Page 34 of A Montana Rodeo Star

What they didn’t seem to understand was that he didn’t care about the risks. Nothing worth having wasn’t without the risks. Anyone who gained what they wanted would agree with that sentiment.

With a huff of frustration, Brent shook out his hands then shoved the truck door open and stepped out of his truck. He managed to get his door shut when his eyes locked with a pair of pretty blues a few feet away.

There was no telling how long Faith had been standing there, watching his life spiral.

And just like that, his anger flared. The likelihood that she was the one who spilled his secret was great. Tate and Jason were good at keeping secrets. Faith on the other hand… not so much.

Her eyes were filled with anguish and that was all it took for his frustration to fizzle into nearly nothing. Faith looked like she needed a hug.

She stepped forward then stalled.

“Hey,” he murmured. His voice sounded strained even to him. He could feel the residual frustration beneath the surface but the longer he had Faith in his sights, the more it ebbed.

“Hey,” she repeated. Before he could say another word, she stepped closer once more. Her voice trembled as she started rambling. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, but I accidentally told Hallie about⁠—”

Brent grasped her chin between his finger and thumb. “Hey,” he cut her off. “It’s okay.”

She blinked up at him. Once. Twice. Then a few more times. She shook her head, her cheeks flushing deeply. “It’s not, Brent. It’s… she… they know.” She said the last bit on a whisper.

He tilted his head. “They?” Brent hadn’t thought it was possible, but the coloring in her face got even worse. Then her eyes flooded with tears.

Faith bit down on her trembling lip and attempted to look away but he continued to hold her firmly in place. She had no choice but to tell him everything. He wasn’t going to let her go. The longer he waited, the more aware he became of their proximity. His arm was around her waist. Her face in his other hand. He was inches from her, and it would take zero effort to close the distance between them and⁠—

“Hallie wasn’t the only one there.” Faith grimaced.

It took him a moment to remember what they were discussing. “What?”

“Wendy and Serenity were there, too. I’m so sorry, Brent. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m such an idiot⁠—”

“No, you’re not,” Brent snapped. “And don’t you even think about putting yourself down.” His mind was whirling. The implications of his brother’s fiancée knowing was only part of it. He was still trying to figure out the emotions her closeness was causing him.

It might be wrong, but he almost wanted to brush off all thoughts of his rodeo ambitions in order to focus on the spark he felt when he was with Faith.

He shook his head, his arm around her waist relaxing to put some space between them. Still, he kept his eyes locked on her. “Hallie isn’t going to say anything.”

“I don’t think any of them will,” she added.

“You can’t be sure of that,” he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He chewed on the inside of his cheek then blew out a breath. “It’ll be okay.”

Whether it was because she looked so distraught or because she’d been the one to come clean first, something inside him wanted nothing more than to pull her in for another hug. He was the person wronged here, and yet he wanted to offer his comfort to her.

“Are you sure?”

Brent nodded, offering her a crooked smile. “It was a mistake. I know you wouldn’t have done anything to hurt me on purpose.”

She didn’t appear to relax at all. It was like she was vibrating with too many emotions. Guilt. Embarrassment. Maybe something more.

He stepped toward her again and took her hands in his. She’d been wringing them, twisting them until they turned white. “Look, I can’t say that I wasn’t upset when Hallie confronted me.”

Faith paled further. “She confronted you?”

“That doesn’t matter. Not anymore. We can’t go back.”

“I’m so⁠—”

“Apologize one more time, Faith, and I can’t promise to control myself with what happens next.”

Her mouth fell open, the distraction exactly what she needed.