Page 9 of The Sweetest Mistake

“Okay. Well, just hold her up on your shoulder and pat her back gently yet firmly until she burps. It’s pretty simple.”

“Got it. Hold, pat, burp,” he chanted.

Julia couldn’t help but laugh even though her stomach was still tangled up in knots. If nothing else, it might be fun to watch Connor navigate parenthood.

“What if she doesn’t burp?” he asked.

“That’s okay. Just keep her upright for a while after she’s done eating.”

“How do you know so much about babies?” he asked.

“My dad’s a pediatrician, remember? I’ve been around babies my whole life.”

“It shows.”

“If you think flattery will get me to stay longer, you’re wrong.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

But she could blame a guy for knocking up his ex-girlfriend and turning their lives upside down. Get a grip, Julia.

“If Cam doesn’t come back soon, you might want to check Ava’s diaper again. Don’t be surprised if it’s messy, since she just ate.”

Connor wrinkled his nose. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay?”

And there was the million-dollar question. Part of her really wanted to, but part of her felt like leaving was the right thing to do. As much as she felt upended by this, Connor must have been feeling it tenfold. She didn’t plan to abandon him permanently, but she needed some space too. He wasn’t the only one who needed to process this.

As if he realized it too, he said, “Never mind. I’ll be fine. But let’s talk soon, okay?”

“Okay,” she said. Connor started to follow her toward the front door, but she put up a palm to stop him. “You should keep her away from the door. It’s chilly out today.”

“Oh. Right,” he whispered.

She shot him a brief smile and then walked outside into the crisp, fresh air. The wind hit her like a slap in the face, but she welcomed it. She’d felt warm and clammy inside Connor’s house, and now she released the tension in her neck and shoulders. Yes. Leaving was the right decision, she thought as she drove away. But why did she feel so empty?

The empty feeling presided over the next few days, when neither she nor Connor bothered to contact each other. Since he’d missed a few days of work when he’d gone to Colorado, she assumed he’d be working a lot to make up for it. But that didn’t answer what he was doing with the other hours of his days. Probably spending them with his daughter and ex-girlfriend, she’d reminded herself countless times.

She’d been going over the entire scenario in her head when Harper interrupted. “Jules? You okay? You’ve been staring at the same screen for ten minutes straight.”

“Oh. Sorry. I don’t know where my head’s at today.” Or the last three days for that matter.

“Everything okay with Connor?”

His name was bound to come up some time, but Julia didn’t have a good answer.

“Eh,” she said.

“Well, that doesn’t sound very promising.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

Since Harper hadn’t mentioned anything about Connor’s daughter, Julia assumed he hadn’t told his brothers yet. Typical Connor, still keeping secrets.

“We’re having some…issues right now, but I’m sure we’ll work it out.” Will we? Do I even want to?

“Have you talked to him about it?”