Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Faith lost track of how many times she’d read over the same sentence. The medical book she’d picked out of the discount bin at the bookstore would normally pull her out of her discombobulated thoughts. Never before had she been so distracted.
Brent was supposed to stop by today.
Maybe he’d gotten too scared since her brothers were still upset with him. They’d been keeping their distance from her, but she wasn’t sure if that was because they were busy or because they wanted to give her space to make sense of everything.
She hadn’t told them that she’d snuck out last night. Maybe that was the problem. Her brothers were always aware of what was going on. It was entirely possible that they already knew she’d done just that.
Shoot! What if they saw Brent’s truck. They wouldn’t give her the cold shoulder for that, would they?
Oh, they absolutely would.
They’d give her the cold shoulder and while they did that, they’d lie in wait until Brent showed up again so they could jump him.
She shot out of her seat on the front porch, her book falling to the wooden floor beneath with a thud. Then she grabbed her phone to call Brent. The last thing he needed while he dealt with his family issues was her family issues.
“No, no, no, no,” she murmured to herself when his phone went to voicemail. He couldn’t come right now. He shouldn’t come at all. She should go to him.
Faith was about ready to run inside for her keys so she could do just that when Brent’s truck pulled onto their property.
This wasn’t good.
She swung her head around, trying to figure out when she’d last caught sight of one of her brothers. But the truth was, she hadn’t seen them since breakfast. They could be anywhere. She prayed they’d gone to town. That was her only hope.
Brent climbed out of his truck looking a little better than he had last night.
He must have slept better than she had. It was just after lunch, and she wouldn’t have blamed him if he slept in late today.
He probably needed it. The way his body had taken a beating during his competition was only one of many things he needed to deal with in order to heal.
She hurried down the steps toward him, ready to push him back into his truck but she was too late.
As if they materialized from thin air, her two brothers were on him.
They practically pinned Brent to the truck and got in his face.
Tate was the one to speak first. “You’re not welcome here, Brent.
Count your blessings and leave because the last time you spoke to my sister, you should have been taught a lesson. ”
Faith grabbed at his arm. “Tate, don’t.”
Brent’s eyes flickered to hers, but they weren’t full of sorrow or pain. Maybe a flicker of guilt was in those depths. But the main thing she read was hope and…love?
Her heart fluttered and she tugged on Tate again. “I mean it, Tate. Let him talk.”
Jason reached for her hand. “We get that you like him—”
One look at Brent and there was no holding back. “I love him.”
All three men looked at her with surprise. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe she should have waited until she could be alone with Brent to tell him her feelings. If being at the wedding had done anything for her, it had been to force her to acknowledge one fundamental truth.
She’d fallen for Brent a long time ago.
He saw her in ways no one else could. He was passionate about his dreams. He wanted others to chase theirs. The light he carried with him on a daily basis was impossible to ignore. Like a moth to the flame, she’d been entranced by him.
“I love him,” Faith said more firmly.
Tate backed away and rubbed at his neck. “Faith, you can’t—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t feel.
Just because he went through something no one should ever have to deal with…
and he went about it a little wrong…” She peeked at Brent, not surprised to see the embarrassment crawl up his neck.
“… doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of my love.
And nothing you can do,” she poked him in the chest, “will convince me otherwise. Besides, up until a couple weeks ago, you were totally team-Brent.”
Her brothers exchanged worried glances.
“Just give us a minute, okay? If he does something wrong, I’ll yell for you and the two of you can go all big brother on him with my blessing.”
The corner of Jason’s mouth twitched. He was the first to nod. Then the two of them headed for the barn with Tate calling over his shoulder, “We’ll be just over here.”
Faith turned to face Brent, finding a wry smile on his lips.
“So… you love me, huh?”
She crossed her arms. “Shut up. You’re the one who came to visit me. I assume that’s so we can hash out what’s been happening?”
The amusement fled his features and he dipped his head. “Yeah,” Brent whispered, “I think that’s a good idea.”
Jutting her chin toward the porch, Faith murmured, “Shall we?”
They took their seats, and she retrieved her book to place it in her lap. Nerves attacked from all angles. She’d told him she loved him and he hadn’t run off. That was a good sign, right?
Brent leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. Then he heaved a heavy sigh. “Does it sound bad if I say that I’m a mess?”
She bit back a smile. “I think we’re all a little messy.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” he muttered. Then he turned his head toward her and studied her until she was about to burst. Just when she didn’t think she could take his scrutiny any longer, he asked, “Did you mean what you said?”
Her throat dried. “About…”
“Loving me.”
Slowly, she nodded, not trusting her voice.
A muscle in his jaw feathered and he peered out at his truck in the driveway.
“Before you say anything, I want you to know that I’m okay if you wanted to try something long distance. And after I’m done with school, maybe I could go with—”
His head snapped toward her. “No.”
Her heart sank.
“As much as I would love for you to make that kind of sacrifice for me, I’m done letting people do that.”
“Brent—” she started, exasperated.
“That came out wrong,” he huffed. “It’s just…
” He stared up at the sky then sighed. “My dad talked to me last night. It’s a long story, but I see it now.
The things we do for people because we love them.
The sacrifices we make without expectations for them to be returned.
I’d gotten tired of being the golden child for so long and I thought the way to fix how I was feeling was to do something for me.
” His expression hardened. “I was wrong, Faith. It wasn’t the rodeo that was missing from my life. ”
She couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was, right?
He turned to face her and reached for the hands that rested atop her book.
“Competing was amazing. It was thrilling and I in no way will ever regret the experience. I can understand why my father—Louis—was drawn to it. But I can also appreciate what my dad has with my mom. Having someone in my life who loves me like they love each other is… more fulfilling than winning any competition could be.”
She straightened. “But I said I could come—”
“Even one event with you not at my side… it wouldn’t be fun, Faith. I know that sounds terrible, but the love I have for bronc riding partly comes from knowing you’re in the stands to cheer me on. I wouldn’t want you to miss even one—”
Faith squeezed his hands. “Then I won’t—”
He released a chuckle, one that warmed her from the inside out.
“Don’t you get it? It’s not about the ride, baby.
It’s about who I’m going on an adventure with.
These past couple of months have taught me a lot about myself.
I love the sport. I always will. There’s a connection I have with my dad when it comes to being in the arena that will never go away.
But being a professional rodeo star?” He shook his head. “I don’t want it anymore. I want you.”
Her eyes rounded and the feelings in her stomach exploded. She couldn’t tell if she was going to be sick or if she was simply experiencing what it was to be loved by him.
Because that was what this was.
Love.
Still a cloud seemed to move in over the happy parade taking place in her chest. Her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want you to resent me.”
Brent moved so fast, she couldn’t help the startled gasp that slipped past her lips.
He knelt down in front of her and stared up at her with so much conviction there was no avoiding his eyes.
“You are my future, Faith. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. I want you in my life. And as long as I have you, I won’t have any regrets. ”
Tears threatened. He couldn’t be serious. What he was saying sounded an awful lot like a proposal, but no, he hadn’t even said he loved her yet. This was merely a promise. A promise that he wanted her in his life and they’d figure out everything else as time went on.
“Brent,” she whispered, “are you sure?”
He laughed, his voice turning teasing. “Babe, if I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t be kneeling at your feet telling you that we’ll have a future one day. A house. Kids. Whatever you want. I’m not letting you go. You’re stuck with me.”
Maybe his words should have scared her away. Maybe a smarter woman would have run for the hills. Or maybe, just maybe this was where she was always meant to be.
A smile spread across her lips and she felt lighter. There was something about this man that could send her heart soaring to new heights. With him, she could see a brighter future. With him, she could be capable of anything.
“I want that, too. All of it.”
In the next second, Brent swept her up into his arms and spun her around.
She threw back her head with a laugh before he placed her on her feet.
Then he curled his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face upward.
“I meant what I said, Faith.” He lowered his lips closer to hers and barely grazed them on her warm skin.
Then he mumbled his next words against her mouth like he was breathing the promise into her soul. “Forever.”