Marlin's Faith: The Virtues Book II by A.J. Downey

something akin to it, even though there was no reason for it. We’d all exhibited a wild streak in our younger days to some extent. There wasn’t anything unusual about that. We’d all, at one time or another, done some stupid shit to hurt or disappoint the ones closest to us. It was a fact of life. It was part of the learning curve, but in that moment, it snapped together and became clear, one of Faith’s issues.
    “Wasn’t your fault, Baby Girl; none of it was your fault,” I soothed and knew it was inadequate. That as much as I could, and would say it, she couldn’t and wouldn’t believe me. Not with her trust shattered into a million pieces so fine, that they were blowing away like sand up a beach. All I could so was lay there and comfort her with what amounted to nothing more than a bunch of meaningless bullshit.
    I hoped like hell, that if she couldn’t believe in me, or her sister, that maybe the chick with a professional license would help with it somehow. I knew it was backwards, and didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but sometimes it took an outside source like that to open a person’s eyes to the possibilities right in front of them.
    The next time I opened my eyes was when a rough boot kicked my own. Faith startled and let out a terrified yip, crab walking her way off the top of our blanket. I glared up at my buddy, Bobby, who owned his family farm.
    “What the fuck you doin’ on my land, Boy?” he demanded, gun in hand and pointed at us and Faith – fuck – she didn’t know.
    “Put that fuckin’ thing away, Bobby!” I snarled and rolled, groaning onto my knees, putting myself between my buddy and the girl I was pretty sure I had it bad for.
    “Easy, Baby Girl. Bobby’s just foolin’, he’s a friend of mine from way back. This is his farm.”
    “Oh, shit, yeah, I’m sorry. Didn’t know she was that sensitive, dude. Why didn’t you call or leave a message you were gonna be here?”
    “Didn’t expect to be here, we must have fell asleep.”
    Faith was nodding her head rapidly, eyes wide but tear free, “We’re sorry!” she blurted.
    “Hell, it ain’t no thing. Why don’t y’all come up to the house for some breakfast?”
    I opened my mouth to answer him but my phone started going off, shrill in my pocket and buzzing up a storm. I rolled onto my feet and crammed my mitt into the front pocket of my jeans, fishing the damn thing out.
    Uh-oh. That was Hope’s number. I held up a finger to Bobby and Faith, and answered it.
    “Hello?”
    “Where the fuck is my sister!?” Hope’s voice blasted out of the earpiece. I held the phone away from my head and watched Faith’s face pale.
    “Relax, Sweetheart, we went for a midnight ride –”
    “Did you forget she has that appointment? Really, Marlin? Are you for fucking real!? She has to be there in an hour!”
    “Calm your tits, Princess!” I snarled into the phone.
    “We’re closer to her appointment than Ft. Royal is, at a buddy of mine’s place. I can have her there inside a half an hour.” Thank fuck we wouldn’t be late. I thought to myself.
    Hope started railing and I winked at Faith who was positively ashen, but starting to smile at the funny faces I was making at her sister’s diatribe.
    “Okay, Hope. We’ll see you when we get back. Bye-bye now, Honey,” I said, talking right over her squawking, before I ended the call altogether by hanging up on her.
    Bobby started laughing and I turned to him, “Sorry about crashing in your field,” I held out a hand and he grasped it, pulling me into a hug.
    “Ain’t the first time I’ve found you out here, it is the first time I’ve found you out here with a girl, though,” he said, eyeing Faith speculatively.
    “Yeah, about that, Faith, this is my buddy Bobby, Bobby meet Faith, I been helping her out with some things.” I mumbled lamely and I saw Faith’s face shutter, just close up like folks shutting down the town when the big bad goes walkin’ down the main