She'd wanted to tell Gabe she was sorry for what he was going through, but Nikki had been too close at the time, and she never got the chance to talk to him without an audience.
"He's notmyphysical therapist."
"Isn't he?" Riley winked. "Sure, he's a lot of other people's physical therapists too, but that doesn't make him any lessyourtherapist."
Paige itched to tell her cousin everything. How she'd agreed to be Gabe's fake girlfriend, but she'd fallen in love with him. And how all the enjoyment, excitement, and infatuation she used to feel in Phillip's arms paled in comparison to what she felt in Gabe's.
But Riley would want to tell Daniel, and he might let it slip to his parents or Riley's brothers, and if their mom—Paige's Aunt Faith—got wind of her fake relationship with Gabe, her parents and the whole town would know in no time.
No matter how badly she needed to talk to someone, it couldn't be Riley. Which depressed her, because she told Riley everything. It was another reminder that she shouldn't be lying to her parents and Gabe's mom.
Paige plucked a piece of pepperoni off her pizza. "Gabe has worked hard to get where he's at and takes his job seriously. He wouldn't risk it by openly dating a patient."
"I get it. That kind of thingistaboo in the medical field, but that doesn't mean you can't let him know you're interested. That way when you finish PT, the ball is in his court."
"He knows I'm interested." Heaviness hit Paige, constricting her chest and giving her the sensation of a stomach full of lead.
"And…?" Riley's eyes widened as her lips turned up. "What did he say?"
"He said he can't make me any promises." Paige's voice fell flat as she tore the slice of pepperoni into pieces.
"Oh." Riley's face fell. They were quiet for a long moment, then Riley perked up. "You still have a couple months of PT. You’ll win him over. Just be your fun, cheerful self, and by the time you finish PT, he'll be half in love with you and begging you to go out with him."
Paige couldn't tell her Gabe was already half in love with her—at least that what he intoned Saturday night—but he still refused to make her any promises. Maybe Riley was on to something, though.
She recalled one of the quotes on the wall at the PT office.Winners are not people who never fail, but rather people who never quit.
If Paige threw herself into her role as Gabe’s girlfriend every time they were with his mom, maybe he'd fall deep enough in love with her, he'd be willing to take a chance on them.
CHAPTER 22
"No way am I riding in that." Marisol stood with folded arms, glaring at Gabe.
Paige shifted from one foot to the other, shooting a concerned look at Grace, who looked equally as uncomfortable to be witnessing the battle of wills between mother and son.
The hour-long drive to the Arboretum in Yakima had been heaven. With Marisol and Grace in the backseat, Gabe held her hand most of the way. The tension that had been present between them at PT this week had drained away, and Paige determined to enjoy every moment of this day.
When they decided to drive to the botanical gardens together, Paige had insisted Marisol take the front seat, but Gabe's mother refused.
"Oh no, Mija, a mother should never come between her son and the future mother of her grandchildren."
Paige was so stunned by the comment and Marisol calling her Mija that Gabe's mother claimed the spot in the back seat before she could.
And now, Gabe stood over the wheelchair he'd pulled from the trunk of his car, insisting his mom get in it.
"I'm not an invalid." Marisol held her ground. "You all need to stop treating me like one."
A look of guilt flitted across Gabe's face, but he didn't back down. "These gardens go on for miles, Mom, you know that. You'll wear yourself out if you try to walk them all."
"I'll feel like a fraud if I ride around in that all day."
"You don't have to ride in itall day.Just part of it." He grinned as he winked at Paige. "I'll make Paige take turns with you. She likes being pampered like that."
Paige felt her hackles rising until she locked gazes with Gabe.
His expression held both pleading and affection. "There are a lot of gardens here. I don't wantanyoneto overdo it."
Paige was getting stronger, but walking through the gardens would likely be as exhausting for her as it was on Marisol. A sudden warmth shot through her at Gabe's thoughtfulness, making the warm summer day even hotter.
