Untamed

16

Shelby patted Sugar's nose gently after their morning run, Sugar had refused to come outside for weeks after the incident so Shelby had to assure and care for her, Shelby had taken her for a walk earlier, they were out longer than normal because Shelby wanted Sugar to know it was safe for her.

"I almost thought Sugar threw you off again" Bran frowned.

Shelby turned and smiled at Bran. "You have nothing to worry about, she's fine."

"Are you?"

Shelby's smile faltered, she didn't want to remember the argument but that was all she could think about lately, Heather had disappeared as usual but this time Shelby cared.

Heather had gotten under her skin and she didn't know when. She had called her hotel but she never picked or returned the calls.

"Yea" Shelby shrugged. "Why would you think I was not?"

"Because I know what sleepless nights look like." Bran touched the spot beneath his eyes reminding Shelby of her eye bags.

"It's not sleepless nights, I really just have a lot of work to do and I have to catch up quick."

"In my time we didn't have phones." Bran said seeing through her lies

Shelby sighed. "Well in my time we have a lot of things."

Bran shook his head. "Maybe that's why you forget you have legs, if she ain't picking then go look for her, there's only so much chasing your phone can help you with."

Shelby heard Bran walk away, she wanted to look for her, she just didn't know if her pride would let her.

***

Heather stared emptily at her phone screen, the news stations had nothing new to say, her social accounts were filled with messages she didn't want to respond to so she sat in the cafe across her hotel doing nothing.

Her father had called her again last night and the conversation was very disturbing, she didn't understand why he was so obsessed over the land.

Every property she handled got leased to someone who could pay the loans and handle it better, she had nothing on the ranch and she didn't want to.

Her father had made it clear that if she didn't put it up for sale in three months, he was going to send company officials in who would, he couldn't do that but her father was a very powerful man, she didn't want to underestimate him. She could only hope Shelby paid back everything before her father did anything she couldn't stop.

Thinking back to the last time she saw Shelby she couldn't help but smile as she recalled the feisty woman. Their argument replayed itself in her head but she wasn't upset just afraid.

Her words didn't hurt it just laid bare all her fears. She also avoided Shelby because she wasn't sure what she was going to do with the ranch, and she didn't want to be with her with her fingers crossed or maybe it was because she was good at running away from things she didn't want to deal with.

Either way the distance cleared her head and gave her enough time to think.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone buzzed.

"What's up Gibb, I don't think I gave you a job so why're you calling."

"I'm hurt, can't I call you because I miss you."

Heather rolled her eyes. "Just get on with it, I don't pay you to miss me."

Gibb laughed then cleared his throat. "I did a little digging into your cinderella."

"I thought you already checked all the boxes you needed to about her." Shelby frowned. "And she's not my cinderella."

"Just because you can't find a glass shoe, it doesn't make you any less a prin- wait do I call you princess even if your balls are bigger than mine."

Shelby rubbed her forehead while Gibb cackled over the phone. "Are you done with your silly jokes?"

"Yes I am" Gibb said even though he was still chuckling. "Anyway I went deeper than I did last time and boy oh boy your girl had someone bury her past so deep it's beyond classified."

Heather drummed her fingers on the table digesting the new information. She knew Shelby was intriguing but why would she go that far to bury her life except there was something she didn't want anyone to know.

"What did you find?" Heather paid for the coffee she didn't get to drink, she walked slowly to her hotel listening to Gibb tap his keyboard.

"I found a whole lot of files under her name but I haven't decoded them yet, I just wanted to let you know that your girl is hiding something or she's someone who is hiding."

Heather let out a long sigh when she walked into her room, "Oh! I know she's hiding something, I just don't know what."

"We'll figure that out before the end of the day, I'll call you when I have all the files decoded."

Heather ended the call falling onto the bed, she wondered how people slept through the day when her mind would give her time to think about sleep.

Her father and Shelby were hiding something, something she needed to know, something that could put all the puzzles into place and end this cycle.

She groaned when she heard a knock on her door, it was probably room service so if she stayed still and didn't respond they won't get the hint and go away. She frowned when the knocks didn't stop.

Walking slowly towards the door, she swung it open.

"I don't need room service right now." Heather said massaging her tired eyes

"I'm not here for your room."

Heather stared open-mouthed at Shelby.

"You're going to get flies in there." Shelby lifted her chin.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just took the advice of an old friend, I needed to stop calling and just come see you in person." Shelby rubbed her hands together nervously. "Won't you invite me in?"

Heather stared at her trying to remember all the reasons Shelby was bad for her health but came up empty. Heather opened the door widely so she could walk through.

Shelby walked in making herself comfortable on the bed, Heather didn't want to think of how good she would look in other positions.

"-sorry."

Heather shook her head in confusion. "What?"

"I said I came to render an apology, I was just being a bitch and you didn't need to be on the receiving end of my temper."

"Oh, it's okay I wasn't upset. We both just needed the space."

"You could have picked your calls then so I wouldn't have felt bad." Shelby smiled lightly.

"I'm sorry, I've just been surrounded by work." Heather stood a good distance from Shelby and the bed. "Don't you have to close the ranch or something?"

Shelby's head dipped and Heather cursed silently. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine, I get it. I do need to do some paperwork so I'll get out of your hair." Shelby plastered a fake smile on her face as she stood up. "Thank you for hearing me out."

Heather stopped Shelby before she walked out of the door gulping when electricity zapped between them.

"I didn't mean it like that." Heather spoke so softly she thought Shelby didn't hear her.

"I know." Shelby caressed her face slowly. Heather hissed when she felt her body respond.

"You're not ready." Heather kissed her palms.

"I know" Shelby smiled sadly walking out the door.

°°°

To hoelitdays
To hoelitdays
To _Laramie_
To hoelitdays. I miss you