Page 48 of The Sweetest Mistake

“I’m not so sure of that,” Finn said.

“You’ve been hanging around Harper too much. You’re starting to sound like a girl.”

“She’s a woman, and I’d rather hang out with her than you two buttheads.”

“Now you sound like Liam,” Connor said just as Liam sauntered back over.

“Huh?” Liam said upon hearing his name.

“Nothing,” Finn said, walking away with his wheelbarrow.

Finally, Connor thought, rolling his shoulders to release the tension. Finn always gave him a hard time, but this time, he deserved it. He should have handled things differently with Julia, and then he wouldn’t be in this mess.

“So, what are you going to do about Cam and Julia?” Liam asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

“Not you too,” Connor huffed.

“Hey, I’m just asking.”

“I don’t know what to do. That’s the problem. I have a kid now, and I need to be there for her, but if I alienate Cam, she could take Ava away from me. I can’t let that happen.”

“So, where does that leave Julia?”

“I want her in my life too, but I’m not sure how to juggle it all. And right now, Julia doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Liam shrugged. “You don’t know that for sure. Sometimes, chicks act like they don’t want you, but they really do.”

“Are you speaking from experience, or is that wishful thinking?” Finn asked when he’d come up behind them.

“Whatever,” Liam said, and turning his ballcap backward, he hurried off with his load.

“Something’s up with him,” Finn said.

“Yeah, maybe,” Connor replied, still too distracted by his own problems to worry about Liam.

“So, do you want my advice or not?” Finn asked as Connor scooped him another load.

“I have a feeling you’re going to give it to me whether I want it or not.”

“You’re right. So, here goes. No relationship is perfect, and you’re gonna have problems. But if you care about Julia, I mean really care about her, you’ll fix this.”

“You gonna sew that on a T-shirt?” Connor said sarcastically.

“If I did, I wouldn’t let my ex-girlfriend wear it.”

“Enough about the stupid T-shirt! She didn’t have any pajamas, and it was the only thing I had to offer her.”

“Well, maybe next time, offer her a pair of sweatpants to go with it,” Finn said and then walked away. And guy talk was officially over.

Later that night, Connor sat in his empty house and nursed a beer. He’d tried calling Julia again after work, but the call had gone right to voicemail. She must have updated her message during the day, because now it said that she’d be out of town for a few days and she’d return the call when she got back.

Great! Now he’d have to wait three days to talk to her, and he sucked at waiting. It was driving him crazy that he couldn’t talk to her. He wasn’t even sure what he’d say when he saw her, but he just knew he had to see her. He couldn’t let her think that anything had gone on between him and Cam last night, because nothing had. Although, if he’d been open to it, something might have happened.

Cam hadn’t overtly come on to him; however, a few of the looks she’d given him as they’d sat together drinking beer…well, let’s just say he’d seen those looks before. She’d sat cross-legged on the couch, his shirt barely covering her lower half, and eyed him up like a hot fudge sundae that she was dying to take a bite of.

But all he’d been able to think about was how he’d wished Julia was there instead. Looking at Cam from across the room (he hadn’t dared sit next to her lest she get the wrong idea), he hadn’t been the least bit attracted to her. Sure, she was pretty in a Barbie doll sort of way, but she didn’t do it for him anymore.

He much preferred Julia’s silky black hair, her deep brown eyes that reminded him of the Hershey bars she loved so much, and her curvy body that she spent entirely too much time trying to hide. He’d rather have heard her hearty, unselfconscious laugh and seen that smile that lit up the room than listen to Cam rattle on about nothing while she tossed her blonde hair around and gave him come-hither looks.