Childhood Memory (Finn Shelby)

Part 38

A/N This chapter is dedicated to amoreton2005 for naming the boy and emilydibley for giving me the inspiration for the girl's name (I merged both your ideas together, hope you don't mind)

~:~:~:~:~:~

"Did we really need to buy the kids a pony each?" Elsie asked Finn as the couple looked at the two Shetland ponies in the field in front of them. "They're still babies."

"I thought it was a good idea for them to have a smaller pony," Finn shrugged, "besides, they'll grow up quicker than you know it."

"True," Elsie said, glancing at her boyfriend, "I can tell James is going to be a nightmare when he grows up; he likes moving around and exploring even though he cannot walk yet. I'm worried he's going to wander off into the stables or a field."

"He won't," Finn assured her, "at least we don't need to worry about that now. What we would need to worry about is him taking Olivia with him."

"Don't say that! You're going to make me worry now," Elsie told him, lightly smacking his chest.

"As I said, we don't need to worry now," Finn then pulled his girlfriend into a hug and kissed her forehead. "Why don't we go for a ride?"

"I'd love to," she smiled, "I'm riding Paint," Elsie announced.

"I'll take Finley," he told her. "I'll ask Molly to look after the twins while we're gone."

"Sounds good. I'll tack the horses then," Elsie kissed his lips briefly before making her way to the stables. Elsie put head collars on both horses and led them out, and tied them to the rings while she began to put on their saddles and bridles.

Finn came back with a basket and a blanket, "The women made us a picnic and told me not to worry about the kids," he announced.

"That's nice of them," Elsie said, peeking over the top of Finley. "I forgot how tall he has grown," she said as she ducked under the horse to grab the blanket to attach to Paint's saddle.

"I know," Finn smiled as he trailed his hand over his horse's nose. He quickly attached the basket to the saddle and took off the head collar, leading Finley by the reins to the mounting block that he used to get in the saddle. Elsie followed suit and climbed on Paint.

"Where shall we go today?" Elsie asked as she made the horses walk out of the stables.

"To the river?" Finn suggested, "it's nice weather to take a dip in it."

"I like the sound of that," she agreed.

The couple rode towards the river, taking a long detour around their land to exercise the horses before eventually coming to a stop at the almost clear river. They tied the horses to a nearby tree so they wouldn't run away before settling down on the riverbank.

"I've missed this," Elsie said with a nostalgic smile on her face, "just the two of us..." Elsie lent back into Finn's chest as they rested on the blanket, the picnic temporarily forgotten.

"Me, too," Finn replied, gently running his hand through her hair before it caught a knot and Elsie let out a small yelp. "Sorry," Finn said quickly, removing his hand from her hair and placing it around her waist.

"It's okay," Elsie told him, "it gets tangled when I go for a ride."Finn and Elsie stayed cuddled up for a while until Finn's stomach growled. "You hungry, love?" Elsie teased.