Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker

Chapter 20

Aiden

Aiden glanced at his phone. He had an hour before his conference call—a late-night meeting since one of the biggest shareholders was overseas. Standing, he stretched his arms before deciding to take a quick drive to fill up his vehicle with gas. The drive would give him some alone time to clear his head. He’d invested a lot of time into this opportunity he’d be discussing in the meeting, but something was nagging at the back of his mind. It was likely nerves.

A blast of brisk night air greeted him as he stepped outside, jarring him. He hurried to his jeep and immediately started the engine and cranked the heat up when a motion outside his window caught his attention. Cade and Daegan waved for him to wait and jogged toward him. Aiden opened his window, regretting the October wind stealing into the car.

“We’re meeting Raina and Macey at the bowling alley,” Cade said, wrapping his arms around himself to fight off the chill. “Half the parking lot is under construction, and they had to park a block away. They called to warn us and said if we could get a ride in, they’d give us a lift back.”

The bowling alley wasn’t far from the gas station, so Aiden shrugged. “Sure, climb in.”

Cade slipped into the passenger seat of the jeep while Daegan climbed into the back.

Aiden put his tongue in his cheek to keep from grinning. He hadn’t played chauffer to them since their high school days. “It looks like Camille’s setup worked in your favor.”

Daegan answered for Cade. “It wasn’t Camille; it was our winning personalities.”

Aiden smirked and pulled out of his driveway, turning onto the road.

“I’m serious,” Daegan continued. “Just wait until Macey sees me bowling. I look really great in those shoes.”

“So if she likes your shoes, does that mean she gets to be your girlfriend?” Aiden looked into his rearview mirror to gauge his brother’s reaction.

Daegan’s face melted into a sly grin. “You know I like to be as free as the birds. I come down to the water when I want a drink, but then it’s back to the skies, where I fly solo.”

Cade shifted in his seat to see his twin. “It’s been fun living the high life, but it also means neither of us ever has a girlfriend. One of these days we’re going to have to split up the famous Peterson duo. And I’m predicting that day is coming soonish.”

Aiden glanced at Cade. “How soon is soonish?” He wasn’t buying Camille’s whole marry-off-the-brothers scheme, but if Cade found someone who made him take his studies and future seriously, Aiden would support it a hundred percent.

Cade shrugged. “I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to look at Raina, but she’s beautiful with that luxurious Hispanic hair going on, and she has the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen.”

“So not anytime soon, then, since you can’t see past her looks.” Aiden shook his head. At least his brothers were socializing and getting out of the house. So many single guys he knew left the house only for work and the gym. Even so, he wished they’d start working toward their futures.

Cade chuckled at Aiden’s assessment. “The looks were the hook, but the rest of her is just as good. In fact, we have a lot in common. You know how I want to be a doctor? Well, Raina wants to be a vet. We made a list together of the schools that offer both programs—under the guise of friendship, of course, but we both know she was hoping for something more. And since my Spanish is getting rusty from my time volunteering in Mexico City, she’s helping me practice.”

Aiden couldn’t help but encourage him. “There’s a reason Spanish is considered one of the Romance languages.”

“The reason is Raina.” Cade started singing a Spanish love song with his hands leading the music.

“I shouldn’t have doubted you, Cade,” Aiden said. His brother hadn’t mentioned medical school in a long time, so even hearing him talk like this made chauffeuring him to the bowling alley worth every second.

Cade stopped singing abruptly. “Don’t get too excited. My twin is still dating her sister.”

“Don’t remind me of the awkwardness,” Daegan whined. “Twins matched up with sisters is cliché and cheesy.”

“No offense, Daegan—you make for a great hang-out buddy, but it also makes pairing off almost impossible,” Cade said.

Daegan was quiet, but Aiden could tell he was mulling over Cade’s words.

When Aiden had married, he’d hoped it would stir something inside of his brothers—a longing for permanency and a family of their own. Even as he continued to hope, he knew everyone had a different path to follow. Getting married hadn’t solved Aiden’s problems, but loving someone had given him purpose. If he could wish for anything for his brothers, it was purpose that transformed them into the men they needed to be. If their paths coincided with Raina’s and Macey’s, Aiden prayed his brothers would have the courage to pursue them.

As for him, he needed all the heavenly help he could get too. This conference call could change everything. He only hoped it would be for the better.