoon with Cole’s family. I’ll let you know if anything new transpires with Angelica.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Annie pushed her half-eaten plate of food away. Her appetite had vanished. Turning to Cole, she said, “Let’s go find Benji, and maybe he’ll show you our rec complex while I finish getting ready.”
“Sounds interesting,” Cole said as he got to his feet. He nodded to her dad and then Elizabeth. “I’ll see you later.”
He didn’t include Julian in his farewell, and Annie didn’t know if it was because he couldn’t stand him or if he just didn’t want to chance stirring anything up. Either way, Annie wasn’t upset about it.
She only felt bad that her dad and Elizabeth were left to deal with him.
Within the hour, they were on their way to the ice rink. Cole drove the SUV her dad had insisted they take. That particular vehicle had remotely controlled cameras attached to it that could monitor the area while they were inside the rink.
If something suspect popped up on the cameras, they could alert the security at the resort and also dispatch security people from the estate.
She had never been allowed to take the vehicle instead of bodyguards, but her dad had relented since they would be at the resort, which had a security team, and they would be surrounded by Cole’s family. Apparently, it was a controllable enough scenario for her dad and Jude, so they didn’t have to bring any guards with them.
Annie still carried a weapon, however, but she was allowed to keep it in her bag instead of her leg holster.
As soon as they walked into the rink, Annie felt the strain of the last day slip away. No one there knew what was going on, so for a few hours, she was able to put her concerns aside.
Benji appeared to have left his tense exchange with Julian behind as well. He and Amelia stuck close together on the ice as Benji proved that while he wasn’t a figure skater, he could keep up with the girl he liked.
Annie, for her part, was content to slowly skate around the rink hand in hand with Cole. He also proved to be confident on skates, and during certain songs, he had her skate facing him as he guided her around the ice.
It was the perfect start to the new year.
“Are you having a good time?” Cole asked as they left the ice for a break.
“I am,” she assured him. “It was nice to leave the tension at the house behind.”
“It’s a stressful situation all around,” Cole said. “I just wish I could be here for you while you’re dealing with it.”
“Me, too,” Annie said. “But just knowing that my dad is no longer objecting to us being together, makes me so happy.”
“I’ll only be a phone call away,” Cole said. “So if you need to talk, you just have to call me.”
Annie slipped her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his chest as he hugged her with one arm. She would miss him so much when he left the next day, but she was happy for the time they’d had together.
“Maybe you can come to a home game in January,” Cole said. “Bring Benji. Skylar and Aiden have been talking about coming for a game at some point as well. You could all come together.”
Though she didn’t know Skylar or Aiden well, Annie would use any excuse to see Cole. And maybe it was time for her to get to know them better. They were important to Cole, so she’d probably be spending more time with them in the future.
The future…
It was amazing to consider that maybe one day they’d be able to take the next step. She couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than being Cole’s wife someday.
It was now part of her prayer requests. That marrying Cole would be God’s will for her, and she also prayed that God would prepare her for that role.
During conversations they’d had recently, she’d gotten the feeling that Cole’s faith was becoming more important to him, and it was an answer to another of her prayers.
So while they would part again the next day, she had more confidence in their relationship now, and she’d count down the days until she could see him again.