“Do you know when she’s leaving?” Duncan asked.
“Neither she nor Julian has told me a departure date.”
“I’ll ask Julian. I’ve tried not to wade into this because things are already tense between him and me, but I’ll do it if necessary.”
“I think Angela needs to steer clear of Jill for a little while.”
“Do you really want her to have a relationship with Jill?” Jude asked.
“If it’s a healthy one,” Duncan said. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Would you consider your relationship with your mom to be healthy?”
The question took Jude aback. It was rare that Duncan ventured into the personal with him. And to ask about his mother? That was even more of a rarity.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But it works for us, I guess. I don’t really want it to be different.”
“That’s good,” Duncan said. “It’s not easy being a parent, especially to grown adults when you can no longer guide them the way you once could through incentives and punishments.”
Jude felt like his mom still tried her best to “guide”—also known as manipulate—him into doing what she thought was best for his life. It was only because he’d learned to brush her efforts aside that their relationship had survived.
“Have you thought about starting a family yourself?” Duncan asked.
Jude was sure that he hadn’t sufficiently hidden his surprise at the question. It was even more surprising than the question about his mother.
“Uh… maybe when I was younger I thought about it,” Jude said.
Duncan leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of himself. “But not now?”
He took his time answering, uncertain what question might be coming next. Had Duncan sensed that he wasn’t viewing Angela in quite the same way he did the rest of the Burke family?
Jude had tried to keep his actions professional when he was with Angela, but it was possible he’d failed.
“I think perhaps my time for considering marriage and a family has passed me by.”
Duncan frowned. “Why would you say that? You’re not that old. I was older than you when Benjamin was born.”
“I’m content with my life. Plus, I don’t want to chance leaving a child behind the way my dad did. Being older and in this profession ups the chances of that happening.”
Duncan gave him a considering look. “Aren’t you a Christian?”
And yet another surprising question. “I am.”
“But you don’t trust God to protect you?”
“My dad also trusted God, and God ended up taking him. So, I don’t know how I feel about that.” Jude returned Duncan’s gaze. “How do you know about what Christians think?”
“Elizabeth, Annalisa, and Benjamin talk about what they believe around me quite a bit. I think about it.”
“But not enough to become a Christian yourself?”
Duncan didn’t answer right away, his gaze shifting to the window next to his desk. Finally, he looked back at Jude.
“I’m considering it,” Duncan said. “I just… I don’t know.”
“Don’t leave it too late.”
“Your dad said the same thing to me before he passed away.”
“And yet here we are, so many years later, and you’re still thinking about it.”
