"That must have been very difficult." Paige put a hand on his arm as an ache filled her chest.
Gabe's gaze jumped to her hand, but his stony expression didn't soften. Neither did the tension in the corded muscles beneath her palm.
She recalled his vehemence that day at the pool when she asked him if he'd ever cheated on a woman. It’s possible his reaction had something to do with his dad as well as his ex.
He didn't seem to want her sympathy, so she pulled her hand back. "Have you had any contact with him since?"
"Very little." The muscle in his jaw jumped. “He was supposed to have shared custody, but more often than not, he canceled or flaked out. And now that Grace and I are adults, we make about as much effort as he does to stay in contact. Which is very little.”
“I’m sorry.”
Gabe shrugged as he slowed the car to turn into the driveway of a small ranch-style home with light blue siding, a sunny yellow door, and a small but well-kept yard.
Paige's chest constricted. Her heart hurt for Gabe, but it was what lay behind that cheerful yellow door that tightened her chest to the point of nearly squeezing off her air supply. She had to convince Gabe's mother she'd been dating him for months and was…in love with him.
Was she the critical, demanding type who wanted nothing but the best for her son? Perhaps she had a woman in mind for Gabe to whom no one else could measure up.
What if we aren't convincing enough?
She recalled the way she tensed up yesterday when Gabe put his arm around her and told Phillip she washisgirlfriend now. She would blow the whole thing, if she wasn’t careful. The moisture in her mouth suddenly vanished, reappearing on the palms of her hands as her anxiety spiked.
"Stay there and let me get your door. If my mom happens to be watching, I don't want her to think I'm not a gentleman."
She stifled a scream when he got out of the car and smoothed out her dress.
This is crazy!
She forced a small smile when he opened her door. Her heart raced so fast she couldn't seem to draw in a full breath as she climbed from the car. She wasn't prone to panic attacks, but she feared she might have one right here in Gabe's mother's driveway.
Not the kind of first impression I want to make.
He grabbed the cake from the back seat and started toward the house.
"Wait." The single word squeaked out of her tight throat.
Gabe turned back. "What's the matter?" He stepped closer and studied her face. "Are you okay?"
“What if your mom doesn’t like me?”
He chuckled. “Of course, she’ll like you. Just be yourself.”
“But what if I say or do something to give away that this isn’t real?”
“It’ll be fine. Just pretendyoulikeme.”
No problem there.
She did like him. More than she should, considering he was her physical therapist.
He started to turn away then turned back again. “Just don’t flinch when I touch you like you did yesterday in front of Phillip.”
“H-how serious does your mom think we are?” She swiped her clammy hands on her dress again. "Will she expect us to hold hands and stuff?"
He shrugged. "Probably."
"Probably?” Paige’s voice squeaked as she repeated the word.
He scratched his neck as a combination of a grimace and a smirk crossed his face. "She thinks were pretty serious."
