Brides and Brothers by Anneka R. Walker

Chapter 37

Camille

While Aiden added a few logs to the fireplace, Camille handed out blankets for the women to wrap themselves in. Everyone had on wet jeans and needed to change their clothes, but no one was moving off the couches. They shivered and sniffed like children.

“And then Daisha screamed,” Sage explained. “I thought I was going to wet my pants!” Her hands stretched the blanket across Flynn, but he just tucked it back around Sage and inched closer to her.

Macey snuggled into Daegan. “I didn’t even have time for my life to flash before my eyes. We weren’t even going fast enough for us to fly off the road like that.”

“Do you think we can get back before noon tomorrow? My friend offered to give me a ride home for Thanksgiving, and that’s the time he leaves.”

Barely hearing Emma’s voice, Camille lifted her eyebrows at the sight of Easton holding Emma’s hand. Apparently, their incognito kiss had developed into something more.

“You said he, as in a guy,” Easton whispered back to Emma.

Emma nodded. “He’s a good friend from back home.”

Easton’s face was lined with jealousy, and he did a poor job of hiding it. “Who’s better-looking—me or him?”

“You are.” Emma elbowed him. “So do you think we can be back home in time?”

“Um, I was hoping you’d want to spend Thanksgiving with me,” Easton said.

Camille tried to look busy by picking up chunks of snow that had fallen off numerous pairs of jeans onto the floor. There was nothing worse than walking around in wet socks.

“That’s sweet, E., but I’m looking forward to seeing my family. You understand, right?”

Camille would’ve spent more time hanging on to Emma’s nickname for Easton, but Easton’s next words were ten times more shocking. “Oh man, I wish I would have known that. I was so worried you’d never forgive me for messing up our last date—you did throw a potato at my head—and I sort of called your parents and kidnapped you for the weekend.”

“You what?” Emma stood up, shouting her words in a volume that was completely out of character.

All eyes were now on Emma and Easton. Camille didn’t try to hide her stare now either.

Easton looked around for help. The guys all dropped their eyes and started fidgeting. When no one said anything, Easton coughed and then awkwardly repeated, “We called your parents and kidnapped you all for the weekend.”

Macey and Raina gasped in unison. Daisha’s eyebrows narrowed. Sage swore and Amy groaned.

“I have a test I need to take Saturday!” Amy whined.

“Macey and I came up with this awesome impromptu baby shower idea for our older sister. She really needed it,” Raina said angrily.

“I was going to have lunch with my cousin Friday afternoon, Flynn! Remember? The cousin I haven’t seen for two years!” Sage barked.

“Uh, I might have forgotten about that,” Flynn admitted.

“I didn’t have plans,” Daisha said, “but I think it was pretty insensitive you assumed we would be free. Did you think we would be spending the rest of the week here with only one extra set of clothes? Some of these women don’t even go to the gym without their makeup on.”

“Relax.” Camille held up her hands like a hostage negotiator. “The guys can un-kidnap you. You’re stuck here tonight because of inclement weather, but in the morning they can take you home.”

“That’s a nice thought, sweetie,” Aiden said, “but Benson hit the fence on the way here, and the van is in the ditch. It might not be pretty. A weekend together isn’t going to kill anyone, makeup or not.”

Camille looked at his calm demeanor, and a suspicion started growing inside of her. “Did you know about this?”

Aiden smiled. “It was my brilliant idea.”

Camille’s mouth dropped open. “You’re gone for all this time, and all I asked for was a little time alone with you, and you invited ten . . . no, eleven extra people? Half of them against their will?”

Aiden stepped closer to her. “What better way to have alone time than marrying off all my brothers to your best friends? It’s a win-win situation. You’ve said it yourself a dozen times.”

Camille’s tired face went red. “I did not mean we should force a relationship on them.” She turned to the others. “I’m so sorry, ladies. We’ll get you home tomorrow. We’ve got pillows and blankets upstairs in the loft, and the guys can sleep downstairs. Preferably, on the hard floor. I hope you men are up to hiking back to the van for whatever supplies you brought, because these blankets are for the women.”

Camille turned and marched out of the room, and Aiden chased after her. He grabbed her arm when she reached the kitchen.

“Don’t be so hard on the guys. They’re trying to patch things up with their girlfriends.”

Camille put her hands on her hips, her whole body seething with anger. “You think that because I married you so easily, that’s all there is to it for everyone? The normal world doesn’t work like that. People actually date each other, for months or even years. I thought I married a sensitive guy who cared about my needs. I never would’ve guessed that shortly after I married you, you’d move out, pawn your brothers off onto me, then use my best friends in some perverse way to fix everything. You can’t ruin people’s Thanksgiving and family plans. What were you thinking?”

She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “You ruined my Thanksgiving plans too. Marriage is about more than financial support. Sometimes I wonder if you just wanted a cook and a maid while you’re in town and a babysitter for your brothers while you’re not.”

Spinning on her heels, she marched into their bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do next. She’d sufficiently lost her temper, and she wasn’t ready to let go of the storm inside of her. She grabbed a pair of jeans on the bed and began folding them with aggressive precision.

Aiden chose that moment to come in. Camille sighed, wishing she’d locked the door. She avoided his gaze and turned her body so he couldn’t see the emotion on her face. He said nothing at first, but Camille knew he was building up to something, and she was a little afraid. She’d never seen Aiden mad.

“I don’t know what just happened,” Aiden said. “I know I’ve hurt you, but you can’t throw out all these accusations without an explanation.”

Camille grabbed a pair of Aiden’s socks off the floor, rolled them together, and set them back inside his duffel bag. “You didn’t bother to explain to me that you were inviting your brothers up a day earlier than planned and that you had told them to kidnap their girlfriends. You also didn’t explain why, after close to a two-month absence, you can’t give me one night with just the two of us. Are we not a priority to you?”

Aiden ran his hands through his hair and blew out a long breath. “I had no idea you felt this strongly. You know I love you. I’m trying to do the right thing and please everyone instead of focusing on myself. I’m trying my best.”

“Ha!” Camille said. “That’s a cop-out. You have to take responsibility for what you’ve done.” She walked over to the spoon collection hanging on a plaque on the wall and started reorganizing the utensils. Aiden came over too, and every time Camille moved a spoon, he quickly put it back in its original place.

His voice escalated. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Maybe we should agree to disagree,” Camille said hotly.

Aiden moved another spoon back to its original spot. “Like that will solve anything. I’m responsible for my younger brothers—and you either like it or you don’t.”

“Do I look like I like it?” Camille growled.

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this. You’re irrational.”

She spun on him. “Maybe you could try pleasing me for a change and leave me alone.”

Aiden’s face drained of its color. Camille swallowed, wondering if she’d gone too far. She needed her space, though, and Aiden could go back to California for all she cared.

Slowly, he nodded. “Okay, you’ve got your wish.” He reached past Camille and grabbed his duffel bag.

She had a black heart. She didn’t even want to call Aiden back into the room after he shut the door behind him. He would likely be embarrassed sleeping on the couch or the floor with his brothers, and she didn’t care. She flipped the light switch off and pulled the bedspread down. The blankets were cold, but she was so tired that the temperature didn’t keep sleep from overcoming her.