The Cherished Wife



Noelle's candidness took Sean aback. "Wow, Noelle. You're really..."

"What?" Noelle looked up at him, curiosity in her gaze. Sean's eyes sparkled for a moment before he broke into a grin. "Nothing. Just admiring how thoughtful and sensible you are!"

Noelle let out a light laugh. "I just didn't want to burden him. He shouldn't have to deal with this stuff in the first place."

Noelle knew all too well the kind of people her family was. If they got their hooks into her relationship with Charles, things would get messy, which was the last thing she wanted.

Sean shrugged, letting the subject drop. "So, where do you feel like eating?" With Charles out of the picture, he felt it was his duty to look after Noelle's every need. He could not have Charles coming back to find his girl hungry. That would be tough to explain, especially since he and Peter already felt like they were in Charles's shadow thanks to some old history.

Noelle was clueless about the little secrets Sean was keeping to himself. She was more concerned about the Hoffman family's urgent summons for Charles, which surely meant something big was up. As Charles's wife, she could not take on his worries, but she was determined not to add to them.

"What's on the menu for tonight?"

Sean licked his lips, pondering for a second. "I'm still dreaming about that dinner you made last time."

Noelle's eyes twinkled with amusement. "So, are you hinting that you want me to cook? I am up for it. What about Peter, though? He's here too, so we need to get his opinion."All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

"I'm cool with anything!" Peter's voice cut in out of nowhere, giving Noelle a bit of a jump.

She glanced around, puzzled. "How did Peter hear us?"

With a sly grin, Sean held up a walkie-talkie. "Oops, looks like I forgot to switch it off."

Sean let out a playful laugh. "You don't mind, do you, Noelle?"

With a slight twitch in her eye, Noelle replied, "Not at all. So, what are you guys in the mood for?"

"How about barbecue? It's perfect

weather for it. But the three of us

hanging out together is a bit of an odd mix! Sean said with a meaningful look. Noelle caught on quickly and chuckled. "If you don't mind, I could invite a couple of friends. You already know them, Sean!"

"Rowena and Teresa?" Sean remembered them pretty well, thanks to Noelle. Had it been up to him, he probably would have

vet

forgotten anyone who did not cross

his path directly.

Noelle gave him a quick nod. "They're my best friends, and they're super cool."

"Sounds good to me!" Sean and

Peter were on board with the plan, so Noelle rang up Rowena and Teresa. The timing had been perfect since both had just finished work. Rowena's job ran around the clock, and Teresa's tea shop was always buzzing.

They were in without a second thought when they heard Noelle was treating them to dinner.

Noelle, Sean, and Peter hit the mall to stock up on food, and once they were back, Noelle wasted no time and got straight to cooking.

Sean and Peter lounged around in the living room, chatting away. When the topic shifted to Noelle, they both hesitated. "Looks like Charles is really into her, huh?"

"I've been saying that!" Sean had met Noelle before Peter did, so he knew more about her and Charles. "I'm just a little worried, you know?"