Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Brent did a double take. There was no hiding the amusement that overtook him when he got a good look at Faith in the Sweet Everything Bakery. He’d come to town to pick up a few things for his mom and as he passed the shop, he’d noticed her.
Refusing to delve too deep into what that might mean, he moved closer to the large window and tapped on the glass. When she didn’t immediately turn his way, he tapped louder.
Her eyes found his through the glass and she smiled.
This girl.
She had the sort of smile that could crumble mountains if she wanted it to. It could build cities. That smile was gold and he’d do just about anything to catch a glimpse of it.
Faith gestured for him to enter the shop and without giving it a second thought, Brent obliged. She hurried over to him and grabbed a hold of his forearm. “Okay, you have to help me.”
He laughed. “With what?”
She motioned toward the display case. “It’s the twins’ birthday and I have to pick out a treat.”
“What about cake?”
Faith rolled her eyes. “That’s already covered. I wanted to get them something to go with it.”
“Something to go with the cake. You know that sounds ridiculous, right?”
“Will you just help me? What do guys like?”
He laughed. “I’d assume the same kind of stuff girls like.”
Faith’s cheeks flushed. “Yeah, well, I can’t pick. So you do it.”
“And have your brothers blame me when I pick wrong? No thank you.”
“You know me too well,” she groaned.
They shared a look. One that lingered. So many unspoken words were in that loaded look and for that moment Brent almost wanted to pretend that they were something more. It took a great deal of effort to tear his eyes away from her and focus on the task at hand.
“Try the black forest brownies.”
Her lower lip protruded and she tilted her head as she considered his suggestion. “You really think they’ll like it?”
“They’re Tripp’s favorite.”
“But not yours.”
He shot her a grin. “You already know what kind of treats are my favorite. Honestly, I can’t for the life of me understand why you wouldn’t just make them your famous cookies.”
Scoffing, she shook her head. “They’re hardly famous. And my brothers are used to them.”
“Blasphemy!” He slammed his hand to his chest as if he’d been hit. And the most beautiful sound escaped her parted lips. It was a giggle that started deep in her chest and rose higher.
He was so gone for her.
Brent shook his head to clear it. “Seriously, though. You can’t go wrong with the brownies. Chocolate being what it is.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She glanced up at him with appreciation. Then she turned to the gal behind the counter. “Can I get two, please?”
After she paid for her purchase, they left the bakery. As bad as it was, Brent didn’t want to leave her yet. The thought of going home and having to return to the daily grind was far less appealing than spending an hour with the woman at his side. He cut her a glance and rocked back on his heels.
“You need to go anywhere else?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “I was actually going to head to the bookstore. But then I thought my brothers probably don’t want books. So now I’m wondering if I should just get them a gift card at the saddle store.”
“You’d probably be right about that. I don’t know of anyone who is as passionate about books as you are.”
“Not just books,” she reminded him.
“Right,” he drew out the word. “Just the boring stuff.”
“Hey!” She attempted to dig her elbow into his ribs, but he side-stepped her which resulted in a huff on her end.
“A gift card though? You really think that’s going to land well?”
All at once her expression shifted into something more contemplative. “Yeah, I’m not sure. They’re so hard to shop for.”
“I’m sure we can find something good at the store. Guys are easy. Find a neat gadget or something like that.”
“So not easy.” She flashed him a smile and he returned it.
This.
This right here was something he’d never thought he’d have.
Even before he started on the path toward rodeo stardom.
Brent had known that he’d want to fall in love eventually.
That happened when someone cared a lot about their family.
He couldn’t see a future without his own children running around in it.
He definitely wasn’t ready for it.
Right?
And yet as he strode next to this woman, he could see a future with her. It was strange. Startling, even. Not just because this was Faith—his friends’ sister. But because he hadn’t been prepared for it.
But love?
Ha. He wasn’t falling in love with the girl. This moment that had thrown him off was merely a glimpse into what it might be like to find someone who got him. What it would be like to find someone who could be something more.
Was he crazy?
Brent cut a look at Faith out of the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but smile as she chattered on about the latest thing she’d learned in that medical book she’d been reading. Yes, all of it was going right over his head. But it was nice to hear her talk about anything.
Including the boring stuff.
They ended up finding a neat flashlight and survival kit since the twins also liked to go camping. But then Faith asked him if he wanted to go to the bookstore with her since it was right next door.
“They have beautiful hand painted cards in a display at the front of the store. I should probably grab one before I head home.”
“Sure. Maybe after…” Brent hesitated and she turned her eyes on him expectantly. “Have you gotten any lunch yet today?”
Faith shook her head. “Nope.”
“Feel like getting something small? Or big. Whatever you feel like.” He stumbled over his offer and inwardly kicked himself. He didn’t have anything to be nervous about. They weren’t dating. She had no expectations. Neither did he for that matter.
The erratic way his heart staggered in his chest insisted otherwise and Brent rubbed at the spot with his knuckles. Unfortunately, the massage did nothing to help.
He nearly took back his offer when she nodded. “Sounds good. I’m up for whatever you feel like.”
He should have gone with the burger place. Sitting across from her in what was probably one of the nicest places in town had been a mistake. The restaurant at the lodge wasn’t even on the way anywhere. What had he been thinking?
Faith’s brows pinched together as she looked over the menu. Her little pink tongue darted out as she obviously considered her options. He had the strangest urge to reach over and tap it so she’d put it back in her mouth.
Definitely not doing that.
Her eyes slid up to meet his and she sucked her tongue back into her mouth. Her cheeks colored and she let loose a nervous-sounding laugh. “What?”
Brent shook his head. It was strange to be sitting across from a girl who was starting to take up a lot of space in his head.
His whole life, he’d been focused on doing things for others.
He’d been the poster child of the perfect son to his parents.
He’d been the brother that Tripp could count on even if they’d gotten on each other’s nerves over the years.
Up until recently, he hadn’t had the courage or selfish desire to do something for himself.
The rodeo was everything he wanted.
Or at least it had been.
Now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Brent?” she whispered.
He blinked and his eyes focused on her once again. Then he chuckled, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. “Just wondering if maybe we should have gotten burgers or something.”
Faith’s expression was unreadable. She didn’t seem to dislike the idea, but she also wasn’t enthusiastic about it. Shoot. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it. Now he looked like he was a cheapskate. Her head tilted to the side as she watched him carefully. “Is that what you want to do?”
“What? No. I’m good.”
This time she squinted at him, and her nose seemed to wrinkle with the movement. Dang, she was adorable. The way she’d scrunched up her face like that also showed off a dimple he hadn’t been aware she had in her chin. Once again, he itched to touch her.
It needed to stop. They were friends. There were so many reasons why he couldn’t cross that line.
She cleared her throat, causing him to startle and meet her eyes. They danced with a fresh wave of amusement. Well, great. He’d been caught staring and it couldn’t be clearer that he was on edge.
Faith reached across the table and placed a hand over his. It was brief, a comforting gesture that was over all too quickly before she pulled her hand back. “Are you worried about what my brothers are going to think?”
His stomach tightened and he started to feel sick.
No, he hadn’t been thinking about that. At least not until this point.
What were they going to say when they heard he’d taken their sister to a romantic restaurant.
Without another thought, he shoved back his chair and shot to his feet.
“Burgers it is.” Brent had expected Faith to be disappointed with the change, but she surprised him.
When they got into his truck, she erupted with giggles. He startled for what felt like the hundredth time as he turned to gawk at her.
Faith held her sides and shook her head. “My brothers aren’t as scary as they would like you to believe.”
Brent arched a brow. “Um, have you seen your brothers? They’ve got at least a couple inches on me. And there’s two of them. I’d say that’s hardly fair if I were to do something they didn’t agree with.”
She sobered, her gaze turning curious. “And is there something you want to do that they wouldn’t agree with?”
Well, this was not what he’d been expecting when he’d invited her to dinner.
He hadn’t thought it was possible for his throat to close up or feel like it had been filled with premixed concrete.
He hadn’t expected his palms to go so clammy that he could have primed a slip-and-slide.
Up until this very second, he hadn’t thought it was possible for his priorities to shift from his dream career to a woman of all things.
He blinked at her, heat flushing his body uncomfortably. Then he cleared his throat. “No, I don’t suppose I do.”
It was probably all in his imagination that he’d seen her shoulders slump with disappointment. Because they’d both been clear about what could and couldn’t happen between them. It was smart. And he wasn’t going back on it no matter how much he might be inclined to do so.
Brent flashed her a smile. “Burgers, then?”
She gave him a sharp nod.
About thirty minutes later, they were both seated in the back of his truck, legs dangling from the tailgate as they munched on their food.
He’d brought them back to her place. It had been the right thing to do.
Eating off-site had felt far too much like a date—a date he’d want to hide from his friends.
At least this way they could spend time together out in the open where her brothers could see with their own eyes that nothing was happening.
“It’s true. She’d kill me if I said anything, though.” Faith’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Pretty sure Lydia thought she was in love with him. But your brother never gave her a second look.”
Brent grimaced. “That probably had a lot to do with who her brothers were, to be honest.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I figured. Tate and Jason have a knack for scaring off any potential suitors.”
He practically choked on his food then laughed. “Suitors? Seriously? What century are you living in?”
Faith scowled at him, bumping her shoulder hard enough into him that he had to put a hand down to steady himself. “Don’t make fun of me. I can want a suitor if I so choose.”
Brent snickered again. “What I don’t get is why your brothers are the gatekeepers. What about your folks?”
“They’re always traveling. They gave us this house and property and they picked up and went on an adventure the first chance they got.”
“Huh. I didn’t know that.”
She shrugged. “They come home often enough, but let’s just say they think we girls can live our lives the way we want to. It’s just my brothers who think otherwise.”
“I hate to break this to you, but your brothers are probably the reason you haven’t had to deal with a certain sort of person.”
Cocking a brow, she brushed off the salt from her fingers. She chewed on a fry for a moment then swallowed. “A certain sort of person? Meaning?”
He shrugged. “The kind of guy who doesn’t listen when a girl says no. The kind of guy who won’t provide for the woman he loves. You know. Those kinds of guys.”
A small smile touched her lips, and he smiled right back. Then her eyes dipped to his mouth and his breath stalled in his lungs. He knew that look. He recognized it because he’d given her a similar one.
She wanted to kiss him.
Not a good idea.
And yet as she leaned closer to him, her eyes trained on his mouth, he couldn’t bring himself to pull back, to remind her that they were just friends.
Then Faith lifted her hand and dragged her thumb along the corner of his mouth.
“You had a little something…” she whispered holding up her thumb to show him the ketchup she’d wiped clean.
She grabbed a napkin and offered him a small smile then she gathered up her garbage and hopped down from the truck.
“Thanks for lunch, Brent. Next time it’s my treat. ”
Faith left him like that, staring after her. His brain was foggy. He couldn’t remember what they’d been discussing right before she’d touched him. And it wasn’t until he heard the bark of his name that he was able to come out of his stupor.
“What do you think you’re doing, Brent?”
Head snapping around, Brent came face to face with two men. Tate and Jason eyed him with suspicion. How much had they seen? Heard?
Brent blew out a breath and released a strangled chuckle. “Nothing—”
“Sure didn’t look like nothing,” Tate drawled, his arms folded and his forearms flexing. “Did it look like nothing to you, Jason?”
His brother shook his head.
“I don’t know what to tell you. It was nothing. I bumped into Faith in town and we got some lunch. Sorry I didn’t think to get you anything.”
They continued to study him as if doing so would make him want to dump all his secrets. Like the little crush he was quickly developing. But they’d be waiting a long time if they thought he’d fold so easily.
Brent sighed. “Come on, guys. Would I bring her back here in the open like this if I wanted to try something with her? We’re friends. That’s all.”
Tate and Jason exchanged looks then Jason nodded. “I guess you’re right.” Then he pointed a finger at Brent. “It better stay that way.” With that, they headed for the house.
The breath of relief felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Brent dragged a hand down his face, not surprised to find he’d been sweating.
It wasn’t that he was scared of what Tate and Jason could do to him physically.
They knew more about him than anyone else.
The damage they could do to his life was astronomical if they thought he deserved to be punished for something that should be off the table.
And that was exactly what Faith was.