Angela nodded, then took a quick breath as the plane gathered speed. All too soon, it catapulted down the runway. When the plane lifted into the air, Angela could have sworn she had left her stomach on earth.
She closed her eyes, then opened them again when she felt Kiara lean across her. Automatically, she turned to see what Kiara was looking at. And wished she hadn’t.
The earth was dropping away from them at an alarming rate, and Angela felt as if her connection to everything she’d ever known was disappearing as quickly.
Kiara, however, was entranced by the view, remarking on how incredible it was. She had always been the more adventurous of the two of them.
Angela closed her eyes and tried to imagine being anywhere but on that plane, winging its way across the country to where her family waited. Would it be her new home?
No one had mentioned specifically what would happen once they got there. Would they have a home of their own? Would she and Kiara be able to find jobs nearby?
“I’m actually going to sit over there,” Kiara said, making Angela open her eyes to see what was going on.
The attendant stood next to their seats with a tray in her hands.
“Why are you moving?” Angela asked.
“I want to sit next to the window,” Kiara said as she undid her belt. “Plus, I’d like to read while I eat.”
Angela didn’t try to keep her from moving. She just watched as Kiara settled into a seat that was a short distance in front of the area where Angela sat on the opposite side of the plane.
Tanya showed Kiara how to lift a tray into position before she set her drink on it. Looking at Jude, Angela saw him doing something similar.
She felt totally out of her element as she struggled to get her own tray into position.
“Here, let me help you.” Jude had moved his tray and removed his seat belt and was now down on one knee in front of her.
With practiced ease, he had her tray out of the armrest and lowered into position in front of her. He gave her a quick smile as he got back to his feet and returned to his seat.
“Thank you,” she said. Both to him and to Tanya, who held out her cup of coffee.
Angela took a tentative sip of the hot beverage, her eyes widening as the taste of it filled her mouth. She and Kiara were both coffee drinkers, but they’d always settled for the cheapest brand they could find.
This was clearlynotthe brand they usually used. That had a bitterness to it that never completely disappeared after the first sip, even if she added some chocolate milk to it.
This one, however, had a more balanced taste and a velvety feel. And the flavor was incredible, with distinct notes that she’d never tasted in coffee before.
If this was the type of coffee she was going to get to drink as a result of being part of the Burke family, Angela had just found the first positive of her life’s upheaval.
“This is amazing,” Angela said as she watched Jude pick up his cup. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
The skin at the corners of Jude’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, softening his stern expression. He took a sip from his mug, then said, “Duncan insists on having the best coffee available anywhere he might drink it.”
“I can see why he’d want that.”
Tanya returned with large plates containing their breakfasts.
When Tanya set a plate down in front of her, Angela stared down at the plate in wonder. Fluffy scrambled eggs, perfectly crispy bacon, golden hash browns, and fresh fruit artfully arranged on fine china. It was more elaborate than any breakfast she'd ever been served, and certainly more elegant than anything she'd ever made for herself and Kiara.
"This looks incredible," she murmured, picking up the heavy silverware.
"Once again, only the best,” Jude said. “Duncan would have wanted you to have a delicious meal on the trip to Idaho. You’ll find that his motivation for most things is what is best for his family.”
Angela didn’t know how that would relate to her, but she had a feeling it was important since Jude had mentioned it. The man had dropped little tidbits here and there about life in Idaho, mainly about Duncan and the other members of the family.
She’d tucked away the bits of knowledge, assuming they’d come in handy at some point. But while the man had beenwilling to share information about the Burke family with her, he hadn’t shared much about himself.
“You said that you live on the estate,” she began. At his nod, she continued, “Does your family live with you?”
