Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Hansen glanced at his daughter Molly, who was looking up at Chad's profile, "Since when did you become friends with that old timer behind my back?" His wife's concerns always revolved around his social circle. "Just an old man who filed a report. Felt pretty bad for him. Got swindled out of his money and came to me for help. Cherry picking season is here, fancy a trip?"

"Did he get his money back, though?"

Chad nodded, wrapping his arm around Molly, looking down at her. He was close enough to kiss her but restrained himself in front of the Cedillo family, "When I'm on it, you bet it'll be sorted."

Molly smiled, "Then I'm in." It'd be awkward to go cherry picking on their dime if the money wasn't retrieved.

Anya, too, was interested but directed her words at Leo, "Chad, I want some fresh cherries."

"Aren't the ones you buy fresh enough?"

"Those are picked by others, not fresh. I want to pluck them straight from the tree and pop them in my mouth right there."

Leo, ever so cheeky, "Why don't you just hug the tree and nibble on it? Skip the middleman, that'll be fresher."

Anya, upset, stood up, abandoning her spot next to Leo and sat next to Mia instead.

Naomi, fuming, pointed at her son, "If Anya was my daughter, you'd never be good enough to be my son-in-law."

Leo sheepishly scratched his nose.

Soon after, Chad got up to leave, "Dad, I'll come by to pick you and Molly up tomorrow."

nap

asked, "Where are you

eyes darted between his daughter and son-in-law, wondering if they had made up. Was

room fell into a brief silence, everyone momentarily

glance from Molly, her sister-in-arms knew despite their quarrels, it was time to back each other

out together tomorrow anyway." She handed her child to Chad, "Henry, go to your uncle. He's not leaving tonight; you're sleeping with your aunt and uncle tonight." "No way, I'm a sleep champion, and your son's a night owl. If I sleep, your son's up, leaving me to care for

"Consider it practice

to hold back any snide remarks, given

on the couch, broke into a smile, reassuring the little one in his arms, "No worries, your uncle had a good rest today. I'll keep

aware of Henry's potential to exhaust Chad, "Ignorance is bliss. You have no

she teased, "What's going on? Just because

reasoning, "It's not that, Mia. If I didn't keep Chad tonight, he'd be pulling a night shift at the station. He barely comes home when I'm not around." Concerned for Chad's health, she had no choice but to

thought

"That doesn't need realizing."

with all the cold shoulder you've

you noticed how free

Mia was speechless.

don't share it lightly." Molly was righteous in her speech. "Coming back was about setting boundaries. Chad wanted everything from me, and I felt oppressed. It's about showing him I won't be pushed around. Otherwise, what's next? Being pressured into saying 'I

They want commitment, assurance, and if they can bully their way into love, what's

you got to stand your ground. Since I've been back, Chad's been

thought, listened carefully, "You