Page 43 of Naughty by Nature

Chapter 14

Sheridan didn’t getnerves very often, but today was different. Today he was going out with the woman who made his heart beat again. It had gone still after Nora had died.

As he watched Cheyenne walk out to the truck, his heart all but raced. She was a beautiful woman, her long auburn hair pulled back into clips on the sides. She didn’t wear a lot of make-up, but she didn’t need it. There was a natural, creamy-skinned beauty to her that didn’t need any enhancement.

A white skirt swirled around her long legs, and she wore a button-front shirt in a pretty lilac color.

Circling the hood of the vehicle he opened her door. With a smile she slid inside, putting her little clutch wallet on the seat beside her.

“You look beautiful, Cheyenne.”

Her pale cheeks flushed with color. “I didn’t have a lot to choose from. We might have to go back to the house at some point and change out our clothes.”

He nodded and shut her door.

“We can go get some more things after lunch if you want,” he continued, settling into his seat and stretching the seat belt across his lap.

“That would be fine.”

The left the driveway and headed toward town. The sun shone brilliant in the sky, but the heat was getting pretty harsh. The AC was turned all the way up.

Or maybe he was just feeling warm under the collar of his polo, Sheridan thought with an internal chuckle. It had been years, literally, since he’d been this nervous about a date. It wasn’t even technically a real date, but his body apparently couldn’t tell the difference.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Sheridan gave her a sideways look, and grinned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. No, let me correct that. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on a date that made me feel this nervous.”

Her mouth dropped open a little. “What? Why are you nervous? I mean, you’re,” she waved a hand, “you.”

Chuckling, he shook his head, glancing at her for a moment before focusing back on the road. “Just because I’m sheriff it doesn’t mean it insulates me from emotion. And I know this date was supposed to be for a completely different reason, but sometimes it’s hard to separate the emotional from the professional. I really like you, Cheyenne. My hope today is that we don’t even see Wade or his family and we can just enjoy each other, though I have a feeling the people of Honeywell are going to have something to say about us being together.”

Cheyenne looked a little shell-shocked, her eyes wide, and he was glad that he’d jolted her like that.

Then her mouth closed and she sat straighter in the seat, as if she’d come to some decision. “I really like you too, Sheridan. And I hope we don’t see Wade for the same reason,” she laughed.

He turned back to the road, grinning. “Good.”

The lot at Sophia’s was full, but Sheridan found a space on the street. As he stepped out of the truck, he checked his sidearm before walking around the hood. He didn’t normally feel the need to carry off-duty, but he had been recently. Wade had put him on alert.

Cheyenne slipped down to the street in front of him and grabbed her little purse. Sheridan shut the door behind her, then, without even thinking about it, held out a hand.

When Cheyenne slipped her fingers into his own, a thrill went through him, and he was smiling as they walked to Sophia’s.

The cafe had had many different names over the years, many different looks. It had been rebuilt after a fire in the seventies and expanded significantly. Sophia Arlotti had bought the place about fifteen years ago and brought her Italian heritage with her. She hadn’t been very old at the time, just out of college, but she’d told them many times that the location ‘spoke’ to her, and held more appeal than the business future she’d been planning.

There were a lot of Italian recipes on the menu, but it had also become Americanized over the years with burgers and sandwiches. Then, a few years ago she had hired a baker, and there was now a full dessert case overflowing with goodness. Sophia’s was a true hotspot in Honeywell.

Sophia herself greeted them, her lipsticked mouth spread in a broad smile and her dark brown eyes smiling. “Well, hello, Sheriff. And Cheyenne. It’s wonderful to see you both. Captain Patterson just came in. He’s sitting in the back. Were you meeting him?”

Sheridan shook his head. “We’ll say hello but we’ll do a separate table, Sophia.”

Her eyes flared with surprise and she looked between them with interest. “Right this way.”

Gathering up two menus and wrapped silverware, she led them through the sunlit restaurant. It was packed, as he’d expected, and more than a few people waved and called hello. Cheyenne received as many acknowledgements as he did. But the two of them together got several double takes.

Sophia seated them, then took their drink order, promising to return in a jiffy.

Sheridan gave Paul Patterson a nod as he removed his hat, setting it on the bench seat beside him. When Sheridan wasn’t in the office, Patterson took over for the most part, unless something really big came up. He’d texted Paul this morning and asked him to hang out at Sophia’s for a while in a long lunch, aka as unofficial back-up.

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