Page 48 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

She nodded eagerly, reaching for it.

Ryan handed it over, and her mom guided her toward the stickers and markers strewn on the table waiting for the kids to use.

He stepped beside his wife, shoulder to shoulder as he looked out over the parking lot and street section he could see. “Good turn out.”

“It is,” Maddy agreed. “A little different set up from the past years, since we decided against doing the community meal and bachelor auction.”

“It’s sad when a tradition is let go, and yet, it’s probably time that one is no more,” Ryan pointed out. “Maybe an update is in the future, like changing it to a volunteer auction. People offer up services and the community can bid on those.”

“It’s been discussed.”

Yvette and Alex moved in to take over, Alex behind the inspection table, Yvette to the decorating.

“You guys need to go,” Yvette prodded them. “The two- to four-year-old course opens in five minutes.”

“Thanks guys.” Ryan caught Maddy by the hand, and they hurried toward the side of the parking lot, Brad and Hanna right behind them.

Their families were waiting for them, the older girls chatting while they effortlessly wrangled their little brothers. Talia was now sixteen, Crissy a year younger, but they both had giving hearts and loved to step in with their siblings.

“Daddy. I want to ride.” Justin barely stopped his bouncing when Ryan guided him onto his little balance bike. “See my license plate, Mama? It makes me go fast.”

Maddy squatted to check their son’s helmet then admired the plate that was now zip tied to Justin’s front handlebars. Barely any white showed, he’d plastered it with so many stickers. “Yes, you did a great job. Now, do you remember the rules for the bike course? Three rules, all very important.”

Justin planted his feet on the ground and lifted his hand. One pudgy finger rose. “Whistle means stop.” He stood up even straighter and held his handlebars firmly. “Like this.”

Brad’s son Ethan rolled into place next to Justin and copied him. “Stop.”

Justin grinned at his friend. “Rule number two, eyes forward and look, look, look.”

Ethan wiggled then giggled as he shook his head, his eyes comically wide. Justin laughed too, the little-boy amusement rising like fairies dancing on the air.

“Rule three,” Talia prompted. “You remember that one?”

The boys were still making faces at each other. The wide eyes having progressed to sticking out their tongues and twisting their expression until they were both breathless with laughter.

Big brother Drew called out from the side where he was waiting with his big boy bike for the older children’s course to open. “Hey. You don’t get to ride if you don’t know the rules.”

Indignant, Ethan frowned. “We know the rules.”

Drew crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s rule number three? I know it. Bet you don’t.”

Not to be outdone by a mere five-year-old, Ethan lifted his chin. “You got to have a grown-up to cheer you on.” He followed this very determined and mature announcement by blowing a raspberry at his brother, who rolled his eyes and took it in stride.

Ryan exchanged an amused glance with Brad, who took a deep breath then sighed softly. “They have energy to burn.”

“Then let’s let them.”

Ryan took Justin, and Brad guided Ethan, and they all made their way to the top of the balance bike course.

A wide chalk line had been drawn in a gently curving path around the edge of the course. On the left side of the swoop, a bubble machine sent shiny bubbles flying skyward for the kids to ride through. After that, teeny traffic cones were arranged for the bikers to go between instead of around. The final section was a straight line down the middle to the finish line where the spectators waited to cheer the cyclists.

The volunteer at the start of the course checked each rider then made sure their parent or guardian was in position at the side of the track.

“Do your best,” she told Ethan and Justin. “Follow the course and get to the end, and you’ll get a big cheer, no matter what.”

Ethan went first, his little boots clattering on the new pavement as he raced forward along the curving path.

“Go Ethan,” Justin shouted at his friend. “You can do it.”