Page 66 of A Montana Rodeo Star

“Then why aren’t you eating? Sleeping? Why have you been acting like a zombie?”

Her eyes flicked to Jason, curious if he had the same opinion but she couldn’t read anything from him. Concern, maybe. But that was it.

“I don’t know,” she finally sighed, turning her focus to Tate again. “And honestly, it’s none of your business.”

Tate stiffened and she immediately regretted what she’d said. Tate was nothing if not protective of his family. It was normal for him to worry about her. And if he’d noticed she wasn’t herself, then it made sense he’d brought all his siblings here to form some kind of intervention.

She rubbed at her temples. “Sorry.” It was all she could offer right now. “Yeah, I’m a little distracted.”

Jason huffed.

Her sisters shifted uncomfortably.

None of them knew the weight she carried on her shoulders, and they never would. She wasn’t about to tell anyone about Heather’s secret. Not even the man she was falling for. It wasn’t her secret to tell. Heather needed to have that conversation with Brent. He needed to hear it from his parents.

Though she didn’t have much hope in the matter. Someone who kept this kind of secret from her children for this long wasn’t going to spill it now.

“Faith.” Tate’s voice rang though the room again, forcing Faith to look up at him.

“What?”

He rolled his eyes and his sisters huffed before the latter left the room. Tate watched them go then he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “What is going on with you? Something’s bothering you and we can all see it. Let us help.”

When she looked past Tate to Jason, all she got was a nod. Ever the quiet and stoic one. “It’s nothing you need to be worried about. I’m just a little distracted, like I said.”

“About what?”

She pushed away from the table, not wanting this conversation to take place. She couldn’t trust herself to keep the secret if Tate wore her down. Heck, she wasn’t sure she could keep the secret from Brent the more time they spent together, which was why she’d been making herself scarce.

Faith picked up her book and hugged it to her chest. “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Brent is competing tomorrow,” Tate called after her.

She paused in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Are you going?”

Boy did she want to tell him that she couldn’t do it. That she wasn’t strong enough to watch him compete now that she had more information. It wasn’t even the simple issue of the secret she held. It was knowing the risk he posed to the relationship he had with his family. And yes, there was a mild degree of fear that what had happened to his father would befall him as well.

Thankfully she was logical enough to be able to tell herself that numbers didn’t lie. She could count on one hand the number of riders who had died from that competition. Injured? So many more. But death?

Her shoulders lifted and fell but she didn’t turn toward her brother. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

This was a mistake.

Faith’s palms were sweating. Her whole body ached from being tense while she watched the men ready themselves for their events. Squirming in her seat did nothing to fix the problem and when Hallie managed to find her in the stands so she could sit beside her, matters only got worse.

Faith sat stiffly, praying that Hallie wouldn’t say anything. This was the worst secret she could have possibly spilled, and she had no idea the torture it was putting Faith through.

Unfortunately, her prayers seemed to not be getting answered today.

“Based on the fact that my cousin is here competing and my family isn’t being torn apart because of it, I’d guess that you didn’t tell Brent anything.”

Faith scowled at the arena, refusing to be baited into the conversation.

Hallie sighed. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here.”

Once again, Faith bit her tongue so she didn’t have to give Hallie anything.