He froze with his forkful of scrambled eggs halfway to his mouth. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he said, “No. My only family is my mom and her kids, and they don’t live in Idaho.”
Angela couldn’t explain why she felt so relieved when he revealed he wasn’t married. That didn’t mean he didn’t have a significant other, however.
It shouldn’t matter, but she found herself curious about the details of his personal life in a way that surprised her. She figured it had to do with him being the one connection between her old life and new.
He also knew so much about her, it only felt fair to balance that out with her knowing about him. But realistically, she knew she was looking for a distraction.
"What about you?" Jude asked, turning the question back on her. "Any significant relationships you're leaving behind in Briar Hollow? Although I guess it’s probably a little late to be asking about that."
Angela felt heat creep up her neck. "No. There’s not. I've never really… I mean, there isn't anyone I’m really close to. Just Kiara." She took a bite of the eggs, hoping to hide her embarrassment behind the act of eating.
The eggs were as delicious as everything else on the plate, but she barely tasted them as she waited for Jude's response.
"That's probably for the best," he said simply. "It would have made this transition more complicated."
Angela glanced over at Kiara, who was absorbed in her book while she ate, completely oblivious to the conversation happening behind her.
"Can I ask you something?" Angela said, setting down her fork.
Jude nodded, his gaze focused on her with an intensity that made her stomach flutter.
"Why you? I mean, why did Duncan send you specifically to meet with us?"
Jude was quiet for a long moment, and Angela wondered if she'd overstepped somehow. Then he leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful.
"I've been with the family for a long time," he said finally. "Duncan trusts me to handle sensitive situations. And meeting with you… that was one of the most important things he's ever asked me to do.”
“When did you first meet them?”
“My dad took a job working on the security team for the family in New York when I was around nine years old. At the time, Duncan was still married to Jill, your mom. They only had Julian when Dad first started working for them, but a couple of years later, you and Annie arrived.”
“So you knew me back then.”
Jude nodded. “I was almost fifteen when you were kidnapped, and I saw the huge toll it took on everyone. Duncan fired the man who’d been the head of his security team and promoted my dad to the position. It was the one he held until he died when I was twenty.”
“And then you took over?”
Jude shook his head. “No. I didn’t have enough experience for that. But Duncan kept me on and gave me every opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience I would need to one day lead the team myself. I’ve been in charge of the family’s security for around eight years now.”
That explained a lot to Angela. It did give her a bit of pause, however. If there was a time when Jude had to choose what she wanted or what Duncan wanted, which way would he go? Something told her that his decision would not be in her favor.
She’d already sensed that he was devoted to his job and to the Burke family, but now she had confirmation of it.
With his latest revelation about his life, she’d come to realize that Jude was at least eleven years older than her.
“Angela?”
She blinked as she realized she’d zoned out thinking about the man seated across from her. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
Angela felt her cheeks warm. "Sorry, I was just thinking about everything you told me." She took another sip of her coffee, using the moment to gather her thoughts. "It's a lot to process."
"I imagine it is." Jude's voice carried a gentleness that made something in her chest tighten. "If you have other questions, I'm happy to answer them."
She wanted to ask him more—about himself, about what it had been like growing up with her family, about what he thought of her. But the words stuck in her throat, familiar hesitation holding her back.
"What are they like?" she asked instead. He’d told her bits and pieces about all of them, but she wanted more. Even though it was overwhelming. "Duncan and… and the others?"
