I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 201

Nora's voice softened. "Bonnie, what's wrong? Why are you calling so late?"

Over the line, Bonnie's sweet, soft voice drifted through. "Nora, are you off work yet? I got a gold star today. Ms. Zimmerman said I did a great job writing my numbers and gave me a prize."

Nora smiled, telling her that she was indeed off work and already home.

Bonnie let out a soft sound of acknowledgment, hesitating as if she had something more to say but didn't quite know how to ask.

Nora knew the little girl too well. Whenever she had a difficult request, she would fall silent for exactly a few seconds. "Tell me what's on your mind, Bonnie."

Bonnie's voice instantly brightened, as if she had just been waiting for that exact encouragement. "Can I come over to your house for dinner? We haven't found a new nanny yet, and the new lady isn't coming until tomorrow. Dad cooked dinner tonight, and it tastes really, really bad."

She deliberately lowered her voice at the end, sounding as if she were tattling about a massive crime. "Did you know his fried eggs are black? Completely black! I'm not even lying."

Nora couldn't help but laugh at her deadpan delivery. "Alright, I'll come pick you up."

Bonnie immediately declined. "You don't have to! My dad is dropping me off."

Nora froze. Her mind reflexively conjured up Xander Harrison's perpetually cold, impassive face, and she swallowed hard.

When she didn't respond right away, a trace of cautious hesitation crept into Bonnie's voice. "Is that not okay?"

"It's fine, of course you can," Nora quickly reassured her.

It wasn't a big deal. Xander would just drop Bonnie off at the door and leave. It wasn't like he was going to stay for dinner.

With that thought, the knot of tension in her chest finally loosened. "I'll be waiting for you."

Bonnie happily hung up the phone.

Nora pushed herself up from the couch and made her way toward the kitchen.

Bonnie arrived exactly an hour later.

Nora had just finished making Bonnie's favorite Savory Glazed Meatballs and set them on the dining table.

She untied her apron, draped it over the back of a chair, and called out to Felix, who was finishing up the last dish. "I'll get the door!"

The moment she pulled the front door open, she was caught entirely off guard by Xander's cold, detached gaze.

He had traded his corporate suit for a slim-fit, dark gray turtleneck.

Over it, he wore a long black wool trench coat. The tailoring was impeccable, its sharp shoulder lines making his broad frame look even more commanding.

The cool lighting from the hallway hit him from behind, casting sharp shadows across the planes of his face. His eyes were just as predatory as ever, but softened slightly by the warm glow spilling from her entryway, making his presence feel just a fraction less suffocating.