“I don’t feel entitled to it,” Angela told him.
“You’re as entitled as Annie, Julian, or Benji. You’re Duncan Burke’s daughter.”
“Is it wrong to say that maybe I’d rather not be?”
Jude shook his head. “It’s not wrong. If it’s how you feel.”
“I suppose it doesn’t make sense. Who wouldn’t want to be related to one of the richest men in the world?”
“So why do you feel that way?”
Angela shifted to look at him, turning as much as she could with the seatbelt. “I just think it might make certain things easier.”
She wondered if they’d met under different circumstances whether Jude would have let that flicker of interest she thoughtshe’d seen early on grow into something more. Or had that just been a figment of her imagination? Wishful thinking?
As she observed his chiseled profile and his strong hands, Angela wondered what sort of woman he was drawn to. Was it a stumbling block that she looked identical to a woman he’d known since she was in diapers?
There were definitely a lot of things resisting the hope and love growing in her heart. What was she supposed to do with that knowledge, though?
As the SUV ate up the miles between the estate and Coeur d’Alene, Angela came to a realization. Everything that had brought her and Kiara to this point had required them to take things into their own hands.
If they’d waited around for someone to rescue them from the homestead, they’d probably still be there. If she’d waited for Duncan to find her, he might never have been able to.
They’d had to make the decision to leave the homestead and then follow through. They’d had to make that phone call to Cole Halverson. Not just leave the picture of him and Annie under a magnet on their fridge.
They’d had to be proactive, and Angela realized she needed to be proactive in how she felt about Jude. Those other times, it had been Kiara that propelled them into action. This time, it would be up to her.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
She had to believe that God would give her the strength to learn what was necessary in order to move forward. And if this path led to heartache for her, He’d give her the strength to deal with that too.
Before she dismissed her feelings for Jude as hopeless, she needed to know for sure. She needed to know if anything was even remotely possible.
If he had someone else in his life, she’d have to move on. No matter how much she didn’t want to. So, she had to ask.
“You said you didn’t have a wife, right?”
Jude’s brows lifted as he shot her a quick look. As he focused on the road again, she saw his jaw tense.
Was he trying to decide whether to tell the truth or to lie in order to keep her at arm’s length?
“No, no wife.”
“Ex-wife?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Jude’s gaze met hers for a moment. “Why do I not have any of the above?”
“Yes.”
“My job is my life.”
