Chapter 272
lan’s lips curled into a smile. “Alright p>
Mansfield Ellington had been about to shield Eleanor from her ex-husband’s obvious attempt to hitch a ride, but to his surprise, she agreed to give lan a lift herself, simply to avoid troubling him.
lan turned to Mansfield. “Which unit are you serving with now, Mr. Ellington p>
“Southern Command,” Mansfield answered curtly.
“And Mayor Ellington is p>
“My uncle,” Mansfield replied easily, not minding the disclosure.
lan nodded, having sorted out the family connection. “Pleasure to meet you p>
Eleanor pulled the car up in front of the restaurant. Ian reached for the front passenger door, but Eleanor shot him a look. “Back seat p>
He paused for a second, surprised, but didn’t argue. He opened the rear door and climbed in.
At that moment, Mansfield leaned in toward Eleanor, his tone gentle. “Take Maplecrest Avenue. There’s less traffic that way p>
A warmth flickered in Eleanor’s chest. For all his tough exterior, Mansfield had an eye for detail. She nodded. “Thank you p>
“Drive safe. Text me when you get home,” he reminded her.
“I will. You should head back,” she replied.
As Eleanor’s car eased away into the evening, she glanced in the rearview mirror —Mansfield was still standing there, watching them leave. He only disappeared from sight when she turned the corner.
“He’s awfully attentive, isn’t he?” lan’s voice broke the silence, rough and tinged with the haze of alcohol.
Eleanor gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Not your concern p>
Quiet filled the car.
lan fiddled absentmindedly with the small charm hanging from the rearview mirror -a good luck token she’d picked up years ago at a church fair. She’d once hung a similar one in his car, but he hadn’t noticed when it disappeared.
Eleanor rolled all the windows down. She didn’t care for the lingering smell of whiskey drifting from the back seat.
lan was thoroughly drunk. He slumped against the seat, eyes closed, brow furrowed, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
“Could you pull over at that store?” lan suddenly spoke up, eyes cracking open. “I need to grab some water p>
Eleanor spotted a convenience store just ahead and hit the brakes. “You’ve got two minutes p>
lan slipped out and disappeared inside. He was back in less than two minutes, handing her a bottle of honey water-her favorite, back in the day. “Here. Room temperature p>
She looked at the bottle, remembered the taste, but didn’t take it.
lan set it in the door compartment, cracked open a bottle of cold water for himself, and took a long drink, his eyes catching Eleanor’s reflection in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, he asked, “How did you meet Mr. Ellington p>
Eleanor let out a cold laugh. “What’s it to you p>
lan fell silent.
Eleanor drove him all the way to the Goodwin family’s front door. She didn’t bother hiding her impatience. “Get out p>
lan opened the door, paused, and leaned against the window. “I can’t make it to Wednesday’s parent-child event. Could you let Evelyn know p>
With that, he closed the door.
Eleanor recalled how, just last Friday, their daughter had asked if her dad could come along to the event. Apparently, even if Evelyn hadn’t asked, lan wouldn’t have been able to make it.
“For any of Evelyn’s activities in the future, you don’t need to show up,” Eleanor called out, her words carried by the evening breeze as she drove away.
lan stood motionless for a moment, watching as her car disappeared down the street.