New Beginnings: Life Changes

Ch. 10

A Family Affair

Riding into the yard, Ethan is surprised to not see the younger boys outside as it isn't time for supper preparation yet. Having finished all business for the day, he's decided to come home early for a change. Finished unsaddling, grooming and feeding Lightning, he heads inside.

Finding Joseph and George curled up together on the new soft backed three seater Delphie ordered from Denver, he greets them with "Hello boys, are you two feeling ill? Is that why you are both inside on such a nice afternoon?"

"No, Papa. Joseph is resting and reading his Tom Sawyer book to me. Tom Sawyer is a lot like Ben. He gets in trouble a lot." George answers after giving his Pa a hug.

"Where's your Mama, boys?" Ethan asks not responding to the opinion of Ben and trouble.

"Well, she needed to take a rest, it's been a hard day for her." Joseph answers.

"Why has it been a hard day for her? Have you been causing trouble?" Ethan asks now giving both a stern frown.

"Not us, Papa, Ben. Mama is tired from having to wrangle Ben. Ben is trouble just like Tom Sawyer, remember?" George answers.

"Yes, so you said. You two enjoy your book, but why don't you do it up in the treehouse. That way you could get some fresh air and read at the same time."

"Yes, sir. Let's go, George." Joseph answers, leading his brother outside.

"Why'd he want us to come outside?" George asks as they reach the ladder to climb into the treehouse.

"I'm guessing, but I think he wants to talk to Mama in private. We'll stay out and let them talk."

"Ben is going to be in trouble after Papa hears about how he acted isn't he?" George asks as they settle on the smooth wooden floor of the treehouse.

"If I were a betting person, I'd bet on Ben having his ears burned from Pa's firey lecture, maybe something else burning as well. He really upset Mama and Pa will not like that one bit!"

Knocking once on the bedroom door, Ethan calls "Delphie? I'm coming in." Opening the door to see his new wife fully clothed but lying on the bed, he asks "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm a terrible mother, Ethan. I don't deserve to be around these children. I should just go back to work at the clinic and only come here at night. We can hire someone else to care for the boys. I can't do it."

"From the little of what George and Joseph said, I suspect Ben caused trouble today. Would you tell me what went on and why you are feeling incapable of being a mother?"

"I lost Ben today. I couldn't find him anywhere and Joseph and George couldn't either. I was panicking and thinking he'd drowned or been attacked by a wild animal. He was nowhere on the ranch that we could see. I was just about to send Joseph for you when the long-lost boy walked in."

"Where had he been? I take it he didn't ask permission to go wherever it was."

"He'd been to town. When I scolded him for leaving without telling or asking me, he answered flippantly. He told me he hadn't done anything dangerous such as jumping from the barn roof. He informed me he'd just gone to town. I sent him to the corner, which he refused to do. I lost my temper and swatted him with my hand. I then took out the spatula you used last night and put him over my lap. He resisted my attempts. I gave him two more swats with my hand while he was wriggling and sent him to his room. I shouldn't have lost my temper. I don't like swatting him and don't want to do it. I nearly spanked him with your spatula and I don't believe in spanking! I shouldn't have lost my temper as I said, so I'm not a good mother for the boys."

"Listen to me. You are an excellent mother. You take care of, play with, teach, and love them. That's a good mother. Ben has always had a stubborn streak. It isn't you. He's the one in the wrong here. I believe he was testing you to see how much he could get away with. All of the children know they are never to go anywhere without asking permission. They may leave written word in an emergency."

"I still feel I am no good at this mothering job. Good mothers don't lose their children, Ethan."

"Do you feel I'm a bad father?"

"Of course I don't. You know that. I've told you I think you are an excellent father. Why?"

"I lost George and Ben once. It wasn't long after we came together as a family. The two boys wandered off into the woods. That was where the far pasture is now. We have since cleared the land. Later, I found out they'd been chasing a rabbit. They wanted to catch it so we could have rabbit stew to eat. I'd warned all the children not to go into the woods but they didn't think, they just ran off after the rabbit. Claire and Joseph noticed their young brothers were missing and came to get me. I was in town buying supplies we needed for fixing up the cabin. I reacted harshly to the older children, scolding them strongly for not watching the boys better. I lost my temper with them."

"How old were the children then?"

"Claire was thirteen and Joseph was a few months past eleven, the same age Ben is now. Ben was seven and George was six."

"You blamed the older two for letting the younger boys wander? They were young children themselves!"

"Yes, I did blame them, at first. They were used to taking care of their brothers and I relied on them to do so. I know now, I shouldn't have but I was new to parenting. When they explained they had been doing chores that I had assigned, I felt really low. It was my doing, not theirs. I should have been here to watch the little ones or at least taken them with me. I learned a lesson that day. Give specific instructions and check to see the children understand them. Ben and George told me later, they didn't think hunting in the woods was wrong because I did it. When I found the two, they were huddled together under a tree asleep. Both had been crying as they had traces of tears on their faces. Luckily they hadn't gone far into the woods, I was able to track them easily. I wish I could say that was the only time I jumped to conclusions and lost my temper. It wasn't. In fact, it happened again not long after that during our first Christmas together. That's a story for another time."

"Did you punish the little ones that day they were lost?"

"No, I let Claire give them a warm bath, warm milk, and I put them to bed to sleep until supper. After supper, we as a family discussed our new rule of never wandering off no matter what the reason might be. They were all told they had to ask permission to go somewhere. That rule has been in place from that day. This is why I say Ben was testing you."

"Thank you for telling me the story. I feel some better now. I still shouldn't have lost my temper though."

"Yes, you should have! That boy caused a lot of worry for you and deserved a scolding. He also deserved a bottom warming and he knew it! I will take care of that part. Ben needs you to be tough with him to get the message across. George doesn't need much more than a stern scolding most of the time but Ben needs more. I apologize for his behavior and he will also apologize to you."

"Ethan, I think I should be the one to assign punishment, don't you? If you give him a spanking, it is you making him behave not me. How about this idea? I confine him to the house for a day. He can do all sorts of jobs inside. Would that be fair?"

"Yes, it's fair. If you don't want me to punish him, I won't, this time. I will if he disobeys when you try to punish him, again. We'll tell him he has to prove he can be trusted. Wandering off and worrying his family leads to people not being able to trust him. I'll go get him and we'll both discuss this together. You tell him your punishment and I'll back you up."

Being sandwiched between his parents on the side of their bed, Ben's anxiety hasn't lessened any since his Pa appeared in his doorway telling him to come with him.

Deciding to begin the talk, Ethan says "Ben, your behavior today was inexcusable. There were several things that you did wrong today which we will talk about here. I would like to hear you tell me what you believe you did wrong."

"I left home without asking and worried Mama. I am sorry about that Mama. I didn't mean to worry you, I just wanted to see the switchboard and get a flier for Papa. He wanted to know about the rodeo so I went to get one. I didn't mean to take so long but I did."

"Is there anything else, you'd like to say?" Ethan asks after Delphie assures the boy he has her forgiveness.

"I learned that the switchboard is busy and it is people who are talking not the board talking."

This statement has Delphie covering her mouth to hide her smile and Ethan's lips twitching.

"Ben, do you know why we have the rule of asking permission before leaving home?"

"So we won't worry someone?"

"Yes, and for safety reasons. If we know where everyone is, if something happened we could find you quickly. You have to be trustworthy son. You didn't do that today. Now, the other thing we need to discuss is your not obeying your Mama when she told you to go to the corner. You do not disobey your parents or whoever is in charge of you. When you are told to do something, you do it! No backtalk, no stalling, no disobeying directions. Do you hear me, young man?" Ethan finishes with a stern gaze at the boy squirming beside him.

"Yes, Sir. Are you going to punish me now, Papa?" Ben asks biting his lip and trying not to cry at the thought of what he believes is coming next. His eyes can't help but glance at his Pa's belt.

"Your punishment will be given by your Mama. You disobeyed her and she will issue the punishment this time. However, if I hear of you disobeying her and then not cooperating when she decides on punishment again, you and I will have a discussion in the barn! Understand me, Benjamin? You obey what you are told!"

"Yes, Papa."

"Stand up and face your Mama as she has something to say as well." Ethan directs the boy.

"Ben, tomorrow is Sunday with church services in the morning. After church, you will come home and spend the afternoon inside. You are to help me tomorrow afternoon and all day Monday with inside chores. This is your punishment for worrying me as you did by leaving home without asking and for not obeying me on your earlier punishment. I love you, Ben and I want you to be the best young boy you can be. I discipline you to help you learn better. You will have to show me I can trust you to follow the rules." Delphie tells the boy who is standing in front of her.

"I love you too, Mama. I'm sorry I was bad Mama and Papa."

"Thank you for your apology, son. Now, it's time for evening chores so go get started." Ethan replies, giving the boy a soft smack on the backside as he turns him towards the door.

The following Saturday, the Cord family is greeted at the rodeo stands by Chris, Matt, Linnea, Mr. and Mrs. Blackstock and all of their children.

Many of the boys are wearing dungarees and boots. "Hi, Caleb, Jackson, Aaron, are you all going to be in the events too? I'm going to be in the one called calf scramble and maybe one more. George doesn't want to be in any events but I do! Papa said I could do that one but not any roping ones. He says I'm a danger with a rope. I don't think I am though. Just cause I nearly made him trip once."

"Hi, Ben, George. I'm doing the calf scramble too. I think I could win that. I can run really fast and place a ribbon on the tail first." Caleb answers bragging.

"I can run fast too! I've even practiced. We don't have a calf so I talked Pepper into pretending to be one. Besides, you take the ribbon OFF the tail not put it ON!" Ben replies beginning to get aggravated with Caleb.

"I'm faster."

"NO, YOU AREN'T!" Ben answers loudly which causes Ethan to walk over.

"Ben? Remember what we talked about before leaving home this morning?"

"Yes, sir." Ben answers knowing he's being scolded for not being polite. The boys are under rules of showing good manners, obeying instructions and not causing any trouble.

"Then show me by your actions that you do. Hello boys, excited for the rodeo?" Ethan greets the group of youngsters.

"Yessir."

"All of you come sit with us until your event comes up. First, we will watch the older boys. Joseph will be competing first. Jackson, is Theo entering the rodeo?"

"No sir, he's not. We don't know how to ride as we lived in the city until moving here. He stayed at home with Cecily today. They're keeping the Boarding House open to let Mama and the little girls have a day out."

"Pa! I see Joseph! Look over there in the blue checked shirt!" George calls excitedly to his Pa sitting further up the stands.

"GO JOSEPH!" Ben calls out as his brother rides Brown Betsy into the ring after his name is announced. Reaching the line for the starting point, Joseph waits for the signal to begin. As the flag is thrust down, he begins guiding Betsy around the first barrel, gallops to the far barrel, weaves around it as closely as he can and continues through the rest of the pattern.

"Gosh, he's good! I can see clover leaves as he rides!" Alyssa says to Aaron.

"Yes, I can see that too. The boy before Joseph, he missed a barrel and the one before him didn't get close to the barrel at the end. He didn't loop around it like Joseph is doing. Maybe Joseph will win!"

"Rob's next up. He's going to do the roping contest. You have to ride fast to do that." Ben tells his friends as the roping event is announced.

Watching the riders take their turns to chase a heifer around the circle, Alyssa says "I don't like this one. They are going to choke the cow when they loop the rope around their necks that way."

"No, they don't, Lyss. Look. See how as soon as they rope the cow they get down and take it off? It's how fast they can rope the cow that counts. Rob does a good job. He didn't have to chase his cow very long. I saw that boy in the white shirt and blue neckerchief chase his halfway around the ring before he got it. Then the one in the gray hat, he lost his cow when the rope slipped off. Maybe Rob will win a prize."

"I hope he does. I saw one with horns. It was big." George answers.

Listening to the children, Ethan says "Those are steers, George. They are male, not female. Those you see now are female."

"What's a male or female?" Alyssa asks in a whisper to George. "You are female and I am male."

"George Cord! I am not a cow!" she responds angrily before standing and climbing up to sit beside Mrs. Blackstock, Linnea, Delphie, Sarah, and Claire.

"Hello little sister, you look like a fluffed up hen. Why so ruffled?" Claire asks using her nickname for the girl.

"George called me female. I'm not a cow. Uncle Ethan said the steers are male so that means cows are female."

Exchanging a quick smile and smothered laugh with Delphie, Claire soothes "George only means you are a girl. Female is a word for girls and women."

"Oh, I didn't know. I'll apologize. I'm going to go sit with Amalee and Lauren."

Soon it was time for the younger boys' events. Delphie and Ethan walk with Ben to the gate. "Ben, be cautious, son. Don't spook the horse." Ethan tells him with a wide grin.

"Be careful, Ben. I want my boy to come back to me all in one piece. You've not done this before." Delphie says straightening his collar.

"Yes, Mama. Papa, I'm not even riding a horse. I'm riding a sheep!" Ben reminds him.

"Alright, don't spook the sheep then. Seriously, have fun and be a good sport. No matter what happens it's just for fun."

Settling back against the board behind him, Joseph says to Jackson, "This is going to be fun to watch. I don't think Ben or Caleb has ever tried to ride a sheep before!"

"How do you stay on a sheep? Do they put a saddle on them?" Jackson asks.

"Not that I know of. Here comes the first rider let's watch." Joseph exclaims as they hear the announcer call;

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our next event is called mutton busting. Boys ages 8 to 12 will be attempting to ride a sheep and stay on as long as possible while the animal is moving. In some rodeos, this is the event where they attempt to rope a calf as well. We are leaving that out as just staying on a moving sheep is difficult. First up, is Lester James, then in order of appearance, Timothy Wilkerson, Jimmy Adams, Caleb Carroll, Ben Cord and our youngest competitor at age 8 is Sam Campbell."

Watching, the families see the first child's sheep be led out and the boy helped to mount it. Then the unexpected happens, the sound of a gunshot has the sheep jolting forward and racing across the ring. The boy manages to hold on until one fourth of the way across he begins to slide sideways until he drops off.

"That gun scared me." Amalee tells the other little girls.

"Me too." Alyssa answers.

In a short amount of time, the announcer is calling "Caleb Carroll, you're up, son."

"Oh, I hope he does well. He was so looking forward to being in an event. Matt didn't want him to try for any but I talked him into it. He thinks Caleb is still too young. I reminded him Caleb is eleven already." Linnea says quietly to the others sitting around her.

"Look at that, Linnea. He is nearly all the way across and still holding on! He did a great job! All the way across the length of the ring!" Delphie praises.

"Ben's UP NEXT, Papa!" George calls back to Ethan.

"Yes, I know, Son. Let's watch and be quiet so he can stay on as long as possible." Ethan calls back.

Gripping the fleece as hard as he can with both hands, locking his legs under the belly of the sheep, Ben waits for the explosion of a gunshot. As soon as the starting pistol is fired, his mount leaps forward running for the safety of his pen on the far side of the ring. Bouncing along, Ben feels as if his teeth are going to be bounced out of his mouth. He can't see where he's going for the dirt being thrown up from the flying feet. Feeling himself sliding, he digs his hands in further and hangs on.

"You may let go now son, the ride is over." Ben hears a voice beside him say.

"Did I make it all the way across?" Ben asks.

"You did at that! What a rider you are! That's a large sheep and you stayed on very well. Here, let me help you off. Can you stand?"

"I'm a little wobbly. That was a bouncing ride. My bottom feels as if my Pa just walloped me!"

"I'm not surprised. That was quite a lot of bouncing." The man replies after getting control of his laughter.

Making his way around the outside of the ring, Ben stops to watch the young boy after him. The boy is doing well staying on his sheep. Frowning at the sight, Ben continues on until reaching the long wooden step like seats where his family is waiting.

"Great ride, Ben! You and Caleb did so well!" Joseph praises.

"Thanks but the last boy did well too. His sheep didn't stop in the middle and have to be coaxed to move like the other boys' sheep did. That boy is only eight and he did a good job."

"I liked the one who just lay down halfway across and wouldn't get up!" George tells his brother.

Ten minutes later they hear the announcer yell out as he stands in the center of the fenced in ring. "The next event will be the calf scramble. Boys and girls can participate in this one. Well, boys and girls ages seven to twelve not you older boys and girls. The ones of you who are older than twelve really should be called something besides boys and girls. Alright kids, come on down. The idea is to catch a calf and untie the ribbon from its tail. It sounds simple but it isn't." The group hears the announcer call.

"May I try this one too, Papa?" Aaron asks not having entered anything yet.

"Go and have fun, Aaron. Alyssa, would you like to go along? He did say, boys and girls." Chris asks.

"No thank you, Papa. I'll stay with Amalee and Lauren to just watch."

Racing each other, Caleb, Jackson, Ben, and Aaron arrive at the gate where the many children are waiting.

"I can chase something on foot but I can't on horseback so I'm going to enter this one." Jackson explains to the man who is taking their names.

"That is just fine. Alright, children, we will do this by groups. Five at a time will enter. We'll start at the front and work backward in line. All you have to do is untie the ribbon from the calf's tail. The one who does that is the winner."

"What if someone in the group ahead of us wins?" Caleb asks frowning.

"We start with a fresh calf each time so each group has one winner, son."

"Look, that calf is really good at dodging. No one has caught it yet!" Jackson whispers to his friends as they watch the first group.

"Umm hmmm" Ben answers busy planning his strategy. Caleb is also watching the event very closely.

In the third group of five are two girls plus Ben, Caleb and the boy named Sam from the mutton busting event.

"In you go, have fun but don't tackle our calf, please. Just reach for the ribbon." the attendant reminds them.

"Come here baby. Come let me pet you." one little girl coaxes as she gets close to the calf. Taking one long look at the five children converging on him, the calf runs for safety. Knowing his Mama is at the end of the arena he heads that way.

"Get it, Ben!" Caleb calls as Ben runs past.

"Easy there, easy. It's alright." Ben says carefully walking towards the calf. The rest of the children haven't caught up or have stopped to catch their breath. "GOT IT!" Ben calls back to Caleb as he quickly pulls the end of the ribbon untying the bow.

Just as he gets the bow untied, the boy named Sam runs up with Caleb. "You got it! Aww, I wanted to get it. It's the only one I can get a ribbon for doing. Pa won't let me win any others."

"What do you mean he won't let you win? You either win or you don't." Caleb says as the three walk back across the arena.

"My Pa is running this rodeo. I know how to ride horses, sheep and rope calves and the rest. He won't allow me to win at those events because he says it isn't fair. I get to practice them anytime and the rest of you don't. This one, I can win because it's not something I can do better than anyone else. This is the first year I've been able to do the events at all. Before that, he said I was too young. I've been riding since I was four."

"Congratulations young man! What is your name again? We'll need it for our prize ceremony." the attendant explains as the boys reach him. "Sam, go find Pa. He's been asking for you."

"Yes, Jake." the boy answers. "This is my brother, Jake. See you around, maybe." Sam tells his new friends.

Climbing back up next to his parents, Ben tells his Mama "The big boy said I won, Mama. I untied the ribbon from the calf's tail! Caleb almost got it. He won with me on the sheep riding part. Maybe we'll both get a prize. Do you think the prize is money like Joseph got once?"

"Well now, I am happy for you boys. You are good competitors. I have no idea what the prizes might be." Delphie answers looking at Caleb as well.

"Settle in now, and let's watch Rob again. He's entered himself in the steer wrestling contest. Let's see how he does." Ethan tells the chattering group of children in front of him.

"My goodness, Ethan! Look at the size of those horns and we are far back. Just think what they look like up close!" Linnea exclaims.

"Yes, I hope that boy has enough sense to be wary of charging. I don't know how familiar he is with these animals. I tried to talk him out of it as it seems dangerous but he was set on entering."

"You've not taught him to rope steers? Where would he have learned it?" Matt asks as he watches the riders attempt to rope the steer.

"Remember he came to us at fifteen. He's had many experiences and I am still learning of some of them. He says he learned roping from a cowboy who worked his Uncle Vern's place for a year. I have to take him at his word that he knows enough to stay safe, Matt."

"Rob's in the ring, Pa ." Joseph calls back.

Riding into the fenced ring, Rob glances at his rope to be sure it's looped, loose and ready. Seeing the hand signal to begin, he trots the horse towards the steer. The animal is aware of him as it's eyeing him from the side. Unlike the three contestants before him, Rob doesn't charge the steer to run him. He eases closer as he would do with a wild horse. Carefully removing the rope from the saddlehorn, he loosens it, letting the lasso hang by the side of his horse. Closer now, he begins to speak softly to the seemingly confused steer. The animal is now looking at him fully but not running. It seems to Rob, to be thinking of what it might do next as it watches Rob warily. Closer still, Rob raises his rope and tosses it over the head and pulls, effectively roping the animal. Jumping down, he quickly works to pull the steer's head sideways forcing it to lie down. Taking the rest of the rope, Rob ties the legs to avoid being kicked.

"There you have it, folks. Steer wrestling done the more humane way. No one else has treated the animal as kindly as this young man. All the others jerked it over to the ground and looped the legs. Good work, young man."

"Well, I can now breathe again." Delphie tells Ethan quietly. "I'm just happy he's finished and won't attempt that anymore. At least Joseph didn't decide to try."

"He wanted to try, I forbid it. He asked to enter the calf roping event. I allowed that. We saw he was excellent at that as he caught his calf within a few minutes."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will have further events such as bronco busting and bareback riding plus a team roping event, after a break. Right now, please enter the ring if I call your name."

After the awarding of prizes which turned out to be large ribbons, the boys all return to the stands where the families are waiting.

"Look Pa! I got two ribbons, one blue and one red! The man said blue was first place, red was second and yellow third. I got red on my sheep riding. Another boy got first place as he was faster than me. Joseph and Rob got ribbons too. They both got blue! Pa? I am hungry. Can we go to the food stands, please?"

"Yes, there's time for visits to the woods as well. Once you've done that, you children go to the water's edge of the lake and wash up. We'll meet you at the food tables."

"Hi, Sam. Are you going to get some chicken or maybe venison? My sister makes really good chicken and biscuits too. I don't think she brought biscuits though. I'm getting two pieces of chicken, some lemonade, some more things that I haven't found yet and pie! What are you going to eat?"

"I already ate. My brothers and I ate early before the events. I like your ribbons, they're nice."

Remembering how the younger boy said he didn't get ribbons, Ben unpins the red one and hands it to his new friend. Here, you take this one. You deserved a ribbon as you did a better job than I did on the event. Tell your Pa I gave it to you because I'm a friend."

"Ohh, thanks! I will."

As the younger children are filling their plates, Rob and Joseph are talking with Jake and other boys near their age. A man Joseph recognizes as one of the event managers walks over.

"Hello, boys. Luke Campbell is my name. I'm head of a ranch named Campbell Cattle Company and we're gathering a group of good riders, cowboys to help with a herd. We'll be running a herd from Colorado Springs to Texas in two weeks. I need all the good hands I can find. Anyone interested?"

"How much do you pay and how long is the drive?" One of the boys Joseph guesses to be near Rob's age asks.

"Approximately six weeks and the pay is three dollars a day. Now that pay is for a full day's hard work. Cattle wrangling is a dirty, dusty job and there will be no comforts of home on a cattle drive. Sleeping outside, rain or shine, long hours riding, dealing with ornery cattle that want to be anywhere but where we want them to be. How about you two young men? Are you interested? Both of you showed fine skills we could use on a drive." Mr. Campbell asks looking at Rob and Joseph.

"How old do you have to be to come along?" Rob asks.

"I employ anyone fifteen and above. You can't mean to tell me you are not fifteen."

"I'm seventeen but Joseph is fourteen." Rob answers motioning to his brother who is now shooting angry looks his way.

"I'll be fifteen in October, sir. I'm good with horses, sir. I can do as you ask." Joseph says trying not to sound as if he's pleading.

Shaking his head, Mr. Campbell tells him "I'm sorry, Joseph. Look me up again next year. For the rest of you, anyone who wants to sign on, I'll be through here again in two weeks. Have a horse, rope, good pair of boots, enough clothes to change once or twice a week, gloves and a hat. I'll supply the rest. If interested and you have parental permission for those under twenty one, meet us here at the field by eight AM on the thirtieth."

"Yes sir!" several boys answer as they eagerly plan what they would do with all that money.

"Rob! Why'd you have to go and say I wasn't fifteen! I should've said you were fourteen too!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Joseph. No one would mistake me for fourteen. I don't want you going along on a journey like that at your age. Besides, Pa would never allow you to go and you know it."

"He may not allow you to go either! Did you think about that? We have horses to gentle and the job is not done."

"Maybe so but I need to make the money. I have a house kit to buy. I'll talk Pa into it. Come, let's go get something to eat as the little kids are finished at the food tables. I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I'll let you have first choice of the ham, venison or chicken." Rob tells his angry brother.

"Fine but I'm still mad at you. Just so you know, Rob. I'm not going to forget this either!"

"Message received, Joseph."

A/N: Thanks goes out to Rachel, mom of Twister and Topaz for her excellent help on rodeo events.

What will Ethan and Delphie think of Rob's plans? Will Joseph or Ben go along as well?