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 there, he

are you off to? Dinner's almost

if they had made up. Was

brief silence, everyone momentarily forgetting to

Molly, her sister-in-arms knew despite their quarrels,

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.

"Consider it practice for daddy

exchanging looks again, they decided to hold back any snide remarks,

on the couch, broke into a smile, reassuring the little one in his arms, "No worries,

Chad, "Ignorance is bliss. You have

as Mia dragged Molly out for a chat, she teased, "What's going on? Just because

a night shift at the station. He barely comes home when I'm

"And here I thought you realized you love

"That doesn't need realizing."

all the cold

question, "Haven't you noticed how free I've been living without a man

Mia was speechless.

"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 love you,' then what, having

they can bully their way into love, what's stopping them from dictating everything

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

in thought, listened carefully, "You pushed