Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker
Chapter 22
Aiden
“How come you never mentioned Daisha had a boyfriend?” The amount of bitterness in Benson’s voice surprised Aiden.
“I miss you too.” Aiden settled down on his hotel bed to find a comfortable position. It wasn’t often Benson was in a bad mood, but when he was, Aiden was in for it.
“I flirted with her,” Benson said. “You know how much energy that takes from someone like me?”
“How are the other boys doing?” Aiden asked, attempting to change the subject.
“I feel like such an idiot. She’s pretty serious about him too.”
“Has Camille made any cobblers since I’ve been gone? Cobblers are my favorite.”
“Will you pay attention?” Benson growled into the phone. “I don’t even stutter when I talk to her!”
“I figured you knew.” Aiden shifted the phone against his ear. He had assumed Benson had outgrown his slight nervous stutter, but now he wondered if it was a reason his brother had avoided dating. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. She could be the most fantastic woman in the world, but she’s not available.”
Benson blew out a long breath into the phone. “Derek is a jerk. He only talks about himself and acts like Daisha is arm candy. Someone like her, with depth and maturity, deserves a man who treats her as such.”
The fervor of emotion behind Benson’s words surprised Aiden. “I agree, there’s more to Daisha than meets the eye. Camille tells me she’s been through some tough times, and that’s probably why she acts so guarded.”
“Exactly. She needs someone to pull her out of her dark thoughts and show her there’s still happiness in the world. Derek can’t see past his own face to help anyone, let alone her.”
Aiden cleared his throat. “She’s one woman. There are millions of others for you to choose from. Don’t let her mess with your head.”
After a moment of silence Benson said hoarsely, “Is that how you feel about Camille?”
Aiden’s jaw flinched. “Camille is my wife. Why would you even ask that, man?”
“She’s been sick the whole time you’ve been gone, and all you can ask about are her cobblers. Let me tell you, amongst those millions of women you mentioned, there are only a handful of good ones. Daisha is one of them, and so is Camille. If I have to bide my time until Derek is out of the picture, so be it, but if I were you, I would start appreciating what I have.”
Aiden was silent for a moment. “Forget the cobblers. I was just trying to distract you.” He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t know Camille was sick—I thought she was overtired. She acts tough for me so the separation won’t be worse than it is. I do appreciate her, though I don’t see how that’s your business. Take my advice and ask someone else on a date. It could force Daisha to open her eyes and see what she’s missing. Or you’ll see what you’re missing.”