“Oh, I don’t see a ring!”
“Nope, no ring.”
“Divorced?”
“Never married.” She took another sip of her coffee, this time with her right hand holding the cup.
“But you have kids.”
“I found a way around the marriage thing to have them.”
Beth nervously laughed, clearly unaware that Cameron had never been married before.
“Well, I guess it takes all kinds then, doesn’t it?”
Cameron opened her mouth to say something, but a handsome man appeared outside the window and waved at Beth who smiled back. “That’s Cory. I should go. It was great to see you, Cameron.”
“You too, Beth.”
Without another word, Cameron watched yet again from behind her Kindle as Beth embraced Cory before they walked down the street hand in hand. The casualness of it made Cameron’s heart happy. Not specifically for Beth or Cory, although she was happy for them. But her feelings were more toward the town as a whole.
Living in Moonflower Cove meant that sometimes Cameron forgot the rest of the country wasn’t as accepting of different sexualities as the people of the Cove were. Pulling out her phone, Cameron opened her text thread with Melanie.
I miss you.
The three words were almost instantly read by Melanie.
I miss you more.
No way.
Yes way!
Cameron smiled at the series of emojis Melanie added to the text. It was quickly followed by a selfie of Melanie with Everleigh Mackenzie. She could tell from the picture that Vera must have brought Everleigh to work, and she’d made herself at home at the nurses’ station.
Although Cameron had invited Melanie to join her in Tennessee for Thanksgiving, Melanie had decided it was best to stay home for the holiday. She didn’t like that, but Cameronunderstood. The optics of going out of town with someone in the middle of a divorce might not be the best for Melanie. At least she was going to be spending the holiday with the Mackenzies tomorrow, though.
Evie! I miss her too!
More than me?Melanie added a winking emoji to the text.
Never.Cameron sent back a kissing face emoji with the text.
She and Melanie texted on and off for the next hour as Cameron waited for her mom. Each time her phone lit up and Melanie’s name popped up, Cameron felt like a teenager all over again. Part of her couldn’t wait to get back to the Cove so Cameron could see her again. When she saw her again, Cameron wanted to take her in her arms and kiss her and never let her go.
“What’s that look for?” Wilma Dean’s voice startled Cameron from her daydream as she dropped her phone onto the wooden table. “Cameron Jean, are you looking at porn?”
“Mama!” Cameron exclaimed. “Why would you say that?”
“You have that goofy grin on your face. The same one I saw when I found you reading your brother’s sports magazines.”
“Ahh, yes. The swimsuit edition.”
Wilma Dean rolled her eyes. “Are you still looking at half-naked women?”
“No,” Cameron sarcastically retorted. “I was talking to Melanie. You remember Melanie, right? From work?”
“The pretty one.”
