A man checked in with Jude to make sure that everything was okay and to let him know the luggage had all been transferred to the truck that Jude had arranged for since there wasn’t room for that amount of cargo on the helicopter.
As the door was shut and secured, Jude strapped himself in, then glanced at Angela. She sat with her hands gripped tightly in her lap, her posture ramrod straight.
“How long is this flight?” Kiara asked, her eyes alight with excitement. She was definitely showing herself to be someone who embraced new experiences.
“We should be at the estate in about twenty-five minutes.”
“So soon,” Angela murmured.
When the engines spooled up with a deepening whine, Jude handed headsets to Angela and Kiara, then put a set on himself.
Outside the window, the five-blade rotor began to turn, sluggish at first, slicing the crisp morning air with a rhythmicwhump-whumpthat quickened into a blurred disc overhead.
“This is so cool,” Kiara said, her voice clear in Jude’s ears.
“That’s one word for it,” Angela said. “I didn’t know it would be so loud.”
“It’s a bit different from a plane,” Jude explained. “So wearing these just makes it easier to communicate.”
“Does the pilot hear us too?” Angela asked.
“No, they’re on a different frequency, though they can switch to ours in cases of emergency.”
“Emergency?”
Jude wanted to slap his forehead. That wasn’t the best thing to reference when he had a nervous flyer on his hands.
As the helicopter lifted off, a gentle shudder rippled through the cabin, the seats vibrating beneath them.
Jude wasn’t surprised when Angela reached out and grabbed his arm. He covered her hand with his as the helicopter tilted forward slightly, beginning the short journey north to the estate.
“Look at all the snow, Angie,” Kiara said, her face pressed close to the window. “It’s so beautiful.”
Mindful of how cold it would be in Idaho compared to Kentucky, Jude had had Duncan’s assistant order and overnight deliver winter wear for both women to the hotel where he’dbeen staying. She’d sent heavy coats, scarves, boots, and mitts. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been prepared for the weather that had greeted them once they’d arrived in Coeur d’Alene.
“I’ll take your word for it, Kiki,” Angela said, keeping her head pressed back against the seat, her gaze straight forward.
There was a bit more sway to the helicopter than there had been to the plane, and Jude could tell that Angela felt it because her fingers tightened on his arm.
He always enjoyed riding in the helicopter and turned to watch the evergreens standing tall above a carpet of snow. It looked like they had gotten more snow in the few days that he’d been gone. Or maybe he’d just forgotten how much had been there after spending time in a place without any.
Jude didn’t interact much for the remainder of the flight, just listened as Kiara tried to convince Angela that she was really missing out by not looking out the windows. Angela’s responses were short and to the point.
She wasn’t going to give in to her sister’s attempts to get her to look out the window.
The nearer they drew to the estate, the more it settled on Jude that his part in this family reunification was nearly over. His job had been to verify Angela’s identity, and then get her safely back to the estate.
He’d done both of those things, and soon he’d be turning over the care of Angela and Kiara to Duncan.
And though he’d still see them, he wouldn’t be dealing with them directly, for the most part. He wouldn’t be responsible for Angela. Anything she needed would be taken care of by someone else now.
The thought shouldn't bother him so much. It was just a job. A mission completed successfully.
Yet as the helicopter began its descent toward the estate's helipad, Jude found himself oddly reluctant to let go of the connection he'd formed with Angela.
In just a few days, he'd watched her world turn upside down, had been there as she’d said goodbye to her old life. He’d watched the shifting emotions cross her face as she processed what was happening. Had seen her strength even as she struggled.
He might witness more of her adjustments, but it would be from a distance. Just as it should be.
