𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖞 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝐭. 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹

✧ 17 ✧

"You're a horse trainer, eh?" he questioned, the cigarette bouncing as he spoke.

Nellie could hardly restrain the pride she felt upon giving her answer. "Yes," she said, her chin rising slightly, "I am."

The driver nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Allyn?" Nellie cocked her head as the man scanned the premises. "I think I knew your old man." Nellie's smile faltered almost immediately. "I delivered a few horses to 'im way back when."

He fell silent as he racked his brain for something, and after a moment, he lifted his finger with a soft 'aha'. "That's it. A mare and a stallion. Magnolia Champion...Fury something..." He scrunched his brows as he tried to think over what their names were, but after a moment, he gave up. "Ah, whatever. It's a shame what happened to 'em anyways. They were fine horses."

Nellie swallowed thickly, images of the charred stables behind her filling her brain as she thought about the tragedy. "Yes," she whispered, "they were."

Except they weren't dead. Magnolia Lady and Champion Fury were alive and well. They had been stolen by Billy Kimber and were being used in fixed races so he could pocket a little more coin.

The thought infuriated Nellie as the driver packed up the trailer and hopped into his truck. Nellie watched silently as he pulled out of the drive, a cloud of gravel dust filling the air as he disappeared.

Once the dust settled, a figure was revealed.

Nellie frowned the moment she spotted Thomas standing at the end of the drive, his hands hidden in his pockets as he stared at Nellie. Without a word, the woman turned around and stormed inside, leaving Thomas in the drive.

She hoped he would take her message to fuck off, but it seemed he didn't. Nellie wanted nothing to do with Thomas, not after the other night. Not after he rose a hand against her.

Nellie had never been hit by a man before, much less a man that she loved.

It didn't take long for Thomas to find his way to Nellie's office, and when his figure crowded her doorway, Nellie fought the urge to scream at him to fuck off.

Instead, she ignored him as she sat down and went over her books.

"Beautiful horses you got," he said after a moment.

Silence stretched between the two as Nellie flipped a page and jotted some numbers down.

"Are you going to ignore me forever, Nell?"

Nellie hummed as she tapped her pen against the desk. "Hmm, that depends on if you intend to slap me again."

The sharp exhale that Thomas let out echoed across the room. Nellie hit a nerve with that one and she did nothing to hide the please smirk that tugged at her lips.

"I already apologized," he whispered, his voice so soft Nellie had to strain to hear him from across the room. "I never meant to hurt you, Nell."

Nellie jerked her head up, her smirk replaced with a severe frown as she glared at Thomas. "Well, do you did, Thomas." Nellie stood up and slammed her book shut. She gestured to her jaw, which was still healing from the blow she had received days earlier.

"Should I wipe this makeup away so you can see the bruise? Or would that be too hard for you, Thomas?" Her words were harsh and only seemed to stoke the fire within Thomas.

"You were attacking Grace," he snapped. "What did you want me to do?"

The silence that stretched between the two was long and awkward. Nellie couldn't believe what she had just heard...