Published by
Dell Publishing
A division of
Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway
New York, NY  10036
Copyright 2000 by Joan Mertens Johnston, Inc.
p. 188 - 189

"Get the corral gate please, Eli," Callie said.

The boy hurried to do her bidding, but Callie should have known better than to think Eli would behave himself.  An instant before Smart Little Doc was inside and clear of the gate, Eli let go, and it swung closed on the horse's rear end. Smart Little Doc leapt forward, hitting Trace in the shoulder an sending him spinning.  Trace let go of the halter rope, rather than jerk the horses head, and landed on his rear end in the sand.

Eli climbed onto the corral gate and hung over the top rail, a smirk of deviltry on his face.  "Oops. Guess I let it go a little too soon."

Trace was so slow to rise, Callie though he might be injured.  He wasn't hurt.  He was angry.  Once he was on his feet and had ensured his horse was all right, he headed straight for the gate - Eli.

"Trace, wait!"  Callie cried, heading toward her son to protect him.

Callie could see Trace was going to reach Eli first.  Eli saw the same thing, and came down off the gate and headed in her diretin on the run. Trace was too fast.  He vaulted the corral as though it wasn't there and caught Eli by the scruff of his shirt.

"Hold up there, son."

"I'm not your son!" Eli said, wriggling and kicking.  Trace held the boy away from him, so Eli's kicking feet couldn't reach his shins, and said, "That animal never did a thing to you.  It wasn't fair to punish him because you don't like me."

"I'm hate you!"  Eli shouted.

"It doesn't matter a bucket of spit what you think of me.  If I ever see you mistreat another animal, I'll put you over my knee and wallop your backside till you can't sit down for a week."

"Mom help! He says he's gonna beat me! Mom!"

Callie met Trace's furious gaze and said in a voice she might use to calm an excitable horse, "I can handle my son.  You can let him go now."