I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 25

Seraphina's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second at Finnegan's silence.

"Finn?" she called out softly.

Snapping back to reality, Finnegan gently stroked her hair, his eyes softening as he seamlessly shifted the topic.

"Cassie is almost done washing up. I'll go check on her. You should get ready too."

Seraphina watched his retreating back, her expression freezing in place. His attempt to change the subject was glaringly obvious. Did he still have feelings for Nora? Was he unable to keep up his act after seeing her with another man?

Absolutely not!

By then, Cassie had finished washing her face. Finnegan walked over, took the comb from her hand, and awkwardly brushed her hair a couple of times before giving up. "Let Martha comb it for you later."

Cassie jumped off her stool and threw her arms open wide. "Carry me, Dad!"

Finnegan bent down and scooped her up. Cassie wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hanging off him completely. He bounced her slightly and chuckled. "You've gotten heavier, Cassie."

Cassie giggled brightly. "Yep! Because Mom hasn't been bossing me around lately, and I've been so happy!"

Finnegan's hand faltered for a moment, but he smiled fondly and pinched her nose. "You little rascal."

Seraphina emerged from the bedroom, already dressed. "Let's go have breakfast, Cassie. We'll drop you off at school right after."

Cassie peeked over Finnegan's shoulder and gave Seraphina a sickeningly sweet smile. "Okay!"

Nora was startled awake by her ringtone.

She had slept surprisingly well at the hotel; the bed wasn't as soft as the one at home, but it was blissfully quiet.

Just as she was about to get up, her phone buzzed. She reached over and instinctively hit answer. A sweet, childish voice chirped through the speaker. "Good morning, Nora!"

Nora paused for a second before a natural smile spread across her face. "Bonnie? Why are you calling me so early?"

She couldn't help but picture the look of absolute disgust that always twisted Cassie's face.

Nora looked down at the insulated lunchbox in her hands, sudden doubt creeping in. Would Bonnie even like her cooking?

But there was no time to second-guess. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the lunchbox and headed out the door.

Following the address Bonnie had texted, Nora took a cab to Xander Harrison's residence.

The moment she reached the lobby, a tiny figure sprinted out to meet her. "Nora!"

Wearing a pink dress and looking like an adorable little bunny, Bonnie threw herself straight into Nora's arms, wrapping her hands tightly around her waist. She looked up, her eyes curved into happy crescents. "Good morning! I'm so glad you're taking me!"

Nora bent down and scooped her up. Bonnie immediately hugged her neck. "Good morning, Bonnie."

Suddenly remembering something, Bonnie's face fell. "We won't get to spend much time together today. Can this not count as one of our three days?"