Page 32 of Only in Our Dream


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The cafe was easily Melanie’s most frequented place for food. Well, that and Straight to Ale. She had never enjoyed cooking, which worked because Rob was just as content to eat out as well. Carlson’s Cafe provided Melanie with more options than the bar, though, which is how it ended up at the top of her list most days. Melanie had had so many free coffees over the years thanks to their loyalty card that she could probably fill up Lake Monroe.

Smells of cinnamon and coffee greeted Melanie like a warm hug as she stepped inside the cafe. Maggie Carlson, the owner, smiled and waved at her from behind the counter. Melanie dug her credit card out of her bag as she approached the register.

“Good morning, Maggie.”

“Good morning, Mel. Were you on the night shift or heading in?”

“Night shift, then I had a meeting with our lawyers and a judge, so it’s been alongday already.”

Melanie had spilled the beans about her divorce to Maggie a few weeks ago when Maggie had told her she looked happy. It seemed to be a common theme that people noticed her happiness now that he was on his way out of her life.

“Well, hopefully it was a good meeting and it’ll all be over soon. You taking yours to-go or eating here with Isla?”

Maggie nodded her chin, and Melanie turned around. She saw Isla sitting in a booth with her back to the counter. Her head was down slightly, and Melanie assumed she was reading.

“Here, please. Thanks.” After placing her order, Melanie waited for her coffee before heading toward Isla’s table. She slid into the booth across from her. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Isla looked up from her book and smiled. “Yes, enjoying my quiet morning alone,” she teased, closing the book. “How was work?”

“Good. Birthed some babies. Charted some charts.” Melanie took a sip of her coffee. “Do you have any dirt on the new OB yet?”

Dr. Avery Jacobs was set to start at the hospital after the new year. Melanie knew little about her other than Taylor Memorial would be her first job out of her residency. Currently, the hospital had four OBGYNs, including Vera. But with the fertility business booming in the Cove, they had hired a fifth to help out. She only hoped that Avery fit well into their close-knit group.

“Vera hasn’t said much. She said she was nice in the interview.”

“Everyone is nice in an interview,” Melanie chuckled, taking a piece of bacon off Isla’s plate as she playfully swatted her hand away. “I’ll give you a piece of mine when my order gets here.”

“You’re good. How was the meeting?”

Melanie sighed. “Good, I guess. I don’t really know what to expect from them. Blaire keeps telling me it shouldn’t take long since it’s uncontested. But I saw Rob in the parking lot after and it was, I dunno. Weird.”

“Weird how?”

“He made it a point to tell me he was moving in with Janet. Like, yeah. I had assumed. He basically even told me as much when he first brought up divorce. But I don’t know. It seemed like he wanted to say something else.”

Isla’s eyes narrowed slightly as she tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

She’d been wondering since she left Rob if he’d lied to her about Janet not being pregnant. There was a pit in her stomach that told her Rob was going to say something else before shejoked that Janet was pregnant. But what if he was caught off guard because she’d nailed it? Melanie didn’t know.

“She can’t bepregnant, can she?” Isla kept her voice low as she leaned onto the table. “No.”

“Rob said no but,” Melanie shrugged, “I thought that was what he was going to say. Like what if that’s why he wanted the divorce? He’s gotten hismistresspregnant.”

“I’ll cut off his dick.”

“Isla,” Maggie laughed as she sat down Melanie’s plate of food, “it’s not even ten a.m.”

“Sorry, Maggie.”

“I can’t do anything with her,” Melanie frantically sighed, making Isla and Maggie laugh. As Maggie walked away, Melanie handed Isla a piece of bacon from her plate. “But seriously, keep it down. You know how things spread around this town.”

“I’m sorry, Mel.” She could tell by Isla’s regretful look that she was serious.

“It’s okay. I love you and your big mouth.”

Winking at her friend, the two chatted while Melanie ate her breakfast. They talked about Isla’s kids and work before the topic, of course, came back around to Cameron. Isla had purchased them another round of coffee, which was the last thing that she needed after being up for over eighteen hours and a twelve-hour shift looming before her in a few hours.

“This is going to sound so cheesy, I know that.” Melanie giggled like a little kid. “But I get so happy at the idea of kissing her. Is that crazy? She’s my best friend. Ineverexpected this to happen.”