Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

"Conner, so does Cooper actually have ties to the royal family here?" Annie asked.

Conner crooked a finger, beckoning her closer. "Come here, I'll let you in on a secret."

Annie leaned in, eager for the scoop. A second later, Conner flashed a wicked grin and gently nipped her earlobe. "Conner!" she squeaked.

The hospital garden echoed with laughter-Conner's deep, carefree chuckles, followed by a playful yelp as Annie gave him a swift, harmless smack.

Eldoria Havenbrook, Maplewood Estates.

"Mommy, come play with me," Henry pleaded, climbing onto the sofa and wrapping his pudgy arms around his mom's neck, nuzzling in for some love.

Mia glanced at her phone, reading Annie's latest message. "Weird. Kristen's never studied abroad. But the Crown Prince everyone's talking about? He did."

"Mommy-" Henry whined, tilting his little head, watching her with big, hopeful eyes. His chubby hands framed her face, gently turning her toward him. In his sweetest baby voice, he urged, "Look at your baby, Mommy!"

Mia turned to meet his gaze, then scooped him up in a hug. "Give Mommy just a minute to finish this, and then I'll play with you, okay?"

"I'll sit with you while you look," Henry insisted.

even

knowing he couldn't read, but he was great at picking

at Kristen's

nose and stage-whispered, "Mommy, he's ugly-"

and chuckled. "Ugly? He's not! You have

word "ugly" jogged her memory. "Hey, sweetheart,

Henry replied with a cheeky

holding perfectly still. Sensing her distraction,

he focused

away

with this

up

after a late work

on Mia's lap. "Henry, hop off your mom's knees. Mia's been teaching all

ran into his dad's arms, who lifted him high. Henry poked his own

little boys," Andre teased, still a bit tipsy, as sniffed Henry's tiny hand

effect. “Let's see