Page 4 of Naughty by Nature

Chapter 2

Sheridan curseda blue streak at himself internally when the color faded from her face, and that spooked look settled back in her eyes. Why the hell hadn’t he been content with what had started between them?

Because he’d been waiting forever for this small opening in her defenses.

Cheyenne Lowell was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and for years he’d been lusting after her. Not that she’d ever known it. Any time he’d gone out to the ranch or met her in a social setting, she’d smiled at him politely, and kept it at that level. Yes, she’d been married when he met her, but even then, before the abuse started, he could tell she wasn’t happy. She’d been too deep into her own traumas to notice anything else going on.

That had been okay, though. It had given him time to deal with his own wife’s passing. Olivia had had issues at the time, missing her mother and adapting to all of the changes going on after they moved. For about four years they’d been a wreck of a family. Then, when he’d started dating again, he’d had his own issues to deal with.

And now he’d just created a new one.

“Cheyenne, please look at me.”

Her brilliant blue eyes flicked up to meet his own, and she tucked some of her long auburn hair behind her ear.

“I know you’re not ready to date, and I wasn’t asking you out or anything, but I want you to know I’m here for you if you need anything. I want you to know you can call me even when it’s not an emergency.”

Her expression softened and she actually smiled at him. “Thank you, Sheridan. I appreciate that.”

It wasn’t a surprise when she made her excuses to leave soon after that. As he watched her tall, lean shape head out the door, he wondered if she realized how very shut off from other people she was. Yes, she was surrounded by people all the time, but there was a shadow in her eyes that told you how sad she was, how alone.

Sheridan looked down at the half empty coffee cup, then the woman walking away down the street. No matter how long he needed to wait, he would be here waiting for her when she opened her eyes. And heart. This had been a good beginning.

* * *

Cheyenne was distractedthe rest of the day, and she had only herself to blame.

Sheridan Lane had put her on edge. Most men put her on edge, but something about Sheridan was different. Maybe it was because of the appreciation she could see in his face. A woman knew when a man was drawn to her.

She didn’t have time for any of that, or even the desire, certainly not the energy. She had three daughters to raise on her own, classrooms of kids to teach, and aging parents to keep an eye on. Her plate was more than full. Oh, and she had a wedding shower to plan. How had that slipped her mind?

Cheyenne finished her errands, then headed back to the library to pick up Grace. Her wild child was on a step stool in the kids section, arranging a series of books on top of a short shelf. She grinned when Cheyenne ran a hand over her crazy hair. “Did you help Katie or make her more work?”

“Oh, she definitely helped,” Katie assured her, coming from the opposite end of the aisle, a stack of books in her hand. “And she started learning how to reset books.” She leaned close to Cheyenne, her eyes shining. “That girl is smart, now. Everything I told her to do she did. She can help out any time.”

Cheyenne blinked, a little skeptical. “Really?”

“Definitely. Tell me about the coffee shop. Was it terrible?”

Wincing, she shook her head. “No, sorry. It was pretty charming actually.”

“Shoot,” Katie sighed. “Okay, thanks for checking it out for me.”

Kate nodded, moving away back down the aisle.

Grace stepped down off the step stool to look at her handiwork. “What do you think Mama?”

“You know, baby? I think it looks great. You did a fabulous job!”

Gracie grinned, the gap in her teeth shining bright. “I wanna work here more, Mama. Miss Katie is interesting. She knows about all these books in here.”

Cheyenne quirked an eyebrow. “Well, she is the librarian. I think she reads everything she orders.”

Gracie looked thoughtful as she gazed around the library. “No way, she read all these?”

Cheyenne nodded. “Think so. That’s what she does when she’s not in her garden.”

Seems like that’s what she said a while ago, if Cheyenne remembered right.

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