Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Andre knew from the start that his brother-in-law would have a tight hold on Henry the whole trip, so that night, uncle and nephew bunked together.

That left Mia and Andre sharing the big master bedroom. Mia, cozy in her pajamas, caught the soft look in her husband's eyes and teased, "Babe, it really feels like we're floating in the clouds up here."

Andre grinned. "The flight's smooth as silk, and you can barely hear a thing."noveldrama

Mia just rolled her eyes-honestly, this man.

After so long away on vacation, Mia had almost forgotten: winter back home meant snow. Havenbrook had been hit with two days of heavy snowfall right before they returned, and now everything was wrapped in sparkling white. The streets were starting to wake up, a few shops opening their doors, snowplow crews clearing the roads. At the Cedillo, Irvin, and Byrne households, the staff bustled around, getting everything ready for their families' return.

On the plane, with only little Henry along, he was nestled in his uncle's lap, busy matching patterns on his game. When he got bored, his uncle fed him snacks, gave him sips of juice, and put on cartoons to keep him entertained.

Mia caught up on sleep by the window, her head resting against the glass. Andre sat close, just the nearness of his wife giving him a deep, easy calm. It always amazed him—how could someone have this kind of effect on him?

He watched Mia sleep, then, like a mischievous wolf, leaned in and kissed her softly. Not long after, Henry toddled over. He'd seen Dad kiss Mom and, not to be outdone, puckered up for a kiss of his own.

Andre laughed, scooped Henry up, and let him give Mia a quick peck. Then he bounced his son in his arms. "How about a kiss for Dad?"

Henry, mouth wide open, leaned in and tried to gnaw on Andre's chin. He'd always been like this since he was tiny-grabbing Dad's face, fighting Mom for Dad's kisses, or just slobbering all over him with pure baby enthusiasm.

With half an hour left before landing, Mia woke up to Andre gently calling her name. She stretched and smiled, "Henry, come here, sweetheart. Time to change -we're almost home."

Barefoot and giggling, Henry crawled into her arms. Mia nudged Andre, "Honey, can you wet one of my face towels? I'll wipe his little feet." She started stripping Henry down and sliding his arms into a warm shirt.

A minute later, Andre had the towel ready and was gently cleaning Henry's feet before helping button him into his layers. Soon, Henry was bundled up like a mini snowman-and immediately went rolling around on the floor, loving every second

of it.

When the plane finally touched down, everyone braced themselves against the freezing wind as they stepped outside. Hansen needed a steady arm to get off, while Henry was bundled up and carried, his eyes wide with wonder at the world suddenly blanketed in white. He stared at the snow, totally mesmerized.

The Cedillo family's plane landed under a heavy gray sky, but for a moment, the snow paused. As soon as both planes were on the ground, flakes began drifting down again.

Since they needed to drop off the Byrne family and Leo, the Calder family's jet swung by Havenbrook too. All four families gathered at Majestic Dining Enclave for a lively reunion dinner, laughter and stories filling the place with warmth. This time, saying goodbye was easier. The four ladies weren't as sentimental as they'd been on the island the day before—after all, home was just around the corner, and getting together again would be as easy as picking up the phone. That evening, as the snow let up, three families escorted the Calders to the airport. After seeing them off, they headed home.

Jade, bundled in a thick scarf and shivering like a little turtle, turned to Andre as they walked. Her hands were buried in her pockets, her son being carried by someone else. She shot him a playful look. "So, Mr. Calder, how come the famous son-in-law didn't head back to the Calder estate with his father-in-law for the holidays?"