No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 423

The flight was smooth from takeoff to landing. Eleanor kept her daughter entertained with comic books while Decker made good use of the time, typing away at his laptop.

Four hours later, the plane touched down at an airfield nestled among rolling mountains, the kind used by the military. As soon as the cabin door opened, Eleanor took Evelyn by the hand and saw Mansfield Ellington waiting at the bottom of the steps, standing tall in full uniform, a bouquet of fresh flowers in his arms.

“Welcome to the Ninth Military District, Miss Sutton.” He stepped forward with a warm smile, offering the flowers to Eleanor.

“Thank you,” Eleanor replied, gratitude in her voice.

“Mr. Ellington,” Evelyn piped up, peeking shyly from behind her mother, her round face full of curiosity—and a touch of awe at the sight of Mansfield’s crisp uniform.

Mansfield crouched to be at eye level with her. “Hello there, Evelyn. Welcome to my corner of the world.”

Evelyn blinked her big eyes, clearly feeling the respect in his gesture, and relaxed a little. “Is this really your place?” she asked, her voice sweet and small.

He grinned. “It is. You can explore as much as you like.” Then he straightened and turned to Eleanor. “You must be tired from the journey.”

Eleanor shook her head. “Not at all.”

“Come on, let me show you to your quarters,” Mansfield said.

He personally led the three of them to a waiting car. As they drove through the heavily guarded base, Evelyn pressed her face to the window, captivated by the military vehicles and equipment scattered along the way.

“Mr. Ellington, is that a real tank?”

“It sure is.”

“And that— is that a cannon?”

“Yes, it is.”

Eleanor watched her daughter’s excitement grow, afraid she might try to crawl out the window. She gently pulled Evelyn back into her arms. “No rush,” she soothed. “We’re staying here for a whole week, remember?”

Mansfield glanced back with a smile. “Next time, how about I take you inside the tank for a look?”

“Really?” Evelyn clapped her hands in delight.

They arrived at the residential quarters, and Eleanor was surprised to find their accommodations were a private little cottage. Mansfield explained, “Since you’re traveling with your daughter, I wanted you to have a quiet place to stay. I arranged this just for you.”

“Wow, Mom, look at all those stars! I’ve never seen so many before!” Evelyn exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder. “Back home, you could hardly see any.”

Eleanor gazed upward, a soft smile on her lips as the memory of stargazing with her own parents drifted through her mind. The night sky glittered like diamonds above them.

“I can’t even count them all!” Evelyn said, her little head tilted back as she tried.

Eleanor stroked her daughter’s hair, savoring the gentle breeze on her face and the peace of being far from Ashford City. The weight she’d been carrying seemed a little lighter.

“Still awake?” A warm, deep voice drifted over from the entrance to the garden.

Eleanor looked up to see Mansfield in a casual army-green shirt and slacks, a grocery bag in one hand. In the soft glow of moonlight, he looked less like the commanding officer and more like an old friend dropping by.

“Mansfield,” Eleanor greeted him, using his first name now—because, truth be told, they really were friends.

His eyes lit up at that. He pushed open the garden gate with a smile. “I had the kitchen whip up some snacks—especially for the little one.”

The moment Evelyn heard there was food, she popped up from Eleanor’s arms, her eyes shining. “Are those for me?”