Page 29 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

A ll day Cameron knew the kids were up to something.

It was the Saturday before her fiftieth birthday, so her best guess was there was going to be a surprise party.

And her next guess would be Melanie, Isla, and Vera were involved in the planning.

That trio had also coordinated a surprise fortieth birthday for her, so they had the track record already.

Cameron’s suspicions had started when Melanie declined her invitation to join them at the aquarium.

She knew Melanie was off that weekend, so her lack of attendance with them had been red flag number one.

Especially since over the last few months, the two of them have been inseparable.

Melanie was over at their house more often than not every night after work for dinner.

The four of them would eat together and have fun before the kids went to bed and Melanie would go home.

That last part was Cameron’s least favorite part.

She wanted desperately for Melanie to stay over, but she didn’t know how to ask her that.

Especially not before she made sure the kids would be okay with that.

It was their house too, and they deserved to be entirely comfortable with whoever Cameron was bringing home. Even if it was their Aunt Mel.

Sooner rather than later, Cameron would have to talk to the kids about her relationship with Melanie.

They knew they were dating, yes, but Cameron wasn’t sure they knew how fast things had gone between them.

There was no going back to friends now, not that Cameron wanted that.

She most definitely didn’t. And she knew Melanie felt the same way.

Now she just had to make sure the kids were on the same page.

Cameron turned in the passenger seat slightly to see both of the kids. Jonah was driving while Dylan was in the backseat behind him. But her plan went out the window when they turned into the subdivision and Cameron saw the line of cars parked along the road.

“What in the world?” Cameron laughed as Jonah slowly went around them and parked in the only spot left in the driveway. “Did you all invite the whole town?”

“What can we say? Everyone loves you, Mom.” Jonah unbuckled his seatbelt as they got out of the car.

With the kids flanking her on either side, they walked up to the front door.

Jonah opened it for them as Cameron stepped inside.

A chorus of happy birthday began as soon as she crossed the threshold, and Cameron tried to make eye contact with all of her friends.

The room was full of people who meant the world to Cameron, but her eyes found Melanie’s and stayed locked with them.

Melanie looked stunning in her pantsuit and heels, and Cameron had the delicious thought of taking it off Melanie later that night.

It would be the perfect birthday present, after all.

As the song ended, Melanie broke from the group and walked toward Cameron.

The two embraced tightly as Melanie whispered in her ear.

“Happy birthday, baby.”

“Thanks, babe.” Not caring that their friends were all watching, Cameron kissed Melanie. It wasn’t anything scandalous; her kids were right beside her after all. But Cameron could still feel the passion and love behind it. “You look beautiful.”

“So do you.”

Melanie took Cameron’s hand and motioned for her to spin in a circle, which, of course, she did. Their friends clapped and encouraged her as she giggled. The floral sundress wasn’t one she’d normally wear before the summer, but the warm late-March day had called for something fun.

Making her way around to everyone, Cameron savored her time with her friends.

She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, but she had to admit it was fun to have the spotlight for a few hours.

Cameron reminisced with some friends she hadn’t seen in a while and caught up with the night shift nurses she rarely saw.

More gifts than Cameron could count waited for her on the dining room table, but her eyes were drawn instead to the large number fifty on the wall in various photos.

“Oh, my god.” Cameron touched her fingers to her lips as tears fell from her eyes. She touched one photo of her with baby Dylan as a tear ran down her cheek. “These are so beautiful. Did you do this?”

“Mel did,” Vera proudly stated as she nodded toward Melanie. Cameron held her hand out as Melanie came over to her.

“Thank you.”

“I tried to get some from every year.”

“You did amazing.” Cameron rested her head on Melanie’s shoulder as her eyes fluttered around the photos. “Oh, look, my finest moment.”

She pointed at one of her and Melanie in the back of Isla’s Jeep after Cameron had birthed Jonah.

He was on her chest as they arrived at the hospital, and Vera insisted on a photo first. Cameron could have killed her then, but looking at the picture now conjured up so many emotions.

Especially with the way Melanie was looking at her with so much love.

It was the same look Melanie had in almost every photo. How had Cameron missed that over the years? How had she just chalked Melanie up to being her best friend and nothing else?

“Look how little Dylan was,” Melanie pointed to one of Cameron, Dylan, and Jonah when she brought Dylan home from the hospital. “She was so perfect.”

“They both were. And are.”

“Agreed.”

“Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome, Cam.” They kissed quickly before Cameron got called into the kitchen to blow out the many, many candles on the cake.

The party was nothing short of spectacular.

Melanie, Isla, and Vera had gone all out with the decor and the food.

Cameron felt like a queen being served all her favorite appetizers on a plate as she mingled around with her guests.

When one plate got empty, Melanie would miraculously appear with another. Same with her wine glass.

“You’re handy to have around,” Cameron giggled as she kissed Melanie again.

“Gotta keep my woman happy.”

Cameron felt like she was dreaming as she watched Melanie wink before she disappeared back into the crowd of people. How had she gotten so lucky to fall in love with her best friend? Someone who knew her so well and cared about her so deeply? She’d never understand why she deserved that.

The party was full of fun and laughter, which was exactly what Cameron needed.

She opened thoughtful gifts from her friends and kids and enjoyed the night with everyone.

Melanie’s gift had, of course, been her favorite.

It was a blanket with the same photos as were on the wall, with the word family written in cursive across the middle.

Finding Melanie in the crowd, Cameron mouthed a thank you to her.

As the party wound down, she noticed the Mackenzie kids as well as her own kids helping to clean the place up. Cameron loved how helpful they all were without being asked.

“You look happy,” Isla commented with a smirk. They were sitting on the couch beside each other as they were somehow able to get out of the cleanup crew.

“I am happy.”

“I’m glad.” Holding up their wine glasses, Isla and Cameron tapped them together. “You know, I always thought you two would make the perfect couple. But seeing it actually happen has been even more amazing than I thought it would be. I’m glad I get to watch my two best friends fall in love.”

“Isla,” Cameron felt tears nipping at the corner of her eyes, “you can say shit like that to me when I’m tipsy. You know I’ll cry.”

Isla chuckled. “I’m sorry. I just needed you to know how happy I am for you.”

“Thanks, friend.” Cameron wrapped her arm around Isla’s neck as they hugged each other. “I hope you know that you and Vera are my role models for this relationship, so if something goes wrong, I’m blaming you two.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong.”

“How can you say that?” Cameron was glad they were in a corner of the living room off by themselves. The sizable crowd from earlier had dwindled down some as the clock had clicked past nine p.m. “Do you have a crystal ball or something that I need to know about?”

“No. I just have years of experience being best friends with you and Melanie to back up my thoughts.”

Across the room, Cameron watched Melanie laughing with Ellie, Mason, and Vera.

She looked so happy, so beautiful. Everyone else in the room seemed to fade away so Melanie turned her head and caught Cameron’s eyes.

They smiled as if they were school kids who had been caught by their crushes.

Cameron felt her heart soar with happiness as she watched Melanie turn back to the conversation she was in.

“That right there,” Isla pointed at Cameron’s face, “that’s how I know nothing is going to go wrong. You two look at each other like Vera and I look at each other.”

“High praise coming from the Cove’s best couple.”

Isla rolled her eyes. “We’re not the Cove’s best couple. We just love each other.”

“I would normally negate you on the first part of that statement, but I need a refill.”

Holding up her empty wine glass, Cameron headed for the kitchen. She found the bottle of wine on the island and refilled her glass. Behind her, she felt Melanie wrap her arms around her waist and rest her head on her shoulder.

“Did you have a good birthday?”

“The best birthday.”

“How does it feel to be fifty?”

“I’m not officially fifty until Wednesday.” Turning around in Melanie’s arms, Cameron felt Melanie’s hands move down to her ass as she gently squeezed.

“You’re so old,” Melanie giggled.

“Are we still going out for dinner for my actual birthday?”

“Have I ever missed your birthday?”

“You missed the first twenty-five.”

Melanie poured. “That’s not fair. I didn’t know you then.”

“Well,” Cameron playfully twirled Melanie’s hair around her finger, “you still missed them.”

“But I’ve never missed Jonah or Dylan’s birthdays.”