Somebody Like You: A Small Town Single Mom Romance (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 4)

by Carrie Elks

  “He better not be here,” Michael mumbled. “Or I’ll whoop his ass.”

  “Can I answer it? Can I?” Josh asked, his energy the exact opposite of his brother’s.

  Mia blew out a lungful of air. “Okay.”

  She wasn’t ready to see him. Yet a tiny pulse of excitement started to grow inside her, getting stronger as she stood and touched the back of her hair.

  “I mean it,” Michael warned. “I’m gonna let him have it.”

  “You’ll do no such thing, or you’ll be grounded for the next two weeks.”

  Michael shook his head and walked into the hallway. “Turn it the other way, doofus.”

  “Michael!” Mia shouted, following him out of the kitchen. “Make that three weeks.”

  “Mom!”

  “You talk nicely to people or you pay the consequences. I’m not putting up with your attitude anymore.”

  Josh finally unlatched the door, jerking it open. But instead of Cam standing on the doorstep, there was a much younger man, his hair pulled into a dark ponytail that hung down his back.

  For a moment, the three of them stared at the stranger. Over his shoulder, Cam’s blue Audi glistened in the morning sun.

  “Um, hello?” Mia said, walking forward. “Can I help you?”

  “Is this the Devlin house?” the man asked. He had a bright smile on his face. “You must be Josh, right?”

  Josh’s face lit up at being singled out. “Yeah, I am.”

  “Which makes you Michael?”

  Michael gave a grunt.

  “My name’s Brian. I have something for you both. But maybe I should give it to your Mom.” He glanced at Mia. “They’re pretty expensive.”

  “What are they?” Josh asked, noticing the shiny wooden boxes in the man’s hand. He reached out to touch them.

  “Watches,” Mia said. “They’re watches.”

  To be specific, Depuis watches. Valued at twenty thousand dollars each. She could remember her conversation with Cam about them. They’d been sitting in his drawer in his Boston apartment while he decided what to do with them.

  “Why are you giving us watches?” Michael asked, his voice wary. “We don’t even know you. And what are you doing with Cam’s car?”

  “These watches are from him. He wants you and Josh to have them.” Brian glanced at Mia. “He says keep them or sell them, he doesn’t mind. And he suggests you put them in a safety deposit box rather than letting them sit in a drawer.”

  Mia cleared her throat. “Please thank Mr. Hartson for us, but we can’t accept them. It’s too much.”

  Brian shrugged. “He said you’d say that. And he told me if you refuse them to leave them on the step. Either you pick them up or some lucky thief does.”

  “What’s with that asshole?” Michael asked, throwing up his hands. “Doesn’t he know how to take no for an answer?”

  “Mom, can I look at the watch?” Josh asked, his eyes wide. “Is it cool?” he asked Brian.

  “Here you go,” Brian said, unlatching one of the wooden cases. “I’d say it’s pretty cool.”

  The watch was huge. Way too big for Josh’s little hands. Mia stared at it for a moment, wondering what the hell to do. She couldn’t take forty thousand dollars worth of watches from Cam, not even if they would be used to help out with college for her boys.

  But she couldn’t let them sit on the step either.

  “I’ll take them for now,” she said, reaching over Josh’s shoulder. “But I’ll be couriering them back as soon as I’ve found a safe way to do it.”

  “Whatever you say.” Brian shrugged again. “I’ve done my job. The rest is up to you. I gotta go. I need to pick a few things up for Cam at his place, then head back home.”

  “Are you driving Cam’s car?” Mia asked, looking over his shoulder at the Audi.

  “Yep.” Brian said. “I’m driving it back to Boston today.”

  So that’s where Cam was. “What about L.A.?” Mia found herself asking. “I thought he was going there?”

  “He is. Once he signs on the dotted line.” Brian lifted his hand. “See ya later!”

  As soon as she shut the door, Michael grabbed one of the watches from her. “Who the hell does he think he is, sending us watches?” he grumbled, pulling the silver bracelet from the box.

  “Careful,” Mia said. “Those are worth a lot.”

  “How much?” Josh asked, peering at the watch in Michael’s hand.

  She told them and Josh’s mouth dropped open.

  “What the heck!” Michael dropped the watch clumsily back in the box. “Why the hell is Cam giving us twenty thousand dollar watches?”

  “Whoa! That’s a lot of money,” Josh said. “And we can sell them if we want. Can I get an Xbox with my money?”

  He reached out for the box still in Mia’s hand, but Michael got there first, snatching it from her grasp.

  “But it’s mine,” Josh protested. “Give it back.”

  Michael held it above his head, and Josh started jumping, trying to take it out of his hands. “It’s mine,” Josh shouted. “Cam gave it to me.”

  “He gave it to you because he wants to get in mom’s pants.”

  Mia took the box from Michael. Damn, he had a strong grasp. “Stop it,” she said. “Shut up right now. Or you’ll be grounded for a month.”

  “Why does he want to have your pants?” Josh asked. “Doesn’t he have enough of his own?”

  “Idiot,” Michael muttered.

  That was it. She was beyond over his attitude. “Okay. You’re grounded.”

  “Sure. Make me pay for the fact that you messed up.”

  Mia gritted her teeth. “Don’t say one more word,” she warned. “Or everything gets taken away. Your phone, your freedom. The door to your room. I’m not kidding.”

  “You can’t take my phone.”

  “Yes I can.”

  “No you can’t.”

  “Try me,” she told him through gritted teeth.

  “I hate you. I hate this place. And I hate the fact that you cry every night for a guy I detest. I wish we’d never come here. It sucks.”

  “That’s it. You’re done.”

  “Fuck it!”

  “Michael?” Josh said, his voice small. “Don’t swear.”

  “Shut up. I hate all of you.” Michael pushed Josh out of his way, stomping up the stairs. Mia squeezed her eyes closed, her head pounding to the rhythm of Michael’s footsteps.

  “Mommy?” Josh said in a small voice.

  “Yes, honey?”

  “I’m sorry I upset Michael.”

  His expression made her heart ache. She reached out to cup his cheek.

  “You didn’t upset him, sweetie. He did that all by himself.” She sighed. “Come on, we need to leave. Go find your other shoe.”

  If she thought she was finding it hard to concentrate before, Mia could barely focus on the screen in front of her now. Her hands were shaking, her stomach felt like it was being eaten away by acid, and at least five different people had asked her if she was coming down with something. Maybe she should have stayed at home.

  But what if she never felt better? She needed her job. After all, they needed a roof over their head and food on the table, and they couldn’t stay with Sam forever.

  When she’d dropped Josh off at breakfast club, his eyes were still full of tears. He’d asked her if Michael was going to leave like Cam and Niall had. If he was still mad with him. It had broken her heart to watch him walk with slumped shoulders through the school gate.

  And it had taken all the maturity she had to type a simple message out to Michael.

  I expect you home by three. Leave your phone on the table when you get there. We’ll be having a serious talk later. Your attitude stinks. Mom.

  She was going to have to leave early. She wanted to talk to her eldest before Josh got home from his after school activity. There was no way they could have a repeat of this morning. She was damned if she’d let him make Josh cry aga
in.

  Sighing, she turned back to her monitor, determined to get some work done. But then her phone started to ring, cutting through the silence of her office, and she picked it up, frowning when she saw Josh’s school lighting up the screen.

  Don’t tell her he was sick. She wasn’t sure she could cope with much more.

  “Mia Devlin,” she said, lifting the phone to her ear.

  “Ms. Devlin, this is Shirley Mason from Hartson Elementary School. We were wondering if Josh was okay?”

  A shot of alarm made Mia sit up straight. “What do you mean?” she asked. “He was okay when I dropped him off this morning. He had a little argument with his brother, but nothing more than that.”

  “You dropped him off?” Shirley’s words were stilted. “Um, when did you do that?”

  “About three hours ago. For breakfast club.” Mia could feel her blood racing through her veins, adrenaline making her hands shake even harder. “Is he not at school?”

  “Not according to the roll call. Let me check with his teacher again, and the breakfast club coordinator.”

  “Can I stay on the line?” Breathe. She needed to breathe.

  “Yes, let me put you on hold.”

  Mia held the phone tightly against her ear, even though the hold music was blasting through the earpiece. She started rocking back and forth, her breath coming in short starts. He went to breakfast club. She saw him walk inside. It had to be a mistake.

  “Ms. Devlin?” Shirley Mason said, taking her off hold. “I’ve spoken to both his teacher and the coordinator and neither has seen him today. Would you like me to call the police? Is there anybody that might know where he is? Your husband maybe?”

  “My ex,” Mia said, her voice thin. The final decree had come through yesterday. “No, he wouldn’t know. He doesn’t live anywhere around here. And yes. I think we should call the police.”

  Michael’s face was ashen as he stood in the hallway of his high school and listened to his mom’s panicked words.

  “I haven’t heard from Dad since Sunday,” he said, swallowing hard. “Do you think he took Josh?” he asked Mia.

  “I don’t think so. But the police have to follow every angle.” She glanced at the uniform officer standing with her.

  “Is there anywhere else you think he could be?” the officer asked him, keeping his voice low. “Anywhere secret that only you and he know about?”

  Michael shook his head. “No. He likes being at home. He’s not an adventurous kid, he’s a homebody. And we haven’t lived here long enough for him to know of somewhere I don’t.” He glanced at Mia, his eyes wild with panic. “Do you think he ran away?”

  “I don’t know.” Mia wrung her hands together.

  “If he did, it’s all my fault,” Michael whispered. “I was such an asshole to him this morning.” He looked away, his eyes shining beneath the fluorescent lights. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?”

  “The sooner we find him, the better,” the officer told him. “So if you think of anything, let us know.”

  “Wait!” Michael said. “You’re not going, are you?”

  “We need to go to Josh’s school. We want to talk to his friends, and then to the parents who might have seen something.”

  “Let me come with you. I can help.” Michael shook his head. “I can’t stay here and do nothing.”

  He looked as frantic as she felt. Mia hugged him tightly, and Michael sobbed against her shoulder. “It’s all my fault,” he said again. “I hate myself.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said, stroking his hair. “We’re going to find him.” She ran her tongue along her dry lips. “You could help by going home, in case he shows up. There’s a policewoman there, but you’re a friendly face.” She gave him another hug. “I’d really appreciate that.”

  “Home. Yeah, that’s where he’ll want to be.” Michael nodded. “I’ll stay there until he gets back.” His hands clutched at her shirt, his palms clammy through the fabric. “He’ll be okay… right?”

  She blew out a long mouthful of air. “He has to be, sweetheart. He has to be.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Cam had started packing up his apartment. After Brian’s visit, and his gentle kick in the ass, Cam knew there really wasn’t anything left for him to do but start moving on. It still hurt to think about her. Damn, it hurt to breathe. But what could he do? She’d chosen her sons and Cam was on his own.

  Maybe the distance between L.A. and Hartson’s Creek would give him a chance to breathe again without it hurting. To look at his bed without imagining Mia laying in it next to him.

  Who was he trying to kid? It would still hurt like a bitch. But at least it would hurt in a place where the sun was shining and he had a chance at a career.

  He’d almost finished sorting through his clothes – huge piles of unwanted and unworn hoodies and t-shirts were scattered on the bed. Tomorrow, when Brian was back, they’d pack them up and give them to charity. Some of the jerseys with his name on the back could probably be auctioned off.

  His phone rang just after three. It took him a few moments to find it, nestled beneath a Bobcats cap on the dresser at the far end of his bedroom.

  Expecting it to be Brian, he frowned when he saw it was an unknown number. Usually, he’d hang up – he’d had his fair share of stalkerish phone calls – but something made him accept it.

  “Hello?”

  There was no reply. Then some heavy breathing. Damn it. “Listen, whoever you are, I’m not in the mood for games. I’m hanging up now.”

  A sob. Not in a high, female voice. But low and cracked. “Don’t hang up… I need… we need you.”

  “Michael?” Cam ran his tongue along his dry lip. “Is that you?”

  “Josh is missing.”

  Cam’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  “He’s gone. Disappeared. It’s all my fault.”

  Cam opened his mouth but no words came out. His chest felt so tight it was hard to breathe. “How long’s he been gone? Are the police involved? How about your mom? Is she holding up?”

  “She’s with the police. They’re following a few leads.” Michael sounded frantic. “But nobody’s seen him since this morning when Mom dropped him off. I don’t suppose he called you?”

  “No.” Cam looked at his watch. His stomach turned at the thought of Josh being gone so long. “I wish he had.”

  “Can you come here? Help us look for him?” Michael begged. “I know I was an asshole to you. I’ve been an asshole to everybody. But Mom needs you. I do, too.”

  “Did your mom ask me to come?” Hope made his breath catch in his throat.

  “No. But I know she’ll want you here.”

  Yeah, Cam wanted to be there, too. Wanted to support the woman he loved, help protect her children. Josh was just a kid, a tiny kid who made everybody smile. He loved playing games and drawing and throwing a ball. Where the hell could he be?

  What if somebody took him? Somebody bad…

  Cam swallowed the thought down. It tasted bitter on his tongue.

  “I’ll catch the first flight out.” He glanced at the mess in his bedroom. Who gave a shit about that? “Hold on, okay? I’ll be there.”

  “Thank you.” Michael’s voice was small. “And I’m sorry. For everything I said.”

  “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. Now hang in there. Hopefully Josh will be back before I get there.”

  Ending the call, he threw some clothes in the bag he’d just unpacked, then grabbed his phone and wallet, shoving them into his pockets. His heart was clammering against his chest as he quickly typed out a message to Brian, who was expecting to meet him here late at night after his traveling, and grabbed an Uber to take him to Logan International Airport.

  “If you make it fast, you’ll get the tip of your life,” he’d told the driver as he climbed into the backseat.

  “Okay.” The driver grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

&n
bsp; Thankfully, the roads were almost empty, and the driver knew how to put his foot down. Sitting on the backseat next to his bag, Cam messaged Logan to ask for his help, then pulled up Mia’s number. He pressed the screen, holding his breath as he waited for the call to connect.

  “Hello?” She was breathless. “Cam, I need to keep this line free. Josh is missing.”

  “I know. I’m on my way to help.”

  “You are?” She sounded wary. “What do you mean?”

  “Michael called and told me everything. He asked me to fly back. I should get to Hartson’s Creek later this evening.”

  She let out a ragged breath. “Okay. That’s good. Thank you.”

  “I’ll let you go. Just hold on. It’ll all work out.”

  A sob escaped her lips. It felt like a dagger to his heart. “Please hurry.”

  “I will. I’ll get there as fast as I can.” He ended the call, looking up at the driver. “Are we nearly there yet?”

  When the policeman pulled up outside Sam’s house, Mia could see a crowd of people gathered outside. They were talking to the two officers manned at the house, who looked like they were giving out directions.

  “Mia!” Becca called out, as soon as she climbed out of the car. “Logan called and told us what happened. We’re all here to help. We’re going to form a search party before it gets too dark.”

  Mia swallowed back the tears. “That’s so kind of you.” Over Becca’s shoulder, she could see Logan and Tanner, along with Gray and Maddie. In fact, all of Cam’s family was here, wearing warm clothes and carrying flashlights.

  Her heart clenched, because the only one missing was the man she needed the most right now.

  “Mom!” Michael came barreling down the front steps, flinging his arms around her. “Is there any news about Josh?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “I called Cam. He’s on his way.”

  She nodded. “He called me. He should be here in a few hours.”

  “I told him I’m sorry. About everything.” Michael choked on a sob, and she hugged him tight. “I’ve been such an asshole.”