Page 46 of A Montana Rodeo Star

“Of course not!”

The responses came out at the same moment and Brent didn’t have a chance to decode exactly why he’d said such a thing when amusement flickered in Dominic’s gaze. The man turned to Faith, lifted a hand as if to touch her, but then dropped it at his side. “You have my number.”

She blinked rapid fire up at him, her cheeks still flushed. There were several people watching the three of them now. And Brent knew Hallie was likely front and center.

Faith opened her mouth, but no arguments came out as she watched Dominic walk away. Then slowly, as if she were the predator and not the victim of several bad decisions Brent had made tonight, she turned her scorching gaze on him.

He could have been burned from those eyes in that moment. Heck, he was entirely certain she was trying to light him on fire. And she had every right to. “Faith⁠—”

“Don’t talk to me. Don’t you dare talk to me.” She pushed past him, her shoulder bumping against his arm in the process.

He turned to go after her but came chest to chest with none other than Faith’s overprotective brothers.

Brent swallowed hard and suddenly he was regretting every second of the interaction he’d just had with Dominic. Not what he’d said, necessarily, but how he’d behaved in front of everyone. He wasn’t usually the type to act without thinking. Normally, he was level-headed. He knew what he wanted and he was careful with his words.

All sense had apparently left him. Maybe he’d hit his head too hard the last time he fell from the horse. Tate was staring daggers at him. Jason’s expression remained blank. Then Tate lifted his head and flashed his usual smile at the crowd surrounding them. “Get back to the party, folks.”

Brent shifted to leave, but Tate placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Not you.”

Ice sluiced through Brent’s veins as Tate draped an arm around his shoulders and guided him toward a less active area. It was quieter. The music was muffled. And there were fewer prying eyes.

Anxiety must have been part of the ambiance because when Brent turned to face Faith’s brothers, he wasn’t sure he would be leaving this little intervention without a black eye. For the second time in a week, he’d embarrassed their little sister. The little sister that Hallie had hinted needed extra care.

He muttered a curse under his breath as his gaze bounced from Tate to Jason and back again. “Hey, guys.”

Tate sighed, his happy demeanor shifting. His shoulders slumped and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “What did you do that for?” He demanded once his eyes met Brent’s.

Brent didn’t have an answer, not that he would say anything if he did. He knew Tate’s reputation. These two weren’t above throwing punches if it meant they were fighting for their sisters’ well-being. Anything Brent might have said wouldn’t be good enough to protect him.

He’d hurt Faith.

Unintentionally, but he’d still done it.

“Brent,” Tate said a little too forcibly. “Are you messing with her or something?”

Flinching, Brent shook his head. “I’d never do that.”

Jason continued to watch him with that quiet authority he had but Tate moved in closer. “You need to leave Faith alone. I know you guys have gotten friendly lately…” There was something in the way he’d said it. Something that screamed he knew more than he was letting on. “But you came to us for help. You wanted us to teach you so you could be the best version of yourself when you get in that saddle.” Tate wasn’t wrong. Brent had come to them specifically. He simply hadn’t been prepared for Faith.

“It’s not what you think,” he said weakly.

Tate didn’t look convinced. Neither did Jason for that matter.

“She’s not for you,” Jason finally said, causing Tate to shoot a look his way.

Tate shook his head and placed both hands on Brent’s shoulders. “Let me ask you this. Are you still all in? Do you want a sponsor? Do you want the rodeo life?”

“You know I do,” Brent snapped.

“Then get your head in the game. You started later in life than most of the guys who get in that chute. You have a lot of time to make up for. You need to show the judges that you’re not someone who can be brushed off. And you can’t do that if you’re distracted by anything. Relationships included.” Tate gave him a pointed stare.

Wait, that almost sounded like if he wasn’t working toward this goal that Tate would have been okay with his interest in Faith. A small thrill shot through him, but it was quickly squashed when Jason stepped closer as well.

“Faith needs stability. You can’t give her that if you stick with the plan you’ve had from the beginning. She’s not good with change. You’re an idiot if you think we haven’t noticed the way you two are with each other and if you keep going this way, she’s the one who will be hurt.”

“You don’t know that.” Brent blurted his argument without thinking. “And you don’t know your sister very well if you think that she couldn’t handle a life on the road. She’s resilient.” Those words were a mistake. Brent knew it the second they’d tumbled out.