Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
This couldn’t be real.
There was no way.
She was dreaming.
Right?
Those thoughts continued to circulate through her head over and over without stopping during the next several days. Faith couldn’t remember a time when she felt happier. Brent wanted to be with her. Really be with her. Out in the open and everything.
It was like a dream.
Better than a dream.
Because this was real.
For the first time that Faith could remember, she felt wanted. She felt noticed. She felt… special.
That was a feat in itself being a middle child. Maybe she was romanticizing this a little too much, but she didn’t care. Right now, she fully intended on enjoying every second.
Her smile spread wide when she saw Brent emerge from the locker rooms and she wasted no time in throwing herself into his arms. “You did so good! I can’t believe it!
” Faith pressed a firm kiss to his lips.
Whether it was the excitement of the moment or just the pure happiness she felt in his presence, she didn’t know.
All she knew was that she wanted to be close to him. To share in this joy.
Brent pulled back, smiling. His hair was damp with sweat, and he’d changed out of the gear he’d worn for the competition. But that look of excitement in his eyes made his whole face light up. He palmed the side of her face. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”
That spark she’d felt between them was no less surprising. Each time he looked at her with that adoration, the world seemed to stop spinning. Time remained suspended between them and she forgot how to breathe.
The whisper that escaped her lips was only meant for him. “I’ll always be there for you, Brent. I’m so proud of you.”
He blinked and something shifted in his eyes but then the loud sound of her brother’s voices echoed through the hall and they both turned to see Tate and Jason heading for them.
They didn’t even bat an eye at the intimate way she was standing with their friend.
They crowded around him, jumping, shoving, and congratulating him.
“Second place! Dude, that’s unheard of. You’re the talk of the rodeo community right now. A rising star. There’s no way you’re not getting more attention from potential sponsors.” Tate gave Brent another shove. “Don’t forget us when you make it big.”
A knot formed in Faith’s stomach.
Make it big.
Right. In the moment just before her brothers had shown up, she’d completely forgotten that these competitions weren’t just for him to make a name for himself.
It was his way of stepping up the ladder.
He was doing it faster than anyone could have anticipated.
And she wouldn’t be surprised if he was a household name by the end of the year.
At that point, he’d definitely have to talk to his parents about everything he’d been doing. His relationship with his family would suffer. And what about his relationship with her? Would he ask her to go on the road with him, or would he cut ties with her?
Stupid.
She shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. It wasn’t healthy. They were just starting to get closer, and it wasn’t fair to expect anything from him while they felt out their budding relationship. Too soon. She wasn’t going to be that clingy girlfriend.
He’d said it himself.
Brent promised he’d always do the right thing when it came to her.
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.
Because she wasn’t.
Not really.
And yet the thought of him moving on without her already sent her nerves into a tailspin. What was wrong with her?
Brent frowned at her and she flushed then cleared her throat as she looked away. Apparently, he wasn’t having any of that because he reached for her chin and forced her to look up into his face. “You’re unforgettable, Faith. I hope you know that.”
She blinked several times. Guys don’t just say that sort of thing. Especially not to her. She could cry right now for how embarrassed she was for letting her insecurities out into the light of day. Boy, she wished she could take it back.
He must have sensed her unease because he dug his heels in deeper. “I get that this is new and there is so much up in the air right now, but I swear this isn’t just about having someone to hang out with. I like you, Faith.”
Great, now she felt even worse. He didn’t need serious right now. Neither one of them did. He was looking to find a sponsor. She was trying to get settled in a new job. “Brent, it’s fine, I shouldn’t have—”
“How about we enjoy one another’s company. Nothing serious. Just… having some fun. How about that?”
And just like that, Brent made this ten times worse. If she had a little hope in the beginning that everything could turn more serious.
That he might want her as something more.
That they could make the long-distance thing work if she couldn’t go with him in the scenario that he started to travel a lot.
Well, Brent destroyed that hope she’d allowed herself to have.
All she could do was smile and nod. Because what else would he expect?
He probably assumed she’d been nervous about something more serious when that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Heck, if he’d told her that he was already in love with her, that would have put her more at ease than this… having fun… nonsense.
So that was what she did.
Faith smiled. She allowed him to slip his hand into hers and pull her along toward the exit.
“I’m starved, how about you?”
“It’s nine o’clock at night,” she snorted.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t eat. Because I could eat.” Brent winked at her. “And I want to spend time with you. So taking you out for food or ice cream or something is a win in my book.”
He always had a way of saying the right things.
“And while we’re stuffing ourselves with a bedtime snack, you can tell me all about the classes you signed up for.”
She nodded again, unable to find her voice.
Brent was choosing to live for the here and now. If he could do it, then so could she. They still had several weeks left of summer. Okay, not several, but enough for now. At least that was what she’d tell herself.
This was new.
And as far as new relationships went, it was exciting.
Thrilling. She was just getting caught up in it all.
Eventually, she’d float back down from the cloud where she was currently perched.
With two feet planted firmly on the ground, she’d be able to think logically and she wouldn’t have to stress over the unknowns of the future.
When they were closer and knew more about each other—that was when she’d feel more comfortable bringing up the subject of where they went from here.
Thirty minutes later, they were seated in the back of his truck, legs dangling over the tailgate, and ice cream in hand.
Well, she had ice cream. He was currently on his third corndog.
“You decide what you want to do with that new degree of yours?” Brent asked between bites.
Faith nodded. “Athletic trainer. I think it’s the best option for me.
It will allow me to do a little bit of everything.
” She lapped at her ice cream and smiled over at him.
“You know, from the emergency care and rehabilitation. To the pre-event prep and injury prevention. I’ll be able to work side by side with therapists and doctors, too. ”
“Sounds like there won’t ever be a dull moment.”
“Yeah, it does.” She felt his stare and peeked at him again. “What?”
“I don’t think you’ve stopped smiling since I bought you that ice cream.”
She snorted. “I can assure you, my happiness isn’t because of the ice cream.”
“I know.” The low timbre of his voice sent shivers racing through her and she paused, mid-lick before turning so she could see his eyes.
It was hard in the dark. All she had was the glow of the porch light at her house to go off of, but it was just enough to see the way he was looking at her was the same way he’d stared when he’d convinced her that they could be something more.
She absolutely loved it. When he looked at her like this, she felt seen, not just looked at.
He’d known her better than her brothers had.
When she’d told them all about the classes she’d signed up for, he’d known.
Before she could ask him what he meant with that statement, he answered her unvoiced question.
“It’s the classes you’ve signed up for. That’s why you’re smiling.”
She wanted to tell him that while he was right, it wasn’t just the classes. It was him. It was feeling like she finally belonged somewhere—with someone. But she didn’t. In fact, she had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from saying something she’d regret.
Too new, Faith. This is all too new. You don’t want to scare him off when he has his whole future ahead of him.
Faith poked out her tongue and licked the side of her cone once more. Then she tilted her head thoughtfully. “I think we’re both on a high tonight. You’re getting closer to achieving your dreams and I’m doing the same.”
“I think you might be right about that,” he mused. “And there’s no one else I’d rather take this journey with, than you.”