Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance novel Chapter 1690

That’s just how it was—one stoic dad, one lively daughter, both clutching the brightest pink roses, neither of them quite matching their pretty bouquets.

“Hurry up, your mom’s coming—call her over!” Conner jostled Lizzy in his arms, his words light but quick.

Lizzy spun around, her wide eyes lighting up when she spotted her mom—cool and beautiful as ever. Like a little fangirl, she stretched her arms up, demanding a hug. “Waa waa~ ya ya ah!”—her not-so-subtle request.

Annie stepped out from the shade and faced them, and as she reached for her daughter, Conner plopped the bouquet of roses into her arms.

She stared, a bit caught off guard. “What’s this about?”

“It’s Qixi Festival, isn’t it? Every lady gets flowers today.” Conner, the unofficial boss of Newtown, had made a special trip just for this.

Annie looked from the flowers to her tall, always-dignified husband. She almost wanted to scold him, but the urge fizzled out. “So you dragged Lizzy along with you?”

“Yeah. You get the big bunch, Lizzy’s got a few stems. She said hers weren’t enough, insisted on holding yours, so she tagged along.”

Beneath that rough-and-tumble exterior, Mr. Nettleton had his soft moments.

He’d bought roses for Annie, but he hadn’t forgotten his daughter. Lizzy’s bouquet was a bit scrawny compared to her mom’s, but he’d still gone out of his way to pick her up from the Martins’ place, flowers in tow.

Even Maja, the nanny, was surprised—who knew this big guy could be so thoughtful? But Lizzy wasn’t having any of it. She wanted the big, fancy bouquet Dad had brought for Mom. “Nope, these are for your mom,” Conner said, quickly hiding the flowers behind his back.

Lizzy’s cheeks turned red with frustration. She refused to give up. Conner, pressed for time during his lunch break and determined to hand-deliver the roses, decided to just bring her along.

This time, Maja let them go, just popping a sunhat on Lizzy before sending father and daughter out the door.

“So? You had breakfast this morning—does that mean you’re skipping lunch?”

With no one else around, Annie quickly pecked his lips, then cupped Lizzy’s chubby cheeks and planted a soft kiss on her rosy face. “Lizzy, help Mom take care of the flowers and bring them home tonight. I’ll come pick you up after work.”

Lizzy sucked on her little pink lips and babbled, eager to keep chatting with Mom.

Annie couldn’t help herself—she kissed Lizzy’s other cheek, then hurried back to work.

In the car, Lizzy watched her mom’s figure disappear, then scrunched up her face, pretending to cry for a couple seconds. When she caught sight of her dad, she switched to little huffy noises, making it clear she was upset Mom couldn’t stay and play.

“What are you fussing about?” Conner laughed. “Your mom kissed you twice and only kissed me once. Count yourself lucky! If I hadn’t asked, she’d have run off without kissing either of us.”