He looked over at Jamie, who was covering her mouth, likely to keep him from seeing her smile. He shook his head, smiling at her right back. When she put her hand down, and he saw that brilliant grin, his insides lit up like fireworks had been set off. And he’d just lost an event. Spectacularly. He had no time. Even Wyatt’s penalty was better than his.

But he’d won Jamie’s smile. So that was good enough for him. He got off the horse and brought it back around, where one of the ranch hands took him away, and Gabe started to worry about his next position.

“You gotta quit flirting with my sister long enough for her to get set up to race,” Wyatt said, giving him a sideways glance.

“Tell her to quit flirting with me,” he said.

“I might.”

To his surprise, Wyatt sounded more fascinated than angry. Damned if Gabe knew why.

Then the barrels were all set up, and the course was ready for the three barrel racers to have their run. Sierra went first, off like a rocket, and glittering like a lure through the course, her blond hair flying in the wind as her horse turned sharp around the barrels.

But too sharp around one. The horse’s hoof caught the side and tipped it over. In spite of the penalty, Sierra kept on grinning all the way back in. The crowd gave her some hearty applause, and then Kate was set up to go.

Kate attacked the course with a lot of ferocity, and a lot less smiling, making every turn with precision, and racing in to the gate, posting a very respectable time.

Then it was Jamie’s turn.

Gabe put his foot on the bottom rung of the gate and hoisted himself up. “Come on, Jamie,” he said.

He knew that she was good. And he knew that Gem was good. But this was a whole different test of their skill. A competition, even if it was in her brother’s backyard.

He took a breath, and then suddenly, Jamie was off like a shot. Her horse kicked up clumps of dirt. One of them hit him in the shoulder.

Jamie was all intensity, her mouth in a grim line, her brows lowered as she flew through the course, and back across the line, her time better than Kate’s by half a second.

Gabe threw his hat up in the air and cheered, not caring if the response drew attention. “Thatta girl!” he shouted.

The crew came out into the arena and started to take the barrels away in the back of a flatbed truck, and that meant that he and Wyatt were up. They were doing the only two bucking animal events.

“You ready?” Wyatt asked.

“Ready. Age before beauty,” Gabe said, gesturing to Wyatt.

Wyatt raised his middle finger and climbed over the metal fencing, into the pen and on the back of the horse.

The horse was kicking against the side of the pen, and the handlers had him restrained.