Chapter 2
"Rose!" Tommy calls, walking into the betting den.
"Oh here we go." Ada sighs, rolling her eyes as Tommy makes his way from the den into the kitchen.
"Rose. I need your help." Tommy continues, grabbing Rosie's coat from the peg by the door and holding it out to her.
"She's my friend Thomas!" Ada protests causing Tommy to roll his eyes and Rosie to hide her smirk behind her tea cup, slowly getting up from the table. "I don't share Tommy, you know that. You can't just storm in here and expect Rosie to come at your call!"
"Oh Ada, enough with the dramatics, calm down will you?" He sighs helping Rosie into her coat.
"It's fine Ada," Rosie says with a laugh.
"Oh for goodness sake." Ada grumbles. "Go on then, go running after him...as always."
"Ada!" Rosie laughs, bending to kiss her friends cheek, getting a swot on the side from Ada. "See you soon."
"Yeah, yeah." She says, waving her out the door after Tommy with a smirk. "You'd better bring me back a treat!"
"Yes m'am!" Rosie replies, giving Ada a mock salute as she walks backwards out the door.
"So, where are we going?" Rosie questions Tommy as she jogs to catch up with him.
"Charlie's yard." He replies, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. Rosie smirks cheekily, taking the cigarette from Tommy's lips and placing it between her own. Tommy huffs causing Rosie's smile to grow as he lights a new cigarette.
Having grown up down the street from the Shelbys, Rosie was like a second sister to the boys, spending most of her time in the Shelby house as a child. Rosie's father had been friends with Arthur Snr, her mother dying along with her only sibling during birth when Rosie was 10. Her father went to war, not returning to Rosie, leaving Polly to take the young girl into her care with Ada and Finn. During the years the older boys were at war Rosie and Ada grew ever closer, sharing everything with each other, helping their Aunt Pol to raise Finn and run the company. After the war, Rosie noticed a change in the boys, yet nothing could lessen the childhood crush she had developed on the middle Shelby boy, one thing she couldn't bring herself to share with Ada.
"Uh huh," Rosie mumbles around the cigarette. "And what are we doing there?"
"There's a horse I want you to meet." Tommy states.
"Got it." She replies, deciding to continue the walk in silence based on Tommy's short responses.
"Morning Curly." Rosie says softly, wrapping her arms around the older man.
"Morning Miss Rosie!" He replies "You coming by later?" He asks as he leads her and Tommy to the horse. "The horses miss you."
"I'll pop by Curly, bring Finn with me too, hey? We could go out on a ride?"
"Yeah a ride with Finn boy, yeah." He smiles wide at Rosie who rubs his shoulder. "Yeah, I'll see you later."
"See you later Curly." She assures him, throwing Tommy a smile as he stands to the side, patiently waiting for the conversation to end.
"Go on Curly, Rosie'll be by later, we've got work to do." He says, patting Curly on the back.
"Yes Tommy, see you later Tommy." Curly mumbles as he jogs off.
"He's a beauty," Rosie breathes out, walking around the horse, smoothing back his mane. "Where'd you get him?"
"Not important." Tommy grunts, lighting a cigarette as he watches her.
"Right." She snorts. "Not important? Or you just don't want me to know?"
"Don't start Rose, just look at the horse will ya?" Rosie rolls her eyes and continues her walk.
"He's lovely.." she starts, coming to a stop in front of the horse, patting his nose.
"But?"
"But," she repeats, resting her head on the horse's nose before turning back to Tommy. "But I've got a bad feeling."
"Rosie, I need more than just a bad feeling." Rosie rolls her eyes and begins to walk away from Tommy.
"That's all I've got Tom." She calls over her shoulder as he huffs and moves to catch up with her. "Take it or leave it!"
"How bad?" He replies, making it to her side.
"Bad Tom, really bad."
"Rosie?" Finn calls softly as he tiptoes down the stairs. Rosie looks over the back of the sofa where she's sat, John's youngest child Robert cradled in her arms, his daughter Katie asleep with her head on Rosie's lap. Since the boys had come back from the war, Rosie had started taking turns with Polly to spend the evenings at John's house watching over his children on the nights him and his brothers went to the Garrison. With Polly out for the evening, Rosie had volunteered to watch the five young Shelby children, taking Finn down the road with her, putting him to sleep in John's bed.
"Hmm?" She hums, smiling over at him. "Alright?"
"Can't sleep." Finn mumbles, squeezing himself on to the sofa beside her. She turns her head, pressing a kiss to his hair. "When's Tom gonna be back?"
"I don't know sweetheart." She shifts Robert in her arms so that she can free one hand to run through Finn's hair.
"I had fun today. With you and Curly. And the horses." He yawns, snuggling into her as best he could.
"Yeah?" She questions with a smile. "Me too. We should do it more often, I think the horses liked your company."
"Maybe I can work for Tommy and Arthur like you do?" Finn perks up, lifting his head to meet Rosie's eyes. "We can go together and meet the new horses!" Rosie chuckles and pulls Finn back to rest on her again. "Please Rosie! Will you ask Tommy?"
"I'll ask Tommy," she promises softly, once again running her fingers through his hair. "Close your eyes Finn, you'll know when Tom gets home. I'll ask him later about the horses, ok?"
"Mhmm." Finn yawns, letting his eyes fall shut.
"Rose?" John calls softly as he walks through the front door. He smiles at her and nods as she shushes him over the sofa. "Thanks for watching them." He whispers, pressing a kiss to her forehead before moving to pick up his two youngest children. "Tommy, Finn's asleep in here again, come get him." He calls to his older brother who was lingering in the doorway.
"Rosie..." Tommy draws out, shaking his head as he moves to wake Finn.
"What was I gonna do Tom?" She snaps quietly, swotting away his hand from shaking Finn. "Just pick him up, he couldn't sleep, was waiting up for you again." Tommy sighs, lifting Finn from the sofa who snuggles into his brothers arms.
"Thanks again Rose." John says as she rises from the sofa, Robert still in her arms.
"Of course." She replies, following him out of the room. "I'll help you get them into bed before I head back with Tommy." Together, they ascend the stairs, carrying the young children into their bedroom and settling them into their own beds. Rosie rubs John's back as she passes him, whispering good night as she leaves.
"Tea, Tom?" Rosies asks as they unlock the front door. Tommy shakes his head in response and heads upstairs with Finn.
"Whisky'd nice." He throws over his shoulder earning a chuckle and a nod from Rosie.
"He wants to work with us." She states as Tommy re-enters the kitchen. "Finn." She clarifies as he throws her a questioning look.
"He's a kid Rosie."
"I know!" Rosie laughs and picks up her tea cup. "You should try and spend some more time with him Tommy. He looks up to you. Wants to be you."
"No he doesn't."
"You might not want him to, but for goodness sake Tommy, he does. He had so much fun with the horses today. Just take him to see them with me every so often, let him pretend he's helping you out in some way. He'd really like that, appreciate it."
"I'll think about it." Tommy replies, leaning back in his chair.
"Ok." She replies softly with a nod, reaching out to give his forearm a squeeze as she stands. "I'm off to bed. Goodnight Tom."
"Night Rose."
