“How are you running late?” 

 

Natoya Grant rolled her eyes at the condescending tone of her friend on the phone. Emerson didn’t understand that Natoya was never late. She was always leaving at the perfect time—for her. She glanced around her bedroom and couldn’t find the shoes she wanted to wear.

 

“I’m not. I changed my mind on what time I wanted to leave,” Natoya muttered. She snatched her phone from the nightstand and moved over to her closet. She slid the door open and bent down to find the pair of flats she was searching for. 

 

It was the second week of school, and everything was going well. Natoya, a sixth-grade teacher, looked forward to this year. Her students were all wonderful, bright young kids. She loved her job, and teaching the young minds of tomorrow fulfilled something in her that she had always yearned for in life. From the time she was a little girl, Natoya knew she wanted to be a teacher. 

 

“Doesn’t matter how you put a spin on it, you’re going to be late.” Emerson snickered. 

 

“Oh, hush up.” Natoya grinned. Her gaze landed on the shoes of choice. She frowned, distinctly remembering she had pulled them out of the closet last night. She grabbed them and tossed them down so she could slide her feet into them. “I’ll be just fine.”

 

“Well, I was calling because we haven’t spoken in a few days. I thought I would catch you before you went to work,” Emerson said. 

 

Natoya felt a slight twinge of guilt. She and Emerson had been best friends since ninth grade. Emerson had been the new kid in school, and Natoya had befriended her immediately. They’d been glued at the hip every day since. Not only had they graduated from high school together, they’d even gone to the same college. 

 

Now, because of Natoya, they lived in different towns. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’ve been super busy. There were some last-minute changes to the curriculum, and I had to do an entire overhaul of my lesson plans, we moved into the renovated part of the building, and with me finally settling into my house—”

 

“I know. I know. It’s just that I miss you. I wish you weren’t so far away. Maybe I could come down and we can drink and paint the new house,” Emerson said. 

 

The last few weeks had been a blur. Natoya had moved to Shady Springs a year ago. It was a major life decision. It was needed because she had left a certain situation behind and needed a fresh start. Here in Shady Springs, she’d got everything she’d ever wanted. She’d secured an amazing job at the local school district, a fun small town that had a lot to offer her, and now she had recently purchased her own home. 

 

Who would have thought she would have done all of that in the past year?

 

Natoya sighed and glanced around her bedroom. She hadn’t done much to it yet. She was tackling one room at a time when it came to decorating. There were still some boxes that needed to be unpacked, but she was going to take her time. This house was officially hers, and she was going to make it a home. Emme was on to something. They could go shopping for decor for the room, paint colors and stuff. 

 

“That would be fun!” There would be nothing better than spending time with her bestie, drinking and painting. Even though she doubted they would get anything done once the wine got flowing. She could get the spare room together for Emme. “When would you want to come down?”

 

“Let me look at my work schedule and see when I can put in for. Maybe I could come for a long weekend.”

 

“Well, let me know. I can always put in for a day or two off. I’m sure they could find a sub for me.” Natoya walked back over to her bed and snagged her cardigan sweater. She glanced around the room to make sure she had everything. Her gaze landed on something in the corner. 

 

Her shoes. 

 

She glanced down at her feet and gasped. 

 

“What the hell…?” Her gaze moved back to the corner, and she realized she must have purchased the same pair of shoes twice. She fell into a fit of giggles. 

 

“What is it?” 

 

“Oh God. Nothing. Just nothing.” Natoya shook her head. She didn’t want to mention this to her friend. She would make some slick comment about Natoya’s small shopping addiction. She didn’t have a true problem, she just had a hard time walking away from a deal. She made her way out of her room. She headed down to the living room where she had left her purse and work bag. 

 

“All right, girl, I’m going to let you go. I just wanted to holler at you this morning.” Emme chuckled. 

 

“I promise to call more often. Things should be settling down soon.” Natoya grabbed her bags and hightailed it to the kitchen.

Her attention landed on the microwave’s clock, and she saw she didn’t have time to make a cup of coffee. She would just buy some on her way to work. The Shady Beans Cafe was on her way to work, and she could get a bite to eat along with her coffee. She had discovered it not too long after she had moved to Shady Springs and had fallen into love with it. 

 

They ended their call with the promise to speak again soon. Natoya exited through the side door in her kitchen which took her to her attached garage. She slid into her car and soon was driving through her cozy little neighborhood. She turned the music up and needed some motivation for the hours ahead. It was going to be a long day, but she was ready for it. 

 

Natoya felt a sense of calmness while driving through town. The move a year ago was for her own good and peace of mind. She tried not to think of why she’d relocated. She hadn’t wanted to leave family and friends, but this new start was what she’d needed. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as thoughts of him came to mind. 

 

She rolled her eyes and pushed him out of her head. 

 

Clifford Neil was no longer going to be an issue for her. Natoya had thought she was madly in love with her ex-boyfriend. When they’d first met, Clifford had been everything she’d thought she would want in a man. He’d been charming, handsome, and said all of the right things she had wanted to hear. 

 

Natoya had a bad streak to her when it came to choosing men, and when she’d started dating Cliff, she’d thought she’d finally found the one. 

 

Boy, had she’d been so wrong about him. He’d been controlling, constantly cheated on her, lacked respect for her, and took her for granted. When she’d tried to leave him, he’d just show up and proclaim that she should forgive him because who else would want her?

 

Natoya tightened her grip on the steering wheel again and tried to push him out of her mind—again! She blinked back the tears. It had been hard to leave him. He just wouldn’t leave her alone. A restraining order was just a piece of paper, and in their town, his family was good friends with the judge so it hadn’t meant a damn thing. 

 

Hence why she had moved to Shady Springs for a new start. 

 

She hadn’t had a choice. When she’d seen the job listing for a sixth-grade teacher in Shady Springs, she’d taken it as a sign. It was far enough away from home, but close enough she could still go see her folks. The past year had been wonderful. Cliff must have finally got the hint, or maybe he was just caught up in his most recent conquest that he’d lost interest in her. 

 

She felt safe here in Shady Springs. She had found a community that was welcoming, and the town was amazing. Dating was the last thing on her mind. At least not with a cowboy. Every single one she’d been involved with was no good. She should have learned even before Cliff, but she just kept giving each guy a chance, and they all broke her heart. 

 

Eventually, she figured she would dive back into the dating scene. She did want someone to spend her life with who could not only be her lover but her friend. A partner in life. Someone she would even be honored to have children with. 

 

With Cliff, none of that would have happened. He’d mentioned kids once, and she’d immediately felt sick to her stomach. There was no way she could procreate with that man. 

 

“Stop thinking of him,” she murmured. 

 

She pulled into the parking lot of the Shady Beans Cafe and found a spot. It wouldn’t take her long to run in and buy what she needed to get her day going. The owner, Nasia, was a nice woman who certainly knew what she was doing when it came to pastries and breakfast. Natoya had yet to order something she didn’t like. She killed the engine and snagged her purse. Today was going to be a great day, and she wasn’t going to allow anything to ruin it.