Page 56 of Only in Our Dream
Too much?
Melanie had no clue.
All she knew was, like Palmer and Vera said, her ass looked amazing in the skin-tight jeans. Melanie turned around in the mirror, looking over the rest of her outfit.
The skinny jeans were tucked into brown boots with a slight heel, purchased at the insistence of Palmer. They were cute, sure, but they weren’t Melanie’s sneakers either. Palmer had paired the simple white button-up blouse with a chunky plaid scarf, adding a bit of Christmas flair to the outfit. Melanie had curled her hair after her shower that morning, leaving her with soft waves around her face.
She looked good. Melanie wasn’t too proud to admit that.
What she was afraid to admit was how much she was overthinking the entire day. She knew the general layout of the day. Pancakes, gifts, pizza, movies. But she didn’t know details, and Melanie loved details.
Melanie didn’t know what Cameron was wearing or what the kids were wearing. Did they have matching pajamas like the Mackenzies or did they have their own traditions that Melanie wasn’t aware of?
There was only one way to find out.
Looking over herself once more in the mirror, Melanie grabbed her phone off the nightstand and headed into the living room. Hank and Lucy were lounging on the couch, where they’d undoubtedly spend most of the day. They were both house trained and Lucy had access to the backyard via the doggie door along with plenty of food and water. Melanie gave them each kisses before gathering her bag.
“Okay,” she sighed, going over a mental checklist.
Pets?Taken care of.
Presents?Loaded in the car last night.
Bottle of wine?
Melanie hesitated. She’d purchased Cameron’s favorite fancy wine on a whim. Cameron didn’t treat herself to it often, but Melanie wanted to have it for one of the gifts she planned to give Cameron. Because if any gift needed an accompanying bottle of wine, it was the one she had for Cameron.
She’d barely been able to contain her excitement when she wrapped the small present for Cameron the night before. It wasn’t expected to arrive for a few more weeks, so it had the perfect timing. The arrival made it seem like the perfect sign Melanie needed.
Everything truly was working out better than she ever could have anticipated.
How else could she explain getting her divorce finalized the day before Christmas?
Melanie didn’t linger on why it had been so quickly; frankly she didn’t care. Her lawyer had said it would be quick, but it felt like a modern-day Christmas miracle to Melanie. Because now she can finally ask Cameron to be her girlfriend.
And kiss her without feeling guilty.
And… well. Melanie had other things she wanted to do with Cameron whenever they got to that point in their relationship. They just first had to beinsaid relationship.
Thankfully, the drive to Cameron’s wasn’t long, barely ten minutes. Since it was before seven a.m. on Christmas Day, there were few other cars on the road. Melanie took in the idyllic scenery of the Cove as she drove down Cameron’s road and into her driveway.
Never one to miss decorating for a holiday, Cameron had a large inflatable Grinch on the front lawn along with twinkling lights on the shrubbery. Two large plastic candles flanked the top of the four steps to the front porch. Melanie knew they had been passed down from Cameron’s grandma, which made them extra special to her.
Balancing the presents on her arm, Melanie carefully headed up the freshly shoveled sidewalk. She didn’t have to ring the bell before Jonah excitedly opened the door. He was the male version of his mom in so many ways, but especially in a Taylor Memorial Hospital hoodie and sweatpants.
“Hey, Aunt Mel!”
“Hey, Jonah.” Melanie let him help her carry the presents into the house. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas. I cleaned the sidewalk off for you.”
“Aw, thank you.” Setting the presents beneath the tree, Melanie wrapped him in a hug. Her heart ached and smiled at once. He was taller than her now, yet she still remembered thetiny baby he’d been the day he was born. “Your mama raised you well.”
“Hell, yeah, I did.”
Turning her attention toward Cameron’s voice, Melanie felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of her. Like Melanie, she wore tighter jeans than normal that showed off her curves perfectly. The green chunky sweater looked beyond adorable on her and her hair.God, that hair.Melanie had visions of running her hands through the elegantly straightened blonde locks.
“Hey,” was all Melanie could say as she slowly crossed the room and hugged Cameron. “Merry Christmas.”
