Page 54 of A Montana Rodeo Star

She felt eyes on her and she glanced up to find Jason staring at her inquisitively. He’d always been the more intuitive of her twin brothers. It was like he had the ability to read minds.

Normally, she didn’t mind.

But right now? She didn’t want him to see her unease. Especially not when she had an announcement to make.

Faith cleared her throat and everyone turned their focus toward her. She forced a smile and avoided looking directly at Jason. “I signed up for some courses at the college.”

The three most important men in her life stared at her with varying degrees of surprise but it was Brent who spoke first. Not only did he speak, but he swept her up into his arms like she weighed nothing.

“That’s incredible!”

Tate and Jason got over their shock, but their confusion remained. They glanced at each other and when Brent placed her back on her feet, Tate asked, “What kind of courses?”

Before she had a chance to respond, Brent snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her into his frame. “She’s going to study to go into sports medicine.”

The shock returned to her brothers’ faces but then they both smiled so wide that all her fear and anxiety over taking this new step disappeared.

“Really?” Tate asked. “That’s… you… I can totally see this being amazing for you.”

Jason nodded, though his voice was more reserved. “I always wondered when you’d figure it out.” He tugged on her hand and pulled her in for a hug. Then his voice lowered so only she could hear him. “I knew you were going to something great with that brain of yours.”

She smiled into his chest then pulled back far enough to look him in the eye. “You did?”

He nodded again. “I would have been an idiot if I didn’t notice all those books you were reading. It was only a matter of time before you took the plunge.”

“But after high school… no one ever pushed me to go onto college.”

Tate’s hand landed on her shoulder, and he moved into view. “That’s because we never wanted to push any of you girls into something you didn’t want. And let’s face it. Lydia and Wren aren’t exactly the type to be interested in college.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Jason muttered. “I don’t think we could afford to help send them.”

Faith’s brows furrowed and her nose scrunched. She already had plans to apply for loans. And while she did odd jobs for her brothers when they were busy competing, she didn’t have the kind of income to pay it back, so she’d be looking into getting something more permanent. More full-time. “Help… send them?” she asked softly.

Tate’s eyes burned brighter as did Jason’s. They didn’t miss a beat as they said in unison, “We’re gonna help.”

Maybe it was their twin brains that made them know exactly what the other was going to say. Or maybe they truly had been waiting for her to come to this conclusion on her own. Either way, those words barely registered. She blinked several times. “Help.” She repeated, confused.

Tate nodded. “We’ve been putting a little money aside for you since you were a sophomore in high school. It was Jason’s idea. We both knew you were going to want to do something more with your life. And we wanted to help.”

Her eyes burned.

How could her life get any better than it was in this moment? She couldn’t think of a single thing she wanted beyond what she had right now.

Brent tugged her away from her brothers, earning eye-rolls from them and a giggle from her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and rested his chin atop her head. “I’m proud of you for making the leap, Faith. This is everything you dreamed of.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “It is.”

When her brothers took the hint and headed down the hall the way they’d come, she turned in Brent’s arms and peered up at him. “Today is a good day.”

He grinned. “It is.”

“You’re getting rather good at upping your score while on the back of those bucking broncs,” she murmured, pressing even closer to him. “Pretty sure you’re going to be better than Jacob Hines one day.”

Brent chuckled but she could tell he was pleased by her compliment.

“Keep working hard like that and you’re going to forget all about little ol’ me.” She didn’t know what possessed her to utter such a thing and the second the words spilled from her lips she regretted them.

Not because they weren’t true. But because she was drawing attention to the fact that she wasn’t sure how long this relationship would last. Faith didn’t need Brent thinking she was being clingy and already planning for their future.