Penny was sitting in her truck, her forehead pressed into the top of the steering wheel with her phone up to her ear.

“Yes, Eva, yes. I get it. My god, Eva! Yes, I said I fucking get it!”

She was gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were turning white. She let out a deep grunt, sitting back in her seat and turning the phone on speaker. She couldn’t handle having Eva scream in her ear anymore.

“I just don’t understand why you’d go back? You could have done all of this from home. You just had to sign some paperwork and give them an address to mail the check. This is seriously unnecessary, Penelope.” Eva didn't sound any better coming through the speaker. Her tone was still sharp and condescending even if it wasn't directly blasting in her ear.

Penny had her hands over her eyes. She thought maybe she could sink to her happy place. Well, she’d have to imagine it still being happy because now it was abandoned and charred.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Eva was still going. Her tone was getting more and more shrill with each syllable.

“Yes, Eva, I’m listening!” She put as much emphasis into the words as humanly possible.

“And now you’re going to be dealing with your Ex-husband! I seriously, you know, I’m this close to be done with your bullshit Penny. Should I even expect you to come back?!”

“Eva! Just fucking stop!” Penny finally snapped.

There was a sudden silence.

“Yes! I’m coming back. I told you – I needed to come down and check on everything. And I’m fucking glad I did because the place was burned, Eva! The horses are gone. There’s beams everywhere. You think I could just sign some paperwork without taking care of that? You think I could just do that to my Aunt?” Penny stopped to take in a deep breath. It was sharp and through the nose, but it was at least enough of a pause to somewhat collect herself.

“Eva, you’re my fiancé, and you’re going to be my wife in a month. I would never jeopardize that. I love you. You’re the most important thing. I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I promise I’m going to have it wrapped up soon. I need to do some investigating, but I’ll keep you looped in the entire time, okay?”

Eva was still silent on the other end, but Penny could hear her huffing. The pause went on for a solid minute before there was a quick, “Fine.”

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Penny added.

“I’m sorry, too. I love you, too. Just be safe.” Then the line clicked.

Penny tossed her phone into the passenger before screaming into the void that was her steering wheel. She slammed her hands on the top and shook the edges. She was hating every.single.thing about this day, and the one person she needed to count on was acting like a lunatic.

She let her frustration out until her palms turned red and ached. Then she finally stopped, laying her forehead back down on the top and breathing hard. She had to get as much out as possible before walking into Nate’s.

When she felt collected enough, she checked herself in the mirror to make sure she looked halfway decent. She didn’t need him adding fuel to her fire with any comments about her looks, even though the sight of the house alone made her blood start boiling all over again.

The house wasn’t much. It never was. In fact, it was basically a doublewide sitting on a cement foundation. All of the houses in this neighborhood were just large trailers trying to look like trendy small houses. She noticed the deck was new, though. Freshly finished and unstained. There was even a ramp going up the side of the house, which seemed odd.

She stepped out and went up to the door with the folder clutched to her chest. She took in another deep breath, silently talking herself into the exchange that was about to happen, then knocked.

The door creaked open before she could finish knocking.

Standing before her was a man with shaggy brown hair and a scraggly, patchy beard. He had dark circles under his eyes and a slight sheen of sweat on his face. “My, my. It’s the Spitfire. Right here, standing before my very eyes.”

“Hello, Nate,” Penny greeted, though her tone was anything but warm. Despite his rugged appearance, what stood out the most was his bandaged leg.

“Ahhh, my good ol’ gimpy leg?” He said, catching her little glimpse, and cracking a smirk. “Come in and I’ll tell you all about it.” He stepped aside to let her in, looking her up and down as well. “How’d you rip your pants?” He asked, noting the distinct difference in her outfit.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Caught it on a beam at the barn,” she said quickly. She bent down to roll up both pant legs, making them even. “How’d you hurt your leg?” She fired back.

Nate chuckled and hobbled over to an old leather reclining chair. He sat down and the thing creaked with age. She didn’t know how it was still comfortable, seeing as it was as old as the house was.

“Snagged it on a beam, too,” he replied, clasping his hands over his lap. “’Cept mine was on fire and I was saving your aunt’s horses. Guess you could call me a hero.” His smirk widened into a smug grin.

Penny rolled her eyes. She didn’t miss this. She didn’t miss him. She sat on the couch across from him, leaning back stiffly to put as much space between them as possible.

“You bring the folder?” He asked. He glanced at her leg again, but he didn’t hide the suspicion that crossed his face.

“Clearly.” She slid the folder across the table to his end.

Nate’s annoying smile returned as he opened the file. He licked his finger and then gingerly turned each page, taking an obnoxious amount of time to do so. “Looks like everything is all here,” he mentioned.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Oh, you don’t know what those squatters can do around here. Might take some important part, sign where they’re not supposed to,” he replied, still skimming pages.

“Everyone knows everyone. I doubt someone could sign for me and the clerk’s office just hand everything over,” she retorted.

Nate chuckled and shook his head. “Lots changed around here, Spitfire. You might be city-girl now, but you don’t know these outskirts anymore. Did you already know the surveyor? Or what about here,” he traced the lines with his finger until he came to the end, “A Mr. Emmett Dane? Know him?” Nate glanced up from the page to catch her embarrassment.

Penny’s face scrunched up. She could feel the frustration bubbling up again.

“That’s what I thought,” Nate replied and clapped the folder closed.

“Fine. People move in and out. That’s normal. Why did you need to see the folder, anyways? Your name isn’t even in it.”

Now Nate’s face was scrunching up. He slapped the folder on the table and leaned forward. She might have been Spitfire, but he could certainly get riled up with a pin drop. “Well, you see, you weren’t supposed to be in there. In fact, you’re not. These are the old copies. That farm belongs to me and we both know it.”

“You’re a ranch hand, Nate. Not kin.”

“Tsk tsk, Spitfire. I was more than that and we both know it.”

Penny shook her head, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “What you and my aunt had can stay in the bedroom at the back of this trailer. She left it to me and whoever this Emmett guy is. You have to deal with that.”

“Is that so? Why don’t you head down to that clerk’s office you know so well and look at the new copies - the ones your dear aunt drew up, may she rest her soul.”

“There aren’t any. I’ve been sent the new copies, and you’re still not on the record.”

Nate narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “No, that’s not true. She told me she was having it changed. I should know. She died the day she told me.”

“She was selling the place, Nate. God, you’re as dense as your brother," Penny said passively with another eye roll.

He slammed his palm down on the folder. “Don’t you come in my house and speak to me like that! That property is mine and everything about it belongs to me!”

Penny didn't even flinch. She stood up and snatched the folder from beneath his hand. “Do not speak to me that way. I don’t care what issue you have with this, but it’s not your problem anymore,” she said as she walked towards the door.

“Might want to think twice about that.”

“Oh? What are you going to do? Hobble after me?” She asked, glancing back at him from the doorway with a taunting glare.

“What your aunt and I had in that ‘back bedroom’ went much further than you think. I know what you are, Penelope Grace Harding, and you’re certainly not kin.” His tone had now shifted, threatening and anger was now bordering on something far more deceitful.

Penny was fighting every urge to not freeze up. “Good-bye, Nate.”

“Wait!” he yelled after her.

“What, Nate?” She swung back around, except this time he wasn’t alone. A sturdier, fresher looking Nate was standing directly behind him. Penny’s heart leapt into her throat. Now she couldn't help but freeze up.

“I thought you moved, Bennett,” she said stiffly through grit teeth. She couldn’t help but notice Nate’s prideful grin had returned and his entire being was suddenly relaxing proudly.

“You’re not the only one here to deal with unfinished business,” Bennett said gruffly.

If there was tension in the air before, it had thickened tenfold. Penny was clenching the door handle tightly, steadying herself to keep from completely bolting out of the house.

“I suggest you consider what my brother is saying,” Bennet placed his hand on Nate’s shoulders. “He’s been through a lot, we all have. Your family has a special -” he paused to act like he was thinking of the word, “- way about you. A bit suffocating, really. Might want to remember that these next few days.”

Penny was holding her face firm. She didn’t want to show any kind of reaction, but deep down they both knew what he was talking about. “Is that a threat?” She asked, her lip twitching with the word.

“Not a threat, just a reminder from your dense husband," he taunted. "Clerk’s office closes in an hour. Might want to skedaddle if you plan on asking about Mr. Dane. I heard he’s hard to find,” Bennett added, matching his brother’s sly grin.

Penny had no response for him. She simply turned on her heel and left. She slammed the door behind her and then slammed her truck door as soon as she was inside, muttering curses the entire way.

“Not fucking kin, my ass!” She yelled, throwing her car in reverse and speeding out of the gravel driveway. An emerald haze formed around her hands as she drove, swirling and fringing its way upwards. “Those idiots think they can do this. They’ve got nothing!” She slammed her fist on the console and out shot a ball of green light.

And then an ear-splitting bang ruptured behind her.