Taking a page from his playbook, she kept a straight face as she feigned ignorance. "What do you mean? What almost happened at the pool a couple weeks ago?"
"You know very well what I mean." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at Luke and Travis before his gaze met hers, his stare intense. "The same thing thatactuallyhappened in front of my mom's house. Against my car."
His voice was low before, but that was nothing compared to the raw huskiness of it now. The deep, sexy tone sent shivers of awareness coursing down Paige's spine. A flush of warmth surged through her body, gathering in her chest, where it ignited a spark.
"I can't lie and pretend both incidents didn't faze me." Gabe's fingers stilled on her shoulder.
The spark flamed, sending a thrill of excitement shooting through Paige. What did that mean for them?
"So…" She chose her words carefully, considering their setting and the other occupants in the room. "Does that change anything?" When his brow creased, she rushed to add, "I mean in our…fake relationship?"
"No." His answer was so quick it doused the fire in her chest. "It can't. My job is on the line here." He gave what looked like a frustrated shake of his head. "Besides, I don't have the time or energy for a real relationship right now. Outside of work, my mom is my only focus until…" He stopped talking, and despite it being inappropriate, Paige put her hand on Gabe's knee next to her thigh.
"I need you, Paige." His voice was gruff. "I mean, I need your help convincing my mother I’m in a happy relationship. But other than backing you up where Phillip is concerned, I can't promise you anything."
Message received.
Her spirits sank. She wasted eight months on her last relationship that failed miserably. Even if she waited until after Gabe's mother passed—Paige's heart hurt at the thought—he'd need time to grieve, and there was no timeline for that. There was no guarantee he would still want a relationship with her down the road.
She understood where Gabe was coming from, but she hated to admit how much his words saddened her. She patted his knee before withdrawing her hand. "I understand."
CHAPTER 17
Paige set her steaming plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the kitchen table next to her laptop. She said a quick blessing on the leftovers then opened her computer to check for job listings in the local school districts while it cooled.
It had only been a few days since she'd last checked, but she kept hoping something would open up. There was supposedly a teacher shortage, but you’d never guess it by the lack of elementary job listings. There were, however, plenty of part-time jobs like bus drivers, custodians, and cooks.
She'd nearly had a panic attack last Saturday when she finally emailed Principal Stevens, informing him she wouldn't be returning to Seattle and asked for a letter of reference. She had no doubt he would give her a great reference, but she hated letting him down. She was committed now, though, and it was giving her more than a little anxiety.
The ringing of the doorbell kept her from spiraling into full-on panic.
She pushed to her feet, wondering who was at the door. Her parents were out for the evening, and she wasn't expecting anyone. Aquick glance out the window of the sitting room made her skid to a stop. Phillip's red Nissan sat in the driveway.
Instead of opening the door, she hurried back to the kitchen on bare feet and grabbed her phone. She rocked from foot to foot as she scrolled through her texts.
Come on. Where is it?
Finally, she found the text Gabe sent, checking on her after her first day of PT. She opened it and jabbed the call icon at the top. "Please pick up. And please still be in Providence."
She didn't know what time he left the office on Mondays, but she knew they stayed late a couple nights a week. She sent up a little prayer, fully aware that what she and Gabe were doing was wrong, and she didn’t deserve to have it answered.
The doorbell rang again, followed by Phillip shouting, "Come on, Paige, open up. I know you're home."
She needed Gabe's help to convince Phillip she was over him. He wasn't likely to leave her alone otherwise.
"Hello?"
Relief surged through her at the sound of Gabe's deep voice. "Oh, thank goodness you answered. Please tell me you're still in Providence."
"I'm still in Providence, but only for a few more minutes."
She looked up at the ceiling.Thank you, God.She didn't deserve to have her prayer answered, but she was grateful it was.
"Phillip's at my front door." Urgency filled her voice. "Can you come to my house and pretend you're picking me up for a date or something?"
"Uh…sure." Gabe's voice held too much hesitation, and his pause made her stomach drop. "I need your address."
Phillip knocked long and loud on the door.
