Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Aaron: "Why'd you shut it off? I was downloading something. Were you so curious about that big lump that you ended up pulling the plug?"

Andre glanced over at his wife. Mia, feeling a bit guilty, covered her mouth. "I'll go wash us some fruit."

The Byrne family decided to take a trip back to their hometown, giving the house a good clean. Chad and his son were busy decorating the door with some festive flair, while Molly, holding the baby, was the director from behind. "Chad, a bit higher, line it up with the left. Perfect, you can stick it now."

Their little one was back at his grandparents' place, watching his dad and granddad with wide-eyed curiosity as they hung up the decorations, totally fascinated.

Once the decorations were up, Chad noticed his hands were stained red. He washed up before picking up his son.

The neighborhood buzzed with news of the Byrnes' visit. Folks showed up, hands in pockets, ready to catch up on the latest gossip.

Coleen and her daughter exchanged a knowing look, and Molly got the hint right away.

"Hey, Molly! Back for the holidays at the old place this year? It's the little one's first visit, right? Let's have a peek."

Everyone gathered around Chad, who was holding Henry. "He looks just like Chad! I remember when Coleen had Chad, she stayed in the west room to

recover. Chad used to play around this very yard as a kid, and we all thought the Byrne kids were the cutest."

"And then there was Jade..."

"Uh, cough, cough."

The conversation quickly shifted, avoiding any sore spots that might upset Coleen.

It's been so long, yet Coleen's kids are still her pride, and now she's embraced her role as a grandma. "Jade was born in the hospital, and I did my recovery here at home too. Your grandma looked after me then. Your dad worked in town and bought a motorcycle to visit us every day."

With Coleen opening up, everyone joined in. "Oh yeah, your mom was running the business, and we had some money then. Your dad just went ahead and bought it. Whenever we wanted to head to town, we had to check with your family first, hoping for a ride."

Conversations flowed from kids to old memories to how times have changed, with Molly chiming in wherever she could.

While the men were busy, the women, with kids in tow, gathered for some good old chitchat.

Seeing this, Chad decided to leave his wife and mom to their conversation. "Dad, I'll handle dinner."

Kendrick nodded. "Go ahead, let your mom and Molly chat. Your mom's alright, but Molly clearly isn't the kitchen type."

This way, they avoided the townsfolk discovering that the daughter-in-law wasn't much of a cook, keeping any gossip at bay.

Wayne watched his busy dad until he got sleepy and dozed off comfortably on his mom's shoulder.noveldrama

Grandma Aubree came out, handing her granddaughter a big, floral quilted jacket. "Molly, cover the baby with this."

Lunchtime rolled around, and everyone took their leave.

In the afternoon, the old house beds felt damp and musty. Molly didn't want her son sleeping in the bedroom. Fortunately, Chad's car had their son's stroller. He opened it, took off his quilted jacket, and lined the stroller with it to keep out the chill. "Molly, let's put Wayne in here. He can nap in the yard."

"Aren't you going to be cold, Chad?" Molly asked, concerned.

Chad checked out his shirt and grinned. "Nah, I won't feel cold while I'm working. Plus, the shirt you got me has a fleece lining."