Angela looked up at Cole and saw concern on his face. His attention had zeroed in on Annie, and it seemed that the rest of the people in the room had ceased to exist.
She watched as the man crossed the room to take Annie in his arms. And in a move she’d only read about in the romance novels Kiara loved, Cole swept Annie off her feet. Annie’s arms went around his shoulders as she buried her head against his neck.
“Go to the theater room,” Benji called out as Cole and Annie left the living room.
With their departure, the room fell into an awkward silence. Duncan cleared his throat. "Well, I think we've covered enough about your mother for now. We'll arrange a meeting soon, if you're still comfortable with that."
Angela nodded, though her mind was elsewhere. What was it about Cole's arrival that had caused such distress for Annie?
Jude shifted his weight, drawing Angela's attention. His eyes met hers briefly before he looked away, his jaw tightening. "I'll be in the security office if anyone needs me," he said, directing his comment to Duncan.
As he turned to leave, Angela felt an irrational urge to call him back.
Seeing how loving and caring Cole had been with Annie had stirred a longing within Angela. She’d never witnessed loving relationships like she had since coming to the estate.
Duncan might come across as stern, but Angela had seen that when it came to his family—especially to his wife—he let down his guard. Elizabeth seemed to be able to calm him like no one else could, and whenever he entered a room, he always looked for her.
And Cole… He’d clearly sensed that Annie needed him and had flown from LA to see her. If that wasn’t love, Angela didn’t know what it was.
Her heart longed for something like that for herself. Unfortunately, her heart had attached itself to a man who saw her as nothing more than a responsibility. An assignment.
She had no doubt that if she needed protection, Jude would be there in a heartbeat. Because that’s what he was paid to do.
But would he ever sweep her off her feet because she needed more than just physical protection? No, he wouldn’t.
“That was really romantic,” Kiara murmured.
“Romance is highly overrated,” Julian replied.
“I’m sad to say that you know nothing about romance, son,” Duncan said. “And nothing about love.”
“Maybe.” Julian swirled his glass as he stared at it. “Or maybe it’s more trouble than it’s worth.”
Angela wondered if Jude felt that way too. It seemed odd for a man of his age to be single. He’d said he didn’t have a family, but she’d never asked if he had a girlfriend. So maybe he did.
The thought made her feel a little ill. And while she really didn’t think he did, she knew she needed to find out.
In her mind, the only thing that could put a stop to her growing feelings and the hope she harbored in her heart would be if he was already in a relationship.
Over the next few days, her desire for something more in her life grew as she witnessed the love Annie shared with Cole. It seemed like her twin had come alive with his arrival.
The worry and strain Angela had witnessed from Annie since she’d arrived had disappeared, and for the first time, Angela felt like she was getting an honest look at the type of woman her sister was.
“We’re supposed to have more training today,” Kiara said from her bed. “But I feel awful.”
Angela plugged in the heating pad, then handed it to her sister, where she was curled up under her comforter. Kiara had the misfortune of experiencing crippling cramps during the first day of her period each month.
“Did you take any meds?” Angela asked.
Kiara shook her head. “I ran out.”
“I’ll see if I can go get some more,” Angela said as she smoothed an errant curl back from Kiara’s face. “I need a couple of things myself, anyway.”
“Can you pick up some other stuff for me too?”
“Of course. Send me a text with what you need.”
Angela sank down on the edge of Kiara’s bed and opened the banking app on her phone. The balance in her account was low since she hadn’t had a paycheck in almost three weeks. She might have to dip into her savings, which, while not plentiful, would maybe tide her over for a month.
