Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Relax, will you? You’re allowed to be here as much as the rest of us.”
Faith glanced up at Tate. She’d known that her brothers were friends with not only Brent but his older brother. She just hadn’t realized that they were close enough to be invited to the wedding.
“This is a bunch of bull,” Jason muttered.
When she looked to her other brother, she found him staring daggers at the best man.
Brent stood a foot behind his brother as the guests found their seats.
Jason was probably referring to the fact that Brent still planned on leaving the celebration early.
He’d put his foot down and he was going to compete in that event tonight.
She shrank deeper into her seat when Brent flicked his eyes over to her. To see the look of hurt in his eyes—the blame he undoubtedly placed on her—she couldn’t take it.
Jason patted her knee and she managed to look up at him again. He offered her a reassuring smile. “If it makes you feel any better, we’re not going tonight. We already talked about it and we’re not going to support Brent. Not after this.”
“But didn’t you know? You got the wedding invitation. And you knew about the competition. You knew he was planning on competing.”
It was Tate who explained. “We knew he was going to compete, but we didn’t realize he was keeping everything from his brother.”
Her own brothers shared a knowing look.
“Oh, so it’s fine that he wanted to keep his plans a secret from his parents, but you draw the line with his brother?
” She hated the way she sounded at that moment.
She hated that this whole thing happened the way it had.
Brent was allowed to be hurt. His parents could have saved their sons so much heartache if they’d only been willing to open up.
Their pain was deserved, and perhaps her opinion of that made her a bad person.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that they’d kept something so big from their sons.
Faith peeked at Brent and startled when his eyes met hers. It was brief because seconds later the Bridal March started playing. The crowd hushed and turned as one toward the beautiful figure striding down the aisle.
Wendy looked like a vision in her dress. But it was the look of utter adoration on her face that sent Faith into a different kind of tailspin. She only had eyes for her future husband and the same could be said about the look on Tripp’s face.
He’d gone through the same devastating news and yet here he was, showing everyone that he wasn’t going to let the bomb that had detonated change his path.
As if against her will, her eyes slid to Brent.
He was watching the ceremony, now, a thoughtful look on his face.
She studied his features from where she sat and all she could think about was how much he’d wanted to be a rodeo star.
For the last couple of months, he’d turned his whole life into chasing that dream.
It was a dream his biological father would have been proud of. He would have followed in his father’s footsteps, she had no doubt. Brent was a rising star and if he’d only had the support system when he was younger, there was no telling how far he could have gone.
Did it excuse him from treating his family the way he was?
No, of course not.
And that was her problem.
Faith had never been able to avoid finding empathy for the people she cared about. Brent deserved to make his own choices without the fallout of his family’s moods.
She swallowed down the bitter taste in the back of her throat. There was only one thing left for her to do even if her brothers hated the idea.
The ache in Faith’s chest never extinguished. Yes, it had only been a day, but the distance Brent had put between them made her wish she could turn back time to when Hallie had asked her to keep the stupid secret and Faith chose to refuse instead.
The arena was lit by blinding lights and already flooded with people. Excited chatter rippled through the crowds. She caught snippets of conversation about the competitors for the night, and Brent’s name came up more than once.
At one point she’d overheard someone ask if the rumor was true that Brent’s father was a rodeo star. That theory was shut down immediately by someone who apparently knew the family well. Judd Gilley had competed decades ago in amateur events. but he wasn’t a star.
She nearly leaned over and told them that Brent was actually Louis Murray Brent’s son and to look him up, but she thought better of it. There was no reason for her to stoke the fire from the gossip that would inevitably come out.
She found a seat and settled with her hands clasped tight in her lap. She was closer to the front of the arena than she wanted to be, but it would be fine. It wasn’t like Brent would be scanning the crowds.
He knew well enough what his family and friends thought of him.
Or rather, what the people in his life thought about this competition.
Their relationship might be up in the air at the moment, but she was still someone who cared so deeply for him, she couldn’t let him compete without some kind of support system.
She fidgeted in her seat and moved her hands beneath her legs.
Why did she feel so on edge? Brent had competed before. He was good at it. Excellent. He had the makings of a great competitor. She wasn’t concerned about his safety even though she had a few moments of worry after reading all the articles about his father.
But that wasn’t it.
Her unease stemmed from something else.
It was the uncertainty of their relationship. Yeah, that had to be it. The way he’d stared at her before the ceremony. The way he evaded looking at her when he followed the happy couple to get pictures taken. The way he had been avoiding her all together.
She groaned and moved to where she could put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.
Dating Brent had been playing with fire.
She’d loved spending time with him. She’d loved getting to know him better than even his family did.
Sharing parts of her life with him that she couldn’t voice to her siblings had been so… perfect.
And one mistake had the ability to ruin it all.
Someone plopped down onto the bench beside her, and she lifted her head to find Hallie.
Faith jumped to her feet and scowled at the woman she’d thought to be her friend only to have a gentle hand press her back into her seat. She snapped her head around to find Serenity. “What are you guys doing here?” She looked at her watch. “The wedding reception is currently going on.”
Serenity took the seat on her other side and gave Hallie a pointed look. It was the kind you gave your friend to respectfully ask them to keep their mouth shut. Then she reached for Faith’s hand. “We cut out early.”
Faith snorted. “The family you married into? Yeah, I bet that went over real well.”
Hallie sighed. “No one cares if I stayed.”
“That’s not true,” Serenity shot back, “and you know it.”
“Really? Is that the hill you want to die on? Because I know for a fact my uncle and aunt wanted me out of there. My folks aren’t too thrilled with me either.”
“Well, Reese understood. In fact, he was the one who told me to grab you and get out of there.” Serenity nudged Faith with her knee. “I think he realized you weren’t there, and he wanted us to support you… even if Hallie has been blacklisted.”
Hallie didn’t even utter an argument.
Faith’s focus bounced from one friend to the other. “So, you came to support me? What about Brent?”
“Him, too,” Hallie shrugged. “I owe him that much even if he’s being bull-headed at the moment.”
They sat there quietly, the roars of the crowd getting louder when the first competitor was released into the arena. Faith watched with only mild interest as the cowboy did everything in his power to stay on the bronco. He was good, but she’d seen enough to know he wouldn’t be placing.
Her thoughts shifted to Brent and his predicament. Without thinking too hard, she turned to Hallie. “So, is he still not speaking to his folks?”
Hallie startled at the question. Her eyes darted to Serenity then back to Faith. Then she shook her head. “No, he’s still not speaking to them. But I did get Tripp to talk to him. I don’t know how it went. I tried…” Hallie sighed. “But for obvious reasons I’m not anyone’s favorite right now.”
Faith nodded.
“I know I haven’t been part of this family for that long, but this whole thing is a little crazy, isn’t it? How did they keep it a secret for so long?” Serenity asked.
“Apparently when Heather left, no one knew she was pregnant. She was close with Judd and Louis. They were like the three musketeers. They eloped before she had Tripp. Her parents didn’t approve of her going on the road.
They practically disowned her. She kept in touch with my dad, though.
They were really close. And she told him when she got married.
Sent him letters about Tripp, too. My dad might have been the only one that knew she was officially with Louis and not Judd. ”
Faith soaked in this information. So, if Heather hadn’t maintained a close relationship with her younger brother, then she might have gotten away with the secret. “And when Louis died…”
“Judd stepped up.” Hallie shrugged. “They were best friends. He wanted to help and they made it work. I don’t doubt they’re in love. And no one can dare tell Judd he isn’t the father to my cousins. He raised them.”
There was no denying it. Faith agreed with that sentiment.
“Anyway,” Hallie sighed, “my dad knew and he’d asked her once about it when she finally came back to town.
She begged him not to breathe a word and the night I overheard the story, my mom had been adamant that Tripp find out.
I don’t know if it was the looming wedding or what.
But my mom didn’t want to keep the secret anymore. I can’t blame her.”
Serenity whistled. “So much to unpack.”
“Yeah,” Hallie agreed. “And honestly, I’m not really sorry that it’s out there now. Am I sorry for how it happened?” She cut Faith an apologetic look. “Of course I am. But I think my cousins deserved to know. They might not be blood, but they’re my family.”
Faith nodded to herself. Right. Hallie had been adopted.
The cheers around them increased so much that they all swung their attention to where the next rider waited.
Faith sucked in a sharp breath, finding Brent’s eyes searing into hers. He didn’t wave. Didn’t smile. But he also didn’t break the connection they had. She could feel her friends’ unease at her sides. No one had to vocalize how they felt because they likely all felt the same.
Bad.
And that word didn’t even cut it.
The sorrow she felt on Brent’s behalf would leave a mark. He probably needed space, and she’d give it to him. He’d want to sort out how he felt about the news of his parents before dealing with the shattered remains of their relationship. She wouldn’t be surprised if this was the end of it.
Maybe after Tripp was back from his honeymoon, she’d brave a visit and ask him how the two of them were holding up.
Tripp would be the only person Brent would confide in over this.
That was a given. And Tripp would be the only one willing to give her any information—solely because of her friendship with his new wife.