Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker
Chapter 13
Aiden
The jeep had been parked out front of their house for several minutes, but neither one of them seemed ready to leave the car. First, Camille’s mother had missed her wedding, and now Aiden had ruined the end of their honeymoon. If he were superstitious, he’d think they were jinxed. Thankfully, he was a man of faith. Despite their frustrations, he firmly believed it would all work out between them. He hadn’t felt this whole since before his parents died—since he had met Camille for the first time. He studied her profile. Had she kept a piece of his soul ever since that day and finally, with her presence, had returned it to him?
“Camille?” Aiden reached over and squeezed her hand for the umpteenth time. She chose to stare out her window and didn’t turn to face him. It ate at him to know he had inadvertently hurt her. “It’s too cold for us to stay out here all night. Are you ready to go in?”
Camille finally dragged her gaze to meet his. In the dim porch lights hanging on the sides of the garage, she couldn’t hide her red and swollen features from him. “Do you think your brothers are still awake?”
A glance at his watch told him it was nine o’clock. “I bet they’re in front of the TV watching sports reruns and eating junk food.”
“Do you think we can sneak in?” Camille dipped her head. “I don’t want them to see me like this. I need to feel a little more confident before I meet them again. Should I stay with Daisha and Amy tonight?”
Aiden shook his head. “This is our home, and we should stay together. There’s a porch door to the master bedroom. No one has to see you tonight if you don’t want them to.” Camille reached for the door handle, but Aiden stopped her. “I know you’re feeling some regret right now, that we rushed things, but we did what we felt was right. We can’t fault ourselves for that. There are going to be some rough patches along the way—it’s guaranteed—but we can find happiness if we search hard enough.” He leaned over and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “As for me, I’m not going to have to look much farther than that sweet smile of yours. Though, you might have to look a little harder to find that same happiness with me. I promise I’ll try as hard as I can to be there for you.”
Camille squeezed her eyes shut, and a few more tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Hold it! Let’s get inside before any more tears leak through.” Relieved to hear her soft laugh, Aiden jumped out of the car and hurried around to the other side to open her door. He slung their two duffel bags over one shoulder and led Camille all the way to the backyard. In the dark, neither of them spoke as they made their way to the balcony door to their room. Aiden shoved a key into the lock, and once the door was open he threw his bags inside and turned to Camille. “Would it upset you if I carried you over the threshold?”
She shrugged, and that was answer enough for him. He swept her into his arms, the action tugging a whisper of a smile to her face. He’d felt like a teenager sneaking around until he had Camille tight against his chest. This was definitely not a moment he wanted to share with anyone else. He carried her inside and kissed her on the mouth. “Mrs. Peterson, welcome home.”