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He shifted in his seat, putting his fork down on the table. “If I don’t ask a question, then I don’t need an answer.”
Brielle snorted. “Either you’re in denial or you don’t see the way you’ve trained us to practically give you any and all information you want just by giving usthatlook.” She finally lifted her gaze from her phone and winked at Faye before turning a sweet smile to her father. “It’s nevernothingwith you, but that’s okay. Don’t worry. We love you anyway.” She stood from the table and kissed the top of his head before she took her plate to the sink. “Besides, we all know why you’re looking at Faye that way.”
He stiffened, his attention shifting to Brielle rather than Faye. “You can’t possibly know what I’m thinking about.”
Brielle laughed. “Really? Like you don’t react in the exact same way when a new guy enters our lives? It doesn’t even have to be a guy we’re interested in. Any time fresh testosterone enters the mix, you’re all over it.” She gave Faye a meaningful look. “Just be careful, okay?”
Faye didn’t know how to respond. This conversation had taken on a life of its own. Luckily, she got her wits about her before Brielle left the kitchen. “I don’t have to be careful. I’m not doing anything dangerous.”
Her older sister shrugged as she strode toward the door. “I guess I assumed wrong.”
“Just what did you assume? There’s nothing going on with me.” Faye followed her sister out of the kitchen, mildly grateful she was no longer being scrutinized by her father. The way he continued to look at her was unnerving, to say the least.
Brielle didn’t stop walking. She continued through the house toward her room, not answering the question. Faye had to pick up her pace in order to stay in step with her sister.
“Really, Bri. I’m not doing anything dangerous. I don’t know why you had to say that in front of Dad. Now he’s gonna think I’m up to something, and we all know that’s not my MO; it’s yours.”
Her sister stopped, turning to face Faye abruptly. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”
“Well, what you said back there wasn’t very nice either. Now I’m going to have to explain to him why you think I’m doing something wrong.”
“No, you won’t. Didn’t you hear me? I retracted what I said.” Brielle’s features were flat and unexpressive. She was hiding something, but what, Faye had no idea. She wasn’t close enough to Brielle to know how to dig up whatever it was she didn’t want to share. Brielle let out a sigh. “Sorry I said anything, okay?” She brushed past Faye, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Faye turned to head back to the kitchen when she nearly had a heart attack. Grace stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall as casually as an old-school western cowboy. “Don’t worry about her. She just went through a breakup.”
“Who said I was worried? Brielle always acts weird. Wait, she was dating someone?”
Grace cocked her head slightly. “Yeah. I guess that is the weird part. She was dating someone and it didn’t work out. She said she’s fine and that it’s for the best, but I think it hurt her a little more this time.”
“But I didn’t see anyone coming around.”
“That’s the way she does it. Brielle doesn’t like the attention because she knows it’s gonna be a big deal. Then if it doesn’t work out, she’s left with nothing.”
Faye shot a look over her shoulder to where Brielle had disappeared to. “Who was she dating?”
This time Grace let out a laugh. “She would kill me if I told you. The only reason I know is because I sorta set them up in the first place.”
“I didn’t think Brielle was capable of having her heart broken,” she murmured.
“Faye!”
She grimaced. “You know that’s not what I meant. Brielle is the one who always breaks up with people. Do we even know if she was the one who was broken up with? We all know she’s gone through her share of guys. She’s neverseriouswith anyone. Not really.”
Grace pushed away from the wall and strode toward Faye, her gaze hardened. “Just because she’s the one breaking up with someone doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel the loss. How would you feel if you were in her position? She’s watched her older sister and younger sisters all get engaged and married, and she’s left behind.”
Faye snorted. “Are you forgetting that I’m one of the sisters who isn’t married yet? I’m seeing everyone start dating, too, and I’m not all torn up over it.”
“Yeah, but you’re not dating anyone. You don’t have anything you’re hoping will turn into something more. Bri was just warning you not to get too attached to Adam, that’s all.”
“Attached toAdam?” Faye let out a strangled laugh. Had she toyed with the idea that in a different life they might have been more? Sure. What girl wouldn’t when the guy could make her laugh so easily? But she’d already figured out where they stood with each other. “I’mnotinterested in Adam at all. Not only that, but he’s only helping me with my truck because he’s getting something out of it.”
“Yeah, we all saw how you two were getting along last week.” Grace’s lips curled into a mocking grin. “We’re not blind, Faye. We can tell what’s really going on.”
Faye threw her hands into the air. “Is that what this is all about? You think that just because I’m teaching him how to ride that, suddenly, I won’t be able to control myself? You think I’m going to fall in love with him?”
Grace’s pointed look was all it took to confirm Faye’s question.
“Well, tough luck. It’s not gonna happen. Adam has a huge crush on some girl in the rodeo circuit. He wants to impress her with his horsemanship abilities. Too bad it’s gonna take a ton of work for him to even come close to the guys he’s comparing himself to.”
