"No, keep going, man," Luke said with a grunt. "I'm going to beat you this time."
Gabe glanced up at Paige.
"Don't mind me." An amused grin filled her face as she made a rolling motion with her hand. "Carry on."
It was the most genuine smile he'd seen on her face since he met her five days ago, and it made her look radiant. Against his better judgment, he let his pride take over and lowered himself to the floor again.
After five more push-ups, his arms trembled, but he kept going, because Luke's grunts had grown deeper and more frequent. The kid was ready to collapse. So was Gabe, but pride wouldn't let him quit. If there was one thing he'd learned after his dad walked out, it was to push himself. Recovering from his neck injury, helping support his family while his mom battled breast cancer, and putting himself through college taught him he could do anything he put his mind to.
"Gah!" After three more push-ups Luke finally dropped and didn't get up.
Gabe struggled through one more for good measure then flopped on the floor too. Panting, he rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling. He refused to look at Paige as heat rushed up his neck to his ears.
"You're a beast!" Luke gave Gabe's shoulder a weak smack from his prone position on the floor. "Every single time, man. I don't know how you do it." He pushed to a sitting position and propped his elbows on his knees.
Gabe would never admit how close Luke had come to beating him this time. Nor would he tell anyone Paige was the only reason he'd persevered. His pride couldn’t handle it if his assistant beat him in front of a patient.
"No wonder you both look like Greek gods.” Humor filled Paige’s voice.
"Hardly." Luke’s face beamed from the compliment. "Well, Gabe does, but I've got a long way to go to get arms like his. He’s so ripped!" A teasing glint filled Luke’s eyes.
Gabe would have smacked him if his arms didn’t feel like jelly.
"Are all men so competitive?"
Gabe lifted his gaze to see Paige with one brow cocked. She wore a hint of makeup today which made her pretty blue eyes stand out.
"I used to think my brother's and cousins' competitiveness was just a stubborn family trait, but now, I'm not so sure."
"Oh no, pretty much every man hates to lose," Luke said in a disgusted tone. He shot Gabe a scowl as he got to his feet. "It's all about pride and bragging rights." Then he jokingly pounded his fists on his chest. "We must conquer."
"Conquer?" Paige's head jerked back. Dark shadows flitted though her eyes as she narrowed her gaze on Luke.
"Yeah, you know, we have to brave the elements, be the victorandthe bread winner, all to convince women we're worth having around." Luke's joke fell flat with Paige, but he didn't seem to notice. "Have a seat on the middle table and I'll get your heat packs."
Gabe's gaze followed her as he rose from the floor. If he had to guess, he'd bet there was a man in Paige's past who took the need to prevail too far where she was concerned.
Her expression returned to normal, but her posture remained stiff as she settled on the table.
He stepped to the foot of Paige's table. "How did you fare after aqua therapy on Wednesday?"
"I felt good. Not as exhausted as I was on Monday." She smiled as she nodded. "I think I'm getting stronger every day."
The smile was still small, but it looked sincere. They were making progress.
"You are. And you'll keep getting stronger if you stick with your exercises." Gabe gave her an encouraging nod. "You'll be back to normal in no time."
Her smile dimmed, and shadows filled her eyes again. Every time he mentioned getting back to normal or getting her life back, her demeanor changed. There was something in her past—recent past, he guessed—that she was mourning or didn't want to return to. She suffered more than just physical pain.
He hated to think that someone had hurt Paige.
There was that protective surge again. The one that tightened his chest and warmed his blood. He curled his hand into a fist to keep from resting it on her leg in an effort to comfort her.
He locked gazes with her. "Things will work out. Trust me."
The corner of her lips lifted in a hint of a smile as she nodded.
The door swung open, and Gladys shuffled in. "Another day, another round of torture."
