After saying goodbye to Charlie and promising to him that she would return home in enough time for him to sing happy birthday to her before he went to sleep, Blair and Thomas left the house.
The silence was daunting at first, an awkward walk towards his car and a touching of hands as he reached for the door handle at the same time as her, Blair forgetting what it was like to have the little things taken care of for her.
She sat comfortable beside him as they drove, the breeze blowing her hair, cooling her skin that even in the early morning, was still growing hot. Though, the heat could've been from the tension of being sat beside Thomas, not the sun.
They drove for a short while, taking a turn down a dirt track in the countryside that had tire marks in the gravel, dust flying from beneath the wheels as they sped past lines of trees and wooden fences, eventually pulling up at a horse stable.
It was large, much larger than the one at Thomas' home, and reminded Blair of the days they used to spend at a stable in Birmingham. There was a house to the left and a courtyard with a water fountain that wasn't turned on. It was quiet, but in a warm, peaceful way.
"Come on," Thomas held out his arm to Blair and she cautiously looped her hand around it, placing her hands together against the cool linen shirt he wore.
They walked towards the stables, Thomas pushing open the door. Six horses were inside, some big, some small, some black, white and grey.
Blair noticed the way Thomas' face relaxed, his body loosening from the tension it usually sternly held, his shoulders sinking to a muted position as they walked towards a stable hand that was tending to one of the horses.
"Mr Shelby, it's good to see you."
The gentleman shook Tommy's hand before turning to Blair with a friendly smile. He was a short man with thinning hair and grey eyes, his skin weathered like worn leather and his hands were chapped and scarred, though his smile was bright and his eyes radiated happiness.
"It's good to see you too. Mark, this is Blair Kennedy. Blair, this is Mark Jones, a good friend of mine."
Without her wedding ring on, Blair didn't feel like Blair Kennedy anymore. As much as she loved her late husband and dearly missed him like a flower misses rain in summer, she couldn't help but feel like now she'd taken off her ring, she had reverted back to the Blair O'Hara she was before she married him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kennedy."
"Likewise. Please, call me Blair."
The two of them shook hands, Blair still clinging to Tommy's arm subconsciously, a natural comfort that made their touch unnoticeable to both of them.
"Blair, of course. Any of these catch your eye?" Mark said, gesturing to the horses around them.
Blair furrowed her eyebrows, a confused smile on her face as she quickly glanced at the horses, then up at Tommy. He was looking down at her, a smile on his face that although was only slight, his eyes were narrowed in a way they only did when he was truly happy, a warmth beaming from them like a hot ocean spring.
"Your birthday present," Thomas said, "A horse for the stables, as much yours as it will be Charlie's. I thought you'd like to pick which one we bring into the family."
Blair gasped quietly, a happy glow rushing to her pink cheeks, her eyes mirroring the same happiness at Thomas' as she looked to him with a shocked expression.
"Really? You want me to pick?"
Thomas pulled his eyes up from her pink stained lips back to her eyes, swallowing as he tried to hold back the blush he felt in his hot cheeks from letting his gaze slip for a moment.
YOU ARE READING
Another Paradise | T Shelby
Fanfiction"There wasn't a single second that passed that I wasn't thinking about you." [mature themes throughout]
