Page 22 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Melanie

M elanie still wasn’t sure how she pried herself out of Cameron’s warm embrace three mornings ago.

As she sat in an uncomfortable office chair staring at a computer screen, Melanie let her mind wander back to that morning.

She’d felt so safe and loved in Cameron’s arms. More so than she ever had before. And waking up beside Cameron?

Damn.

Every bone in her body wanted to wake up beside Cameron every morning for the rest of her life.

Stirring awake, it took Melanie a moment to remember where she was and whose arms were around her.

But when she did, she snuggled closer to Cameron as she pulled her closer.

Their legs were intertwined under the sheets and it felt like the safest place in the world for Melanie to be.

When Cameron kissed her shoulder, Melanie felt the love from her lips radiate throughout her body.

Not even the fabric of her borrowed pajamas could stop that.

“Good morning,” Cameron had mumbled sleepily into Melanie’s ear. “How did you sleep?”

“Better than I have in a long time.”

“Me, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm.” Cameron kissed her again. “If I didn’t have to pee so bad, I’d say let’s never leave this bed.”

Even three days later, Melanie could still feel Cameron’s arms around her.

She desperately wanted to ask when they were going to have their next sleepover, but didn’t want to seem too desperate.

After all, she’d waited until after her divorce was final to truly pursue Cameron.

Melanie could wait a bit longer to have their next sleepover.

Checking the clock, Melanie sighed. It was after eleven p.m., which meant Cameron was most likely already asleep. They had texted their goodnight messages over an hour ago, so Melanie wasn’t about to risk waking Cameron up. Not when she was just being needy.

I need to get off night shifts.

Melanie knew getting switched back to days wouldn’t be a problem. She had one of the highest seniorities of anyone in her department. That coveted day shift could be hers again if she just asked. Especially since she knew the way to the heart of the woman who made the schedules.

At Taylor Memorial Hospital, the job of creating and managing schedules fell to Laura Rodgers.

Although they worked in the same hospital, Melanie rarely saw Laura.

Her office was on the top floor, which was always eerily quiet except when a helicopter would land on the helipad.

Melanie preferred to do all her schedule requests via their online portal, but this one required a little something extra.

After all, Melanie had just asked to be switched to nights not that long ago.

A quiet night in the labor and delivery floor gave Melanie the perfect time to plan.

Or scheme. Whichever. She waited for the hospital’s gift shop to open before purchasing a small bouquet of pre-arranged flowers.

Stopping by the cafeteria, she snagged two bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits and two coffees.

Arriving at the elevator, Melanie somehow balanced everything in her hands as she used the toe of her shoe to press the buttons.

When the door opened on the top floor, Melanie cringed. It was a sterile white hallway with obnoxiously off-white fluorescent lights that hummed an annoying tune. There was no way Melanie could work up there and she had no idea why the top brass at the hospital hadn’t spiced up the place.

She made her way down the hall to Laura’s office, passing several empty offices also on the way.

It wasn’t even eight a.m., which meant most of the office staff wouldn’t be in for another hour at least. But not Laura.

She was always there by seven-thirty. Laura had been in that habit since her kids were young.

After dropping them off at school, she’d head on over to the hospital so she could leave early to pick them up.

Melanie had no idea how single mothers did it. Laura and Cameron were amazing, raising their babies on their own. Their circumstances were different, but Melanie would always be impressed by both of them.

Taking a deep breath outside the office door, Melanie put a friendly smile on her face. It was the same one she used when she was entering a new patient’s room.

“Hey, girl,” Melanie grinned at Laura, who was already furiously typing away on her keyboard. “I brought you breakfast.”

Laura didn’t stop typing to look at her. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

“Hmm?”

“I knew you wouldn’t want to be on nights with Cameron,” Laura stopped typing and looked at Melanie, “on days.”

Melanie could feel herself blushing as she handed a biscuit and a coffee to Laura. Slowly, she sat down in the uncomfortable leather chair across from her desk.

“That’s why you’re here, right?”

“I brought you breakfast,” Melanie sheepishly smiled.

“To bribe me, no doubt.” Leaning back in her chair, Laura chuckled. She took a sip of her coffee, nodding happily which Melanie took as a good sign. “So, are you and Cameron official now?”

“Laura,” the flush was back in her cheeks, “who told you?”

“You, goofball.” She laughed again. “I swear, you and Cameron are perfect for each other. Neither of you can hide your feelings for the other. It’s written all over both of your faces.”

“You mean Cameron told you about us already?”

Nodding, Laura took a bite of her biscuit. “Yup. A few weeks ago. We met up at Carlson’s and she told me. Well, I figured it out. Your woman is madly in love with you, FYI.”

Melanie knew that, but she didn’t want to admit that out loud.

Not yet, anyway. It felt like things were going so fast between them and while Melanie was happily along for the ride, she didn’t know how the timeline would look to those on the outside.

It was better to keep how serious they were on the down low, at least for now.

“I didn’t know Cameron told you. What did she say?”

“That she was patiently waiting for your divorce to be final,” Laura’s eyes sparkled, letting Melanie know she was teasing her. “Which I’m assuming it is, right? That’s why you had that goofy grin on your face when you walked into my office.”

“It’s final.”

“Yes!” Laura dramatically fist pumped the air before immediately composing herself. “I’m sorry. I know that wasn’t nice of me to do. But, honey, you’ve deserved so much more than Rob all these years. That man was constantly holding you back and not appreciating you for the woman you are.”

Melanie felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest. If Laura, someone Melanie wasn’t around often at all, had noticed that, then what did the people closest to her think all these years?

And why hadn’t they told her how unhappy she apparently looked before now?

Would that have helped her realize sooner that her marriage to Rob was over?

She didn’t have answers for any of the questions bombarding her brain. Instead, every moment in time when Rob held her back came crashing into her.

It had started so early in their marriage that the realization now made her sick to her stomach. She’d wanted to live in a house on the beach, but Rob wanted a house in a subdivision.

So they moved to the suburbs.

Melanie wanted to foster more kids, but Rob said it took too much time. So they didn’t foster more than a dozen over the years.

When she had wanted to go back to school to get a higher degree, Rob had talked her out of it. He cited that money and time would be the biggest constraints, but Melanie wondered now if it was because she would have made more money than him.

Suddenly, every decision or lack thereof in her marriage felt like one she hadn’t been able to control. Other than her pets, had Melanie even contributed anything to their home? Even if she had, it apparently still wasn’t enough to keep Rob happy in their marriage.

Stop it. Neither of you were happy. This isn’t all on you.

“Mel,” Laura said with a firm voice as Melanie snapped out of her thoughts. “I thought I lost you there. You looked zoned out of life.”

“Sorry,” she shook her head. “Was thinking about a patient I need to check in with.”

It was a lie, but Laura didn’t notice or, if she did, she didn’t call her out on it.

“So, can I put in an official request to move to days? Doesn’t have to be on the next schedule drop, just whenever you can work me in. If you can work me in. If not, no worries.”

“Mel,” Laura arched an eyebrow, “you’ve got the seniority. I’ll get it switched on the new schedule drop next week.”

“Thanks, Laura.”

“You’re welcome. And,” she looked momentarily uncomfortable, “I’m sorry if I said anything earlier to offend you. I know divorces are hard, and I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Laura. And you’re good, I promise. Just have a lot on my mind these days.”

“I bet.” She nodded her chin toward the clock. It was now after eight. “Your girl should be here now. Go say good morning to her before you leave.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. Thanks again, Laura.”

Waving goodbye to Laura, Melanie took her uneaten biscuit and coffee back to the elevator and pushed the button for Cameron’s floor.

Most of the doctors came in at eight to start their day and to round on any patients at the hospital.

But Cameron had purposefully not scheduled any surgeries for the time between Christmas and New Year’s, so Melanie knew she would most likely be in her office.

Melanie smiled good morning to the various doctors and nurses as she walked the floor of the oncology department.

Their dull gray walls were a stark contrast to the brightly colored ones on the labor and delivery floor.

Although Melanie had lost patients over the years, she couldn’t comprehend the amount of death the oncology department employees faced on a near daily basis.

It made her heart heavy for Cameron, who was often affected by those deaths.

They had talked about it a lot over the years.

Anytime one of them would lose a patient, the other was always there.

Melanie and Cameron had shed many, many tears for patients.

It didn’t matter if they knew the patient well or not, each death hurt.

She knew it always would because that’s the kind of people they were.

On more than one occasion, Melanie had let herself get close to a mom or a baby only to have something happen to them.

It always hit Melanie hard as she wondered what she could have done differently.

Cameron was the same way. Maybe that’s what had helped them bond over the years.

Shared grief from a common job could do that.

Leaving the heaviness outside the office, Melanie looked into Cameron’s office.

She had her back to Melanie and seemed to be doing something on her phone.

Melanie quietly sat down the coffee and biscuit as she tiptoed over to Cameron.

Wrapping her arms around her, she giggled as Cameron jumped and dropped her phone.

“Melanie,” Cameron part laughed, part screamed, “you almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry, babe.”

As Cameron turned around in her arms, Melanie studied every inch of her face. It didn’t matter she’d just seen her the day before when Cameron had left the hospital. She wanted to be able to look into Cameron West’s eyes for the rest of her life.

And with any luck, she would get to do just that.

“What are you still doing here?” Cameron wrapped her arms around Melanie’s neck, twirling her ponytail around her fingers. “I thought you’d be home. I was texting you when you scared the shit out of me.”

“Wouldn’t be the first shit I had to clean up today.”

“Gross,” Cameron scrunched her nose in mock disgust as she laughed. “How was work?”

“It was okay. No moms or babies so it was a lot of restocking and catching up on paperwork and training the new kids. What do you have on your agenda for today?”

“It’s a light day. Mostly follow up and then a board meeting tonight.”

“I love it when you get all dressed up for your board meetings,” Melanie almost growled.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You’re sexy to me all the time but there’s just something different about watching you walk into a board meeting.”

Cameron cocked her head at her. “Exactly how many board meetings have you watched me walk into?”

“A few.” Melanie nonchalantly shrugged. “I used to walk with Vera to them on my way out and I’d see you. You’d see me a lot of times too and we’d talk.”

“I remember.”

“But other times, you were already in the room just owning it as if you were in charge.”

Cameron blushed and Melanie gently tucked her hair behind her ears.

“It was so sexy.”

“Not half as sexy as the fact you help bring new life into the world every day.”

“Most days,” she teased. “But are we really going to have a no you’re sexier at work competition this late?”

“You mean this early ,” Cameron corrected. “If you were on a normal schedule, you would know that.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I just talked to Laura then.”

Cameron’s eyes lit up as her smile widened. “Shut up! Really?”

“Yep. She’s going to move me to days on the next drop.”

“Mel!” Cameron squealed. “That’s amazing!”

Without hesitating, Cameron leaned in and kissed her. It was a quick kiss, as if they always celebrated good news that way.

“I’d been wanting to tease you about needing to move to days but I didn’t want you to feel pressured. Especially since I know you like the night shift.”

“I liked the night shift because it got me away from Rob. I don’t like the night shift now because it keeps me from you.”

Cameron swooned in Melanie’s arms. Literally fucking swooned. They both laughed, pulling each other into a hug as they did so.

“Damn you, Mel, it’s too early for these feelings.”

“What feelings?” Melanie asked, teasing before she relaxed the shift in Cameron’s eyes.

Gone was the playfulness from a moment ago and in its place was a desire Melanie had never seen there before.

Cameron placed a hand on Melanie’s chest and she wondered if she could feel her heart rapidly beating.

“I think you know what feelings.”

Melanie nodded. “I do. I guess I should go so we don’t have to throw down right here in your office then, hmm?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Cameron whined. “I respect the shit out of you, Mel, but I also can’t stop thinking about taking your clothes off.”

“Then I guess we need to finally go on that first date.”