Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance novel Chapter 1837

An elderly man walked by carrying a massive straw-wrapped pole dotted with brightly colored candied fruit skewers. It was rare to see street vendors selling them this traditional way anymore. Henry was utterly mesmerized. He turned, pointing a chubby finger at the giant pole. "Mommy, what's that big stick the grandpa is holding?"

Hearing the little boy, the vendor approached through the snow. "Hey there, little guy. Want some candied fruit? I made them myself."

Mia looked down at her son. "Do you want one?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically.

Mia stood up and lifted him into her arms. "Pick the one you want."

Henry carefully selected a skewer. Mia set him down and hoisted her nephew up next. "Wayne, pick one for yourself too."

Wayne studied the assortment, reached out with his little hand, and pulled one free, flashing his aunt a bright smile.

Mia ended up buying four skewers. She knew both boys had small appetites; they'd take a few bites and want to throw them away. So, she and Molly decided to share one with their respective sons.

Mars Arrowood called Milka right then. "Hey. What delicious food are you eating tonight?"

Milka smiled, deciding to tease him. "Guess who I'm having dinner with."

"Do I know them?"

Milka nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Yep."

Mars paused, sizing up the situation. "Guy or girl?"

Milka's smile widened. She glanced down at her godson, who was currently struggling because the candied sugar had stuck his teeth together. "A guy."

Mars was silent for exactly two seconds. "Our little tiger."

Milka had been waiting for him to get jealous, but he figured it out instantly. She burst out laughing. "Mars, how did you guess?"

"Any man that catches your eye is either me or that little tiger. If you're out eating and I'm not there, it's definitely him."

Milka put the phone on speaker. "Henry, say hi to your godfather."

Henry stated the matter-of-fact truth. "Because I don't listen."

The women cracked up, and even Mars was grinning on the other end of the line. "Well, listen to him a little more so you don't get swatted as much."

Henry took another bite of the candied fruit. Unable to pull it off the stick, he held it up to Mia. "Mommy, you bite half."

Mia silently bit off half of the candy, leaving the rest for him to chew.

Henry chatted with Mars a bit longer before handing the phone back. "What are your plans after dinner?" Mars asked.

"We'll probably just walk around for a bit to digest."

Mars's tone turned serious. "There's a blizzard hitting at nine. Make sure you're home before then. I won't have peace of mind if you're taking a cab too late."

After hanging up, the group paired off, each holding a toddler's hand as they strolled through the snowy streets.

Henry had only wanted the candied fruit because the giant straw pole fascinated him. After two bites, he was done. Mia held the sticky skewer in one hand and his little hand in the other, eating the leftovers as they walked.