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clenched, and I saw the muscles contract around his temple. He must not have had a good weekend either. I didn’t say anything, and Mr. Taylor chose to leave him alone too, despite Zane not opening his eyes once during class.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    “Argghh!” Tye chucked his rope, sending his stocky bay gelding skittering sideways. “What am I doing wrong?” He patted Gator as the gelding blew softly at the rope on the ground a few feet away. In three days of practice Tye’s catch rate was only eighteen percent. Even pee-wee heelers caught more on the Hot Heels.
    I shook my head, as exasperated as he was. “I don’t know. Are you sore anywhere? Or maybe it’s the rope?”
    “That’s the fourth one, so it’s not the goddamn rope. God I wish it was my rope. It’s just—I don’t understa-ha-nd,” he whined, leaning over Gator’s neck.
    “You’re not locking your wrist.”
    Tye sat back up, and we both swiveled as my father settled himself against the arena fence. My dad could carry ten different emotions on his face at once and manage to look genuine. Right now he was smugly sympathetic in a friendly sort of way. I knew he had pegged the problem.
    “But...I’m pretty sure...” Tye also knew he was right, yet no roper wants to admit such a simple mistake.
    Dad grinned, looked up into the old oak he was standing under, and pretended not to have heard Tye’s blathering.
    “Let’s try again,” I suggested as I whirled AJ around, and went to reset the Hot Heels. Tye retrieved his rope, and was waiting in the heeler box by the time I backed AJ in to the left side. I wasn’t actually throwing my rope, but Gator needed the face-up to know his job was done. Otherwise he’d start popping up, and it always took several minutes to get his head back in the game.
    I triggered the Hot Heels, and as soon as AJ heard the whir he bolted without being cued, leaving me to catch up. I yanked the reins, sending my heels into him sharply, and only saw Tye’s catch out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head just as Gator set back, and spun AJ around hard, forcing him backwards so quickly he stumbled.
    “That’s enough, Gabriel!” Dad admonished loudly.
    “But it would have been a broken barrier. He can’t get away with that!” I called back angrily. More pissed my father had yelled at me in front of Tye, than at AJ for his mistake. He had just gotten excited and overworked, and I knew this, but for some reason I took it wrong today.
    “No, he shouldn’t get away with that, but beating on him will only make him hesitant to work. Put him back in the box.” Dad ducked through the rails, and went to re-set the Hot Heels.
    He clunked the gate closed. “Good job, Tye. Watch your header on this one.”
    Dad turned, laying his hand on my knee as he looked up at me. “Are you okay?”
    I nodded. “I’m fine. No worries.” He didn’t mean right this second. My dad only pushed his fatherly influence when he thought something was bothering me on a more cellular level. Otherwise he left me to figure things out in my own way. Maybe I was a little stressed, but Tye finding his flaw would help that immensely. I hoped.
    “All right.” He stroked under AJ’s mane. “Hold him until I say.”
    I tipped my chin as I cranked my hat down.
    “He’s going to come up when you let him go. Don’t discipline him for it. He’s just trying to catch up.”
    I rolled my neck around, popping the kinks loose. “I know.” I glanced down at AJ, his ears already pitched forward, his eyes wide and staring at the chute gate. He was leaning a little, so I rocked in the saddle. He straightened up, and tensed. I sat back hard as Dad hit the button. AJ hit the bit, and reared up. It wasn’t high, and the second his front feet hit the ground he slammed his butt back into the corner, knowing he had done wrong.
    Dad waved us out. “Go.”
    I leaned forward and smooched. AJ hesitated until he felt my spurs on his sides, then shot off. This