Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Andre Cedillo looked down at his son, cradled in his arms, his face full of doting warmth. "Yeah. Who would've thought my little troublemaker would sneak out just to keep me company because he felt bad for me? It's sweet-doesn't make him any less of a handful, though."

Kids really do have their own kind of magic. They make you love them for no reason at all, and once you do, there's no turning back.

Cooper Irvin, without even opening his eyes, mumbled from his seat, "Andre, if you're so fed up with your kid, just give him to me. I'll raise him for you. You and my sister can finally get some alone time. Chad, same goes for you-let me take Sweetie, you and Molly can be as mushy as you want."

Leo Cedillo, sleep mask already in place and trying to catch some shuteye, snorted. "Cooper, don't be ridiculous. Henry and the little dragon? Neither of them is ever going to be an easy kid. Just look at their moms-cute on the outside, but underneath? They're a force of nature."

Andre and Chad Byrne both cracked up. If anyone knew what their wives were really like, it was them.

The night wore on. By midnight, the sky outside was pitch black, not a hint of color anywhere.

Down below, the city was swallowed by darkness. Everyone was deep in their dreams.

In the middle of the night, Wayne woke up with a couple of sleepy sobs. Molly Cedillo half-rose from bed, gently patting her son's little bottom until he drifted off again. Once he'd settled, she wrapped her arms around her "little hot water bottle" and went right back to sleep.

Back when she was at the Byrne house, Molly loved sleeping beside her son. On those freezing winter nights, that little guy in her bed was the best heater-way better than cuddling up to Chad.noveldrama

Meanwhile, the Calder family's plane cruised through the clouds, the three of them sprawled out comfortably in their seats, with plenty of attendants tagging along.

As the sky started to lighten, Mia Irwin was the first to wake.

She never slept well on planes, especially when her son wasn't nearby. She'd spent half the night waking up, feeling uneasy.

Quietly, she slipped out of the bedroom to check on her husband and son.

She noticed the blanket had slipped off, so she gently covered her boys again. Andre stirred. "Mia? What time is it?"

"It's three," she whispered. "Go back to sleep, babe. Hold onto our little guy."

She tiptoed over to check on her brother next. His water cup was sitting right on the edge of the table-one bit of turbulence and he'd be wearing it. As she reached for it, Cooper's eyes flew open and he shot her a killer glare. The look made Mía's heart skip a beat. She clutched her chest, taking a few deep breaths. "Cooper, you scared the life out of me! Even horror movies aren't as scary as that look you just gave me.”

Cooper instantly relaxed. "Sis, what are you up to?"

Mia held up the cup. "Just moving your water. Leaving it here is an accident waiting to happen."

She scolded him softly, "Go back to sleep, would you? You just about gave me a heart attack."

Once Mia headed off to the galley, Cooper finally relaxed and shifted into a more comfortable position to sleep.

What Cooper didn't know was that, just behind him, his brother-in-law had been watching him, lost in thought.

By early morning, Mia was up again before anyone else.

She slipped out to make formula for

Mia

her son, Henry, still half-asleep, started fussing to be picked up scooped him into her arms as he threatened to cry.

"Shh, Daddy's still sleeping. Let's go get you washed up, honey."

It wasn't long before the rest of the guys started to wake up, all of them looking tired but with that lazy, morning softness you only see at dawn.

Andre made his way to the bathroom, cradling his son. "Let's get your face

washed and teeth brushed. Open wide."

Henry squeezed his eyes shut as his dad gently scrubbed his cheeks, then Andre handed him out to waiting arms outside.