Untamed

17

"Your bruises have faded and it no longer hurts-" Frank poked her ribs just to make sure. "You can go back to work not like I don't know you didn't wait for my permission before you actually did."

Frank glared at Shelby stopping her celebratory dance mid way.

"I'm sorry Frank, I would have gone crazy if I had to sit in that house for another day and you know it."

"You would go crazy if I say you aren't fit to work, I have that power Shel. Don't make me use it." Frank warned.

Shelby clasped her hands together with horror written all over her face. "I'm sorry I went back to work without telling you but if I don't continue to work-"

"I know, I know" Frank interrupted her. "Just be careful, if I see you in my clinic again, I might just ban you all together."

"I promise to avoid your clinic like the plague."

Frank laughed shooing Shelby out.

Shelby walked-hopped round the stable, she had run back to the office when she had the chance but now she didn't need to hide to do it.

"Have you been cleared missus?"

Shelby rolled her eyes when she heard Bran's voice, he did everything to get on her nerves these days.

"Yes I have, now I can actually work"

"That's good but your office is that way" Bran said pointing in the opposite direction from where they were standing.

"I know that but I'm not doing any paper work together, I'm going into the field."

"We don't need extra hands for the field work today."

Shelby squinted her eyes at Bran, that was what he had been saying for weeks.

"I'm sure I can lift a bucket bran."

"You can but we don't need you on the field today Shelby so-" Bran turned her in the direction of her office and gave a gently shove. "Go rest in your office."

"I don't need rest." Shelby gritted her teeth. "What I need is to actually do something Bran, give me something."

Bran stared into the defiant eyes of Shelby and sighed. "I really have nothing for you Shel, come by again tomorrow, we're showing the horses off for some kids."

Shelby swallowed the ball of frustration on her tongue. "That's great, I'll stop by again tomorrow."

Shelby walked back to her office for the first time hating the space. She couldn't think of anything to do and she wouldn't give Bran the satisfaction of going home even though it looked like the best thing to do.

There was nothing for her to do because Bran had made sure of it, she would have been content just sitting in her office, rereading the files on her desk yet all she wanted to do right now was be in the field.

The weather was cool so Shelby didn't need to put on the air conditioner, it was perfect and Shelby wished it could influence her mood but it just kept getting darker and darker.

"Hey Shel do you have a mi- Whoa!" Bran blinked at Shelby. "You look a little dark over there."

"That's how I'm feeling right now Bran, I'm not in a good mood."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Bran played with the cap in his hands. "I needed to run the list by you so we could prepare against tomorrow and ask if we need to get refreshments."

Shelby rolled her shoulders trying to ease the tension. "They're kids so the horses won't hold their attention for long we need to put up some other things."

Bran and Shelby spent the rest of the afternoon putting plans in place for the next day.

Shelby groaned after what seemed like six hours. "Ugh- you really know how to work someone to the bone Bran."

Bran smiled widely watching Shelby stretch her tight muscles in her seat. "What can I say? I know how to do my job pretty well."

"Whatever, I just hope I don't need to see you for another day."

Bran picked up all the papers they'd had been doodling on, there were some rough sheets but nothing could be casted aside so he stuffed as much as he could into the pockets of his jeans.

"Make sure to tell your wife those aren't love letters" Shelby winked. "You know she has a problem with too many letters on paper."

Bran glared at Shelby as she stifled a laugh. "She knows how to read, when will your feud with her end?"

Shelby furrowed her brows. "Feud? What exactly is that? That's a very big word for what is actually going on between Tracy and i."

"Whatever Shel, I'm going home to my wife." Shelby didn't miss the emphasis Bran put on wife and visibly gagged.

"Don't scar me with the nightmare you have as a partner, it makes me scared to actually think of loving another human being."

Shelby only registered what came out of her mouth after it did.

"Thank God I didn't need to spell that part out for you." Bran patted her hand gently with pride gracing his features.

Shelby would have returned his smile if she wasn't scared, she had only just digested the irony of her words.

"Don't kill your remaining brain cells trying to wrap your head around it." Bran tried to soothe her with his words.

"Hmm" was all Shelby could say.

Bran waved goodbye to Shelby as he slid into his truck, he watched her walk home with a worried sigh.

He could hope she would let it be for now though he wasn't sure she would.

He had seen the looks from Shelby and Heather and the glances thrown when it was like no one was looking, he felt the air sizzle when they were in the same space, anyone would be scared to interfere when their eyes met.

The admiration forever imbued in their eyes for each other, the need to rip each other's throat out.

If he could see it, why couldn't they?

Bran smiled in loving memory of his youthful days, he knew what it was like falling in love, he knew the thrills and also the chaos and destruction it could bring.

He prayed to the universe that the former was in Shelby's favour.

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