Duke: Deputy Cowboy. Roz Fox Denny

“But Luke can’t even bat a ball.”

      Bobby intervened. “He tries. Come on, Tommy, we wanna be in the pony race and every guy we’ve called so far has three on their team.”

      Tommy shoved his brother’s hand away. “Yeah, but I want to be on the team that wins.”

      His mother cautioned Tommy again. “If you can’t change your tone, young man, your dad and I may decide you can forget the whole thing.”

      Duke saw the chance for Luke slipping away. He decided on a spur of the moment to sweeten the pot. “If you three team up, I’ll make time to take you out to Thunder Ranch, bring in some ponies and teach you how to work together to get one of you on the pony before he crosses the finish line. Winning takes concentration and team work. Most kids start out okay, but they get hyper and trip over each other.”

      “Deputy Adams is a champion bull rider,” Bobby told Tommy.

      “I know. I’ve seen pictures of him, his brother and his cousins hanging in our veterinarian’s office.”

      “Your vet is my cousin Ace,” Duke said. “He won buckles at a lot of rodeos. We all have. So, what do you say, guys? Do we have a deal if your mother and Ms. Barrington talk it over and agree?”

      Tommy hitched up his pants. “I’ll do it if I get to be the one who rides the pony.”

      “It’s not settled, Tommy,” Pam said. “Your father and I will discuss it. If he’s okay with it, I’ll phone Angie.” She had been frowning at the top of Tommy’s head, but glanced up and offered Duke a tired smile. “Either Gary or I will let you know in the next day or so, Duke. Well, I’d better get back to canning green beans,” she said.