Jude set down his coffee cup, considering her question. "Duncan’s a good man. He's made mistakes, but he loves his family fiercely. After you were taken, he never stopped looking for you. Never stopped hoping you'd come home."
The words hit her harder than she expected. She'd always assumed that her parents had been glad to let her go. That they had probably forgotten her as soon as Jim and Sandra had taken her. And yet, the opposite had been true.
All this time, she’d had people who would have loved and cared for her. Protected her.
"Annie is probably the one you'll connect with most easily," Jude continued. "She's got a gentle spirit, kind of like you.”
Angela hadn’t spent much time thinking about Annie. Her twin. The person who’d been returned to live her life in the lap of luxury, with a father who loved and treated her well. While Angela had ended up with the opposite.
“And Julian?”
“Oh.” Jude frowned. “Well, Julian is… complicated. He rebelled against his father’s attempts to protect him. He indulges in alcohol and women a bit too much for Duncan’s liking.”
It was weird to think that these people who were related to her were total strangers. She hoped that they liked her… and that she liked them too.
If they didn’t, she had no idea what she’d do with her life now that she’d fled Briar Hollow.
CHAPTER SIX
Jude watched as Angela’s expression closed off when Tanya let them know they’d be landing soon.
For most of the trip, he’d told her about the Burkes. He was trying his hardest to give her the information she needed in order to feel at least somewhat prepared for the upcoming meeting.
She’d had questions. Lots of them. But they hadn’t just been about her family. She’d asked about him and his life too.
Jude wasn’t surprised that she wanted to know more about him. He knew that he was the bridge between her old life and the new one that awaited her, so he didn’t mind her questions too much.
It had just been odd to talk about himself. Sure, his mom asked him questions about his life. But Angela was asking more than how his week had gone.
Perhaps it had just been a way to keep her mind off all the changes she was facing. Focusing on his life might be easier than focusing on hers.
"We'll be landing in about fifteen minutes," Tanya announced as she collected their empty plates. "Please make sure your seats are in the upright position and your seat belts are fastened."
Angela nodded mutely, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. The curious woman who'd been peppering him with questions throughout the flight had retreated, replaced by someone who seemed determined to hide her emotions.
He didn’t like the idea of her closing herself off. How would he know if she needed something if he couldn’t read her expression?
He was better than most at reading people. His dad had reiterated over and over how important that skill was when dealing with potential threats.
However, there were moments when Angela’s face went completely blank. He was coming to realize that those moments were usually when she felt the most vulnerable.
Given what he now knew about her past, it didn’t surprise him that she’d learned to hide the softest parts of herself. The environment she’d grown up in had almost guaranteed that would be the result.
"Hey," Jude said softly, leaning forward. "It's going to be fine."
She met his gaze, the vulnerability missing from her expression was clear in her eyes. “You keep saying that."
"Because it's true." He wanted to reach across and take her hand, but held back. That wasn’t his place. "Duncan has been waiting for this moment for over twenty years."
"What if I'm not what they expect?" The words tumbled out in a whisper. "What if I'm not… enough?"
The question hit Jude in an unexpected place. He'd spent years proving himself worthy of his position, worthy of Duncan's trust. The man had given him a chance, a life after his dad had died. Jude understood the fear of not measuring up better than most.
"You're exactly who they want to meet," he said firmly. "Just you. You’re perfect as you are."
Angela's eyes widened slightly at his intensity, and Jude realized he'd let more emotion into his voice than he'd intended. He cleared his throat and sat back, composing himself.
"Thank you," she murmured, a hint of pink coloring her cheeks.
