Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Molly took a lightning-fast shower, barely bothering to dry her hair, then hurried straight over to scoop up her son. As she hugged her sweet, squishy little boy, her heart just melted. She peppered his cheeks with kisses—one after another, the sound of her smooches echoing through the room. "Wayne, Mommy loves you so much. I only love you," she murmured, pressing her lips to his chubby face.

Chad stood nearby, towel in hand, watching as his son got all of Molly's affection. His eyes sparkled with a bit of envy. "I wonder when your mom's going to kiss me like that again," he joked.

Wayne, meanwhile, looked totally bewildered. He had no idea why his mom was suddenly so affectionate, and his wide-eyed baby stare made it even funnier-he was equal parts confused and overwhelmed.

Overflowing with love, Molly lay on the bed with Wayne during nap time. "Today, Mommy made it all the way to the top of the hill, and all I could think about was how much I love you," she whispered, gently squeezing his pudgy cheeks. "Sweetie, do you love Mommy?"

Wayne couldn't talk yet he just wiggled his tiny hands and feet on the bed.

Unable to resist, Molly pressed her face against his, breathing in that irresistible baby scent, and planted a few more kisses.

Her little "dragon cub" (as she sometimes called him) shot his dad a pleading look, as if to say, "Help me!"

At the Cedillo house...

After their hike, the three of them showered and crawled right into bed, snuggling up with Henry for a nap. Even though they'd been on vacation for days, this was the first time Henry had fallen asleep sandwiched between both his parents—a perfect little cocoon of peace.

With the soft sound of ocean waves drifting in, the three of them lay together on the big, white bed, sunshine and sea breeze filling the room. It was the sort of afternoon that felt like a dream, with no one around to disturb them.

Down the hall, Anya curled up for her nap, hugging her little brother. James lay there, blinking and twisting around to look at his sleepy sister, waiting for Mom and Dad to come get him.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Mrs. Calder slipped inside, smiling at her son. "James, did you help your sister fall asleep?"

"Ahh," James babbled back.noveldrama

Mrs. Calder crossed the room, gently tucked the blanket over her daughter's bare feet, and gave her a loving look. Then she scooped up James, whispering, "Shh, let's not wake your sister."

James stayed quiet, letting himself be carried out. Mrs. Calder softly closed the door behind her.

Mr. Calder was waiting in the hallway. "Is our princess asleep?" he whispered.

"She's out cold," Mrs. Calder grinned. "Otherwise, there's no way I could have carried James out."

Now tucked in his dad's arms, the Calder family's little prince stared up at him. Mr. Calder grinned and teased, "Son, how come you weren't as cute as your sister at this age?"

James just blinked, speechless.

Mr. Calder burst out laughing, gave his son a kiss, and carried him off for a nap of their own.

Earlier that morning, the kids begged to go hiking too, but they were no fools-no one wanted to brave the blazing midday sun. Only the three soft-hearted dads, who couldn resist a little whining, agreed to take them out.

When Henry found out Mom was off having fun, he clung to his dad's leg and refused to let go until he got to tag along too. In the end, he went with them.

Afternoons were the quietest. By three, Anya was up and already wondering what to make with all the wild strawberries they'd picked.

Molly woke up too, only to realize her calves were aching from the climb. Chad sat on the edge of the bed, massaging her legs, while Molly cuddled Wayne and showered him with more kisses.

Mia lounged in the egg chair on the balcony, scrolling through Facebook. Henry, still refusing to get dressed after his nap, ran around the house in nothing but his birthday suit, keeping himself entertained.

"Hey, buddy, can you get Mommy a snack?" Mia called out.

Henry trotted off to the snack cupboard, grabbed a bag of treats, and raced back

out to the balcony still stark naked to hand them to his mom.