The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles) novel Chapter 409

Arya was petrified, too scared to utter a word. Brian just scoffed and breezed right past her.

Noelle made her way down to the underground garage and spotted Charles waiting. She hurried over, breathless. "Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"Not a bit!" Charles smiled, taking her bag with a smooth gesture. "Weren't you supposed to be down here before me?"

"I got a little sidetracked, but we're all set now!"

"How about barbecue? Ronald told me about this new place downtown. Does that sound good?" Charles suggested, just as Ronald's voice came through on the phone. "Mr. Hoffman, all set for tonight." He paused, then added, "I ran into a bit of trouble at the project department earlier. Someone was hassling Noelle."

Charles's eyes took on a sharp glint. "Got it."

He ended the call and turned to Noelle, who was grinning at him. "What's with the stare?"

"Barbecue, huh?" Charles noticed Noelle had not buckled up properly, so he leaned in to click the seatbelt into place. Noelle's cheeks turned a soft pink as she glanced down at the back of Charles's head. They had been married for ages and were very close, but she still got all fuzzy inside from his little acts of care.

"Yeah, barbecue sounds awesome, especially on a cold day like this. We need something hearty." Noelle's eyes sparkled. "Did you get the movie tickets already?"