Page 55 of A Montana Rodeo Star

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.”