Page 5 of A Montana Rodeo Star

“Yeah, probably.”

Wren grinned. “You think you can handle it?”

Faith rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. We’re friends. He’s a good guy.”

“Uh huh. Sure. Don’t blame me if you catch feelings and Tate or Jason beat him up for looking at you funny. Last time I tried flirting with one of their friends, they convinced mom and dad to keep me home and away from the rodeos for almost a month.”

“You were just out of high school,” Faith pointed out.

“So? The guy I liked was, too.” She got to her feet. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He runs the other way whenever he sees me now. I don’t know what Tate and Jason said to him, but it scared him enough to keep his distance.”

“Yeah, well, that won’t happen with me. Brent is a friend. End of story.”

“Like I said. Sure.” Wren turned on her heel and headed toward the practice corral.

Faith watched her go then glanced down at the book in her lap. She was tempted to head over to the corral with her sister if only to say hi to Brent, but then she’d be proving her sister right. She wasn’t interested in Brent. Not that way.

Even if he was sweet.

Even if he could make her laugh harder than anyone else could.

Even if he was the most goodlooking guy this side of the Rocky Mountains.

She sighed and flipped her book open to the chapter she’d been reading. Faith was good at remaining invisible, and Brent needed to focus on his training.

Two hours later, a shadow fell over the pages of her book. Faith lifted her gaze to find a sweaty and smiling Brent standing before her. He plopped down beside her in the grass and nodded to her book. “What are you reading?”

She smiled back and lifted the book to reveal the cover.

Brent cocked his head and read aloud, “Netter’s Sports Medicine.” His eyes lifted to hers. “Huh. Not… what I was expecting.”

“And what were you expecting?” She dipped her head and returned her gaze to the page before her. Of course she wasn’t reading. With Brent sitting right there and asking questions about her book, there was no way she could focus.

“I don’t know. Some romance novel? My mom likes those.”

She snickered but didn’t meet his gaze.

“What’s wrong with romance novels?” Brent asked, humor in his voice.

Faith shrugged. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” This time she peeked at him. He looked a little flushed, but it could be the workout her brothers put him through.

“Nothing’s wrong with romance,” he said firmly. “Read whatever you want.”

Laughing to herself, she lifted the book again. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

He looked chagrined at that, but his smile remained easy. “So, this is why you’re so good at fixing up scrapes and scratches, huh?”

“Something like that,” she mused, repeating her answer from the other day.

Brent reached toward her and grasped the book from her hands. She watched with curiosity as he squinted and read some of the current chapter she had open. Then he gave her a dumbfounded look. “I knew you were smart, but this takes the cake. Are you studying to go into sports medicine?”

“Not in school, no.” Faith held out her hand to get the book back and he obliged. “It would take anywhere from twelve to fifteen years to get a degree in something like that. But it’s fun to read about it. I’ve learned a lot.”

“I believe it.” Brent was still staring at the book in her lap, a frown marring his features. “You’re what, twenty-one?”

“Twenty-two.”

“If you started now and bulked up on your credits, you could get trained in closer to ten years. That wouldn’t be bad.”