Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

For safety's sake, Mars had Milka-his honorary goddaughter and trusty sidekick.

"Milka, when's your next day off? I'll take you to Havenbrook to meet my goddaughter from Newtown."

Milka sighed, thinking about work. "I only get one day off, and it's never enough."

Catching her disappointment, Mars's mind was already racing: Could he, as an officer, sneak his goddaughter onto a plane without a birth certificate? And how would he manage to smuggle her out of Conner's arms in Newtown all the way to Havenbrook?

"Mars? What are you daydreaming about?"

"Huh?" Mars blinked, jolted back to reality. "Oh, just pondering how to break the law without actually getting caught."

Milka just stared at him, speechless.

Summer by the lake was perfect-breezy, warm, the kind of day that made you want to do nothing but stroll and chat.

Mars and Milka walked side by side, laughing as he recounted the time his godson bawled so loudly he ended up at the police station. A whole gang of grown men got roasted by the officers before Andre finally came to bail them out.

He grinned, telling her how he used to bug Conner every day about having a daughter, and then when she finally arrived, Andre nearly turned green with envy. "Last time I was in Newtown, Asher started nagging me to have a daughter, too."

Lately, Mars had been helping his godson with homework. "It's a struggle. I've never met a kid with so many questions-every day's a new round of 'why, why, why.""

Milka burst out laughing, eyes shining. "You're making me miss little Henry. Haven't seen that chubby-cheeked troublemaker in ages."

do

"Six."

six the next day, Henry showed up at the office building, eyes wide and a little

"Hey, kiddo, have I

nose, clueless.

groaned. "You

out his cheeks in protest. "You're the goofy

his car, trying to coax Henry. "I mean, I'm

bought me

whispering in Henry's

went from confused,

get

his tongue and shook his

thirty-how was he supposed to

sighed in defeat. "Fine, just remember-when you see Milka,

"Godfather, does 'godmom' mean 'lazy mom'? Does she

met

bought some for himself, not for me..." His little

injustice of the world rested on his smal