Page 90 of The Sweetest Mistake

Looking back, he realized that what he’d had with Cam had been more of an infatuation than love. With Cam, he hadn’t looked beyond a particular day or week, but with Julia, he was thinking long term. He could easily imagine being married to her, having kids with her, and meshing their lives together. She already fit in with his family, and everybody loved her. If he were being honest, they probably liked her more than they liked him sometimes. And who could blame them?

Julia was perfect for him, and they were good together. He wanted to build a life with her, and he hoped she wanted the same thing too. Now, if he could only man up and tell her that.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

On one of Connor’s weekends with Ava, Julia suggested they take her to Independence Oaks, a local park that offered walking trails, picnic areas, and a swimming pond. So, after packing and re-packing the diaper bag to account for all possibilities, and loading a cooler with sandwiches, fruit, and drinks, they were off.

It was one of those glorious days in June that felt like summer even though it wasn’t technically summer yet. Julia had dressed Ava in a lightweight cotton outfit (pink, of course) that covered her skin, plus a matching sunhat.

“It’s eighty degrees. Is all that stuff really necessary?” Connor asked.

“Do you want your daughter to burn?” Julia replied.

“No.”

“Well, then, yes. All of this stuff is necessary.”

Julia had become just as protective as he was especially when Ava was on their watch. The last thing she wanted was for something bad to happen and for Cam to blame it on her. They’d formed a tentative bond over these past several weeks, and she didn’t want anything to jeopardize it. Instead of looking at Cam as the enemy or as someone to be jealous of, Julia had started thinking of her as a part of a team—team Ava.

And for the most part, it seemed to be working. There were still occasions where Julia would catch Cam staring at her and Connor with something akin to envy, but for the most part, she’d been respectful. One evening, when Connor had been working late, Julia had been the one at his house when Cam brought Ava over. After Cam had imparted information about Ava’s eating and sleeping schedule, Julia had taken the opportunity to make small talk with her. She hadn’t done it to become Cam’s best friend but to make things more comfortable between them. Ultimately, she’d done it for Connor and Ava.

“How’s it going at work?” Julia asked as she set Ava’s bottles in the refrigerator.

Cam appeared surprised by the show of interest, but she quickly recovered. “Not bad. I feel better about being there now that Barb is watching Ava.”

Barb? Interesting. Everyone else called Connor’s mom Barbara. Cam must have been feeling more comfortable with her too.

“Having her babysit is a lot better than having to use daycare,” Julia said.

Cam nodded. She had sat down at the kitchen table and was still holding Ava in her lap as if she were reluctant to leave her. For all the negative feelings Julia had had at the beginning, she’d realized that Cam was a good mom and was trying to do her best for her daughter.

Sitting down at the table across from her, Julia said, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Oh. No thanks. I’m actually meeting someone for drinks in just a little while.”

Do I dare ask? “Oh. A friend?”

“A co-worker,” Cam replied.

Julia thought that might be the end of the discussion, but Cam continued talking as if she’d wanted to say more all along.

“A man, actually. His name’s Tony.”

Julia wasn’t surprised. Cam was an intelligent, beautiful woman, and it was easier to admit that now that she’d stopped pursuing Connor.

“He asked me out a few weeks ago, but I said no. I didn’t think it was a good idea since we work together and because of Ava. But he asked again, and I caved.”

Julia laughed because it seemed like a common theme for the women in her life—herself included. “That good looking, huh?”

Smiling her perfect Barbie-doll smile, Cam said, “Yeah.”

“That’ll do it every time.”

“Is that what happened for you with Connor?”

Uh-oh. Now they were stepping into dangerous territory.

“Sorry. That’s really none of my business,” Cam said, averting her eyes to Ava, who was happily banging a toy against the table.