Page 42 of Brides and Brothers
Chapter 18
Camille
Aiden was up before Camillethe next morning, saying he needed to crunch some numbers before a conference call. His long hours hadn’t decreased after harvest had ended. She sighed as she poured oatmeal pancake batter onto the griddle.
“Cade, help yourself to some more. There’s plenty.” Camille pushed the plate of pancakes toward him and then pointed to Easton. “Why don’t you let me iron your shirt for you before class?” She stood to carry the empty batter bowl to the sink before throwing out her last instruction. “Benson, don’t leave before I pack your lunch. I know you have to get the machinery cleaned up after harvest, but I don’t like the idea of you skipping meals.”
She turned her back to them as the men chimed, “Yes, Mother.”
Camille whirled around to face them again, her cheeks flaming. “Sorry.”
Their grins lessened the offense.
“We don’t mind.” Benson swallowed another bite.
Easton squeezed Benson’s shoulder. “No one is going to complain about clean laundry and good food.”
Returning their smiles the best she could, Camille ignored the dishes and retreated to her and Aiden’s room. She shut the door and sat down on the edge of the bed. What was she doing? She wasn’t their mother. A month ago she hadn’t even known they existed. She’d only meant to catch up on the household jobs until a schedule could be put in place for the men to follow, but helping out had become a habit.
She flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Her marriage to Aiden was so wonderful, and while she hadn’t initially wanted to invite his brothers into her life, she actually enjoyed playing mother hen. The difference between them and her roommates was one thing: family. Having a family meant worrying over them, loving them, desiring to help them, and wanting the best for them. And she did.
She rolled over and slid off the bed onto her knees. She thanked the Lord for letting her be Aiden’s wife and have a good relationship with his brothers over the last month. Then she requested patience with Aiden’s hours, and finally, she asked for forgiveness; as much as she enjoyed interacting with her new brothers, she still wanted to get rid of them. She was still learning to trust in God’s plan, which was far greater than one she could have imagined for herself.
Camille’s phone rang with Daisha’s ringtone then, and she quickly pulled it from her back pocket and answered.
“Nice setup last night. I’m so glad I canceled with Derek for a girls’ night.” Daisha’s sarcasm was thick, barely masking her anger.
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t very well kick them out of their own house,” Camille said, propping her elbows up on the edge of her bed.
“We could have met somewhere else.”
Camille searched for a counterargument. “But everyone loves my homemade ice cream.”
“Yeah, just everyone,” Daisha said.
Daisha was definitely mad. Time to apologize. “I’m sorry. I had this crazy idea, and I shouldn’t have done that to everyone.”
“You aren’t sorry.”
Camille sighed. “I’m sorry you’re mad. I just wanted everyone to meet my family.”
Daisha laughed into the phone. “You wanted us to date your family, you mean. Potato farming? Seriously?”
Camille hit her head with her hand. “I know. I was desperate. It was the only thing I could think of on the spot. You didn’t talk about it all night, though, did you?”
“Oh yes we did.”
“No.” Camille truly felt sorry now. “The whole time?”
“Benson is a lot more interested in those suckers than he is in girls. You should buy him a Mrs. Potato Head if you want to make him happy.”
“I’m so, so, so sorry!”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it wasn’t the most miserable thing I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t like we were on a date or anything. And he is pretty cute.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty proud of my good-lookin’ family,” Camille said.
Daisha busted up. “Because you had something to do with that fact?”
