The horses nicker, and Beaut pins her ears back and wags her head.

Kate, on the other hand, is laughing. She's purposely deviling him; it don't usually take so much to get a rise out of Gene. This subdued awe of his is near to unsettling.

"All right then, hotshot. You can snag us dinner tonight," she grins. "C'mon, now. Don't tell me y'spent all that time out back complainin' on how you wanted a real ride just so's you could get out to the long lonely stretches and clam up!"

Kate's just itching to kick up some dust.