Cameron “Cam” MacDonald is the police chief of Wheelock, a position he inherited owing to his family history. In the 1700s, his ancestor of the same name originally arranged for his kinsmen, members of the MacDonald clan, to relocate from Carrymuir in Scotland to Wheelock in Massachusetts in exchange for his participation in a battle against the English. Over time, the head of the clan took up the position of police chief of Wheelock, and this was passed down over generations.

Cam is a deeply conflicted man who is torn between the things he believes he ought to do and the things he wants to do instead. His entire life has been dictated by the former—determining where he lives, what his profession is, and even who he is married to. All of these circumstances are a result of him having had to return to Wheelock after his father died; Cam was expected to take up the position of police chief after Ian. Subsequently, Cam only met and married Allie because he returned to Wheelock. Thus, the life he leads in Wheelock prior to Jamie’s and Mia’s arrivals is one of mundane routine and suppressed dreams.

Jamie’s appearance presents Cam with a huge conundrum—as the police chief, Cam needs to do the right thing, but he also has a responsibility to Jamie as a member of his clan.