Page 11 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

H aving lived in Moonflower Cove most of her life, Cameron loved how she had been able to befriend so many amazing people of all ages.

The diversity allowed her to have friends who were grandmas and friends who were fresh out of medical school.

Cameron loved it, especially when she needed someone to talk to that wasn’t Melanie or had the last name Mackenzie.

She loved Isla and Vera with her whole heart, but she also knew exactly what they would tell her when it came to Melanie.

They supported it, which Cameron was thankful for, but Cameron needed someone on the outside.

Someone who knew her and Melanie but not as intimately as the Mackenzies did.

Which was how she ended up at Carlson’s Cafe with Laura Rodgers.

Laura was the scheduler for the hospital. Although they worked in the same building and had similar schedules, Cameron rarely visited the top floor of the hospital. Mostly because the long hallways of offices often gave her flashbacks to The Shining.

“So, what’s new in your life?” Laura asked over a hot club sandwich. “Kissed anyone I need to know about?”

Cameron’s eyes grew wide as she looked at her friend. “Who told you?”

“Who told me what?”

“Laura.”

“Cameron,” the slightest smirk played on Laura’s lips. “You know the hospital walls talk.”

“They shouldn’t when the kiss didn’t happen at the hospital.” Cameron kept her voice low as she talked, mindful that living in a small town meant words spread as fast as wildfires. “Who told you?”

“You.” Laura grinned as she chewed. “Just now when you freaked out when I asked. See, you’re so easy.”

“I’m not easy.”

“I’ll be sure to let the woman you’re not kissing know that.”

The smug look on Laura’s face made Cameron roll her eyes.

Although she didn’t hang out with Laura as much as Isla or Vera, she could still read Cameron like a book.

Maybe not as well as the Mackenzies could, but their friendship was still solid even if they didn’t hang out as much as they used to when their kids were younger.

“So, is it Mel?”

Cameron dropped her sandwich onto her plate as she scrambled to grab the tomato that had gone flying off.

“See, someone told you.”

“ You , dude,” Laura chuckled. “God, you really are too easy. Besides, I put it together at the Mackenzie’s New Year’s Eve party that something was going on between you two.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that nothing was going on then. Not that I know of. Nothing went on until the other night when she kissed me. ”

“Shut up!”

“She did!” Cameron heard how loud her voice had gotten and lowered it. “At my house. Pushed me up against the wall and everything.”

“God, that’s hot.”

“Sounds like you need to get laid.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Laura and her husband had been divorced for years, but as far as Cameron knew, she hadn’t seriously dated anyone since then.

Cameron understood that. Her younger children were still living at home, so bringing someone home was complicated.

As Cameron was sure she would find out when she started dating Melanie officially.

Taking a deep breath, Cameron took a sip of her soda before locking eyes with Laura.

“Guess who else is getting a divorce?”

Leaning slightly onto the table, Laura’s eyes went wide. “Who?”

“Mel and Rob.”

Cameron was sure Laura’s gasp could have been heard outside the cafe. She motioned for her friend to calm down as Laura put her palms on the table. She lowered her voice as she leaned in closer to Cameron, who did the same.

“Was it because of the kiss?”

“No,” Cameron balked. “Why would you say that?”

“Well,” Laura held up her hands, “I had to ask. You’re feeding me breadcrumbs so I don’t have the whole picture.”

“Okay, fine.”

Diving into all the details, Cameron laid out everything for Laura.

From the first kiss to the divorce to the second kiss the other night, she told her everything in order to get Laura’s opinion on the situation.

After she was through, Laura took a few minutes to digest everything Cameron had told her as she sipped on her iced tea.

“So,” she finally said, “what exactly are you wanting my advice on? Because I know that’s what you’re wanting, but it seems to me that you two already have this figured out.”

Cameron snorted a laugh. “I can assure you, we don’t. Or at least I don’t.”

“What are you hung up on?”

She only had to think about the question for a moment before she knew the issue that was still nipping at her brain. But before she could say anything, Laura continued.

“Is it the fact that Melanie is still legally married?”

Cameron nodded.

“I get that. It’s a delicate balance. After my divorce, I never knew when the right time was to start dating or if I even wanted that. I guess that’s why I never went on any dates after the divorce. Chris has, though, so maybe you should ask him.”

“I’ll pass, thanks.” They laughed as Cameron tried to figure out how to word the feelings that had been gnawing at her since the first kiss.

“I just don’t want to rush things. Mel has been my best friend for so long that I can’t lose her as a friend.

And I don’t want to push her into a relationship before her divorce is final. ”

Laura seemed to think before saying anything, which Cameron took a note from. She needed to learn that.

“Well, first off, I don’t think you’re pushing Mel into anything if she’s the one pushing you into walls while kissing.

And secondly, I don’t think you have to worry about your friendship going anywhere.

I know you two and I’ve seen the love you’ve had for each other for over twenty years.

Honestly, I’m just surprised it’s taken you two this long to finally admit your feelings for each other. ”

Letting Laura’s words marinate, Cameron looked out the cafe’s window to the cove. It was beautiful in the fall with the multicolored leaves dotting the trees and sidewalks.

“I know I’m not the best one for relationship advice,” Laura continued, “but I fully support this. Really.”

“Thanks, Laura.”

“Have you and Mel talked about your next steps?”

Cameron shook her head. “Not really. I mean, kinda. We’re going to wait until her divorce is final before pursuing things further. Mel said that her lawyer said the divorce would be uncontested and Rob doesn’t want the house so it should be quick.”

“Is she using Blaire Anderson?” Laura asked, and Cameron nodded. “That’s good. She was my lawyer. Our divorce was quick and we had the kids, so I’m sure she’ll have Mel and Rob divorced quickly so you can finally kiss her again.”

Laura winked, letting Cameron know she was teasing. Cameron dramatically groaned as she buried her face in her hands.

“Ugh, I don’t know if I can wait that long to kiss her again.”

“You’ve got it bad , Cam,” Laura laughed.

The remainder of their lunch together was filled with talks of their kids and work, which they both had to get back to. They rode the elevator up to Cameron’s floor together before saying goodbye and promising not to go so long without hanging out again.

Cameron felt better about the situation with Melanie after talking with Laura.

It was refreshing to get the opinion of someone she was friends with but that wasn’t in her tighter knit friend circle.

Laura made her feel at ease when she agreed Cameron wasn’t pushing Melanie into anything.

If anything, Melanie had made the first move.

All Cameron had to do now was make the next one.

Plopping down at her desk, Cameron tapped her fingers on her laptop.

She needed to make a romantic move that didn’t scream romantic .

Maybe more of a sweet gesture was what she needed to do for Melanie.

But it had been years since Cameron had tried to woo anyone, especially someone as wonderful as Melanie.

Chocolates?

No, too cliche.

Flowers?

Mel will just say she’ll kill them.

Dinner date?

Too romantic.

It needs to be perfect for Mel.

“Ugh,” Cameron groaned in the empty office.

She was about to give up and start her afternoon appointments before she got an idea.

Opening the laptop, she found exactly what she was looking for and sent it to Melanie.

Cameron attached a note to it and set the delivery date for the next day. “Perfect.”

Beyond proud of herself, Cameron put her white coat on over her dress and headed to the nurses’ station to get an update on her next patient.

Although Cameron tried to keep her afternoons light, she had a full schedule looming ahead of her.

She desperately needed a coffee by the end of the day and was sad to find the coffee pot in the breakroom already cleaned and ready for the next day.

“Looking for this?” Melanie’s voice made her spin around in the empty break room. She leaned up against the doorframe, holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

“Is that for me?”

“Perhaps.” Melanie’s eyes locked with Cameron’s as they walked toward each other. She held out the cup to Cameron, who took it with a smile. “I thought you might need it.”

“I thought you were off today.”

“I’m covering tonight.”

“Workaholic.”

“Yeah, well,” Melanie licked her lips as her eyes fluttered toward Cameron’s lips then back to her eyes, “it means I get to see you so I take that as a win.”

“You will, hmm?”

Slowly, Cameron wrapped her arm around Melanie’s waist and pulled her closer.

She lingered a moment, studying her hazel eyes to make sure they were on the same page still.

They hadn’t discussed how to approach their relationship at work post-divorce yet, let alone before the divorce was legal.

Cameron wasn’t sure who would even care, but she would respect whatever Melanie needed.

And as Melanie leaned in, Cameron knew what she needed.

If only Melanie’s damn pager hadn’t gone off as soon as their lips were tantalizingly close.

“Dammit.” Melanie fumbled with the pager clipped to the pocket of her scrub top and turned it off. “I gotta go.”

“Wait.” Quickly, Cameron kissed her. It wasn’t anything sexy or to the quality Cameron hoped they would one day find. But for now, it would have to do. “Have a good night.”

“I will. Be safe going home. Kiss the kids for me.”

“I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Cameron watched as Melanie turned and walked back to the door of the break room.

She turned around before rounding the corner, blowing a kiss at Cameron before heading out of sight.

Blushing, Cameron looked down at the coffee cup and saw Mel had drawn a heart on the white lid and put a small letter M beside it.

“See, now that’s the subtle romantic gesture I was looking for earlier.” Cameron chuckled as she took a sip of her coffee that was prepared exactly how she liked it. “She’s good.”