The Sweetest Mistake (O'Brien Brothers #2)

by Susan Coventry

  But she was, more than he wanted to admit. He understood that she was hurt and angry, and he hated that he’d been the one to cause it. When he’d first met her, he’d played his usual game of flirting with her until she’d agreed to go out with him. But he wasn’t playing a game anymore. He cared about her—a lot. And the last thing he wanted was to hurt her, but how could he convince her if she wouldn’t even talk to him?

  His brothers were right—he’d really screwed up this time. And he spent the rest of the night wondering how he was going to fix it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Julia hadn’t realized how uptight she was until she unlocked the door of her parents’ lake house and stepped inside. It was only then, after an uneventful four-hour drive, that she took a deep breath and began to relax.

  And how could she not? The “cottage” was more charming than she’d remembered, and the views of Walloon Lake were spectacular. She tried to remember the last time she’d been there and realized it had been a few years ago when she was still with Alec.

  He’d stayed in the room next to hers, and she recalled trying to convince him to sneak into her room at night, but he’d refused. He’d never been much of a risk taker, and he hadn’t wanted to ruin his “good standing with her parents.” She’d wondered if his future career as a doctor was more important to him than her, and looking back, she believed it had been. He’d probably loved her in his own way, but his relationship with her father had probably been just as important, maybe even more so.

  What a difference between him and Connor. There was no doubt in her mind that Connor would have snuck into her room. Their relationship was based on passion and emotions, and he wouldn’t have let her parents stop him from coming to her. Too bad the same passion that had brought them together was now tearing them apart.

  Shaking her head to clear her runaway thoughts, she rolled her suitcase into the upstairs bedroom she usually used and began unpacking. Her room faced the lake, and looking out the window, she took in the shimmering blue water and cloudless sky. She’d lucked out; the weather forecast called for warm temperatures and no rain for the next several days, and she planned to take full advantage of it.

  After she’d unpacked, she changed from her jeans and t-shirt into a tank top and shorts. Grabbing her book from her tote bag, and her phone, she went back downstairs and into the kitchen. Her parents must have been there recently because there were a few beverages in the refrigerator and some non-perishable snacks in the pantry.

  She selected a Snapple and a package of graham crackers, unlocked the sliding glass door to the deck, and stepped outside. It was the third weekend in May, and there were several boats on the lake even though the water was still too cold for swimming. She thought about taking her parents’ pontoon boat out later, but for now, she was content to lie back in a lounge chair and bask in the sun.

  For the next two hours, that’s exactly what she did. She drank lemonade, munched on crackers, and let her mind go. She even managed to read a few chapters in her latest mystery novel, which was more than she’d read in quite a while.

  “See? This is perfect,” she said as she stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. Other than the sounds from passing boats and birds chirping in the nearby trees, there was nothing but peace and quiet. This was exactly what she’d needed.

  Just then, her phone vibrated on the small glass-topped table beside her chair. She’d switched the phone to vibrate mode even though she had no intention of answering it. Her curiosity had prevented her from turning it off completely because she still wanted to know who was calling—specifically Connor.

  He’d left a few messages earlier in the day, but her phone had been quiet for hours. She figured he’d be working with his brothers, but now it was approaching six o’clock, and he should be home. Unless he’d gone apartment hunting with Cam again. Cam. Even the name made her stomach clench.

  She waited until her phone stopped buzzing before she picked it up and listened to the message.

  Hey. I know you’re mad at me, but I really wish you’d pick up. I hate talking on these things.

  There was a long pause, and then he continued.

  I know it didn’t look good, what you saw this morning, but I told you Cam was staying over. She didn’t have any clothes with her…I mean, other than the ones she had on, so I loaned her a T-shirt to sleep in.

  Another long pause.

  Damn! I was hoping you’d answer so I didn’t have to explain this to a machine. Anyway, I didn’t expect you to come over so early. I was in the shower getting ready so I could come over to your house.

  Silence.

  I swear to you that nothing happened. Cam slept in the spare room with Ava, and I slept in my room. That was it.

  A heavy sigh.

  There’s more I’d like to say, but I’m not going to say it to a machine. I’ve already talked longer on this thing than I thought I would. I might not have the right to ask you for a favor, but I’m going to anyway. Please hear me out, Jules. Call me back. Please.

  And then he hung up.

  Julia listened to the message again just in case she’d missed anything. Afterward, she thought about what he’d said and realized he hadn’t told her anything she didn’t already know. Her worry wasn’t that he and Cam had slept together (she refused to believe that), but whether what Cam had said was true. Was she moving in with him?

  She understood that he hadn’t wanted to talk to a machine, but still, there was nothing in his message that soothed her. Nothing about missing her or wondering where she’d gone or when she was coming back. Nothing other than him defending his actions, as usual. And that wasn’t enough. Not anymore. She’d accepted his apologies before, but this time was different. This time, she needed stronger evidence that he really wanted to make this work.

  Maybe that was wrong of her. Maybe she was expecting too much too soon, but she didn’t think so. Before she poured any more energy into their relationship, she needed to know how he really felt about her, about Cam, and about the future. Until then, she wasn’t going to give any more of herself than she already had.

  Later that evening, Julia went into the charming town of Petoskey to get some dinner. Deciding that she didn’t want to sit inside on such a beautiful night, she bought a roast beef sandwich at a popular deli and took it down to the park that lined the shores of Little Traverse Bay. There, she found a quiet spot and sat down at a picnic table overlooking the water.

  She was busy eating her sandwich and watching the seagulls circle overhead and hadn’t noticed that anybody was nearby until she felt something brush up against her leg. Startled, she turned to find the source and had to look down. At her feet, there was a large plastic ball and a little girl, maybe two years old, staring up at her.

  “Ball,” the little girl said and pointed. Just then, a man, who Julia presumed was the girl’s father, rushed up beside her.

  “Sorry about that,” he said and scooped up the girl and the ball.

  “No worries,” Julia said, smiling up at him. She couldn’t help but notice how good looking he was as he stood there backlit by the sun, his light-brown hair ruffling in the breeze and a sweet smile on his face.

  “Chips,” the little girl said, pointing at Julia’s Doritos bag.

  “Would you like one?” Julia said, holding the bag out.

  “Oh, no. That’s okay. We don’t want to interrupt your dinner,” the man said.

  “It’s fine. I don’t need all these anyway,” Julia said.

  He set the girl back down, and she scrambled up on the seat next to Julia and plunged her little hand into the Doritos bag.

  Julia laughed to see that the girl was as big a fan of chips as she was.

  Looking uncomfortable, the man took a seat on the other side of the girl since she wasn’t about to settle for just one chip.

  “What’s your name?” Julia asked.

  “Scott,” the man said, followed by, “Oh. You meant my daughter. This is Ava.”<
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  What are the chances? Julia gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. “Ava. What a pretty name.”

  “Thank you,” Ava said before stuffing another chip in her mouth.

  Scott looked at Julia curiously, obviously having noticed her reaction.

  “I know an Ava too,” Julia explained, “but she’s only five months old.”

  “Your daughter?” Scott asked.

  “No. My boyfriend’s daughter.” If I can still call him that.

  “Ah.”

  Just then, Ava scooted off the bench and started playing with her ball again.

  “Stay near me this time,” Scott instructed before turning his attention back to Julia. “Thanks for the chips. I hope we didn’t disturb you too much.”

  “Not at all,” she said and smiled.

  “Say goodbye to the nice lady,” Scott said to Ava.

  “Bye, nice lady,” Ava called, an orange outline from the Doritos lining her little pink lips.

  Too choked up to speak, Julia waved, and then she watched them walk away, Scott clasping his daughter’s hand tightly while she kicked the ball in front of her.

  They were nearing the parking lot when a woman approached them with her arms outstretched, and Ava ran into them.

  The mother, Julia assumed, noticing the look of pure joy on the woman’s face as she hugged Ava to her chest. After she set Ava down, she reached up on her tiptoes and gave Scott a quick kiss on the lips. Julia was still watching the happy reunion when, suddenly, Ava pointed in Julia’s direction and started waving.

  She hated to be caught staring, but it was too late, and then all three of them waved to her before they turned away and got into the car that the woman had driven up in.

  After they left, Julia sat there for a few more minutes, her mind whirring. Was it possible for her to be that happy with Connor and his daughter? Did it really matter that Ava wasn’t hers? Having Ava didn’t mean they couldn’t have their own children someday. But would Connor want that?

  Ugh! She was no closer to having her answers than she’d been before coming there. If only she would have kept her chips to herself! But she couldn’t help it. She was like a kid magnet. She loved them, and they gravitated toward her too—kids, not chips. It had been like that ever since she could remember. And she’d felt that way with Ava too—Connor’s Ava.

  No matter what happened between her and Connor, she would never blame that little girl. She wondered what Ava would be like as a two-year-old, a five-year-old, a teenager. Would she be free-spirited and spontaneous like her father? What would her interests be? She was already so pretty that Julia could just imagine what she might look like when she was older. Connor was in for some trouble, that was for sure.

  Suddenly, Julia realized that she was sitting there all alone, smiling. The thought of Connor and Ava was making her smile even after how upset she’d been. Go figure! Shaking her head, she cleaned up the remnants of her dinner and left the park. When she got back to the lake house, it was dark, and she struggled to fit the key into the lock. She hadn’t expected to be out so late, and she’d forgotten to leave the porch light on. Swearing, she finally got the door open and stepped inside. Locking the door behind her, she slipped off her shoes, hung her purse on the coat rack, and then walked into the living room to turn on a light.

  But she didn’t have to because, suddenly, a lamp flicked on, and Julia’s hands flew to her chest in terror.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, rising up from the chair.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Ohmigod, Alec! What are you doing here?” Julia said, her heart still pumping overtime. She flicked on another light just to make sure it was really him.

  “Your dad was worried, and he asked me to come up and check on you.”

  Julia slumped down on the couch, taking a moment to catch her breath while Alec sat back down in the chair across from her.

  “My dad asked you to drive all the way up here to check on me?” she asked, incredulous.

  Alec nodded. “I was with Dr. Lee at his office this morning when your mom called to let him know that you drove up here. He thought it was odd that you came here alone, and he sort of asked me to come and see if you were okay.”

  “Sort of?”

  “Well, I could tell how concerned he was, and I guess I kind of volunteered.”

  Julia sighed. “Why would you do that?”

  He shrugged. “Even though we’re not together, I still care about you. Besides, it’s not like it’s a hardship. This place is awesome.”

  She wasn’t sure whom she was madder at—her dad or Alec. It was hard to be too upset with Alec, who had just driven four hours to check on her; however, she wasn’t happy about it either.

  “I purposely came here to be alone for a few days,” she said, determined to keep her anger in check.

  “Why? Is something wrong?”

  Tapping her fingers on her leg, she debated how to answer. While it really wasn’t any of his business, maybe it would be a good opportunity to reiterate that she had no interest in getting back together with Alec. If he thought driving up here would change that, he was sorely mistaken.

  “Connor and I are having some…issues,” she said.

  Alec didn’t look surprised, and she wondered how much he already knew. Since Alec had been in her dad’s office when her mom had called, he could have easily overheard the whole sordid story.

  “I can’t say I’m completely surprised,” Alec said, confirming her suspicions.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Even though she was uncertain about where she and Connor stood, she still felt the need to defend her choice to be with him. She didn’t appreciate first her dad and now Alec passing unfair judgment on a man they hardly knew.

  Rubbing his hands on his pant legs as if to gather courage, Alec said, “He just looks like trouble, Jules. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy you would be interested in.”

  Angrily, she pushed herself up from the couch, planted her hands on her hips, and said, “Compared to who—you?”

  Alec shook his head. “I didn’t say that.”

  “But that’s what you meant. I’m so sick of everyone telling me that Connor’s not good enough for me.”

  Alec stood up and started walking toward her with his arms outstretched as if to say, “I come in peace.”

  She’d just taken a step back when suddenly there was a pounding on the front door that stopped them both in their tracks.

  “Open up, Jules. It’s me.”

  Holy shit! Eyes wide, Julia glanced from the front door to Alec and then back to the door again. What are the chances?

  “I’m not leaving until you open the door,” he said loudly. “I’ll camp out here all night if I have to.”

  “Aren’t you going to let him in?” Alec asked, breaking her out of panic mode.

  “Why should I?” She must have spoken louder than she realized, because she was given an answer from her angry visitor.

  “Because I drove four hours to talk to you, and I’m not going anywhere until we do!”

  Julia stared at Alec for a moment, wondering if she should ask him to hide for his own safety.

  “You might as well open the door,” Alec said resignedly.

  “You’re of no help at all, you know that?” she huffed before turning away and walking toward the door.

  “Stop yelling. I’m coming!” she shouted. Good thing the houses were spread far enough apart that the neighbors couldn’t hear all the ruckus. At least she hoped not.

  Squaring her shoulders and inhaling deeply, Julia flung open the door to reveal her visitor.

  She and Connor stared at each other for a few beats, acting like they hadn’t seen each other in days rather than a matter of hours.

  His hair looked rumpled, like he’d been shoving his hands through it during the drive up. There was no softness in his steely blue eyes, nor in the grim set of his mouth. The only casual thing about him were his
clothes—a black T-shirt that showed the bottom edge of his tattoo, worn-in blue jeans with rips in the knees, and a pair of black Converse that had been hastily tied. He looked like a man on a mission—a mission to get to her—and the realization took her breath away.

  “Hi,” Connor said after he’d given her a thorough perusal too. Then, as if he realized there was another presence in the room, he looked over her shoulder and saw Alec standing there.

  Alec cleared his throat noisily and said, “Hello.”

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” Connor hissed, and then zeroing in on Julia, he said, “What the hell is he doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” she said, although she moved aside to let him in.

  Connor stepped into the light and surveyed the scene, looking for what, she wasn’t sure. Evidence that she was cheating on him with Alec? What a bizarre turn of events. Just hours ago, she’d been the one worried about him and Cam, and now the tables were turned. She wasn’t above keeping him in misery for just a few minutes longer.

  In a show of male dominance, Connor stepped further into the room and glared at Alec. It would have been comical if Julia hadn’t been so pissed at them. Alec looked a bit frightened, and he took a big step backward.

  “Dr. Lee asked me to come and check on her,” Alec hurriedly explained, as if that would give him a free pass.

  “Oh, right. And I bet you didn’t mind one bit,” Connor snarled.

  Alec opened his mouth to reply, but Julia interrupted.