Page 61 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

“Hoss!” Anton shouted. He dropped to his knees and crawled at breakneck speed across the room toward Anneka.

“Buddy.” Even as she shouted her name for him, she knew the routine. She dropped to her butt so Anton couldn’t tip her over, so when he reached her, they ended up rolling on the ground like puppies until Finn and Zach detached them.

Zach grinned. “God, I can’t believe we’ve got more of these beasties around. When did we all get so grown-up and mature?”

“Mature?” Finn offered his friend an amused grin. “I saw you doing summersaults on the lawn yesterday.”

“Neka wanted to learn how,” Zach offered, deadpan. “Active learning requires full participation.”

Finn chuckled. “You were grinning harder than she was but go on about it being a learning tool.”

“You got me there.” Zach scooped Anneka up. “Come on, cowgirl. Let’s go see your horse.”

They wandered out to the yard, where two patient geldings waited at the rail, saddled and half asleep in the afternoon sunshine. Zach had chosen the oldest, calmest, and most bombproof horses on the ranch. The animals they gave to nervous beginners and sleepy children.

“Hoss.” Anneka clapped when she spotted them. Neither horse so much as twitched an ear.

“Horse,” Zach corrected automatically.

Finn settled Anton at the front then swung into the saddle. The little guy immediately leaned forward, both hands disappearing into the horse’s mane.

“Easy there,” Finn murmured.

Anton glanced over his shoulder with a grin that showed all his tiny teeth. “Hoss!”

“You bet,” Finn agreed.

Beside them, Zach got into position with Anneka on the saddle ahead of him. She gasped as the gelding shifted his weight, followed by a delighted squeal.

“Again,” she ordered.

Laughter escaped Zach. “We haven’t gone anywhere yet, kiddo.”

They walked in slow circles around the arena, no faster than an easy stroll. Anneka pointed excitedly at every bird, fence post, and butterfly that crossed their path. Anton was quieter, content to pat the horse’s neck every few seconds as if making sure the animal was still there.

After one lap, Finn reined in. “That’s enough for this little cowboy.”

Anton didn’t protest when Finn lifted him down and carried him outside the arena before lowering his feet to the ground. He toddled for two steps before letting gravity win, happily speed crawling toward the sandbox they’d placed nearby for distracting little ones.

Anneka begged for one more round, and Zach took her around again before dismounting and sending her after her cousin.

A butterfly floated past, and the kids immediately focused on it, Anneka running, Anton crawling at top speed. Both of them shrieking in delight as Finn and Zach leaned against the fence and watched.

Finn finally broke the comfortable silence between them. “You know, if you’d told me ten years ago this would be our lives, I’d have said you were crazy.”

Zach glanced at him.

“I figured I’d work hard, maybe find someone.” Finn shook his head. “Never pictured this.”

“The kids?”

“All of it.” Finn gestured to the horse and the yard and the mountains beyond them, then pressed a hand to his chest. “Karen, Anton. You and Julia and Anneka. Cousins growing up together. A day where we spent the morning passing babies around a hospital room and the afternoon teaching these two about horses.”

Anton had found a dandelion. He turned to give it to Anneka, lost his balance, and sat back on the grass. Neka giggled and plopped down beside him.

“Life keeps getting fuller,” Zach agreed.

“It’s a thousand little things.” Finn nodded toward the kids. Anton was drumming his boots on the ground and laughing at the thumping sound. “But I especially like that all our kids can grow up together.”