Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker

Chapter 21

Camille

Camille felt Aiden’s warm kiss on her mouth, and his gentle shaking. “Sweetie, you’re usually up by now.”

Camille blinked groggily until the number on her alarm clock came into focus. Seven thirty. She sat with a start, and a dizzy wave hit her. A groan escaped her lips, and she sank back down against her pillow.

“Are you sick?” Aiden asked, wiping the hair out of her eyes. His warm, gentle touch was comforting.

Camille swallowed back the abundance of saliva in her mouth. “I don’t know. I need to go to the doctor and get my thyroid checked. I’ve been so tired lately, and I keep feeling dizzy.”

Aiden kissed her again. “Go ahead and sleep a little longer. The guys have already had some cereal.”

Camille mumbled murderous words about preservatives and nuzzled back under the covers. She could sleep the rest of the day, but her eyes popped open when she remembered something. “You had a conference call yesterday, right? How did it go? I was so tired I couldn’t wait up.”

Aiden propped his head up on his elbow next to her face and chuckled. “Yeah, nine o’clock is oh so late.”

“Hypothyroidism is no joke.” Camille stuck out her tongue.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you,” Aiden said. “I guess you could say my conference call went well.”

Camille rolled over so she could see him. “What does that mean?”

“It means I won’t have to work as much anymore. I sold my software.”

Camille squealed and threw her arms around her husband. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks,” Aiden said, smoothing back her bed head.

“So what next?” She hoped he’d say something romantic, like he was taking the day off so they could go to lunch, maybe dinner, and definitely Hawaii.

“Well, first, I need your help packing my suitcase. You organized everything so well, I have no idea where anything is.”

“Where are we going?” Camille clapped her hands together.

Aiden laughed sheepishly. “I guess you can come if you want to, but I think you’d go crazy sitting in a hotel room all day.”

Camille’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Aiden took his pointer fingers and put them on the edges of Camille’s mouth. He attempted to lift her lips into a smile, but the frown remained. “Darling, this is part of the sale. I have to fly to Los Angeles and train this company how to use my software. They’ll test it and market it, and I’ll be given a percentage of future sales, so my training is a pretty significant part of the process.”

Camille fought a wave of nausea. They weren’t going to Hawaii. Aiden was leaving her right when she’d thought she was finally going to see more of him. “How long will it take?”

“Two weeks tops. It’s a big company, but I hope to hire some people up front to get the system down and help me with the training. It shouldn’t be too complicated. Benson will hold down the farm, Easton will take over the office, Cade will check in on Paul and Charlotte, and Daegan and Flynn both agreed to help with whatever you need.”

Camille dropped back onto her pillow. Life knew how to make her spin around so fast she couldn’t possibly know where she’d end up.

“I need to see your smile for the next hour before I go, or I might not be able to leave you at all.”

“An hour?” He couldn’t be serious.

Aiden nodded. He was serious.

“I figured I should get this over with. I can hardly wait to get back home already.”

Camille put her hand over her eyes. She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry.

“Sweetie?” Aiden asked. “Are you okay?”

Camille took her hand off her head and tried not to glare. It took all her willpower to hold back the retort that was on the tip of her tongue. He was doing this for them, after all. It was her job to be the supportive wife, even if she didn’t feel at all supportive. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good,” Aiden said after a moment, “because I can’t bear to see you cry.” He dipped down and kissed Camille long and hard. It filled up all the empty recesses of her heart until he pulled away. “I’ll miss you.”

Camille wrapped her arms around his neck and wondered if she had the strength to keep him there. “Please train them as fast as you can. I don’t want to be left alone with all your brothers for very long. I didn’t marry them. I married you.”

Aiden’s lips found hers again, but they didn’t stay long enough. “Yes, you did marry me, and hard work never hurt any couple. If we’re on the same page, this will make us stronger. Every day you can call and tell me every detail about your classes and how annoying my brothers are. I’ll be in California working hard so I can not only report back to you but hurry home again.”

“You’re right. If we’re both busy, we won’t miss each other too much.”

“That’s the spirit. When this is all over, I promise you a weekend getaway. Deal?”

Camille bit her lip. “Deal.”

The drive back to Cherish from the Bozeman airport was torturous. When it came to hormones, the body was unpredictable. Nausea wasn’t very common in hypothyroidism, but it had been known to happen. With Camille’s anxiety heightened after saying goodbye, combined with the car ride, she had to pull over to throw up on the side of the highway. Gross. She’d narrowly missed her shoes. It was definitely going to be one of those days. Once home again, she called her doctor and set an appointment for the following week. There was no use putting off the inevitable.

Still feeling under the weather, Camille commenced a sit-down activity to preserve her energy. She pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil and started brainstorming the menu for their Halloween party that weekend. She had little desire to act as hostess with Aiden out of the picture. At least Flynn’s band would take care of the music, and the rest of the brothers had agreed to hang up the decorations. That had left her with the food, which was exactly what she preferred. It was too bad she couldn’t get her meds adjusted before the party.

Instead of coming up with anything exciting for her menu, however, she doodled a score chart on her paper. The lemonade the other night had been a good idea. Easton had seen Emma—a point for each of them. Oddly enough, Easton’s aloof demeanor hadn’t deterred Emma’s hopes. Two points for Emma. According to Camille’s personal theory, sometimes a guy needed a reminder that a girl was still available.

She awarded points for Benson next. He had tossed the ball to Daisha, which had led to the two of them playing a little one-on-one while the guys chugged their lemonade. Of course, had the brothers sipped their drinks, Benson and Daisha could have played together for more than two minutes.

Camille doodled several hearts. Daisha still hadn’t realized Benson was better for her than Derek. But would she? Daisha hadn’t exactly liked the idea of Camille and Aiden, but she deserved a point for being respectful. Camille needed to be supportive of her relationship with Derek. She penciled in arrows through her hearts. She wanted everyone to be happy, whether they were happy with each other or with someone else.

Pushing her notebook aside, she flipped open her laptop and pulled up her Pinterest page. It was time to get down to business. She spent the next fifteen minutes getting her Halloween menu together.

Her phone buzzed as she finished up. She could hardly believe the name on the caller ID. Strange. She pushed the accept button and put the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed in her head, her heart thumping hard.

“Camille, this is your mother. Just checking in on you.”

Camille clenched her teeth. She found it ironic her mother felt the need to introduce herself. And she never simply called to check on Camille. In fact, it was rare for her to call at all. “Oh. Thanks,” Camille said. “We’re doing fine.”

“How was the wedding?”

Annoyance flared inside Camille. The wedding was a month ago, and her mother was just now calling? She steadied her voice. “Very simple but memorable.”

Her mother fell silent, so she added, “Best day of my life.”

“How is Amy?”

Wow. Her mother had the gall to not even comment on her own daughter’s wedding. “I haven’t talked to her this week, but I plan to see her at our Halloween party.”

“I didn’t realize you were hosting a party. That doesn’t sound like you.”

Camille slammed her laptop closed. Her mother didn’t know her at all. “Actually, I like to plan social gatherings. I’m planning a menu right now for two hundred and fifty people. Desserts and appetizers only, of course.” She winced. Why was she trying to impress her mother?

“I hope you remember something from your high school catering days to pull off something of that magnitude. Do you have a crew hired?”

“Volunteers.” Camille drummed her fingers on the table.

“How quaint,” her mother replied. “Am I right to assume this is a church-related activity?”

“A lot of the guests attend our local church. Aiden is happy to host a nonalcoholic event to support good, clean fun for the college crowd.” She wasn’t going to tell her mother that Aiden wouldn’t exactly be attending.

“If you need any counsel, you can call me tomorrow evening. And if you hear from Amy, let me know. She hasn’t been answering her phone all morning.”

Unlike with Camille, her mother was diligent in communicating with Amy. “She’s probably in class. I don’t think she gets out until five tonight.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Her mother mused for a bit. “I’ll call her tonight, then. Best of luck with your gig. Talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye.” Camille turned off her phone and rested her head on the table. Talking to her mother was exhausting. She pushed aside her laptop and moped all the way to her room. She hit the lights and crashed in her bed. Even after sleeping in this morning, she could barely keep her eyes open. At least when she was asleep, she didn’t miss Aiden and she didn’t remember how little her mother cared for her.

The night of the Halloween party came, and the preparations passed without much incident. The boys did a tremendous job with the decorating. Cobwebs hung on all the doors, and eerie lights and tombstones out front gave the barn the appearance of a haunted house. Inside was a friendlier picture. Orange and black twinkling lights hung around the gym’s perimeter, and in the corners, stacks of hay held carved pumpkins and stuffed scarecrows. Draped over long tables set up in the back were orange tablecloths, black candelabras, and fake autumn leaves scattered sporadically. It was simple and charming.

Seeing her new brothers all dressed up made the night worthwhile. Each one was dressed as a cowboy with an impressive ten-gallon hat, a button-down calico-print shirt—the color varied from brother to brother—boots, and a belt buckle roughly the size of a dessert plate. Camille wondered if there was a matching shirt and belt buckle somewhere in Aiden’s closet. She wished she could see him dressed up with his brothers. It was a shame he was missing out on all the fun after working so hard all month.

Camille had kept her costume simple, dressing in her favorite black pencil skirt and striped tights. She wore a sparkly purple-sequined top borrowed from Amy and a black hat with a matching purple ribbon. Her only purchase had been the hat. Aiden would have been proud of her budgeting skills. Or would he? She wanted to turn and ask him, but of course, he wasn’t there.

The bulk of the crowd arrived about fifteen minutes into the party. Flynn’s band played Halloween music, muted from how Camille assumed they played at the club. Surprisingly, Flynn had no intention of playing with the band all night. He was up and down from the stage every other song, socializing or getting snacks.

A half hour into the party, Camille felt a sweet reprieve from social awkwardness when her roommates finally arrived. She had already talked to the only two girls she knew, as well as a handful of strangers, and it was hard feeling like the outsider instead of the host.

She laughed when her friends took off their coats and revealed their pioneer costumes. They matched perfectly with her cowboy brothers-in-law. Even Sage, whom she’d expected would have died before wearing calico, had dressed her part. Camille’s eyes were drawn to Daisha and her boyfriend. Derek clashed with the group in his vampire costume, and the way he pulled on Daisha’s hand made her appear to be his victim, not his date. He was in no way happy to be at the party.

Camille crossed the wood floor to say hi.

“Hey, Sis!” Amy said. She was the first to see Camille, and after a hug, she steered Camille toward the others.

“You make a cute witch!” Raina called to her. The others nodded.

Camille cackled for them, and they laughed. “Glad you guys could make it. Come eat some food and get your dancing on.”

Derek possessively grabbed Daisha’s hand again when a few shadows came up behind Camille. She turned to see what had bothered Derek. It was her cowboy crew.

Amy whistled. “What mighty fine cowboys! Hope you saved us poor lassies a dance!”

Camille rolled her eyes, but her brothers-in-law seemed to enjoy it. They each puffed up their chests. Flynn even flexed his muscles.

Benson asked Amy to dance on the spot, without even a sideways glance toward Daisha. Camille blinked in surprise. Daisha turned the other way, and Camille had to guess whether she was affected.

Flynn sauntered up to Sage and bumped her with his shoulder. She pushed him back and giggled. It seemed things were going well there. Daegan whisked off Macey, and Cade pulled Raina to the side. Camille would have thought the younger twin would go for the younger sister, but then again, it was a miracle the four had hit it off so well. She wondered if she was going to have anyone to talk to the whole night.

She turned to find Emma beside her. Alone. She did a quick scan for Easton. He stood a few feet away talking to another woman. “Emma, you all look so cute tonight in your pioneer garb,” Camille said.

“Thanks. Daisha would kill us if she knew we plotted against her.”

“You mean with your dresses?”

Emma glanced at Daisha to check whether she was out of earshot. “Flynn told Sage the men were dressing up as cowboys, and she thought it would be hilarious if we dressed up as pioneers so it would seem like we were all together. All she had to do was tell Macey and Raina, who called around the local theaters and rented several costumes. Amy, of course, was into anything that had to do with the Peterson brothers. We told Daisha she had to wear it because we were, but we may have left out our reasons for it.”

Camille pinched her lips together, but a laugh still managed to burst out. “No wonder Derek looked so murderous when he walked in. He probably saw the group of cowboys and put it together himself. He must recognize my brothers-in-law from my wedding luncheon. I don’t think this will encourage a friendly relationship between the two parties.”

Emma’s gaze wandered over to Easton again.

Camille chewed on her lip for a moment. “Want me to set you two up for a dance?”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t want to force the issue. If he isn’t interested, then he isn’t interested. Is there someone else here you could introduce me to?”

Camille scanned the room. Nope, she knew no one. Maybe Flynn could pull one of his friends from the band over to help.

“How about we catch the others after this dance and grab a drink and then I’ll snag a guy for you?”

Emma perked up. “Thanks. I don’t expect a winner. I’m just crossing my fingers to dance at least once tonight.”

If nothing else, Benson would do Camille the favor. “You’re way too gorgeous to be a wallflower. Any guy who passes you up is blind.” Emma truly was a beautiful woman; she only needed a boost of self-confidence.

Camille pulled her toward the food. Nothing looked good, even though she’d planned the menu herself. She caught a whiff of the potato salad someone had brought, and gagged. She slapped her hand over her mouth and bent forward.

“Hey, are you all right?” Emma put her arm around Camille’s back.

Camille waited until the moment passed. “My thyroid levels are off. I have an appointment next week.”

“I don’t have thyroid problems, but I didn’t know they caused nausea.”

“If the internet says it’s so, it’s so. Fatigue was my first clue, similar to when I was first diagnosed.”

“That’s awful. How about we find you a seat?”

She agreed, and they sat down in a row of folding chairs. Emma left her to get them both a cup of apple cider to drink. If Camille had to be sick at the party, at least she wouldn’t have to sit alone.

When the song ended, her friends and brothers, minus Easton, migrated toward her.

“Hey, y’all,” Amy drawled. “Sorry to rush out on the party, but homework waits for no one.”

“Homework always waits for me,” Daegan joked. “I think I might send it a Dear John and tell it not to wait for me any longer. I’ve lost interest.”

Macey groaned and slugged Daegan in the arm. “She won’t want to stay if you tell dad jokes all night.”

“Come on, Amy, you need some fun in your life,” Emma begged.

Cade chimed in. “Oh, let her go. Grant isn’t here, so there’s no one to entice her to stay.”

He was probably right about Amy’s real reason for leaving.

“Goodnight, folks!” Amy waved and swished her pioneer dress around as she made her way toward the exit.

Flynn and Sage started whispering, then laughed.

“Hey.” Camille motioned to them. “I could use a laugh. Anything you can share?”

Sage’s eyes twinkled in a way Camille had never seen before. In fact, her whole countenance radiated with happiness. “We thought it would be wicked awesome to have all of us pioneers dance with the cowboys Western style. This party needs some entertainment.”

“You’re right!” Camille laughed. “That would be funny. Though, I can’t imagine these boys knowing any country jigs.”

Flynn adopted a drawling accent. “On the contrary, we boys are the finest country dancers this side of the Mississippi.”

Easton sauntered up. “What are you bragging about, Flynn? You know I’m a better country dancer than you.”

“Want to fight about it?” Flynn flexed his bicep again.

Easton shook his head. “I’ll prove it on the dance floor. That is, if your sorry band can play any decent country music.”

“Is my little brother begging to be impressed?” Flynn’s eyes danced. “I’ll be right back.” Flynn liked to rub in that he was taller than his older brother, but Easton grinned as Flynn strode toward his groupies on the stage.

Macey and Raina already had their arms linked with Daegan and Cade, claiming them for as many dances as they could hold on for. They made a dash for the drinks before the music could start.

Benson sat down on the other side of Camille and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Are you going to be my partner, Millie?”

Camille chuckled. Since their last impromptu matchmaking session the week before, the boys had taken to calling her Millie, short for Millie the Matchmaker.

Easton stepped forward. “No way, Bro. Camille wants to dance with the best. Since Aiden isn’t here, that would be me.”

Emma put her arm around Camille in a protective manner. “As fun as that sounds, I don’t think Camille is feeling very well.”

Usually, Camille would have jumped at the opportunity to dance, but tonight Emma was right; she was in no condition to be spinning around. In fact, if she admitted the truth, she would have said she needed to crawl back home to her bed.

Benson’s eyes filled with concern. “I’ve been wondering the last few days. I assumed you were missing Aiden.”

Camille gave him a small smile. “I need to have my thyroid medicine adjusted. Until then, I feel a little like the walking dead.”

Easton must’ve done some quick thinking, because he bowed to Emma and offered her his hand. “Want to partner up, then?”

It was clear Emma didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice, but she didn’t have an excuse like Camille’s sickness ready, so she accepted. Even if there wasn’t a potential romance, she would still get her dance for the night.

Benson hummed in his seat.

Camille nudged him. “What lucky woman will you pick to dance with you?”

Benson shrugged. “I’ll keep you company.”

She gave him a half smile. “That’s kind of you, but someone out there will be disappointed.”

Daisha and Derek came up next to them, each carrying a plate of food. Daisha’s consisted of vegetables, while Derek had sweets.

Camille might not have been feeling the best physically, but her mind still worked. She needed to think of a way to get Benson and Daisha together for at least one song. It would mean trouble, but hopefully it would be worth it. “Daisha, you missed all the excitement.”

Her friend perked up. “What did I miss?”

Camille pointed toward the stage, where her brothers and her old roommates gathered to talk. “They’re playing a country song next.”

Daisha’s reaction was exactly what Camille had hoped for. “Sweet, then this will be a real dance.”

Derek took a large bite of dessert to avoid the subject.

“Don’t worry, Derek,” Camille said, “we won’t make you participate.”

“Come on, please?” Daisha squeezed his arm. “I love country. Dance this one song with me, and we can go.”

Derek shook his head adamantly. “You know I hate that kind of music. I’ll dance the next three with you, but please, nothing country.”

Benson missed his window to speak up, so Camille did it for him. “Oh, well, you can sit with me, Derek. I’m not feeling well. It’s too bad since I was going to be Benson’s partner for this song, but unless someone wants me puking on their shoes tonight, it isn’t going to happen.”

“Too much white flour, probably,” Daisha assessed out of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Benson is insisting on keeping me company, though I know he loves country dancing as much as you do.”

Daisha measured Benson with one look. “Is that true?”

Benson gave her a half smile and wiggled his eyebrows. “Why do you think we Petersons are dressed like cowboys? We dress like this when we go to the dances at the college too.”

“I’m glad there are still guys out there who appreciate this kind of stuff,” Daisha said.

“If you enjoy it so much yourself, why don’t you join me? It’s a cowboy and pioneer thing as it is.”

Daisha smirked, staring down at her calico-printed skirt. “I knew there was a reason I dressed like this tonight.” She looked at Derek, who avoided her eyes as he dug into his food. “Derek, do you mind taking care of Camille for a few minutes?”

This was an interesting development. Daisha hadn’t even asked Derek if he was cool with her dancing with Benson.

Derek must’ve thought so, too, because he watched with mixed surprise and exasperation as Benson led Daisha to the dance floor as the music started.

Flynn grabbed the microphone and in his drawl announced, “My dear ole friends, may I present some dee-lightful entertainment. Put your hands together for some real fine country dancing.”

The group immediately started clapping to the beat. Amused, Camille watched her friends’ bafflement as her brothers-in-law pulled them into a partnered line-dancing routine. Together they moved fluidly, spinning the women and ushering them in a promenade. The girls’ pioneer dresses billowed out as they spun in circles, like a scene straight from a black-and-white movie. At the end of the song, to everyone’s surprise, the boys lifted their partners in their arms. It was hilarious to everyone in the room . . . but Derek.

Camille took the conclusion of the song as the perfect note to end the night on. She sought out Benson and Daisha as they crossed back toward where she’d been sitting next to Derek. “Hey, guys, you were amazing!”

Daisha laughed, still breathless. “That was the most fun I’ve had in years!”

Benson grinned, grabbed Daisha’s hand, and spontaneously twirled her. She whooped and giggled. Camille smiled, despite the dizziness that spun inside her head from the motion of standing up. “You’ll have to perform this for Aiden when he gets back. I need to get it on video.”

Daisha rolled her eyes. “We’ll see about the video part. But, seriously, I would pay to dance like that again. You guys are awesome!”

Camille gave her a wan smile.

“Are you all right?” Benson asked Camille, suddenly concerned.

“Actually, I’m going to sneak off and go to bed. I thought I should let someone know. I guess I’m technically the hostess, but since no one knows me besides you guys, I thought it would be okay.”

“Let me walk you back. You look like you could faint.” Benson took her arm.

Daisha took her other arm. “You are pale. I’d better come too.”

“I’m fine,” Camille insisted. “I might have a flu bug for all we know, and you could be its next victim.”

Benson and Daisha didn’t seem to hear her. The chilly October air nipped at their skin as they walked into the night toward the house. Clouds covered the stars, and Camille predicted snow in the near future. She thanked Benson and Daisha and made a quick retreat to her room. She faintly heard Benson say something about grabbing a blanket to keep them warm on the walk back. Camille smiled as she shut her door. Whether Daisha liked it or not, a friendship was blooming between her and Benson.

After hastily pulling off her witch costume, she slid into her pink flannel pajamas. She didn’t bother with her nightly facial regimen; it was all she could do to pull back the covers before sleep overcame her.