Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance novel Chapter 1661

Conner spoiled his little girl rotten. He’d often tell her, “Lizzy, before you and your mom came along, I didn’t even know what a real home felt like. Back then, the only people I cared about were a few friends—hardly a family. But now, I’ve got you and your mom. You two are my whole world. Are you happy? Proud? Does that make you smile?”

Lizzy would just blow bubbles, sending drool splattering across her dad’s face, grinning from ear to ear. Mr. Nettleton would burst out laughing, “My girl’s got some serious skills! Come here, let Daddy give you a kiss.”

Every time Annie overheard Conner talking like that, she’d get a little pang of jealousy. “You go on and on—do you really think she understands any of it?” she’d tease.

Conner would just shrug, “Doesn’t matter. Saying it out loud makes me happy.”

In their house, Conner was the big boss, but he didn’t throw his weight around. His in-laws were still a little wary of him, and his sister-in-law could never quite get on the same page. The only person who ever dared to scold him—or give him a playful punch—was Annie. But even she saved those moments for when they were alone. In public, she made sure to keep up his reputation. After all, what would people think if the head of a whole clan got bossed around by his wife? Where’s the dignity in that?

Last night, Conner got a call from one of his buddies who wanted to come by and see his goddaughter. So Conner stayed home to wait for him. If not for that, he’d probably be out and about with Lizzy again.

These days, Lizzy was so used to being pampered that if she didn’t get to go out at least once, she’d go full drama queen—screaming her head off, big teardrops rolling down her cheeks, making it impossible for anyone to ignore her. There was nothing for it—every night before bed, someone had to take her out, even if it was just to look at the same old tree down the street. As long as she got to leave the house, she’d stop crying.

Her mom would sigh, “This is harder than having a puppy. At least dogs are fine with one walk a day. Our girl? Morning, noon, and night—she needs her rounds.”

The moment Annie said that, her big sister gave her a light smack. “Annie, what kind of mom talks about her kid like that? You’re getting sillier by the day.”

Annie made her way down the hill and back home, only to find her guests had already arrived.

There, her round-faced little girl was being held by a woman Annie didn’t recognize. The woman sat next to Mars, dressed simply in a white tee and light blue jeans, with only a watch on her wrist—no fancy jewelry at all. Her hair was pulled back with a trendy clip, loose strands falling naturally around her face.

She wasn’t the cute type, nor was she particularly striking or glamorous. She just gave off this easy confidence—simple, down-to-earth, the kind of person you warmed up to right away.

She was holding Lizzy up in the air, making her giggle nonstop. Her eyes were full of warmth and joy. “Hey, Lizzy! Look at you, bright-eyed and full of life. You are just the cutest thing ever!”