Terrell – is an experienced rodeo rider who has a deep love for horses, especially for his beloved steed, Blaze. Terrell admires Leo Pickens, the owner of Midnight Thunder Ranch in Boley, Oklahoma, and his wife, Maetee, for his generosity, work ethic, and ability to help the community. As Terrell rides Blaze back to his father after a five-year estrangement, he meets his best friend, Dicy, who has tragic news to tell him. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, leaving you all wondering what the news is.

In this chapter, Terrell receives a telegraph informing him that his father has died in a tornado; Terrell is devastated. His friend, Dicy, helps him to mourn and talk about his memories with his father. Throughout the chapter, Terrell reflects on how much he resembled his father and how it helped him to become a successful rodeo rider. With time, he also realizes that his father never warned him about the negative aspects of the rodeo, which led him to face discrimination as a Black man in the sport. While Terrell was grieving his loss, he heard Dicy crying in the next room for his father figure, Terrell’s dad. That was when Terrell decided to be there for Dicy and reminisce about a funny memory from their youth.

The chapter starts with Terrell and Dicy arriving at Boley, Oklahoma, where they grew up and met with a warm sense of nostalgia. The chapter continues as they reminisce about all the good times they had with their friends, particularly at the Shorties restaurant, where they would hang out on Fridays. Terrell feels a small sense of relaxation as he finally feels like he is at home. They stop at the Midnight Thunder Ranch, where Terrell’s father, Leon, made a name for himself in the rodeo circuit with his two stallions, Hermes and Zeus. Terrell feels overwhelmed with emotion when he sees his childhood home.

The story continues as Terrell returns home after five years and knows that he is now not going to receive a warm welcome from his family. However, he gets surprised to learn that Mr. Big is trying to destroy the core values that have kept the ranch thriving. Terrell wants to fix his relationship with his younger brother Talbot and find out who Mr. Big is. He heads to the stables to clear his head, where he encounters Madora, one of his oldest friends and Dicy’s cousin. He lusts over her and feels but feels ashamed because he is still in love with Sabra.

Terrell, a cowboy ranchman, reunites with Sabra Lewis in this chapter. Terrell admires her beauty and still remembers how he had fallen in love with her in high school. They reconnect with a passionate kiss, but Terrell feels disconnected from the person he is kissing. He pushes aside his doubts and expresses how much he misses her, and Sabra reciprocates the feeling. They catch up on each other’s lives. The chapter also describes Sabra’s family, who seemed like they belonged in a big city, who moved to Boley, creating curiosity and rumors among the town’s people.

Terrell finishes his morning duties on the ranch, grateful for the distraction from all his personal problems. Working alongside Madora, a young woman who shares his passion for the ranch’s animals, Terrell feels a growing attraction to her. At breakfast, Terrell realizes that he needs to apologize to his mother for his behavior the previous night but is distracted by the conversations of his aunt. They expressed their desire to keep the funeral private, but Terrell knew that his father wanted everyone to celebrate his life. His aunts were not only wrong but trying to intimidate her by double-teaming. Terrell wants to defend his mother but realizes it is better not to interrupt the conversation. This was when Gracie – Terrell’s aunt, came in.

This chapter features a part of the story in which Mr. Big is trying to secure Midnight Thunder Ranch but faces several difficulties due to the love affair between Terrell and Madora. He had planned for Sabra, Terrell’s first love, to seduce him and convince him to sell his part of the ranch. However, Terrell found out about Sabra’s husband and the feelings he shared with Madora. Mr. Big has already found some serious information about the two lovebirds, which will ruin his plans. In the continuation of the chapter, Sabra comes to Mr.Big’s office to explain herself, and he gives her another chance to complete the task he had assigned her. She assures him that Terrell will sell the ranch, and they will ride off the sunset happy, rich, and in love.

Terrell, the protagonist of the story, is struggling to believe that his Uncle Gus is the real Mr.Big. Although his friend Dicy tells him that this uncle is behind the downfall of Terrell’s family and the Midnight Thunder legacy, Terrell finds it very hard to imagine his uncle doing such a thing. Growing up, his father instilled in him the importance of brotherhood, family, and loyalty, and he had never experienced any jealousy or malice between his uncle and father. However, he owes it to Dicy to hear him out and find answers to the unmarked questions. Talbot, Terrell’s brother, joins the conversation, and Dicy explains the reason behind his suspicion about Uncle Gus. Their uncle told Tracy that he had a bad feeling about Mr.Big and walked in on Uncle Gus and Mr.Big, talking and looking guilty. Dicy investigated further and found out that Mr.Big was paying Uncle Gus to act as a prominent businessman with plans to take over Midnight Thunder. This discovery leaves Terrell and Talbot with the task of figuring out what they can do to save the family’s legacy.

In this chapter, Madora realizes she’s in love with Terrell Pickens, whom she’s had feelings for since beating him in a race at eight years old. When Terrell reveals that he loves her back, she’s ecstatic, but her happiness is short-lived when she sees Sabra, the girl who stole her crush in high school, and Terrell together! Madora becomes insecure about her appearance and remembers how Sabra always loved attention. She ignores Terrell at his father’s funeral, afraid of what could happen after their kiss. When she sees Terrell and Sabra share a passionate kiss, Madora realizes that she doesn’t want to be Terrell’s backup plan. However, Gracie encourages Madora to fight for what’s right and tells her that Sabra only loves herself. Maetee then enters the situation and calms the situation.

In this chapter, Terrell and his team are preparing for the upcoming rodeo competition against Gus’s team. Terrell is worried about losing and the possibility of losing his family’s legacy. He expresses his concerns to his team, who try to reassure him that they are ready to win. Madora, Terrell’s girlfriend, also comforts him and convinces him to take a night off to go to Sallie Moe’s, despite the fact that Talbot, who betrayed his family, is now the owner of the establishment. Madora promises Terrell that it will be a night of relaxation, fun, and entertainment, and he agrees to go.
Want to find out what happened next? Get your hands on The Boley Boys by Fannie Black and join Terrell in his journey of saving his family legacy.