Page 1 of Naughty by Nature

Chapter 1

End of June

“Mama, what did Daddy look like?”

Cheyenne cringed at the sweetly voiced question from Grace. “Well,” she said slowly, “he was a good looking man. Brown hair and brown eyes with thick lashes. A big man. He used to ride rodeo.”

“Did he have tattoos?”

She looked at her daughter out of the corner of her eyes. “Um, no, he didn’t, baby.”

Grace looked appeased and skipped off toward the children’s section of the Floyd County Library. Cheyenne shook her head, wondering what that had been about.

She’d gotten used to doling out details to her girls. Carolyn was eleven now, and was the least curious. Over the years she’d learned everything she’d needed to about her derelict father.

Grace, eight and Savannah, nine, were both still curious though. They hadn’t had a man in their lives for years, other than their uncles and their grandfather. Kids at school used to tease them about it, and Cheyenne was honestly surprised that they hadn’t come home bearing stories about their wandering father. Lord knows he’d been the talk around the county for years. And there was more than one person around that he’d cheated.

Over the years, Cheyenne had done her best to make things right with everyone. She’d never had a lot of money to spare, but she’d done her best to square things with those he’d wronged. Her family still had a well- respected name in the area and she planned on keeping it that way.

She glanced at the woman standing at the counter smiling at her. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry Katie. I was daydreamin’.”

Katie laughed and shook her head. “You’re fine, Cheyenne. I don’t know how you have a spare brain cell to do anything the way you work. Are all three girls here? It seems too quiet.”

“No, two are with Mama and Daddy. It’s just Gracie and me today, thank goodness. I might have enough time to get everything done on my list before I head home.”

Katie laughed and gave her a raised eyebrow. “Do you really think so?”

Cheyenne laughed with her and leaned against the counter. “No, probably not. I am run ragged.”

Katie reached out and squeezed her hand. “I know you are, hon. It’s pretty quiet today. You can leave Grace here if you have more to do in town.”

Hope blossomed in her. “Really? You don’t mind?”

Katie gave her a wink. “Are you kidding? The way that girl loves books? I’ll teach her how to put returns back. I have a feeling she’ll love it.”

“Oh, my gosh, she would!”

So, Katie was left to deal with an ecstatic Grace, who was literally jumping up and down in exuberance.

“Don’t come back for a long time, Mama! Ms. Katie and I will be busy.”

Cheyenne gave Katie a thankful look. “I really owe you.”

The librarian waved a hand. “No, you don’t. Take your time. Maybe you can stop down at that new coffee shop that’s been taking my customers from me and check them out.”

She tossed Cheyenne a wink, laughing. Cheyenne laughed with her, wishing she had more time to spend with her friend. Summer break was coming soon. They would have time then. “I will do that,” she promised.

Grace didn’t even look at her as she left the library. The girl had more ‘importantly’ things to do.

As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, Cheyenne took a deep breath of the cool morning air. The birds were chirping and the trees were swaying, and she was ashamed to realize this was the first time she’d actually stopped long enough to look around in what felt like forever. It seemed like she and the girls were always together. Literally. She taught at the school they all went to, so they rode to school together; she saw them during class, and they rode home together. She had very little time alone.

Feeling a little naughty, Cheyenne decided to take Katie up on her offer. She headed down the street to the new coffee shop. It had just opened a few weeks ago and seemed to be doing a brisk business. It was one of only two places in town that had free Wi-Fi, the other being the library, which was big news in Honeywell, Texas. If it had been Cheyenne’s business, she probably would have chosen a different name, though. Ground Zero seemed a little ominous.

But as soon as she stepped inside, she fell in love. Decorated with rustic charm, it was very different from everything else in town. This was a trendy little spot. There was soft music playing that wasn’t… country, gasp!

Several of the patrons were younger kids, and for just a moment she worried she was too old to be here, then she saw several more mature people at tables. The young woman that waited on her looked familiar, but Cheyenne couldn’t place her. Probably one of her former students. When she asked what Cheyenne would like, she stalled out.

“I’m not sure. What do you suggest?”

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