Guardian Angel | Thomas Shelby

Seven

Ruby left Birmingham on Friday to go home to her parent's stables. They were already expecting her and after having dinner with them, Ruby went straight to work with the horses. A while ago her parents had recruited a trainer for the race horses and Ruby herself trained the dressage and show jumping horses.
She had always loved horses, her love to the gorgeous animals connected her with Thomas. He had wanted to work with horses ever since he was a kid. Polly once told her that Tommy used to sleep out in the pastures when he was a kid and it was hard to imagine that this was the same man that had come back from the battlefield beaten and broken.

Ruby finished training her favorite horse and returned to the courtyard to let it drink some water before they would head into the woods for a relaxing evening ride. She was surprised to see Tommy talking to her parents in the courtyard, not that she minded.
Her parents had known Tommy almost as long as they had known John, though they liked Tom better because he was always the more responsible one, escorting her home whenever they had been staying out late and her parents knew they could trust him with her daughter.
They were laughing together, a much needed sight for Ruby. There wasn't much to laugh about with her family ever since the war. The conversation came to a stop once they noticed Ruby riding towards them, Tommy looking at her with a sweet smile on his lips.
„Hey." She grinned back, sliding off the horses back and landing smoothly on her feet before guiding the horse to the little well in the middle of the courtyard.
„Who's this beauty?" Thomas walked towards her once her parents decided to leave them and looked at the horse.
Ruby saw his eyes shine like they always had when he was around animals.
„His name is Trouble. He's one of my favourites." Ruby started petting the stallion's neck, his white fur comforting under her fingers. Thomas looked at her, the joy clear in her eyes when he slid his fingers over the white fur as well.
"I didn't ask about the horse." Ruby laughed, throwing her head back slightly, her laugh sounding like a melody to Thomas.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're flirting with me."
„And what if I am?" Ruby hid the blush on her face by loosening the saddle on Trouble.
"When was the last time you've sat on a horse?" Ruby asked the Shelby and he wavered for a second, thinking.
"It's been a while." He then admitted.
"Let's go for a ride then. I suppose my parents have invited you for dinner and until then, we have some time to waste."

Tommy agreed to go riding with her and they saddled one of the horses together before they both mounted them and rode into the woods together, enjoying the warm evening air and chatting about nothing in particular.
It wasn't long until Tommy was chasing after Ruby on her horse and for a moment he felt free, the weight fell off his shoulders when he watched Ruby let go off the reigns and spread her arms, like she was about to fly away. Her hair was wildly following her frame and Tommy wondered how she made him feel like a teen again. That was one of the reasons he liked her that much, she was wild and rebellious, so different from most of the women. She didn't care what people thought of her and was unconditionally herself. Also, she was the only one that dared to call him out whenever he fucked up and he loved that about her.
When the stables were in sight, the girl slowed down and Tommy finally caught up with her when her horse settled in a walk and got it's neck scratched by Ruby. She smiled when Tommy settled next to her.
"He may be a dressage horse, but once you let him be free, he's a wild mustang."
Tommy chuckled at how similar Trouble and Ruby were.
"I wish he could be mine but his owner is gonna pick him up soon and then we'll be separated. Which is a bummer, because he's like my soulmate."

When they arrived at the stables, they took care of the horses and after storing the saddles in the tack room, Ruby returned to where Tommy was petting the horses. When she heard him whisper to them, she stopped in her tracks, leaning against the wooden doorway and listening to his deep comforting voice.
"Hello, hello. And who are you, eh?" His hand stroked the horses neck and Ruby smiled. When he was around horses, he seemed like the old Tommy again and Ruby was glad that she had brought out that side of him again. She thought about bringing him home more often, so he could enjoy what life had to offer.