Page 29 of Brides and Brothers
Chapter 14
Camille
The next morning Camille wasup before the sun. She carefully crawled out of bed so as not to disturb Aiden and noiselessly moved her bag into the master bathroom. The oversized closet, large Jacuzzi tub, and walk-in shower were impressive features she could get used to. She showered and was ready for the day just as the sun made its appearance over the mountains.
Studying her reflection in the mirror, she could see traces of her breakdown from the night before. She still needed time to get used to the surprise live-in family members, but looking back, she knew she couldn’t blame Aiden. She couldn’t count how many times that last week before the wedding he’d tried to get her to come see the house or arrange a time to meet his brothers. There was no one to blame but herself.
She sighed. Maybe it was better that she hadn’t known all the details. She loved Aiden, and she wanted to make their marriage work. Besides, Aiden had something Camille had always wanted: a big family. However, wanting something and having it were two very different things. She wasn’t sure how she was going to handle this or her lingering frustration.
After gently shutting their bedroom door, she slipped into the kitchen. When she entered the spacious room, her eyes widened. Was this a dream come true or her worst nightmare? The cabinets were a gorgeous red maple, and the countertops and ginormous island were a marbled beige. They weren’t what Camille would’ve picked out, but the quality and craftsmanship were well beyond what she could have afforded on her own. The large table seated twelve and was placed in front of large rectangular windows. A sideboard table sat along the far wall with a giant mirror above it. The whole setup was a caterer’s dream! Her mother would be in heaven.Shewas in heaven.
Almost.
The view was tarnished by clutter. Every counter was covered with dirty dishes, empty fast-food boxes, paper, and other junk. Piles of laundry and papers littered the floor. It didn’t seem possible to see a bigger mess than her old roommates could make, but the Peterson brothers were in a league of their own. She took a deep breath and told herself to focus on the room’s potential.
Pausing in front of the large bay window behind the table, she took in the view of the sunrise; it felt as if the view had been framed for her. Kitchens were special to Camille. She’d inherited the love from her mother, even if they saw them a little differently. Her mom saw tools and appearances. Camille saw the heart of the home. There was no doubt she would spend most of her time in this room since cooking was her favorite pastime. Kitchens were where families gathered most, and as a result, they should look like someone lived there. Seeing it through the lens of the home’s center made the overwhelming mess more bearable.
After pushing up her sleeves, she piled dirty dishes into her arms and hauled them to the sink. It was more dishes than would fit in a single load, but she had to start somewhere. How else would she be able to impress her new family? She had dreamed of how she wanted married life to be, and she was going to make it as perfect as she possibly could.
She finished the dishes, then took the lid off the garbage and nearly gagged. With a quick swipe, the remains of fast-food leftovers disappeared.
She picked a pair of dirty socks with two fingers and shook off the dirt clinging to the fabric before tossing them into a pile of random things on the corner of the counter to sort through later. The kitchen wasn’t perfectly clean, but she had at least cleared enough space to make breakfast.
What did one feed a small army? She opened the fridge to see it full of premade, packaged foods but hardly any fresh items. At least the Petersons had bought eggs—a breakfast staple. After rummaging through the cupboards,hercupboards, she found the ingredients she needed for German pancakes. She whipped up two pans’ worth and put them in the oven to cook. She tackled the sausage next.
Fresh fruit would have been nice had it been available, but after spying a can of fruit cocktail, she resorted to using that instead. She created a topping with the canned fruit, a vanilla pudding mix, and frozen cool whip to serve over the pancakes. She was quite pleased with herself when she stepped back. She set out dishes for eight people and stood back to wait. It would have to do for today. After some needed grocery shopping, dinner would be much more exciting.
The first brother to stumble into the kitchen was a hairy redhead in his pajamas. He had a mop of hair on top of his head and under his nose and chin—and to Camille, he was the most intimidating brother of all.
“Good morning!” she said with an alarming amount of gusto. “Please, sit down. There’s another pan of pancakes in the oven, so dive right in.” She pointed at the table and smiled.
With some trepidation, the brother slowly backed out of the kitchen. Had she been too cheerful, or was it the food? She scanned the spread on the table. The sausages were cooked to perfection. The German pancakes made extra buttery. The fruit fluff—well, it was definitely a creation but it wasn’t unappealing. Camille pulled out some Walmart-brand syrup she had seen earlier and put it on the table—just in case it had been her fluff that had committed the offense.
“There’s my beautiful wife.” Aiden’s voice came from behind her, settling her nerves considerably.
“Finally, someone who will appreciate food,” Camille muttered between the good-morning kisses Aiden placed on her lips and cheek.
“What do you mean?” he pulled a chair out for Camille to sit down.
“I saw one of your brothers this morning. I can’t decide if it was the food or me that caused him to retreat back to his room.”
Staring in the direction of the hall, Aiden asked, “What did he look like?”
“Red and hairy.”
Aiden chuckled. “That’ll be Flynn.”
“Flynn...”Note to self: avoid Flynn.“I don’t mind beards, but I’m not sure how he manages to eat with that mangle hanging over his mouth.”
“My beard is getting a little out of control too.” Aiden rubbed at his morning stubble. Camille reached over and touched the prickles with her fingers.
Aiden responded with a tender look. “I’m sorry you had to meet Flynn again without me. He can be a little difficult to get along with. He’s been slowly pulling away from the family and was easily the one most against us getting married. I promise he’s harmless, if a little moody. He’s all talk, so don’t let anything he says bother you.”
Camille frowned. “You shouldn’t have told me he was against our marriage. Now I won’t be able to look at him without thinking he doesn’t like me.”
“He just needs a little time to warm up.”
“And I was worried it was the food.”
