Page 11 of A Montana Rodeo Star

He blew out a breath of relief and nodded. “I will.”

“I mean it. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

“I’m not scared of getting hurt. That’s par for the course.”

Tripp sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “I know. But I think it would kill mom and dad if something happened to you. Something permanent.”

Statistically speaking, people didn’t die often. But they did get broken bones. Brent was mentally prepared for whatever the sport would dish out to him. “I’ll be fine, Tripp.”

His brother didn’t look convinced. His focus shifted to the cut on Brent’s forehead. “You get that on Saturday?”

Brent didn’t bother touching the wound. It was almost healed anyway. He dipped his head in a nod.

“Thought so.” He shook his head but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he got to his feet. “Goodnight, Brent.” He made it to the door and had a hand on the knob when Brent stopped him.

“Tripp?”

His brother paused and glanced at him over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

For keeping my secret.

For understanding.

For being there for me.

Brent shrugged, then murmured, “For being my brother.”

Tripp flashed him a grin. “Yeah, man. Of course.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Faith looked down at the Tupperware container in her arms and blushed. This was stupid. If her brothers knew what she’d planned on doing with the cookies she’d made, alarm bells would have been ringing.

She never made cookies for anyone. Heck, she never made anything for anyone.

There was just something about her conversation with Brent that she couldn’t get out of her mind. Maybe it was his boyish charm. Or that he was the only person who seemed to notice the little things about her.

Whatever it was, she wanted to do something nice for him in return.

So that was why she currently stood on his doorstep with a square container of fresh chocolate chip cookies in hand.

Faith had nearly changed her mind about knocking when the door swung open and Brent’s older brother stood in the doorway. He cocked his head to the side and his eyes slid down to where she held the cookies. Then his lips quirked and he thumbed over his shoulder. “Here to see Brent?”

She couldn’t help it. The blush that spread across her face was as if someone poured red dye into a pot of water. She was positive not an inch of her skin wasn’t colored pink.

Tripp didn’t wait for a response and she flinched when he called over his shoulder. “Brent, Faith is here to see you.”

Faith’s eyes popped wider for a second. She hadn’t realized that Tripp knew her name. Had Brent talked about her? No, that didn’t make sense. Being the middle of three sisters and younger than her twin brothers, she’d always felt invisible. But Tripp and Brent were both friendly enough with her brothers. Maybe they were good with names.

She didn’t have time to completely come down from her surprise before Brent appeared in the doorway and Tripp moved toward her. She stepped to the right, and he mirrored her movements. Then the same thing happened when she stepped to the left. After that, Tripp placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. “Stay here.” He smirked at her then brushed past her. “Tell mom that I won’t be home for dinner,” he called out to Brent. “I’m taking Wendy out.”

Brent’s eyes didn’t leave Faith’s face, even as he hollered, “Okay.” He leaned in the doorway, completely in his element. Then his eyes drifted to the Tupperware container in her hands. “What have you got there?”

Fumbling with the cookies, she pushed them toward Brent. “I thought you needed your own treat, you know after you were so brave.” She let out a little laugh.