The Sweetest Mistake (O'Brien Brothers #2)

by Susan Coventry

  THE SWEETEST MISTAKE

  AN O’BRIEN BROTHERS NOVEL

  Susan Coventry

  Copyright © 2018 Susan Coventry

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Woodchuck Arts

  Edited by: FirstEditing.com

  Also by Susan Coventry

  A New Chapter

  An Island Christmas Wedding

  Better Than Fiction

  Capture The Moment

  Custom Built for Me

  Love Notes

  Me & You Plus Two

  Right Here With You

  See You Then

  Starring You and Me

  Twice as Tempting

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue – Two Months Later

  Chapter One

  Julia loved babies. She loved everything about them—their sweet little faces, tiny fingers and toes, soft skin, and toothless grins. In fact, she wouldn’t mind having a house full of kids someday or at the very least two. But for now, she’d have to be satisfied interacting with babies at her father’s pediatric practice, or so she thought.

  As she stood on Connor’s front porch, she swore she heard a baby crying inside. But it couldn’t have been. Connor had just returned from a short trip to Denver, and Julia had come over to surprise him. He must have had company, but there weren’t any cars parked in his driveway except for his Jeep Wrangler. Strange.

  She hesitated to ring the doorbell but decided she was being silly. He’d been gone for three days, and she’d missed him even though he’d left under mysterious circumstances. He’d been cagey about the trip, telling her he just needed to get away for a few days and clear his head. Clear his head of what, she’d wondered, and why Denver? When she’d asked him, he’d said that he wanted to be in the mountains, and knowing his propensity for privacy, she’d tried not to question it too much.

  Connor was the middle of three brothers who co-owned a successful landscaping design business in Brandon, a mostly rural community in southeast Michigan. Julia had met him through her best friend, Harper Davies, who was currently dating Connor’s older brother, Finn.

  At first, Julia hadn’t wanted anything to do with the flirtatious, enigmatic O’Brien brother, but he’d slowly worn down her defenses, and now they’d been dating for almost five months. After a rocky start, their relationship had been starting to smooth out when Connor had suddenly taken off to Denver, leaving her to wonder what secret he was keeping this time.

  Connor was good at keeping secrets, as she’d discovered early on. At first, he hadn’t wanted to tell anyone they were dating, not even his brothers, and it had driven her crazy. She couldn’t understand why he’d been so guarded, especially with the people he loved. She’d felt relieved when he’d finally agreed to share the news with their families and friends, only to encounter another obstacle.

  When she’d taken him to meet her parents, they’d had a less-than-enthusiastic reaction. Especially her father, who’d had his heart set on her marrying his protégé, Alec, whom she’d dated prior to Connor. To her father, Dr. James Lee, a landscaper was nowhere near good enough for his only daughter. Her mom, Debra, had been less obvious, but Julia had sensed her disappointment too. It hadn’t seemed to matter that Connor was a successful business owner. In their minds, she was supposed to have married Alec, and that was that.

  So far, nothing about dating Connor had been easy, and they were different in so many ways that it was a miracle they were still together. Yet she was drawn to him in ways she didn’t fully understand. Some might have called it chemistry, something she hadn’t experienced with Alec but felt in spades with Connor. Others might have labeled it a physical attraction, and that’s what it had been at first. She smiled as she remembered one of their early encounters…

  Connor hopped out of his work truck and swaggered toward Capture the Moment Studio, where Julia worked with her best friend, Harper. She tried to ignore the outline of his sleek, toned body in his tight black T-shirt and ripped blue jeans. Tried not to wonder about the tattoo that peeked out from the right sleeve of his T-shirt. Instead, she returned her attention to the stack of invoices she’d been reviewing and acted like she hadn’t seen him coming.

  And then the studio door creaked open, and he came in and stood right next to her, casually leaning his hip against her desk. But still, she had enough willpower not to look up right away, even when she heard his deep, gravelly voice say, “Mornin’, beautiful.”

  Next came the seriously difficult part. Connor had propped up his aviators in his cropped dark-brown hair and looked down at her through his dazzling slate-blue eyes with the laugh lines at the corners. On women, those lines would have been called wrinkles, but on Connor, they just added to his sex appeal. Not that she’d stared at them for long, because gazing into Connor’s eyes was like looking directly at the sun—dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

  “Harper’s not here,” Julia said.

  “I didn’t stop by to see Harper.”

  “Oh? Well then, you might as well get to work because, as you can, see I’m busy.”

  “Hmmm. Can I ask you a question?”

  Realizing that she wasn’t getting rid of him that easily, she set down her pen and sighed. “What is it?”

  “Why don’t you like me?”

  Julia’s eyes widened at the unexpected question, but the answer was simple. “Because you’re too cocky.”

  Crossing his muscular arms over his equally muscular chest, he smiled. Smiled! See, cocky—just like she’d said.

  “Some might call it confident.”

  “Some might, but in your case, it’s cockiness.”

  “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that when someone pretends not to like you, it’s because, deep down, they actually do?”

  “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s not polite to look at women like they’re a piece of chocolate?”

  And then he laughed, his smile spreading out to encompass his gorgeous face. Damn it.

  “What’s wrong with telling a woman she’s beautiful?”

  “Nothing as long as you really mean it and you’re not just saying it to try and get the woman to sleep with you.”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  Connor shook his head, that amused gleam still in his eyes. “I never said anything about sleeping together. That’s all you, sweetheart.”

  “See! Right there,” she said, stabbing the air with her index finger.

  “Right where? What are you talking about?
”

  “There’s an example of you being cocky. You think that all women want to sleep with you.”

  He laughed again. “You got something against sex?”

  “What? NO!” She was becoming more exasperated by the moment. Why did this man have the power to make her so crazy?

  “Well, despite what you think of me, I’m not after you for sex.”

  Julia narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not?”

  “No. If that’s what I wanted, all I’d have to do…well, never mind. The point is, I’d just like to get to know you better. Take you out to dinner or something. But it’s obvious that you’re not interested, so I’ll just be on my way.”

  With that, Connor flipped down his aviators and started walking toward the door. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but she jumped up and shouted, “Wait!”

  Placing his hands on his narrow hips, he tilted his head and said, “Yes?”

  “Maybe I have been a little tough on you.” Okay, who possessed my body, and why is she doing this?

  “Are you apologizing?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Cocking an eyebrow at her, he said, “What are you doing, then?”

  Good question. And then she blurted out, “Maybe we could go out for a drink sometime. You know, to get to know each other like you said.”

  If Connor’s smile had been blinding before, now it was downright lethal. “A drink? With me? Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Don’t press your luck. A simple yes or no will do.”

  Flipping his glasses back up again, he stared at her with those mesmerizing eyes and answered, “Hell yes.” And then he turned and sauntered out the door.

  It wasn’t until she finally got her wits together that she realized they hadn’t set a date. Instead of feeling relieved, she felt disgruntled. Now what? Is he going to call me? Do I have to call him because it was my idea? Ugh! Why did I have to open my big fat mouth?

  The sound of a baby crying jolted her back to the present. This time, there was no mistaking it, and Julia’s curiosity prompted her to ring the doorbell. She waited a minute, and when nobody answered, she rang it again, holding her finger down on the button and listening closely to make sure she heard it ring. And then she heard footsteps. Finally.

  Instead of swinging open the door, Connor barely cracked it and poked his head out.

  “Julia?” he said, looking surprised to see her there.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi,” he replied through the crack.

  “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

  “It’s not really a good time. Can I call you later?”

  But before she could answer, she heard a baby cry even louder that time. “Are you babysitting?”

  He sighed. “Not exactly.”

  “Connor? Who’s there?” came an unfamiliar woman’s voice.

  Julia stilled, the blood rushing to her feet. A woman and a baby?

  “Connor? What’s going on?” Julia demanded.

  “I’d like to know that too,” the woman said from behind him.

  Realizing that he was trapped, Connor swung open the door to reveal the woman behind the voice. And if Julia hadn’t already been suspicious, she became even more so when she saw a beautiful blonde-haired woman holding a baby and looking completely at ease in Connor’s house.

  “You might as well come in,” Connor muttered, stepping aside to let Julia through.

  At that moment, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Maybe she’s a cousin or a distant relative. Studying the woman closely, Julia searched for some resemblance to Connor.

  “Connor? Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the woman asked, looking Julia over as well.

  But before he could make the introductions, the woman repositioned her baby so it was facing outward, and the resemblance Julia had been looking for was right there—in the baby’s face. Ohmigod, ohmigod. It can’t be.

  In the next second, her fears were confirmed. Clearing his throat nervously, Connor said, “Uh…Julia. This is Camilla Robertson and her…our…daughter, Ava.”

  Suddenly, the room was spinning, and Julia reached out to grab onto something, fearing she would faint. Connor rushed forward and gripped her elbow tightly. “You okay?”

  “Okay? Seriously?” Wait a minute. Did I just say that aloud?

  Camilla wore a smug expression when she said, “So, I see you haven’t told her yet.”

  Scowling, he said, “I just found out myself.”

  “How long have you known?” Julia asked, twisting out of Connor’s grip. Her voice had risen along with her blood pressure, but she couldn’t help it. She’d come here to surprise him, and instead, she’d been knocked flat. Is it true? Is he really this baby’s father?

  Looking between the two women, Connor said, “Let’s sit down where we can talk.”

  Julia thought about turning around and bolting out the door, but Connor placed his hand on her elbow again and almost forcefully guided her into the living room.

  Camilla was the only one who looked unaffected, and suddenly, Julia despised her even more then when she’d first learned about Cam. Over a year ago, Connor had caught Cam cheating on him with her boss, which was why he’d broken up with her. And now here she was, waltzing back into his life with his baby in tow.

  Julia sat down on the couch, grateful to get off her shaky legs. Connor sat down beside her, but he left some distance between them, as if he were afraid she might haul off and smack him at any moment (which was extremely tempting).

  Cam perched on a chair opposite them and bounced Ava on her knee. Julia was bursting with questions, but they were all stuck in her throat. All she could do was stare at the beautiful baby in Cam’s arms and allow the reality to sink in. Connor was this child’s father, and according to him, he’d just recently found out. If Julia was reeling, how must he be feeling? She vacillated between being pissed at him for not telling her sooner and feeling sorry for him. And then she glared at Cam, wondering why the woman had kept Ava a secret.

  “In all fairness, I just sprang this on him a few weeks ago,” Cam said evenly.

  “How can you be sure—” Julia started to say.

  “That Ava’s his? Can’t you tell by looking at her?” Cam said.

  Julia had seen the resemblance right away, but what about Cam’s boss? Couldn’t Ava be his baby instead?

  “Connor was the only man I didn’t use protection with, and a few weeks after we broke up, I found out I was pregnant,” Cam explained, almost as if she’d read Julia’s mind.

  Great! And now I’ve been gifted with an image of Connor and Cam having unprotected sex.

  Clearing his throat noisily, Connor said, “That was a mistake.”

  Julia gaped at him. She understood what he meant, but how could he say that about the beautiful child he’d created?

  “I meant…”

  “She knows what you meant, Connor,” Cam said with a frown.

  “So, why come forward now?” Julia blurted out. Ava had to have been at least three months old, or maybe even older. Why had Cam waited so long to tell him?

  Inhaling deeply, Cam resumed her explanation. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but after the doctor confirmed it, I realized I had some decisions to make.”

  Julia’s eyes widened, thinking the worst.

  “Not that,” Cam said. “I knew I was going to keep the baby, but I wasn’t sure what to do about telling Connor. I don’t know what he’s told you, but we had an ugly breakup. I wasn’t sure he’d even want to be part of this baby’s life.”

  On cue, Ava cooed and flapped her arms as if to say, “Look at me. Aren’t I cute?”

  Julia had an overwhelming urge to hold her, but she didn’t dare suggest it. There were still too many unanswered questions.

  “Anyway, I made the decision to raise the baby myself, thinking that I would be up to the challenge. Turns out, I wasn’t. Shortly after Ava was born, I went out to Denver to stay with my sister
for a while. She’s a stay-at-home mom with two kids of her own, and she offered to help until I decided what to do next. While I was there, my sister convinced me to tell Connor. She made me realize that it was selfish to keep Ava away from her father, and honestly, I could use his help.”

  That, Julia could understand. Her friends who had children often complained about how much work was involved, especially when they were working parents. So far, it was the one sentence Cam had said that made sense, but Julia still questioned her motives. Was Cam trying to win Connor back? Did she want them to be a family?

  Connor shifted uncomfortably as he joined in the conversation. “Cam called me a few weeks ago and told me the news. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do, but then I decided to fly out to Denver to…”

  “Make sure Ava was really his,” Cam finished.

  “The minute I saw her, I knew. And then I convinced Cam to come back to Michigan so we can work something out. I’ll have to juggle my work schedule, but I’ll help whenever I can.”

  “Juggling is what I’ve been doing for the past five months,” Cam said pointedly.

  “If I’d known about Ava from the beginning, I would have been there,” Connor argued.

  For some strange reason, Julia found herself playing referee. “Okay, you two. The past is the past. The question is, what happens now?”

  “I’m not sure,” Cam said. “I gave up my apartment when I went to Denver. I can stay with my parents for a while, but I need a more permanent solution. Otherwise, I’ll go back to Denver, where I know I’ll have help.”

  “We’ve already discussed this. You’re not going back to Denver,” Connor said adamantly.

  Julia looked between them and wondered how this could have happened. Well, she knew how, but why? Why hadn’t they used protection like responsible adults? Connor had always insisted on using protection with her.

  “Isn’t there anyone else who can help you?” Julia asked.

  “My parents have health issues, so I don’t want to burden them, and I don’t have any other close family nearby. That’s why I went to Denver in the first place,” Cam said.