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“I don’t want to stop.”
“It’s time, sweetheart. These men have work to do. But we’ll come back real soon and ride again. Especially if you’re good about getting down now.”
Finn sighed, then nodded. “Okay.”
Jake lifted him to the ground. “Do you want to come in and say hi to Ember? There might even be some of Aunt Genny’s cookies in the kitchen.”
Finn looked at Joey. “Can I, Mom?”
“Of course. I’ll help Dad put Oakly away.”
Sawyer went with Jake and Finn, while J.T. led Oakly to the barn. Joey helped him unsaddle her.
“That was sweet of you to get him boots and a hat.”
He looked at her. “I sense a but, coming.”
“I don’t want you to spoil him.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Am I supposed to run everything by you first?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Well, there’s a Welsh pony for sale that I’m thinking about getting for him. So consider this me running it by you.”
“J.T.”
“I know you’ve been doing this for five years. And you’ve done a great job. But you’ve got to give me a little leeway here. I’ve got five years to make up for.”
“I understand that.”
“I won’t spoil him. But he’s going to be growing up on a ranch. He needs a horse. And the gear to ride it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes. Okay. I trust your judgement. You had all the things a kid on a ranch needed to grow up happy and responsible. And you weren’t spoiled.”
“Exactly. Along with the horse comes the responsibility of taking care of it.”
She cocked her head. “Do you hear that?”
J.T. listened, then grinned. “Sounds like kittens.”
They followed the sound and found Jinx with five kittens behind a stack of hay. There were three black ones, two gray ones, and a solid orange one.
J.T. laughed. “Thank goodness she had an orange one. Finn already has a name picked out for his orange kitten.”
“Sparky?”
“Yeah.” He took Joey’s hand. “I understand where you’re coming from with the spoiling thing. Next time, I’ll tell you before I buy him something beyond an ice cream cone.”
“No. I meant it when I said I trusted your judgement. Are you really going to buy him a horse?”
“I’m thinking about it. I haven’t seen it yet. Dad just told me about it. Maybe you and I can go check it out before we say anything to Finn.”
“That sounds like a perfect, cooperating parents' solution.”
