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Chapter One
“Five minutes tops, I swear.” It was a lie. One of several she had told her mother in the last ten minutes of their conversation. She glanced at her clock on the dashboard and sighed. Eleven minutes.
Her foot tapped on the gas slowly, her gaze drawn to the speedometer. Maybe she could get there in fifteen. But unless the car grew wings, a five-minute arrival wasn’t happening.
“Where are you?” Suspicion laced her mother’s voice. Of course it did. The woman had known her for the past twenty-six years.
She bit her lip. This was why lying wasn’t good for her. She could never seem to keep up with her lies. “Okay, so I might have underestimated when I said five minutes. It’s probably gonna be about twenty.”
Her mother cleared her throat, which was never a good sign. “So you lied.”
“No,” she snapped. Admitting the lie would give the woman leverage. “Underestimated. You know I’ve always sucked at math.” She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and pressed her foot on the gas pedal.
Cheyenne could hear the heavy sigh and knew what was coming even before the words were spoken.
“This is why you should move closer.”
She silently groaned. Not this again.
“Remember the Parkers from down the street? They’re moving and renting out the house. I can get the information from Carol.” The enthusiasm in her tone was evident. “And we have plenty of bars around here you could work at.” Her mother gasped. “Oh, I have a great idea. Let me reach out to Lenny and see if he’s got any shifts available.”
Lenny was her uncle. He owned a dive bar on the outskirts of town. The same place her mother had forbidden her to go due to the seedy location. Now she wants me to work there? Obviously, the woman was desperate to have her back home.
Her mom had always been overbearing, but it seemed as Cheyenne got older, it had gotten worse.
“I’ll call him now.”
“Mom, no.” Cheyenne gritted her teeth. “I have a job, and a home, in Blacksburg.”
The same job and home she’d had for the past four years, though her mother liked to ignore that fact.
“But it’s so far. Don’t you miss it here, being with us?”
Cheyenne clamped her lips. Don’t answer! It was a loaded question with no right answer. If she said no, she’d feel the wrath of her mother. If she said yes, her mom would have her moved back home in a day. Lose-lose situation. Though she would never admit it to anyone except Macy, her mother was the reason she lived almost two hours away from her hometown. Eighty miles proved too far for a “surprise” visit. No way am I moving back. Cheyenne had it good, and she kept her mom at a safe but long distance.
“Mom, we can talk about this when I get there, but I gotta go. Driving on the cell is so unsafe. See you in a few.” She clicked End and then tossed the phone onto the seat. She didn’t miss the sound of her mom calling out before she hung up. Cheyenne would deal with her in person. She snorted while envisioning the one-sided conversation.
She fiddled with her radio and turned back to the road. Monthly dinners were a must, and as usual, she would arrive late. The two-hour drive was good for her. It gave her time to gear up for the inevitable. Why aren’t you dating? I was married at your age. Why were mothers so hellbent on diminishing their daughters’ life choices? Or is it just my mom?
Cheyenne hadn’t been a scholar like her older brother. She opted to work, as opposed to going to college after high school. Her resumé was filled with waitressing and retail jobs, which wasn’t exactly rave-worthy material. However, she had her own place and paid her bills on time, usually.
Her newest endeavor was bound to be her claim to success when it finally got off the ground. She and her best friend, Macy, had started an online shop. They had visions of someday opening up a storefront. It was a dream set in the future. A fantastic vision, though. Cheyenne smiled, seeing it in her head.
A boutique-style set-up. Gorgeous, trendy-chic clothes lining the outer walls, all color coordinated, of course. Shoes lining the floor underneath with shelves above for hats. The center floor plan was her own little creation. Three circular tables, all offering one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry. Along the back wall, home furnishings, candles, and oils. She drew in a breath and could almost smell the scents. Almost.
Currently, they were stuck working out of their cramped apartment. If their calculations were correct, they had another five years before their dream was even remotely possible. Five friggin’ years. Cheyenne slumped in her seat, allowing the weight of disappointment to settle in. She sighed.
The apartment. Yet another source of her stress.
Her best friend and roommate, Macy, had lived there most of her life. When her mom moved out after getting married, Cheyenne moved in. It wouldn’t have been Cheyenne’s first choice of places to live, but the timing played out perfectly. For a while, it was great. Until about two months ago, when her courtyard became the meeting ground for some local assholes. Cheyenne, Macy, and a few other women had made complaints to the landlord. As of yet, they hadn’t been heard, and if they were, they were blatantly ignored. It had started out more bothersome than anything else. However, in the past few weeks, it had escalated. They seemed to become more brazen with their taunting and sexually aggressive comments. For a threesome asshole brigade, they were fairly smart, only targeting women late at night when witnesses were scarce.
Between asshole thugs, dealing with her mother, and her dream job out of her immediate reach, Cheyenne felt the weight of it all. She needed to focus on the good. Oh, shut up!
“I need a distraction,” she muttered.
And just like that…she got one.
The sound of a roaring engine had her glancing in her mirror. Coming up on her left was a leather-clad man with a gray beard and dark sunglasses. He had a big black-and-silver motorcycle situated between his legs. She clucked her tongue. Where’s your helmet? By law, her state didn’t require it, but for safety purposes, he should be wearing one, she thought. Shut up, Miss Goody-Good and enjoy the view.
