Page 50 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

“Of course. Thanks for sticking around for the morning. We appreciated your help with the bike rodeo and the kids.”

“It was fun,” she assured him. A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes. “I heard a rumor that there might be a dirt bike rodeo next year. I’d definitely like to enter that one.”

Good lord. He had to somehow survive his daughter learning to ride a dirt bike?

Still, he smiled at her. “Anything you put your mind to… I guess.”

Talia laughed. Ryan scooped her up impulsively and twirled her in a circle. Laughter grew as Justin spotted the action and rushed in to add his hug to the event.

Ryan smiled down as his family gathered around him, Maddy slipping under his arm where Mikayla pressed a sticky hand to his chest.

“Having fun?” Maddy asked, laughter in her eyes.

Talia grinned. “So much fun.”

“Much fun,” Mikayla echoed, pounding her little fist on Ryan’s chest. “Daddy fun?”

Beyond fun. This was everything he’d ever hoped for, right there in his arms. He pressed a kiss to Mikayla’s forehead then winked at Talia while he rubbed the top of Justin’s head where he clung to Ryan’s leg.

Finally he turned to Madison—his heart forever—and smiled just for her. “Daddy is having a wonder life.”

Maddy’s nod and smile said she couldn’t agree more.

July eighteenth had finally arrived, yet instead of satisfaction, Dustin was cursing himself. Why had they decided on a big, over-the-top wedding? When had the thing grown into the monstrosity it seemed to be?

“You’d better fix your expression, or Charity’s going to take one look at you and run for the hills instead of agreeing to marry you.” Walker stepped in to adjust Dustin’s tie. He frowned and tugged harder. “What the hell kind of knot did you use here?”

“No idea,” Dustin confessed. “My fingers don’t seem to be working. Neither is my brain. God, can we just get this over with?”

To his right, Luke and Caleb both laughed softly.

“He’s thrilled at the idea of marriage,” Luke explained.

“Loves the spotlight. Should be a piece of cake for him,” Caleb added.

Tucker nodded knowingly. “Surprised he didn’t want to swing down from the church rafters and make a real splash of an arrival.” He held little Demi in his arms and she sang quietly, playing with the ruffle on her pretty dress.

Dustin growled softly at them then turned the noise into a sigh. “Sorry. Not sure why I’ve lost my mind. Charity and I are happy to be making it official. But right now?” His gaze snapped from one brother to the other before landing on the man who’d become his very best friend, Cody Gabrielle. “Is it possible to hurry through this bit to the reception?”

Cody shook his head sadly. “Told you that spur of the moment was the way to go.”

“Or planned, but only a few people,” Caleb offered.

Luke’s grin was one hundred percent annoying big brother. “We had nothing but wild horses as witnesses.”

God. Dustin glared at Luke. “You, shut it.”

“Just saying.”

His tie fixed, Walker patted Dustin’s shoulder. “I will be the bigger man and not rub in the fact that Ivy and I also had a small wedding.”

“So good of you not to mention it,” Dustin growled.

Walker continued in his easy rhythm, even as he stepped back beside Caleb. “But all our weddings were specifically for us. Something tells me this wedding isn’t only about you and Charity, is it?”

Dustin opened his mouth to complain then shut it.

Maybe the entire thing had bloomed out of control, but he and Charity had been behind every bit of it. Like not only having Tyler as a ring boy but finding a way for the other little ones in the family to be included as well. For Charity’s sister and sister-in-law, Chelsea and Suz, to be fully pulled into the Stone clan.