Headstall

Hello, all... and spikey.

My pleasure, Chris. Thank you so much for supporting this new endeavor, and I'm glad to hear you liked it. I hope I don't disappoint with what's to come. Cheers! G

Sorry it was disappointing, but never say never to redemption. I'm not saying he will be, but I have been accused of redeeming the unredeemable in the past. Rob is an asshole, a product of his upbringing, and clearing being favored by his father as the first son. I'm not sure Rob is completely heartless, but I do believe he does his best never to get on his father's bad side. It is a family dynamic built on survival and caution from what we see so far. Thank you so much for sharing your honest feelings. I'll do my best to ease your disappointment, or at the very least distract you from it. Cheers, my friend. Gary

It's been said to me many times how much I looked like my mother, and I had a bio-dad who only had time for my older brother, who looked exactly like him. I truly believe that man was only capable of loving one kid. The joke was on him, though. My older brother was a colossal disappointment. I never experienced those words form him, but he did say things that truly hurt me, things I remember to this day. Enough about that. Albert may seem an aberration, but it is my experience he is not so rare, not from 'back when'. I certainly felt August's hurt in writing that, though. You raise a great question... did he love his wife? It's something we'll learn, I promise. I want him to test readers. I want to shine a spotlight on this kind of father... this kind of man who dots history. So glad the shoulder spit bothered you. It says so much about the man, and none of it good. I can't imagine treating an animal with such indignity. As well, the arrogance of the man who rides a horse with visible spur scars. He feels no shame for it, but I would be mortified. Another good question... why is Albert still single from what we know. You'd think a man with his wealth would have found a pretty 'filly' to keep his bed warm. I agree with you that Rob is jealous of August. Rob is the only one to inherit, yet he has too much focus on his younger brother. Does he resent he looks like their mother? Or is he envious of the streak of independence August had been showing? August has been forced into some scary revelations about himself... ones he can no longer push away. It is a process, and why I named the chapter Purgatory. He's in one now... not knowing his 'ass from a hole in the ground'. What does he do? What should he do? Do the answers lie with Fletcher???? Will there be another tussle? Stayed tuned... to Roping the Moon. Thank you, my dear, sweet friend.

That is a really good point, Doha. Rob spends his time trying to garner his father's favor, and he follows the man's example to impress him. August on the other hand, seems like the antithesis to Albert Cooley. I wonder if that irks his father. And yes, that contrast between the families is what attracted me when I first started to piece a story together. As much as Albert hates the Crawleys, is it because he's jealous... or something else? Lots more to come, my friend. Cheers, and thanks for sticking with this one! Gary

Hi, centex! He does doesn't he. We can tell Fletcher is almost always on August's mind. Without them being friends, he knows him as well as one. August is caught in something he has lost the heart for. He envies Fletcher's relationship with his father, there is no doubt about that. There have to be reasons for Albert's coldness to his younger son. For some reason we can't see, he seems disappointed in him. Is it because he's not cruel and hard like Rob is? Resembling his mother shouldn't be a reason for being so hard on him... does it maybe hurt Albert to see his wife's face in August's? Rob cannot be trusted. We can only hope August is smarter than him, and able to protect himself. I don't know how interesting this family dynamic is for some readers, but it is intrinsic to the story, and is something I've witnessed in part. Men like Albert were not so rare in my early days. Even now, there are men who bully like it's their right, and get away with it. Thank you, my friend. I hope you are invested already... there's a long road ahead. Cheers! Gary

Hey, Doc! Lol. I don't believe there has ever been a vaccine or shot against bullies, and that's what Albert is, and what Rob is in training for. It must be hard for August to see a relationship between father and son like Fletcher and Roland Crawley seem to have. Certainly, he has to be envious. My older brother always tried to bully me, but it never worked. I grew bigger than him rather quickly. Still, a distemper shot might have been something to consider. Thanks, friend. I appreciate your support as always. Cheers! Gary

Is this because I mentioned Drew riding cowgirl?

It's a job Rob does willingly. From what we know so far, my money is on August being the smarter brother, but you're right. If Rob ever figures it out, August would be in serious danger. His pa would never accept August's secret, and he knows that. August is only beginning to face it himself. It's amazing how we humans can fool ourselves into pretending we are not who we really are. It's also sad. Cheers, my friend, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. My hope is that readers become engaged with this one.

Thanks, Albert! There's a lot of inner narration in this chapter as August tries to sort through a mess of feelings. I'm pleased the tension stays throughout the chapter with only a few short respites. Every time the tension eases, it snaps back, whether through interactions with his pa... and then his brother, and the whole time his mind is centered on Fletcher and what it all means. August is raw, confused, and scared, and we also see how much he thinks of Fletcher, and how well he does know him. I guess I should say he's confounded as well. Any control he had seems to be in another's hands for the first time. Appreciate you reading and commenting, friend. Cheers!

I don't either, Sherye. Albert Cooley is that family patriarch I often saw in my childhood (no I wasn't born in the 1800s ), the one you didn't dare question. His rule was law, and he got away with some awful behavior. Rob is an asshole, doing anything he can to impress his father. As first son, he knows he will inherit Cooley ranch one day, as long as he stays in his father's good graces. I thought it was telling that Albert said August looked too much like his mother for his own good. In a way, I could almost feel sorry for the man's loss, even though he doesn't deserve any sympathy. Cheers and thanks, dear friend.

Actually, you are the second reader to tell me that about the names being too similar (one in a PM). Wish I could go back and change it, but at the time I was looking for two last names that sounded good together... the Cooleys and the Crawleys... and that was all I was thinking about. I won't do it again. Fortunately, Fletcher and August are very different, and those last names won't be important later, I promise. Rob is definitely a concern. August worries about trusting a Crawley, but his brother seems way worse. Thanks, my friend, for sharing your important thoughts and letting me know you are enjoying this one. It means a lot. Oh, and I have that aging brain thing too. Cheers! Gary

Chapter 2

Purgatory Slowly, very slowly, August’s brain began to recover from the wallop of being found out. He’d never felt so raw, so terrifyingly exposed in his whole life, and had no clue what to do next. He used to push his secret from his thoughts, to convince hisself it had no place of any concern, but he’d been a damn fool to think so. Apology? Yep, he supposed he did give Fletcher one for them poor sheep, but it weren’t the craziest thing what happened back there on that s

Hi.

Radio in the car and on my TV (my satellite TV has a lot of radio stations, and the sound is excellent with my soundbars. Sometimes, when I'm writing or editing, I put on a satellite station, like the one out of Whitehorse. Otherwise, I listen to my albums on my record changer.

Happy Saturday, folks.

Riding cowgirl isn't topping.

Hi, Albert.

Hello, all.

I cut my own hair yesterday. I'm pretty good at it. Sweet dreams brother B.

I understand totally. I have trouble understanding people on my landline especially, and can end up wasting a lot of time. Glad you finally had a good experience. I asked for chapter likes and comments so I know how readers are feeling about that particular chapter. I can often read between the lines and it helps me. This one has been slow to get off the ground it seems, and I keep hoping for more attention on it, but it is what it is. I ask for story likes too, and story recommendations because there are great tools for readers choosing a story. Cheers, my friend. Gary

Hey, J J ! I hope you find this story worthwhile. Please leave a chapter comment sharing your thoughts on the story so far. Cheers! Gary