Crescent Acres (Steve Rogers AU)

Epilogue

Steve

Three Years Later

The morning is warm as I watch the herd of our horses now be run into the corral by the other wranglers, heading there soon after to help with feeding them as well as to give them the usual morning groom before they are saddled for the day's horse riding activities.

Only a few guests are up and have come down to watch before breakfast on the benches. The mid season having just begun and which always proves to be our most popular.

Since the barn opened for weddings, we've been busier than before, so much so that before we can even blink, the weeks for each season are all sold out. Wedding dates are put into our planner. There's so much going on but it all works. A few couples who got married here now make it their annual holiday to return and enjoy a week of western hospitality.

With Darby's keen eye for design and influence, we've made the cabins better than ever, but still possessing the same charm. She oversees most of the weddings here and is the one dealing with that side along with mom, whilst I deal with the rest.

We certainly have our hands full to say the least.

As the sun is shining down, I can hear "DAAAAAAAAADDDDDYYYYYYY!" now sounding in the air, turning and seeing a small boy in a little cowboy hat and boots now running in this direction.

And he's mine...

I grin and now catch him, swinging him up and adjusting his hat from where it's falling over his face. "I wasn't expecting to see you this morning, at least not this early". I say to him as Darby now walks up, holding the hand of his twin sister.

Twins.

I almost had a seizure when the doctor told us there were two babies and not one - finding out just a week or so after the wedding that in fact there had been an unknown guest that was present. At that point we didn't know there were two of them, and we drove home in a daze - not being able to fully take it in until we showed mom the scan pictures.
She was the one to talk us round from the initial shock, but I have to admit there were many nights where I had conversations over my doubt as to whether I'd be a good dad. But I'd like to think that I am. We were given two and not one, so that alone is a blessing in itself.

Chase and Heidi came into the world that October, and the sudden jump from just the two of us to four was a shock - but we fell into it, and now couldn't imagine life without them. The guests adore them, and now our social media is more active (another thing Darby put herself in charge of), there are frequent updates that also include them as well as the rest of our ranch family, and what goes on when we close. It makes it all that more personal, and the guests love it. After all, everyone who comes here leaves as part of our family.

"They wanted to come see you and horses". Darby says as she gives me a kiss, hat bumping mine slightly. It's normal to see her in shirts and jeans - sometimes even the full gear if she's taking a group out riding.

It's a damn turn on when it is that and she knows it.

I still take groups out, but only for slow rides. No more rodeos or other risky activities. I've been good, I've slowed down and as a result I'm in the best place that I've ever been mentally.

And I have my wife and kids to thank for that.

Physically though, I'll never be one hundred percent - but I know when to stop if my body's telling me that something is too much or if I'm tiring.

Heidi is now all but fighting for a cuddle and in the end I have a twin on each arm. "You wanna go for a quick ride?" I ask them and they begin to get excited as I perch them on a horse each, Darby mounting one while I do the same to the other - both of us leading them out as the twins sit nicely in front of us (it took a lot of teaching and they're beginning to understand a lot more about the horses) and hold on. They're naturals, but then again they were born in the saddle. We didn't expect anything less.

We take the trail by the river and through the fields. The backdrop of the mountains rising up behind it still takes Darby's breath away. I can see it in her face even as I look across now. Because I know she still will never get used to the view.

As I bring the horse to a stop beside hers, we both just take a moment to enjoy the view with our kids, then looking to one another in contentment.

This is life.

It's content.

It's exciting

But most of all? It's love, and I could never ask for more than what I already have - because I have it all right here with me.