Page 13 of Brides and Brothers
Camille leaned forward too. “You can’t just spew declarations like that without flipping a tails.” She wagged her finger in his face.
He laughed and batted her hand away.
“You know,” Camille started, “I feel like I know you so well already.”
Aiden shrugged. “The penny game can be revealing.”
“No, really. I felt like I already knew you when we met last night. Maybe you have one of those faces.”
Aiden put up his hand to stop her. “The first part of that comment started out as a great pickup line, albeit clichéd, and then you had to go and ruin it by saying I haveone of those faces.”
Camille scrunched her nose. “Never mind. It did sound bad. Have you ever been to Kansas? Maybe I met you there.”
“No. Sorry.”
“I wonder if I ran into you on campus during my undergrad years. Would we have even been at school during the same time?”
“It’s a small town. You could have seen me at the grocery store. I can see how you’d never forget a face like this even if you did just see it in the checkout line.”
“You’re terrible,” Camille said.
“So terrible you don’t want to see me again? I thought we could just keep up this routine, and I could see you again tomorrow night.”
Camille grinned, and her eyes sparkled. “Aren’t you sick of me yet?”
Aiden tapped his fingers on the table. “It’ll give you a chance to work on those compliments.”
Camille didn’t answer right way. She studied him, and he tried not to squirm. She would say yes, wouldn’t she?
“Uh... sure.”
“Wow, you must really like me,” Aiden said, relieved she hadn’t said no outright, but he hadn’t missed her hesitancy. “But maybe I’m rushing things between us. Three nights in one week might put you over the edge. How about I call you tomorrow instead and you can tell me if you’re still ready for another date?” Aiden threw one last fry into his mouth, wiped his hand with a napkin, and stood. He offered Camille his hand and was almost surprised when she accepted. A race of pleasure coursed through him, and he forgot to move his feet toward the door.
His phone buzzed, snapping his attention away from the connection he felt with Camille. With his free hand, he lifted it from his pocket to read a text. It was from a good friend with an urgent request for a visit. He thought quickly, afraid to end his night and whatever was happening between him and Camille. “Hey, I have an unusual request. Are you up for a detour? I have a little emergency.”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“It’s probably not serious, and I hate to end our night prematurely. But you decide. I can explain more in the car, if you’re up for it.”
Camille nodded her agreement.
Once in the car, Aiden turned to explain. “Paul and Charlotte are old family friends. They moved to Cherish from Island Park shortly after we did. Paul is our best farmhand and did a lot to teach me the business after my dad died. Charlotte just texted asking if I would come check on Paul. He’s not feeling well.”
“Are you sure they would want me there?” Her brow furrowed.
“If you’re up for it, you could be the perfect distraction for Charlotte. She struggles with anxiety.”
“I’m distracting, huh?”
She was more distracting than she knew. He was supposed to be dating for practical purposes but could hardly remember why when he was with Camille. “As soon as Charlotte sees me with a woman, she’ll have plenty to keep her mind occupied with and will stop worrying over Paul. But I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Would you rather I take you home?”
Camille shook her head. “I’d love to help, if you think I can.”
Aiden smiled ruefully. So this was what he’d been missing spending day after day trying to keep his family in order. Two nights together, and he was already eager for more. Was it wrong to enjoy this so much? Weren’t his brothers and their needs supposed to be at the forefront of his mind? Something was shifting inside him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to put on the brakes.
