Here it is :D Sorry it's a little late. I had midterms and whatever you want to call my version of studying took up all my time. Look out for a WP update soon

PS1. Read my authors note at the bottom (repeat of WP)

PS2. I noticed a comment about Amy's stuttering and… it's just her character. It's not a real stutterstutter per say. I do the "er… uh… um…" thing too. And Amy only does it around Ty. This Ty is supposed to have that affect on her, that's just the way the characters are supposed to play out in this story. It doesn't mean that she's less confident or yaddayadda whatever whatever. It's just the affect that Ty has on her… I think I'd be acting very similar in her position. :D I've been waiting for someone to say that!

PS3. I just noticed that there is a RED in this story… heh. No connection with Ben's Red.

RODEO STONER

Chapter 8: The Horse Whisperer and the Cowboy

AMYPOV

Thursday

That day I spent the majority of the car ride through Yellowstone contemplating the best—and cleanest—way to throw myself into a geyser. We spent half an hour perched on uncomfortable wooden benches waiting to see Old Faithful show us her stuff. Dad had his video camera in hand and mom was tittering on about something or another. Abbey swung around the safety bars like a little monkey and Lou watched her like a hawk—like it her they had to worry about falling into Old Faithful or something.

I stared ahead, wondering just what I had done to get myself into this mess. The answer was quite simple: I had opened my big fat mouth. The way I saw it I had two options. Firstly, I could go meet with Ty. At midnight. In the desert. And likely meet my death with no witnesses around. Secondly, I could bail out and stay in the cabin. In my bed Safe and sound. But then I'd have to spend the next week and a half avoiding him. And that was proving to be easier said than done.

There was a third option, I realized as I looked back at Old Faithful. I'd simply lay myself over the opening and when it finally decided to shoot up… well, tata, Amy. I guess you won't be making that meeting with Ty after all…

I had to admit, the third option was the most appealing. I crossed my legs at the ankles and sat on my hands to keep in place.

I reasoned that it was the sun beating down on my back and not thoughts of Ty that was driving me to near suicidal thoughts. All the same, I tried to will Old Faithful to actually be faithful and erupt already. I thought about that commercial I'd seen once with a guy dumping baking soda in a geyser, the plan didn't seem so silly to me anymore, but I doubted they sold baking soda in the gift shop.

Looking between the rest of my family, I seemed to be the only one losing patience. They all looked perfectly serene and content with this little family adventure.

I debated my options and by the time Old Faithful finally decided it was ready to show us what it had, I was still no closer to coming to a decision. Well, I knew what I was going to do. I was just trying to convince myself out of it.

-

-

-

Late that night, I was past the point of no return. I'd given up trying to rationalize this whole little outing to myself quite soon after I'd started trying. Hell. How much can you rationalize something when you're climbing out of a bathroom window at midnight? As I said, you can try but it cannot be done.

My dismount from the window sill was tidy enough but my landing left much to be desired as I staggered. My ankles were jarred from the impact and I vaguely wondered why. It wasn't exactly a great distance down. Maybe I just… No, it was definitely the shoes. Not enough ankle support, my mom always told me.

I zipped my jacket up a bit further against the chilly Wyoming night— or rather early morning— air and began my trek towards the barn and corals. I had no clue where I was going, Ty had obviously not supplied me with directions. Or even with a real location. "The ring behind the hills." I figured that if I was looking for a ring, starting by the hills near the stables was as good a place as any.

At the round pen I got the fleeting idea that he might be only playing with me. I froze and scowled, wondering what my next move should be. I looked around. My eyes landed on the small round pen and neither Blue nor Red was inside so I figured that he must have been telling the truth. I trudged on past a jury on speculative horses. I wanted to shout at them to stop staring at me. I wasn't doing anything wrong. Not really anyway. Well I wasn't breaking any laws. At least none that I knew of. The wide-eyed gazes and careful chomping and calculated movements of the horses in the dark set my nerves on end.

Why was I doing this? Why why why why why? Why was my bed not good enough? Why was I so… I didn't even know. It wasn't like he was mistreating his horses or anything. Didn't my job stop there? I wasn't Val Grant, how people rode in competitions for money and fancy ribbons wasn't important to me. I cared about the horse. Only the horse. And if there was an owner then about the horse and owners relationship. But not how many ribbons they won… or belt buckles, as the case may be.

I had it half in my right mind to turn right back around, climb back through the window and get back into bed. I was walking into the middle of nowhere to meet with someone who I could barely hold a civilized conversation with. That was not a promising situation. I should have gone back.

I just kept on walking. To where, I didn't know. There was a hill in front of me. If he was behind that, then he was there. If not… then… well, I'd tried.

Up close the so-called hill was really more mountainous. I stared up at it with my hands on my hips. What had I gotten myself into? I groaned. I looked over my shoulder and couldn't even see the outline of the ranch in the dark distance. I gulped. For the first time I realized—really realized—that I was in the middle of the Wyoming dessert in the middle of night, a time when it conveniently happens to be pitch black out. The mountains on the other side of the mini-mountain and all around the plains loomed darker against the already dark sky. Somewhere—and I'm not so sure it was in the very distant distance—an animal howled. I quickly started up the hill.

A soft drumming reached my ears after several exhausting moments had passed and I was near collapsing. I stopped to listen. It stopped and the land was completely silent for an almost immeasurable stretch of moments. Then it started again and my breath caught in my throat. I scampered up the hill and as I got closer to the top I realized it was getting easier to see the rocks in my path. There was a light on the other side. That would only have to mean that—

I had just reached the top and caught my first glimpse of the other side when a four legged thing came barreling out of the dark at me, barking like mad. A bloodcurdling scream left my lips as whatever it was pounced on me—and boy could it jump. No thanks to the new found light lighting up my rocky path, I tripped and went sprawling.

Whatever had attacked me sat calmly on my back as I lay there as still as I possibly could in hopes of not upsetting it. Maybe I could escape with most of my limbs, if not all of them. My face was in the dirt, my hands were shaking over my head, my heart was thundering, a very doggish panting filled my ears. The silence was unbreakable as the various ways by which I could be viciously ripped apart —

Er. Wait.Doggish… panting…

I tentatively picked up my head and peeked down the hill. It was only half the distance down the other side that it had been up. And at the bottom was a very big, sand filled rectangular ring with spotlights shining over it. In the grass outside the arena a beautiful paint horse roamed idly, swishing its tail. And then, right there in the middle of the arena, right there next to the metal calf contraption thing, sitting astride a blue roan horse and looking at me with a calmly skeptical look on his face was none other than Ty.

I stared at him for a minute before I realized that I was still lying on the ground. I leapt to my feet and whatever had attacked me protested its displeasure and clawed at my back through my sweatshirt to avoid crashing to the ground. I yelped in surprise, falling to my butt on the ground.

A long, low whistle broke through the night and whatever satanic being it was that had been called to bombard me was called back to its master. It barreled past me and down the hill and I blushed. Judging by the color of its fur—a mix of tan, black and gray—it was only Ty's little Australian Cattle dog I'd seen back on the ranch, no satanic being. Though, when I picked myself up again and brushed off my butt and caught the look of Ty's face, I wasn't so sure that the satanic being wasn't him.

Once more I had it half in my mind to run away flailing my arms over my head and screaming bloody murder—though Ty would probably just take care to tell me, in an infuriatingly calm voice, that I had just done that when his domesticated dog had attacked me. But once more something forced my feet to go in the wrong direction. I walked down the hill and towards Ty, even though he had a malicious gleam in his haunting emerald eyes.

"You sure do know how to make an entrance," he drawled once only the arena fence separated us.

If I had been expecting an apology for being mauled by his dog—who was now bopping an unbothered Red on the nose— I was sorely mistaken. I looked up at him through the blinding spotlights. "Yes. Well… I…" I frowned. I didn't have to go and agree with him, did I?

He smirked. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

"Hmmm."

"It was nice entertainment though. The night was getting rather dull out here… until you came along anyway." I must have missed him pull the reins or make any movement at all, but Blue spun around and walked purposefully in the other direction.

"You know you're not supposed to ride in sneakers!" I shouted after him. It was the only thing I could think of. I was hardly surprised when he didn't even look at me.

I wondered again just what I was doing here as I watched him coil his lasso around the saddle horn. I folded my hands on top of the fence and just watched. He twirled, spun—whatever—the lasso around for a while and I grew skeptical.

Not that it wasn't enthralling but… besides the fact that I couldn't keep a straight face even thinking the word 'lasso'… I felt like I was witnessing a bad porn movie in action or something. I mean seriously. It was a "cowboy"—I'd heard they were supposed to be hot… granted Ty wasn't even a cowboy but… not the point—in nicely fitted and worn in jeans, chucks and a black tee stretched across his chest. Not to mention the lean, built body, the tattoos, the hair, the face… the eyes… the fact that the he was on his horsey equivalent and twirling around a lasso… it was definite porn material.

When he next looked over at me I'm sure I turned three new shades of red. Under the fluorescent lights I bet it was quite a flattering color on me. But with thoughts of that face—that look—staring in its own feature porn film… and then to find that same face—that same look—focused straight on me…

"Problem?" I choked out in an attempt to be the epitome of the three C's—Calm, Cool and Casual—when he just kept staring at me. I think it may have come out more like a strangled fish though.

"I was going to ask you." His gaze was piercing and I didn't know which way to run fast enough.

Instead of running, I planted my feet firmly in the dusty ground and tried to blink away the image of a shirtless Ty in leather chaps and a worn in Stetson. "So what—"

"Have you gotten a bit of sand in your eye?"

"I, er… what? Oh." I realized that by metaphorically blinking away my bad thoughts, I had actually physically started blinking. "Well yes I suppose," I said quickly. I was briefly glad of the darkness covering my blush until I remembered I was standing under a blaring spotlight. I rubbed the back of my neck and scuffed my feet in the ground. "There is a lot of that around, you know."

He raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Blue snorted and the noise seemed to echo through our little valley.

"Right," I said. "So how do you want me to help?"

The look on his face would have sent even the most charitable of men running. "I don't need your help. I never even asked for your help," he spat the word out each time as though it were the foulest word in the English language. "If I recall, this was all your idea."

"Er…" I blinked. His thunderous eyes left me frozen. "Do?" I guessed. "What would you like me to do?" He still said nothing, but I could imagine his mind working up some very creative responses to that question. I frowned.

To my utmost surprised, the murderous look on his face dripped away and his expression became unreadable. Blue spun around and stalked to the other side of the arena, it was almost as though the horse and rider were one.

"Do? I don't know. You're the horse expert. You tell me."

I stared after his retreating back, absolutely astounded. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. He was very good at being expressionless. Just as he was at being mocking. And sarcastic. And at terrifying me. But I'd never heard his voice quite like this. It definitely wasn't the I-am-so-serious-listen-to-me-right-now-or-you-will-die that I knew he was good at, and it wasn't any of the others… in fact, it just left me confused. Gob smacked even. That's not a word I ever thought I'd find a situation appropriate to use in but this one seemed legitimate.

I shook my head and cleared myself out of the daze. Considering the fact that he had just said that I was the expert here I felt that it was safe to concur that Ty was, once again, mocking me. If I knew one thing about Ty it was that he would never admit it when someone else was better at something then he was.

None of that mattered though, I tried to convince myself. He could mock me as much as he wanted. I would just prove him that he was wrong. I would just have to show him that I actually did get horses. But first I had to wipe the confused look off of my face. And I had about half a second to do so before he saw me again.

"Well," I started. I looked around. I hadn't ever bothered to think so far as to what I would actually do. Who would have thought he'd actually "ask" for my help? Not this could actually be considered asking for my help, but I figured it was as close to it as I was going to get. If he wanted to mock me, so be it. He didn't expect me to be able to do anything for him. I would just have to prove him wrong; I'd have to show him just how full of surprises Amy Fleming really was.

But first I had to show myself.

As my mind reached a roadblock, Ty started twirling around his lasso again. He swung it out and it looped around the metal calf's metal neck. Blue stood perfectly still and swished his tail. Ty looked utterly bored, not even bothering to tighten the rope around the fake calf. Blue dropped his head to the sand and pushed his nose through it.

Ty looked back up at me. "Well," he said.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out, and I knew that nothing good would, so I closed it again and put my chin in my hands. Ty gave the rope a sharp jerk and whole metal calf contraption toppled over snout first. Blue snorted but was unfazed beyond that. I, on the other hand, flinched at the clanging of metal limbs on metal limbs.

"You're not much of a horse whisperer," Ty called to me as he pushed Blue into an easy lope. My mouth dropped open. I jumped back as horse and rider passed unnecessarily close to the fence I had just been leaning on. Ty smirked down at me.

I climbed to the top of fence as they circled the bottom of the arena. "I'm not a horse whisperer!" I shouted back at him. He raised a hand in a halfhearted waving gesture. I think it was meant to dismiss me.

I had a witty retort—or something of the like—on the tip of my tongue when Ty turned the still loping Blue in my direction from the other end of the arena. Now logically—logically—I knew that no matter how much he did hate me, Ty wasn't about to run me over or anything. He was just out to scare me. Again. And let me just say that it worked. No matter how easy that lope of Blue's was, Blue was a big, fit horse, and Ty was a big, fit guy. I froze on my perch on the top of the fence with my mouth open.

Just as I was about to topple over the back of the fence, my eye filming over with images of charging horses breathing fire with demon riders with little devil horns laughing maliciously, Ty pulled Blue back into a sudden sliding stop. Blue practically went down on his haunches. The sand sprayed up from his little performance hit my calves and bounced off of my jeans with little pings.

Horse and rider straightened themselves. Ty looked quite proud of himself as he smirked at me and tugged at a lock of Blue's long black mane.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded breathlessly, my hands gripping the fence to steady my suddenly unstable perch.

Ty turned Blue away from me. "I was hoping to help the inspiration hit, Horse Whisperer."

"And you planned to do this by running my over?"

He laughed. "I was merely showing you one of Blue's tricks. He's quite proud of it you know… but not when you're so unappreciative of his efforts."

"How could I—"

"I've found the overall affect is… better when you witness it head on," he said with a grin. "So, Horse Whisperer," he said, pulling Blue to a stop next to me and twisting his body around in the saddle. "Has inspiration struck yet?" There was almost something sinister about the glint in his emerald eyes. More than almost actually. There was something sinister about it.

That little thing inside my chest he'd been messing with this whole time finally snapped. I jumped off of the fence and looked up at him with my hands on my hips. He looked amused. I tried not to let that deter my frustration. "Well you see, Cowboy, that's the funny thing. I don't thi—" And then it snapped back into its place when I realized what I just said and to whom I had just said it to. For lack of a better phrase, I panicked.

At first it wasn't so bad. Kind of like that silent type of inner panicking that leaves you looking rather like a startled deer. But he just kept staring at me completely silent and expressionless. That look magnified twentyfold would have been better. He was perfectly calm, his body twisted at the waist to face me, my hands on either side of the saddle. And his face… with his hair falling over one eye and his mouth straight was perfectly composed… all accept his eyes that is. They told another story, and it wasn't a happy story.

The second part of my panic was what was bad. It must have surpassed bad by absolute eons.

"I…uh—I mean… what I meant to say is that I, uh—is that you… and I, um, er… well—uh, um… you're not a cowboy!" I finally blurted out amongst a torrent of no coherent thought. He still made no move, not even a little twitch, so I couldn't stop myself. "Cowboys clearly don't, uh, have such great… you know, er, hair as you and you… uh—that is to say that you, um, that you, um… aren't even wearing a cowboy hat!"

His response? He burst out laughing. Not even a little chuckle, a full out knee slapping laughter, he just didn't slap his knee or anything. I blushed new shades of red. I was trying to decide if I liked his eerie calm better than his laughter when I realized what I had just said and whom I had just said it to—again—and I decided that my best plan of action was to run.

As I turned and fled back up the hill with Ty's laughter echoing—in every possible sense of the word—behind me, I realized once more that I was doing quite a bit of running over the last few days when it came to Ty.

I was snapped right back to reality not a second later—and all hopes or running were yet again foiled—when I ran straight into the arena fence.

"Oof." I bounced backwards and caught myself on the fence before any further damage could be done. I didn't think that Ty was in a position to catch me this time—not that his laughter would have allowed him to be much help. I leaned over the fence, staring at the ground, my back to him for quite some time.

He was finally silent. "My, my, Horse Whisperer, it would seem that you also know how to make an exit. You certainly are a girl of many talents."

I turned around slowly to face him. He was fighting a grin. I frowned. "I'm glad you find me so amusing but I think I'm going to go." I made a show of climbing to the top of the arena fence.

He spoke up just as I was about to jump down to the other side. "I told you your little English methods wouldn't work on my horses."

I whipped back around to face him with no consideration to my precarious perch and almost toppled back over the fence. Ty smirked. "I haven't even tried anything," I defended myself.

He shrugged. "You couldn't even think of anything to do. Some horse whisperer you are." And then he and Blue were off again before I could retort. I groaned and kicked the fence, and then bit my lip at the pain it caused in my toes.

I watched as horse and rider moved together as one around large rectangular arena at a fast paced canter that was almost a gallop. As I watched them, I wished that I could be riding again. I sighed and rested my chin in my hands.

I was so absorbed in watching Ty and Blue that I didn't notice that Red had come up behind me until he was butting his head against my shoulder and almost sending me sprawling once more. I half turned and stroked his muzzle.

"Hey, bud," I said softly, tickling his lips with my fingers. Red bobbed his head and I laughed softly as he snorted. "I wonder what he does with you," I mused, rubbing soft circles onto Red's forehead. His ears flickered towards me. I sighed and continued my gentle T-Touch circles on the paints face. Soon Red's eyelids were drooping, and I was beginning to feel the early hour of the morning catching up with me as well. I didn't even want to check my cell phone to see the time.

"What have you done to my horse?"

My fingers froze and I jolted upright at the accusatory voice that broke through my peaceful haze. I almost toppled over again when I saw Ty staring down at me, that look back and kicking with a vengeance. My fingers fell away from Red's face and I fiddled with them behind my back.

"Um…" I said slowly. "It's called, er, T-Touch. My mom taught it to me. We use it on a lot of the horses back home."

"What does it do?"

I shrugged, looking back at Red who had now turned his attention to a spot of grass. I played with a part of his mane that I could reach. "It's supposed to relax horses."

"Are you saying my horse needs to be relaxed?" Ty accused.

I sighed deeply. Here we go again. "No," I said carefully. "I just… it's just, you know, habit."

Ty scowled. "Whatever. You can do your horse voodoo if you want but there's nothing wrong with Red. If you could just—"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Blue either," I snapped before I could stop myself. I felt my eyes widen in shock at my little outburst. Why did these things keep happening to me?

Ty crossed his arms over his chest—his rather broad chest—and stared down at me. He looked even more intimidating sitting atop Blue—who really was no meager horse. "So it's me with the problem then?"

"No." I looked around desperately. Couldn't something just burst into flames… or something? "I don't think either of you have a problem." I paused. "What's the big deal anyway?" He stared at me. "I mean, why does it matter if you win these shows anyway?"

His mouth instantly became a thin line and he was again riding away from me. I sighed and slumped against the fence. He rode over to the crumpled form of the metal calf and peered down at it. Then Blue spun around, cantered to the end of the arena and wheeled back around to canter back towards the metal-calf-heap. Ty swung the lasso around over his head as Blue's body stretched out underneath him, he barely had a hold on the reins but he was in perfect control and he hardly moved in the saddle. He finally let go of the rope and it landed on top of the pile of metal calf. Blue slid to a halt in a spray of sand. Both rider and horse stayed still for an almost endless moment before Ty tossed the rope away, a look of disgust on his face.

My trance was broken as Ty leapt from the saddle and landed gracefully on the arena floor, quite like a cat, I couldn't help but think. A very dangerous cat of course. One that wouldn't hesitate to eat you if given the slightest opportunity.

Before I could stop myself, or even think what I was doing, my feet were moving slowly but surely across the arena sand, getting closer and closer to him with every stride.

Ty watched me approach. He leaned back against Blue's neck, looking frustrated but calmer. It was almost as though that horse—both of them really—was a calming presence to him. Blue, bless his heart, didn't even seem to mind that he was supporting Ty's weight.

"I have to get out of this place," he said when I was right in front of him. "Winning is the only way to do that."

I just nodded, not daring to test my luck—and my life—by questioning him farther. I thought for a moment. I looked back down at the pile of metal calf limbs with the lasso lying on top and finally I had an idea. I looked back up at Ty. "Have you ever practiced with a calf? Like a live one?"

"Do you see a live calf around here?"

I sighed, and just when I thought we had been making some progress… "Well, I don't think you or Blue have a problem. I mean, clearly you both know what you're doing. But I think what you need to do is practice on a live subject so that you're more prepared for when you're in a show and—"

"Rodeo," he interrupted me with a grimace.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Technically, it's a rodeo. I don't do shows, that you English's thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Ro-de-o. Whatever. Basically, you need to practice on a live subject." I nodded, proud of myself.

"And just where, Horse Whisperer, do you expect me to get a live calf? The mall?"

I frowned. "Well… I don't know." I shrugged.

He was silent for a moment as he reached down and coiled up his lasso. "Does it have to be a calf?"

"Well… I suppose not. I mean, as long as you're not on a horse and you're just practicing your aim I guess you could use your dog. Don't strangle the poor thing or tie him up though. Or you could use Red, though I would suggest… not… um… what?" I stopped at the look he was giving me. It was completely unlike any other I'd ever seen on him. It wasn't mocking or sarcastic, it wasn't that look, it wasn't mean or nasty… but I would have to say that it was of the plotting variety, which quite frankly was just as bad in the long run.

He tapped the lasso against his chin and gave me a long, calculating look. "How dedicated to your horse whispering did you say you were, Horse Whisperer?" His emerald eyes sparkled with something that terrified me.

"Um, well… first, I'm not a horse whisperer." He just smirked, clearly he enjoyed that his new nickname for me was irritating me. "And second, I didn't say but… it's basically my whole life at home."

He grinned. Oh how I wanted to run away. "So you'd do anything to help a horse in need?"

I gulped and stumbled back a step. "Um… I suppose I would…"

"I want you to be my live subject."

He said it so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that I could do nothing but stare at him. I'm sure the expression on my face was priceless because he was certainly getting a good laugh out of something.

"I'm glad you're getting a kick out of this," I scowled, "but I meant within reason! I see no reason, only a large amount of pain, in being your live subject."

"We can be gentle."

I scoffed. "Sorry, Cowboy, but no way Jose." I could have slapped myself for how lame that was but it was too late to take it back.

"Alright then, Horse Whisperer," he said as he gracefully swung himself back into the saddle and picked up Blue's reins. "Have a nice walk back to the ranch. You know it's a mile right? And it's three-thirty in the morning," he consulted his watch.

I groaned. I'd get back to the ranch by the time the sun was coming up.

Even though all of my thoughts were screaming at me that it was a very, very, very bad—horribly bad in fact—idea to do it, my traitorous mouth—and selfish feet—just had to speak up.

"Wait!" I yelled out as he rode away. He stopped Blue and turned around in the saddle, an expectant look on his face. I sighed and fiddled with my hands.

"I don't have all day."

"Fine. I'll make you a deal. I'll help you… if you give me a ride back to the ranch." I waited for what felt like an eternity for him to reply.

"Deal," he finally said and leapt out of the saddle. "You can take Blue." He left Blue standing there for me and then just walked away to get Red.

"And I won't be manhandled!" I yelled after his back. He just lifted his hand and dismissed my comment with a wave.

I approached Blue feeling slightly nauseous, not at the prospect of riding such a magnificent horse, but at what I had gotten myself into now. I patted Blue's rump to let him know I was there and then let him sniff my hand. I stroked his face for a couple seconds and tried not to mutter about how obnoxious his owner was least Blue hear—he, as well as Red, didn't seem to really see Ty, they were absolutely besotted with the guy.

"Were you planning on getting on anytime soon?"

I jumped about a mile in the air at his voice. I looked over my shoulder to see Ty sitting on Red. Somehow Ty had managed to produce a bridle for Red from somewhere but he rode bareback. And man, if I had thought Ty looked good on Blue in a saddle… how naïve I had been…

"Right… yeah… of course…" I hurried around to Blue's side and fumbled to straighten out the large monstrosity that the western saddle called a stirrup. I finally got my foot into it and swung myself lightly up into the saddle. I quickly adjusted the stirrups, obviously finding them to be a good number of holes too long for me before I rode out of the arena after Ty and Red.

Blue was, quite literally, a dream and a half to ride. He responded to the lightest of touches—though he seemed to respond to Ty's thoughts—and his stride was so smooth he seemed to float across the ground. And this was all at the walk. I wondered if Ty would let me go faster. I was itching to find out what galloping on this horse would be like but thought it would be safer not to press my luck.

"So," I finally had to break the silence as we rode down the backside of the little mountain. Ty glanced at my briefly before looking straight ahead again. "Do you do any showing… er, rodeo-ing, with Red?"

He laughed humorlessly. "If you thought Blue's little trick back there was impressive—" was that what he called almost killing me?—"then you'd love to see some of Red's." He patted the horse's neck.

"So he's like… western dressage?"

Ty snorted. "No."

"Oh."

At the bottom of the hill, Ty and Red picked up a trot and after a moment I followed too. I sighed at how wonderful Blue was. I couldn't help but wonder at how a guy like Ty could end up with two horses like Red and Blue.

"I swear to God," Ty yelled back to me suddenly. I looked up at his back, startled. "If I even see you posting on my horse…"

I immediately stopped my posting and dropped into a sitting trot. My cheeks flamed with a blush that I was glad the darkness hid.

I followed when Ty pushed Red into a canter and Blue's swift stride carried us neck and neck.

Soon we were flying over the desert neck and neck. I could barely comprehend how Ty managed to keep such a perfect seat bareback. It irked me to no end that he was such a good rider. It made absolutely no sense to me.

I focused on Blue but all too soon the ranch came into view. I pulled Blue to a slow canter but Ty let Red go. They thundered past the corals and did another fancy sliding stop at the small round pen.

I shook my head as Ty jumped from Red's back before the horse had stood all the way back up, and slowed Blue back down to a walk and let him have a long rein.

My western vacation was about to get a whole lot more exciting. If that was a good thing or a bad thing… I guess I would just have to wait to find out… though, something—and I don't possibly know what…—gave me the inkling that being treated like cattle wasn't going to be so hot.

Well… I don't know how good it is but it's a chapter at least! WP is up next!

MUCHOS GRACIAS to HorseLover20693 for helping me watch the Heartland TV show. I have to say, the cowboy hats (::snickers::) were very inspiring. And now I'm hooked on another TV show… because the TV Amy and Ty are showing more promise than book Amy and Ty… Do I even have to say how psyched I am for the next episode?? Thanksss

And now… WP authors not… just because I feel obligated to repeat it just in case anyone's not reading WP….

1. I realize now (it's been YEARS in the making) that starting so many stories at once was a very stupid thing to do. But I'm really trying to get things done. And I actually WANT to get them done. So I have a nifty little plan to set forth the completion of all my current stories in a timely fashion. I'm going to go in cycles and concentrate on about two at a time. The first two up are WEST POINT and RODEO STONER, simply because they are the most recently update and therefore the freshest in my mind. Hopefully this plan will work well for everyone and I will not be so overwhelmed with trying to keep story lines and character personalities/issues straight and regular updates will once more come! Yay (This is part of my New Year's resolution)

and

2. I've noticed a rather significant decline in reviews. I'm not going to demand reviews or anything (another resolution, I'm just going to accept it as it is), but I would like to know if I'm not doing something right. Things you've enjoyed I would also love to hear as well. And I have frequently taken reviewers suggestions (there's actually even going to be on in the next chapter). So basically, if you enjoyed the chapter, or even if you didn't, please just try to spend a couple seconds to tell me what you thought. Also, I spend tons of time making sure these chapters are at least passable so especially when they're really long like this one I'd appreciate reviews.

That tis all.

Please review! It was extra long… dunno how good… but 10 pages… phew, I'm really writing some long chapters these days…

REVIEW!!

Bets you didn't notice the last line RHYMED

Steph Malfoy