That was the only bright spot in the whole situation. She might be facing something challenging, but at least she’d be doing it with Jude by her side.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jude poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the buffet in the breakfast room, then took a sip.
“You have my permission to shut the meeting down if things start going south,” Duncan said.
Jude nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Duncan hadn’t defined whatgoing southreally meant, but Jude had his own definition. Basically, if the meeting with her mother was causing Angela even the smallest amount of distress, it would be over.
Jill would be livid. She’d always had a bit of a temper, and though he hadn’t been on the receiving end of it, his dad and Duncan certainly had been. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to be a fan of his anymore than she’d been a fan of his dad’s.
Her biggest problem with his dad had been his unwavering loyalty to Duncan. As far as Jude’s dad had been concerned, Duncan always had the last word, and Jill hadn’t always liked that.
Jude operated in the same way. Duncan had tasked him with protecting Angela, and he would do that, regardless of what Jill might think.
“Basically, I don’t want Angelica to suffer emotionally. She’s already dealing with a lot. I would have preferred that this meeting wait, but I know Jill has been as anxious for this day as I was, and she has a right to reunite with Angelica too. We’ve been lucky to delay this meeting as much as we have.”
“I’ll make sure Angela’s okay,” Jude assured him. “And Kiara will be there for her too.”
Duncan took a sip of his coffee. “Julian will be there as well.”
Jude wasn’t sure how much help that was going to be. The man had been drinking more than usual since Angela had arrived, and Jude couldn’t help but wonder what was causing that.
Plus, Julian had taken his mother’s side in most things, and Jude wasn’t sure that this would be any different.
“Good morning.”
Kiara’s voice had Jude turning toward the entrance to the breakfast room, which was where they came for coffee throughout the day, especially when the cook was busy in the kitchen.
Angela was at her side, her face pale and tense. Jude wanted to go to her and reassure her that everything was going to be fine.
And everything would be fine because he’d be there to protect her. It would be within his power to remove her from the situation, even if she wasn’t being physically threatened.
As the ladies approached them, Jude drank in the sight of Angela.
She was wearing a navy blue sweater dress that brought out the blue-green of her eyes, paired with knee-high brown boots that added to her height. Her hair was styled in soft waves that framed her face, and she'd applied just enough makeup to enhance her natural beauty without looking overdone. She looked elegant and poised, even though he could see the anxiety in her expression.
"You both look lovely," Duncan said, greeting them with a warm smile. "How are you feeling, Angelica?"
"Nervous," she admitted, her voice thin. "But ready, I think."
Jude’s protective instincts were heightened as he observed how nervous she was. "We don't have to leave for another twenty minutes. Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?"
Angela shook her head. "I don't think I could keep any food down right now."
"I'll have some coffee," Kiara said, moving toward the sideboard where the coffee service was set up. "Want some, Angie?"
"Maybe just a little," Angela said, though she looked like she might be sick.
Jude watched her carefully, noting the way her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the cup from Kiara. She hadn’t seemed this nervous over meeting Duncan, but then, she also hadn’t heard negative stories about Duncan the way she had about Jill.
"Would it help if I go over what to expect?" Jude asked gently.
Angela nodded, her fingers wrapped tightly around her coffee cup. "Please."
"Jill has a suite at the resort, but we’ve reserved one of their small boardrooms for this meeting,” Jude told her.
