Laughter went round the crowd standing around Heather, apparently she had thought to make her amnesia scare into a joke, the ranch hands were eating it up nicely.
Heather had been discharged without much fuss which Shelby was grateful for, how did one explain to an experienced doctor that his patient was suddenly cured of amnesia? Shelby had then dumped Heather in front of her hotel and flipped her the bird. That was the least she deserved for worrying everyone that cared about her. Everyone with her in the middle sucking up all the space.
"Then I said, 'Who are you? And I could swear she froze." Everyone roared with laughter like that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.
Shelby stood silently in the corner, finding multiple ways to dispose of Heather in her head.
"I know that look young lady." Bran brushed his shoulder with hers.
"Then you should know I'm planning to kill that brat smiling in the middle of that crowd."
"You want to kill their new found comedienne." Bran tsked. "They wouldn't be happy with that development."
"Why should I care?" Shelby huffed. "I can just feel my hands wrapping round that-"
"Why do you have to be so nasty?" Heather smiled cheekily. "If you wanted me that way, all you had to do was ask."
The object of her anger was standing right in front of her yet Shelby could feel that anger seeping out of her pores into nothingness. "Fuck it!"
"Wow! Someone is excited to see me." Heather teased.
"Shut it Heather and stay out of trouble." Shelby pointed at Heather with narrowed eyes.
"I am the innocent one here sweetheart." Heather smirked. "The trouble always comes to me."
Fiona walked out from the corner with her hand in a cast, she paused for a second when she saw the trio then continued in their direction. "Hello."
"See what I said?" Heather eyed Fiona. "The trouble comes to me."
Fiona shook her head, not in the least bit interested in what she meant. "I've assigned all the jobs that need to be done so I'll just be supervising."
"That's okay with me Fee." Shelby couldn't hold back the subtle jab, "The doctor said no heavy lifting, staying on your feet too long and no heavy lifting."
Fiona smiled sheepishly, "I just wanted to check the damages, that was the only reason why you saw me try to lift the bucket of feed."
"Thank God I got there before you carried out that foolish plan."
The smile on Fiona's face vanished, leaving behind a pained look in her eyes. "Yeah, Thank God."
"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Shelby asked in concern
"No, no." Fiona cleared her throat when her voice came out shaky. "I'll leave you to it then."
Nodding her goodbyes, Fiona walked away painfully aware of the three pair of eyes watching her every move.
"Do you think she's fine?" Shelby asked no one in particular.
"She's strong so of course she'll be fine."
"Ever since the accident with Zina, she's been different." Shelby sighed, "I don't know how to explain it."
"Where is Zina?" Heather asked
"Locked up in a dark room." Shelby said tightly.
"Excuse me?" Heather laughed then stilled, "You cannot be serious, why would you put her in a dark room?"
"She's a threat to everyone and herself, I had tolerated her wild behaviors because she didn't hurt anyone but when Tracy called me and told me that you'd been-" Shelby's voice trailed off. "I had to do something, we would normally conduct an investigation but no one died and she's a wild horse so maybe we can't tame her."
"No one asked you to and she's not a wild horse." Heather gritted her teeth. "You're the only one who has been trying to tame her since you feel a great need to rekindle your horse whispering era."
"I tried and still try to tame her because if she doesn't understand that we're on her side, she'll do more than bust someone's head open." Shelby's breathing was ragged. "I cannot lose you even if I know you're going to try and pull rank and be stubborn about it but you're not getting close to that horse again or I'm shipping her to the next available stable."
"You're not my mother."
"Your tongue is losing its sharpness." Shelby smiled softly. "Try to stay of trouble Heather, do not go towards trouble this time or-"
"Or what?" Heather pushed.
"Or I'll bash your head in myself."
Heather stared daggers at Shelby's retreating form. "Bran-"
"Nuh uh, I don't want my head to be bashed in by Shelby."
"Like she could actually hurt a fly." Heather rolled her eyes. "I need to see my angel before I do actually pull rank because Zina didn't attack me, rather it wasn't me she was aiming for."
Whipping her head towards the direction Fiona disappeared through just moments before, Heather said her hasty goodbyes, running in that direction hoping she found Fiona in time.
°°°
Fiona was about to clock in for her break when Heather bursted through the corner, crashing into the heap of hay stationed by the side.
"I have never seen a sight so beautiful." Fiona laughed at the yet graceful sight of Heather covered in hay.
"Shut the fuck up and help me up."
Fiona raised her bandaged arm. "One armed woman here."
"You're such a bitch."
"I'm not the one lying on the floor with my hair filled with hay."
Heather spat out the hay that had gotten into her mouth and dusted herself, her hair would be done later at her own convenience. "Thank goodness I caught you before you holed yourself somewhere."
"It's my break."
"That's great." Heather chirped. "That means you have time to answer some of my questions."
"What questions?" Fiona's brows raised in question.
"Why are they keeping Zina under lock and key?"
Fiona shrugged. "I don't know."
Heather stare turned hard. "You should start providing answers Fiona because I know you know, why's she under supervision over something you obviously orchestrated? Why's she locked up and you're walking around and not saying anything?"
"I don't have the time for you to badger me with these insane questions." Fiona tried to push her way past Heather but she didn't budge.
"You ran in from the open fields, knowing fully well that was Zina's territory. Don't try to deny it cause I saw you, you were already bleeding by the time you made it to safety, what did you do to Zina to make her attack you?"
"I said I don't know." Fiona gritted her teeth. "What's the problem anyway? She'll be out in a few days and all this will be blown under the carpet."
"Is that the saddened reality you cope with? Shelby is planning to ship her to the next available stable."
Fiona's shoulders sagged, "I really don't know what you want me to say but I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."
"I just need the truth."
They stood in silence before Fiona sighed. "I had the foolish notion that I could tame her so I went into the open fields that day to try and as you can see." Fiona gestured to her arm. "It didn't end well."
Heather was amazed at the sheer stupidity of the woman in front of her. "Are you crazy? You could have died."
"Same goes for you, what made you take the blow for me?" Fiona retorted.
"Maybe I wanted you to be indebted to me for the rest of your life."
"And if you had died?"
"Then you'd have no choice but to visit my grave forever till we became coffin buddies."
"I can't apologize for what I did and honestly it has been eating me up inside." Fiona let out a small sigh of relief. "Ever since at the hospital when the nurse said Zina could be shipped off to a better facility, I knew this was all my fault but I've been too ashamed to say it."
"There's nothing wrong with feeling ashamed." Heather patted Fiona's uninjured arm. "It was a truly stupid thing to do and don't worry your secret is safe with me."
Fiona couldn't help the skeptical look on her face. "Forgive me if I don't believe you."
"Ugh. Fine, cross my heart and hope to die. Pinky swear."
"What are you? Five?" Fiona goaded even as she interlocked her pinky with Heather's.
Heather stuck out her tongue. "This was the best way to get you to trust me. I never go back on my pinky promises. And while we're at it, maybe you can take me to where Zina's being held."
"No way!" Fiona struggled to free her pinky from Heather's grip.
"You're locked in a promise bond with me." Heather wiggled her brows.
"You're such a child."
"Take me there or I'll tell everyone how-"
"Fine! I'll take you." Fiona glowered at Heather as she raised their pinkies in the air. "I promise."
"I was going to say I'd tell everyone how sickeningly beautiful you are."
"You're a bitch."
°°°
Fiona and Heather moved across the ranch stealthily like ninjas, staying close to the walls and hiding from plain sight.
"In as much I'm loving the James Bond action, Can you tell me why we're sticking close to the walls?"
"Because Shelby installed some cameras recently and this is the blind spot, wouldn't want to be intercepted before you got there do you?"
"Ahh! I see someone's finally using her brains."
"Keep talking and I'll push you into the not so blind spots." Fiona growled.
Heather followed behind Fiona silently till they got to an abandoned stable, it looked depressing and dark from where Heather was standing. "You guys put her in there?"
"Yea." Fiona sighed. "I did really want to come clean but-"
"Trust me Fiona." Heather cut her off with a hand on her arm. "I totally understand. You went in with thoughts of every thing going good and it ended up going terribly bad. There's nothing wrong with feeling embarrassed."
"I'll stand guard, go ahead." Fiona nodded at Heather with a smile of gratitude.
Heather looked round, removed the padlock on the door and hurried in. "Phew! That was easy."
"Was it?"
Heather jumped, startled to her bones. "What the hell? You aren't Zina."
"I knew you would soon enough start poking your nose where I specifically asked you to keep it out of."
"Hehe" Heather laughed nervously then made a run for it. Pulling the door harder when it wouldn't budge.
"Don't worry about escaping. The door is locked and the key is with me." Shelby threw the key into the air and caught it. "You're stuck with me now."
"If the door is locked from outside, how's that key going to help us?"
Shelby's confident smile died on her lips. "Fiona! That-" Shelby bit back the profanities trying to push through her lips.
"Bullocks!" Heather exclaimed. She had been dealt a fine hand, a fine hand indeed.