Page 16 of Brides and Brothers
Aiden hung up the phone and raced into his bathroom. The last thing he wanted to do right now was introduce Camille to his brothers. Benson would probably crack a joke about Aiden’s brilliant marriage plan. One look in the mirror and he groaned. He looked terrible. His hair was sticking up in the back, and his shirt was still drenched in sweat from mowing Paul and Charlotte’s lawn. He ripped his shirt off and grabbed a new one. He slammed a hat onto his head and raced out of his room.
Benson and Easton still stood in the kitchen. Aiden froze. He might’ve changed his shirt, but he likely still stunk. He sprinted back into his bathroom, but his deodorant was missing. One of his brothers had probably run out of theirs and taken his.
He dragged his hand over his face.Think!He saw the bathroom cleaner under the sink and grabbed it. He lifted his shirt and sprayed it into his armpits. Desperate times and all that. Lemon and a waft of bleach reached his nose, and he nearly gagged. He threw the bottle on the counter and barreled out of his room. Easton and Benson scowled at him as he darted past.
“Did she dump you already?” Benson called behind him.
Aiden ignored him and raced through the house toward the front door. He tugged his hat down lower and stopped long enough to take a steady breath. When he opened the door, he saw Camille standing with a shy smile, holding a basket of fruit and two bags of homemade bread.
He slipped outside and shut the door behind him, holding the knob in case anyone tried to come out behind him. “This is really generous of you.” She handed him the basket and the bags of bread. He took them in one arm but didn’t release the door. When she glanced at his hand on the knob, he smiled even wider in case she thought he wasn’t interested in her. “If this tastes anywhere as good as your banana bread, Paul and Charlotte are going to be very happy.”
“One of the loaves is for you,” Camille said. “I know how much you like baked goods, and I didn’t want you to be tempted to keep the bread and just deliver the fruit.”
“Thanks.” Aiden felt a tug on the door behind him, and he tightened his grip. “So are we still on for Sunday dinner tomorrow night?”
“Of course! That is... unless you need to be with Paul.”
Man, was this woman for real? She had the heart of a saint. Whoever was on the other end of the door had better back off. “I’ll check on them before I come over tomorrow. I think we can make it work.”
“Great,” Camille said, her eyes lighting up.
“Listen,” Aiden began, realizing he needed to get Camille to leave but also not wanting to miss a moment with her. His pulse quickened. “I know I said we didn’t need to hang out today, but—” Suddenly, his armpits started to burn, stealing his breath for a moment. The bathroom cleaner must not have been the organic kind. He started talking fast. “How would you like to go to the comedy show on campus tonight?”
“Oh, I’ve heard they’re a talented group.”
He pushed his arm against the door, trying to discreetly scratch his armpit on it without releasing the food or his grip on the knob. “They have a fun show planned to kick off the new semester. I’d love to take you to dinner too. Are you free tonight?”
She tilted her head to the side, and the sun hit her blonde hair, making each strand shine. “I’m game for a night on the town.”
“Yeah?” Aiden felt another tug, and the doorknob shook. He squeezed it tighter and shifted to try to smother any noise with his body. “I mean, perfect. Can I pick you up at five?”
“I’ll be ready.” Camille walked down the porch steps but turned back to say, “Tell Paul I’m praying for him.”
Aiden grinned despite the intense burn reaching toward his chest. He stayed frozen in place until Camille pulled out of the driveway. With a sigh of relief, he finally relaxed his hold on the knob enough that, with a jerk, the door flew backward, pulling Aiden into the house. He stumbled over someone’s foot and crashed to the ground, the food landing safely next to him.
Five brothers stared down at him and laughed.
