“Annie is your sister.”
Jude placed his hands on his hips, waiting for Angela to say the words that would free them from this awkward situation.
“Mom, I explained the situation,” Julian said.
“Of course you did, darling.” Jill waved dismissively. “But she’ll adjust to the situation more quickly if she accepts some pretty obvious things.”
Well, it was clear that Jill was still Jill.
Jude itched to step in and redirect the conversation, but that wasn’t his role yet. He was there as a silent witness. A silent protector. Until Angela gave him a sign that she wanted his help.
However, if Jill took one more backhanded swipe at Kiara or Angela, Jude wasn’t sure he could hold his tongue. And he didn’t think Duncan would get upset with him if he didn’t.
Unfortunately, he was drawn into things against his will.
“Well, Jude,” Jill said when she spotted him. “You have certainly aged like fine wine.”
“Mom!” Julian protested.
“Your services are not required at the moment,” Jill said as she walked toward Jude, waving her hand at him dismissively.
“My boss would say otherwise.”
“You’re saying that Duncan told you to spy on my meeting with my daughter?”
“Mom, just ignore Jude.” Julian tried to guide Jill away from him.
Up close, she was as stunning as she’d ever been as a younger woman. It appeared that Duncan’s money was being put to good use.
“You tell Duncan that I don’t appreciate him trying to manipulate everything. And if he’s not careful, people might learn things he doesn’t want them to know.”
Jude wanted to defend Duncan, but he knew that the man would be upset if he did. Duncan didn’t require defending, andthere was a zero chance that Jill would ever reveal anything about the family. He knew that Duncan had made sure that Jill signed a document that said that if she ever revealed anything about Duncan, the family, or his business, she would lose all financial support.
“Let’s go sit down and have a chat with Angela.”
This time, Julian was more successful in moving his mom over to the seating area. Kiara followed with Angela, and the two of them sat down on a loveseat. Jill settled into the armchair closest to Angela, crossing her legs elegantly.
Julian sat on the couch, then got back up and went to the buffet. If he had been hoping for something alcoholic, he was going to be disappointed.
Sure enough, Julian’s shoulders dropped, but then he reached out to grab a mug and filled it with coffee. After adding cream and sugar, he returned to his seat.
During this time, Jill had been telling Angela all about her family. Angela wasn’t asking any questions, or really interacting at all.
That wasn’t a deterrent for Jill, however. The woman had plenty of experience in making small talk.
Jude wanted to tell Jill that if she wanted any chance with her daughters, she needed to show that she was interested in them. That she cared about them.
How things went with Angela might play a role in Annie one day meeting her mom. But judging by how things had progressed so far, Annie wouldn’t be changing her mind with help from Angela.
“What are you doing with your time?” Jill asked.
“We are taking some self-defense training, and we’re learning how to drive.”
“You don’t need to know how to drive,” she said. “I’m sure Duncan could hire someone to drive you around.”
“We want to know how to drive,” Angela said.
“It’s a good skill to have,” Julian said, braving his mother’s wrath by siding with the ladies.
