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

by Carrie Elks

  That was something she’d learned from spending so much time around the Hartson siblings. They played off each other. Gave one another life.

  And now she was part of it all, along with Michael and Josh – and even Sam when he was available to go over to Gray’s for Sunday dinner. In the five months since Cam had moved back to Hartson’s Creek for good, her boys had accepted him with open arms. She loved how easily he’d fit into their family, not as a father figure, but as a friend, and sometimes a guide.

  And a coach, maybe. Which was what he was on Saturday mornings, for the pee wee team, much to Josh’s delight. He’d introduced Cam to everybody as his friend, and loved getting a ride to practice in Cam’s Audi. At least this time he sat in the seat.

  Naked Saturdays would have to wait for a while. And she was good with that.

  Cam hadn’t gone back to coaching Michael at the high school. The two of them had some kind of unspoken agreement where Cam helped him with football privately. Cam’s voice would be low as the two of them watched a play on Cam’s oversize television, discussing the play. He’d learned – sometimes the hard way – to gently steer Michael rather than tell him exactly what moves to make. And Michael blossomed under his tutelage. It warmed her to watch the two of them sitting on Cam’s oversized sofas, talking on Sunday afternoons.

  In these few months, he’d turned out to be more of a father to them than Niall had ever been. Sure, her ex-husband had attended two therapy sessions with Michael and Josh, and they’d agreed on a visitation schedule of two week-long trips to stay with him each year, but he wasn’t who the boys turned to for fatherly needs.

  Cam was their real dad in everything but name. And the boys loved him as much as Cam adored them.

  “How long do you think this will take?” Cam asked, his lips moving against her skin.

  “A lot longer if you don’t sit down and do as the director tells you,” Mia said, biting down a smile. Trying to wrangle the brothers was like trying to tame a herd of lions. They talked over each other, laughed loudly, and kept looking at the camera when they weren’t supposed to. The only one they listened to was Becca.

  Mia had to bite down a smile when the whirlwind of a woman let her brothers have it about twenty minutes earlier.

  “If you don’t stop goofing around, I’m gonna whoop all of your asses,” she’d hissed, when Tanner had started tickling her. “I’m serious.”

  That’s when the director had called a break. And now they were all back again, ready for another take.

  “Go sit down and stop winding Becca up,” Mia said, turning her head to smile at Cam. She’d been grinning all day. Thank goodness she’d thought ahead and booked the crew for two days.

  She knew this family well.

  “We can’t help it. It’s in our blood.” Cam gave her a grin. “Anyway, she gives as good as she gets.”

  “Just remember she’ll be doing the voiceover,” Mia reminded him. “So she’ll have the last word.”

  “But we get approval, right?” Two tiny lines formed in Cam’s brow. “I swear it said that in the contract.”

  “You get to see it. Not approve it.” Mia wanted to laugh at his expression. “It’s okay. I won’t let you come across as a complete asshole.”

  It had been her idea to film the Hartson siblings without a script. Give them topics to talk about while being filmed, that could be cut to make both a long form movie advertisement, as well as a shorter one for television. They all held a glass of the international blend as they spoke, occasionally sipping it, which she was certain wasn’t helping their general behavior.

  Once this part was filmed, it would be interspersed with shots of the distilleries here in Virginia, Scotland, and Tokyo. Then Becca would record the voice over, explaining that G. Scott Carter’s blend was about family, international cooperation, and being yourself in a world where too much could be expected of you. She’d talk about her own family, as well as her experience of creating the blend. Mia was excited to see how it would turn out.

  “Okay, we’re ready for the next take,” the assistant director called out. “Can you all take your seats?”

  Cam gave her a quick squeeze, then ambled over to the group of chairs.

  From the corner of her eye, Mia could see Becca come out of the house. She looked beautiful, her long hair shining in the spring sun, her skin glowing from a fresh application of make up. She was wearing a blue and white dress that brought out the color of her eyes, the soft fabric clinging to her curves in a way that made her brothers’ eyes narrow.

  “You sure you’re not cold?” Gray asked as she sat down with them. “Maybe you should put a sweater on.”

  Mia had to cover her mouth to stop a giggle from exploding. Poor Becca. No wonder she never brought guys home. Or barely dated. Having four growling older brothers had to be such a pain.

  “Okay. So now we’re going to talk about your individual families,” the director reminded them. “Gray, maybe you can start off by talking about your twins. We’ll go on from there.”

  When the assistant called for the cameras to run, Gray leaned back on the chair and took a sip of whiskey. “I guess things have changed, huh? We’re all grown up now.”

  “It’s not often we get to talk without being surrounded by kids,” Tanner agreed. He looked at his wife, Van, who was standing with Courtney out of the camera’s range. Van had a hand on her swollen stomach. Their first child was due in three months.

  Maddie was inside the house with her boys. They’d watched the recording for a while, but the rambunctious twins kept tugging at her arms, desperate to join their dad and uncles. In the end, she’d taken them back to the kitchen and put on a TV show to keep them quiet.

  “Now you’re gonna be a dad,” Logan said to his youngest brother. “You want any words of advice?”

  “Not really.” Tanner grinned. “I think I’ve got this.”

  All three of his brothers started laughing.

  “What?” Tanner asked. “How hard can a baby be?”

  “Come talk to me in four months,” Gray suggested. “You can tell me then.”

  “How about you?” Tanner asked, turning to Cam. “You’re kind of a dad already, right?”

  “I’m a friend. That’s better than being a dad.” Cam grinned, his eyes glancing at Mia. “But yeah, I’d like to think I’m a parent figure, too. Or I will be.”

  “When will you be?” Gray asked, his eyes dancing with interest.

  Cam slid something out of his pocket. “When Mia agrees to put this ring on her finger.”

  “Whoa.” Tanner leaned over to look at the box in Cam’s huge hands. “That’s big.”

  Mia froze as everybody turned to look at her. She waited for the director to call for a cut, but instead he was looking at her, too.

  “Should we stop recording?” she asked, her voice thin.

  The director grinned. “We’re kind of in on this whole thing..”

  “I’m catching it all,” Van said, holding her phone out in front, recording Mia as she stared at Cam.

  From the corner of her eye she saw Michael and Josh standing in the doorway of the house, along with Maddie and her twins. They were all grinning at her.

  Cam stood and walked over to where Mia was frozen in place, dropping to his knee in front of her. “I’ve been carrying this ring around for two months,” he told her. “Waiting for the right time.”

  Mia’s breath caught in her throat. Tanner was right, it was huge. The square cut diamond glistened in the sunlight. She opened her mouth to say something, but Cam shook his head. “I’m not finished yet.”

  “He’s turning into a blabbermouth like you,” Tanner told Logan.

  “Shut up.”

  Cam smiled up at Mia, his eyes full of love. “From the moment you came into my life, I knew everything had changed. You’re everything I’ve ever needed. Everything I didn’t know was missing from my life. And I want to spend the rest of it with you. You and the boys.” He glanced over a
t Michael and Josh, sending them a wink. “They helped me pick the ring. In Josh’s words, it needed to be ‘the biggest ring you’ve ever seen’.”

  It was pretty close, that was for sure.

  “Will you marry me? Be my wife. The mother of my children. The ones we already have, and the ones we haven’t made yet?”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. They’d already talked about a family. She was still young, and she knew that Josh was desperate for another sibling.

  Michael had even said he’d be okay with it. Which was pretty enthusiastic for him.

  “Yes,” she nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “Yes, I will.”

  Cam leapt to his feet, picking her up and swinging her around as everybody started to cheer around them. When he put her back down, he pressed his lips against hers. “Damn, I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She smiled up at him, not even caring that everybody was still watching them. She wanted them all to share in their joy.

  “About the baby thing. When can we start?” he asked softly, sliding his hand down her stomach, caressing her with his fingers. “I’m so ready to be a stay at home dad.”

  She laughed, because he was deadly serious. They’d already talked about that, too. Right now he was picking and choosing some jobs. He’d done the occasional commentary for The Sports Network, and a few endorsements like this. But more than anything, he loved being with her and the boys. Helping them with homework and throwing balls with them in the street.

  It suited her. Plus she loved her job and wanted to keep working for G.Scott Carter.

  “How about tonight?” she suggested, sliding her arms around his waist.

  “What about the boys?”

  “Josh is going to Noah’s, and Michael is sleeping at Ben’s.”

  Cam pressed his lip against her ear. “I’m gonna rehab you so hard you’ll need another ten sessions.”

  She bit down a smile. “Is that right, Doctor Love?”

  “Yep. Every word.”

  “In that case, you’d better go back to your chair and start behaving. We have a commercial to make.”

  Reluctantly, he stepped away, giving her a sexy grin before walking back to the chairs where he sat down with his brothers. Becca squealed and hugged him hard, blowing a kiss over his shoulder at Mia.

  Within moments, Courtney and Van were at her side, talking excitedly as they looked at the ring. A minute later, Michael and Josh joined them.

  Mia felt a warm glow envelop her. They were all family now. Something she never thought she’d have again. And as the director called for the cameras to roll once again, and the brothers started talking, it felt like the start of something wonderful.

  Cam grinned at her from his seat. She blew him a kiss back.

  It was good to be independent. But it was even better to be loved. For the first time in forever, she finally had it all.

  And she never wanted it to end.

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Cam and Mia’s story. The next (and final) book in the Heartbreak Brothers series is WHEN WE TOUCH.

  Find out what happens when Becca Hartson clashes with her new boss, Daniel Carter, and then falls for him - much to the disgust of her four overprotective Heartbreak Brothers!

  CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!

  And if you enjoyed Somebody Like You, why not check out my gorgeous Angel Sands series, set in a small beach town in southern California. The first book, LET ME BURN, is available to read right now!

  Dear Reader

  Thank you so much for reading Cam and Mia’s story. If you enjoyed it and you get a chance, I’d be so grateful if you can leave a review. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for WHEN WE TOUCH, the fifth book in the Heartbreak Brothers series, coming out on July 31st, 2021.

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  I can’t wait to share more stories with you.

  Yours,

  Carrie xx

  About the Author

  Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out.

  Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

  You can find Carrie in all these places

  www.carrieelks.com

  carrie.elks@mail.com

  Also by Carrie Elks

  THE HEARTBREAK BROTHERS SERIES

  A gorgeous small town series about four brothers and the women who capture their hearts.

  Take Me Home

  Still The One

  A Better Man

  Somebody Like You

  When We Touch (Coming May 2021)

  ANGEL SANDS SERIES

  A heartwarming small town beach series, full of best friends, hot guys and happily-ever-afters.

  Let Me Burn

  She’s Like the Wind

  Sweet Little Lies

  Just A Kiss

  Baby I’m Yours

  Pieces Of Us

  Chasing The Sun

  Heart And Soul (Releases Summer 2021)

  THE SHAKESPEARE SISTERS SERIES

  An epic series about four strong yet vulnerable sisters, and the alpha men who steal their hearts.

  Summer’s Lease

  A Winter’s Tale

  Absent in the Spring

  By Virtue Fall

  THE LOVE IN LONDON SERIES

  Three books about strong and sassy women finding love in the big city.

  Coming Down

  Broken Chords

  Canada Square

  STANDALONE

  Fix You

  An epic romance that spans the decades. Breathtaking and angsty and all the things in between.

  If you’d like to get an email when I release a new book, please sign up here:

  CARRIE ELKS’ NEWSLETTER

  Acknowledgments

  First thanks always go to my lovely family. Ash, Ella, Olly and Plato the pug. I love you guys.

  So many thanks and much love to Meire Dias, my agent and my friend. Your unstinting support is amazing. To Flavia, Hannah and Jackie at the Bookcase Agency, thank you for all you do. I’m so proud to be represented by you.

  My editor Rose David and my proofreader, Mich, always work tirelessly to make my words shine. Thank you for all you do.

  Najla Qamber is a kick-ass designer, and she hit this cover out of the park. You’re amazing, lady!

  Bloggers have always been such an important part of my book journey. Thanks to each and every one of you who shows me support in so many ways – sharing covers and release days, promoting sales, reading and reviewing books. You’re the engine that keeps the book world going, and I appreciate you so much.

  Finally, to my lovely facebook group members (The Water Cooler - if you want to join!), thank you! We have so much fun – you make Facebook a great place to be. You help with ideas, inspiration and most of all you put a smile on my face. Thanks for being so amazing.