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."

had a nap there,

you off to?

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

a brief silence, everyone momentarily forgetting to

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

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

teased, "Consider it practice for

again, they decided to hold back any snide

on the couch, broke into a smile, reassuring the little one in his

exhaust Chad, "Ignorance is bliss. You have no idea what you're in

"What's going on? Just because Chad's taking you to the orchard,

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 keep

I thought you realized you love

"That doesn't need realizing."

was with all the cold shoulder you've been giving

free I've been living without a man this past

Mia was speechless.

was about setting boundaries. Chad wanted everything from me, and I felt oppressed. It's about showing him I won't be pushed around.

they can bully their way into

to stand your ground. Since I've been back, Chad's been all polite,

carefully, "You pushed back,

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