Page 2 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

C ameron West was many things. She was a mother, a doctor, and had a chair on the hospital board. The degrees on her office wall made her an alumnus of three of the most prestigious colleges in the country.

But the one thing she never was?

On time.

She has been late since she was born. Cameron always tried to be on time, but the universe always seemed to work against her. Her notorious habit was so well-known that her staff often told her appointments were set for fifteen minutes before the actual start time.

Despite putting it on her resolution list every year, Cameron knew there was little hope in her habits changing.

Especially since her fiftieth birthday loomed large in a few months.

Cameron was set in her ways, for better or for worse, and she had accepted that.

She didn’t want to change, even if she could.

Cameron glanced at the clock on the microwave and sighed.

She had ten minutes to drop her youngest off at school and get to the hospital.

But with the school and hospital on opposite sides of town, Cameron knew she’d be late to work.

Again. At least today, she didn’t have any early morning appointments. Well, at least none she could remember.

Picking up the coffee pot, Cameron carefully poured the hot, life-sustaining liquid into her favorite thermos. She tightened the lid as she walked over to the stairs.

“Dylan, are you ready?”

“Been ready.” Her daughter’s voice startled her from the living room. She looked annoyed at Cameron, which was typical for her pre-teenage self these days. “I’ve been sitting here for like twenty minutes.”

“Oh,” Cameron tried to play it off as if she knew that with a wave of her hand. “I thought you went back upstairs.”

Dylan narrowed her eyes at Cameron as she stood and put on her backpack. “Mhmm.”

Her kids knew her better than just about anyone.

They’d grown up with Cameron’s unfortunate time management skills and were used to them by now.

Jonah, her oldest, was her mini-me. The poor boy couldn’t be on time if he tried, which he did.

He was working so hard during his sophomore year of high school to do better, and Cameron could do nothing but admire him for his determination.

Then there was Dylan.

She was the opposite of Jonah and Cameron.

Dylan was born early, walked before most babies, and was ridiculously on time for everything.

At twelve, her main annoyance was Cameron still being her chauffeur.

Cameron knew she was eagerly waiting for the day she turned sixteen and could drive herself to play practice or to hang out with her friends.

Or get to school on time.

Dammit. Cameron looked at the clock again. They were both going to be really late now.

Dylan scrolled on her phone as Cameron drove above the speed limit to the school. Being constantly late seemed to correlate with her lead foot, but Cameron wasn’t a neuroscientist. She didn’t have the time nor the patience to figure out if they were indeed related.

Pulling into the drop-off line, Cameron smiled over at Dylan.

“Have a great day, sweetie.”

“You too.” Dylan hurried out of the SUV without saying another word or kissing her cheek, like she used to do when she was little. Cameron watched her baby girl join her friends as they walked into the school together.

Cameron knew how lucky she was to have two amazing kids.

They were her entire world. She’d chosen to have them both on her own with no partner.

Dating was never high on Cameron’s list, but she always knew she wanted babies.

Jonah and Dylan had filled a void in Cameron’s life that she didn’t know existed until she held them in her arms for the first time.

They were her babies, and she loved them fiercely.

Parking the SUV in her spot at the hospital, Cameron grabbed her oversized purse from the backseat and headed inside.

Taylor Memorial Hospital was a large hospital for the small town of Moonflower Cove, Maine.

It was several stories tall and had every department imaginable under its roof.

The hospital was easily among the best in New England, and Cameron was proud to work there.

In fact, she’d been working there for the last twenty-something years.

She’d done her residency and fellowship there and never left.

It was her home away from home. Especially since some days, she spent more time at the hospital than at her actual home.

Cameron was an oncologist, which was never an easy job.

But being an oncologist in a small town where she knew practically everyone?

That was even harder. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d had to look her friends in the eyes and tell them they had cancer.

Her heart broke for them each time, which was how Cameron knew she was made to be an oncologist.

Taking the elevator up to the fifth floor, Cameron took advantage of the short ride and fixed her long blonde hair in the reflective siding of the elevator.

She’d worn a dress—as was her usual work attire—that hit just at the knees.

The green color was perfect for the late-summer day and also helped to compliment her hair and blue eyes.

As the elevator doors opened, Cameron was immediately greeted by Melanie Wright’s ridiculously dorky grin and two cups of coffee in her hands.

“You’re late.”

“But I’m not pregnant,” Cameron grinned as she took one cup of coffee from Melanie. They walked side by side to her office as they did most mornings when Melanie was on the night shift.

“Thank god,” Melanie snorted a laugh. “You were the whiniest pregnant woman I’ve ever met. And that’s saying something since I work with pregnant women every day.”

Melanie was a labor and delivery nurse, and Vera had introduced them on her first day at the hospital. They’d become friends after that, and the rest was history. The two were inseparable, and Melanie was even a surrogate aunt to Cameron’s kids.

“Ha ha,” Cameron rolled her eyes as she opened her office door. It wasn’t much—a bookcase overflowing with books, a way too cluttered desk, and a few leather chairs for talking with patients—but it did the job. “You love me, though.”

“I have to.” Melanie dramatically flopped onto one of the leather seats as Cameron took her laptop out of her purse. “You’re my best friend. For better or for worse.”

“But it’s more better than worse, right?”

Melanie held up her hand, moving it back and forth to indicate maybe not. Cameron rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. You love me.”

“Indeed.”

Melanie’s hazel eyes looked tired, as they often did these days.

Cameron knew her friend was struggling in her marriage, which was boiling over into work.

Granted, it could also be because Melanie had just worked a twelve-hour night shift.

But either way, Cameron knew her friend needed a break from work and her husband.

“We need a girls’ night.”

“Yes, please .” Melanie dramatically moaned. “I need a break. Tonight is my tenth shift in a row. I’m exhausted.”

“You’re a workaholic.”

“I’m just doing my job.” Melanie’s tone was slightly defensive, but Cameron let it slide. She knew it wasn’t directed at her.

“Oh, so it’s your job to cover every shift?”

“Someone has to do it. People don’t stop having babies just because we’re short-staffed.”

“But you have seniority. Make one of the new kids take an extra shift now and then. That’s what they’re there for.”

Melanie shrugged, sipping her coffee that Cameron knew was straight black.

They’d had the same conversation countless times over the last year.

When Melanie began picking up extra shifts, Cameron could tell something wasn’t right at home.

She knew Melanie and Rob Wright well enough to sense that.

Still, she didn’t want to push her friend into saying it out loud.

Not when she was clearly working through some things.

“So, girls’ night this weekend?” Cameron asked with a smile to let Melanie know she was teasing earlier.

“I’m working this weekend.”

“Of course you are,” Cameron jabbed with a smirk.

“But I’m off next weekend.”

“It’s a date.”

Winking at Melanie, Cameron noticed how she blushed as she looked down at her coffee.

Weird. What’s that about?

It wasn’t the first time Melanie had acted differently at Cameron’s compliments.

She’d noticed it a few weeks ago, but had said nothing so far.

Cameron debated asking her, but stopped short when Vera Mackenzie entered her office.

She was wearing scrubs and the same tired look Melanie had on her face as she sat beside her.

“That one was rough.” Vera yawned as she took Melanie’s coffee cup and took a sip.

“What happened?”

“C-section,” Melanie answered for her as she put a hand on Vera’s shoulder. “Mom was hemorrhaging and the baby was in distress. Vera got in there just in time to save them both.”

Vera wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled at Melanie.

Although the three of them had been in the medical field since their twenties, the job still took an emotional toll on them most days.

Cameron knew that’s what made them human and made them so good at their jobs.

There was a reason the three of them were among the most highly requested OBGYNs, nurses, and oncologists.

“We were just talking about a girls’ night next weekend.” Cameron smiled at Vera. “You and Isla in?”

“I’m so there.” Vera let out a long sigh. “Isla and I could both use that. It’s been such a whirlwind year that I feel I never get to see you two anymore.”

She and Isla had been dealing with Vera’s youngest sister, Walker, as she went into rehab to get sober.

Cameron knew from long talks with both Vera and Isla—together and separately—that the transition hadn’t been easy for any of them.

They were both happy that Walker was getting help, but they were also struggling with the fact they hadn’t been able to help her.

They both saw Walker as their kid more than sister or sister-in-law.

Parts of Cameron understood both sides. As a mom, Cameron couldn’t imagine not being able to help her child.

But, on the other hand, Walker was an adult who needed to figure things out on her own timeline and no one else’s.

No matter how many times Cameron and Melanie had told Isla and Vera that, they’d keep telling them until they believed it.

“So,” Cameron grinned at her two best friends, “drinks at Olive or Twist next Saturday night?”

“I’m there.” Vera handed the coffee cup back to Melanie. “Isla will be too.”

“I’ll be there. Alone. No Rob,” Melanie sarcastically laughed.

Cameron and Vera slowly turned to look at each other, and Cameron didn’t need words to know what Vera was thinking.

Rob never came to girls’ night. Not once in the over two decades they’d been having girls’ nights had Rob ever attended.

He would only join them if it were a larger group or a family event.

Rob was like an uncle to Cameron’s kids and to the Mackenzie kids.

But he was never invited to girls’ night.

Vera arched an eyebrow at Cameron, who did the same back. Putting on her best smile, Vera turned to Melanie. “Mel, honey, is everything okay with you and Rob?”

“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t it be? Everything is good between us.

Things are good. I mean, he’s not coming to girls’ night, but he’s a man, so why would he?

Nothing is wrong, though. Everything is good.

Great. Everything is great.” Melanie forced a smile and let out a long breath.

“I should head home. I’ll see you both later. ”

Without another word, Melanie left the office. Vera leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs.

“She’s the worst liar.”

“For real,” Cameron laughed as she leaned onto her desk. “I wish she would just tell us what’s going on with her and Rob, ya know? Like she has to know we know, right?”

Vera shrugged. “I’d think so. She knows we don’t keep secrets.”

“Maybe we’ll get it out of her after a few drinks.”

“We’re just not going to pressure her to talk,” Vera had on her doctor voice, “okay?”

“Okay, Mama .” Cameron rolled her eyes with a smirk. She and Vera chatted for a few more minutes before Vera left as well to head home.

Leaning back in her chair, Cameron studied the framed photos on her desk.

Most were of her kids or the Mackenzies.

But her eyes landed on the one of her and Melanie a few months ago at a New Year’s Eve party.

They were both dressed in their best fifties flapper attire and had posed for the picture Isla was taking.

“Get together for a picture!” Isla had instructed as Cameron put her arm around Melanie’s waist. They’d posed that way a million times together, so Cameron hadn’t expected anything different.

But when Isla told them to smile, Cameron turned to Melanie to kiss her cheek. She thought it would make for a cute, fun picture to celebrate the occasion with.

What she didn’t expect was for her lips to meet Melanie’s.

Isla had captured the moment right after the kiss when they both had the biggest smiles on their faces that Cameron had ever seen.

She studied the picture and how, even in the slightly blurry photo, she could still see the look on Melanie’s face.

It was one that would be ingrained in Cameron’s mind forever.

Melanie looked so happy, happier than Cameron had seen her in a while.

Did my kiss really cause her that much happiness?

Not for the first time in their friendship, her suspicions rose.

Stop it , she scolded herself as she opened her laptop. She doesn’t like you like that. She’s married. To a man. Remember?

Cameron loudly sighed. It was pointless to ever think Melanie would be interested in her. They were best friends, nothing more. Melanie had Rob and Cameron had her kids and that’s just how things were.

“Yeah, go on and lie to yourself,” she said out loud in the empty office.