Chapter 14
"How long have we been dating?" Paige released the balled-up fabric from her fist and smoothed the wrinkles from the front of her summer dress for the third time in as many minutes. She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to this hare-brained scheme.
She'd driven to Pasco to meet up with Gabe before driving to his mother’s house together. That way, they didn't risk her parents or a member of her extended family spotting her getting into her physical therapist's car.
As it was, she'd almost turned around twice on the drive here. But she didn't, and now she sat in Gabe's car surrounded by the smell of his woodsy cologne, her attraction to him growing by the second as they fabricated a relationship.
"Six months?" Gabe gave her a questioning look. "Does that sound like a plausible amount of time?"
He'd told his mom he was dating a former patient, so they'd decided to tell her—if she asked—that he treated Paige a year ago at the office in Pasco. Otherwise, they figured it was best to stick as close to the truth as possible.
"That’s too long, considering I haven’t met your mom yet.
Three months?" Paige returned his questioning look.
"If your mom asks, do I tell her I live and teach school in Seattle?
We could say this was a long-distance relationship, and I came home as often as I could to see you.
That would explain why you haven't introduced me to her yet. "
"I like that." Gabe's lips turned up in a semblance of a smile as he nodded. "Three months it is." His two-handed grip on the steering wheel remained so tight his knuckles turned white.
It was nice to know she wasn't the only one who was nervous.
Paige's stomach was so tangled in knots, she wasn't sure she'd be able to eat dinner with Gabe's mom and sister.
Knots that formed the moment she told her parents she'd be spending the evening in the Tri-Cities area celebrating the birthday of a former college roommate.
She'd even made a cake—as a front—that she hoped would earn her brownie points with Gabe's family.
If anything could help her impress Gabe's mom, it was her sister-in-law, Amy's, triple chocolate cake.
If she'd enlisted Amy's help, however, she would have had to lie to yet another person about where she was going and what she was doing, so Paige had made this one.
It didn't turn out as pretty as Amy's always did, but hopefully it tasted good.
They continued to make up details for their fake relationship as they drove; concocting dates and activities they enjoyed doing together. Paige was surprised to learn how much they had in common, but she hoped she didn't actually have to remember all the details they discussed.
Dread tightened her knotted stomach as she worried what they would have to do to sell their relationship.
How serious did his mom think they were?
Would she expect them to hold hands? Or maybe kiss?
Paige couldn't make herself ask the questions because she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answers.
The fabric of her dress bunched in her fists again, and the knots in her stomach tangled tighter the closer they got to the suburbs of Richland.
Searching for a distraction, she let the curiosity that had been eating at her, ever since Gabe first mentioned his mom and sister, push to the front of her mind.
"So…uh…I've only ever heard you talk about your mom and sister. Where's your dad?" Paige didn't think it was possible, but Gabe's grip on the steering wheel grew even tighter. As though it was a snake and his grip on it was the only thing keeping it from striking him.
Obviously, a sensitive subject, but it was a detail a girlfriend should know.
The muscle in his jaw jumped several times before he answered. "He walked out on us just before I turned seventeen."
"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 was his girlfriend 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 pretend you like me.”
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."
Paige's stomach plummeted. "So she's going to expect us to act all lovey dovey?"
She knew this was a possibility, so she shouldn’t be freaking out. But ever since their near kiss at the pool last week, she wanted Gabe to be more than her physical therapist.
He set the cake on the roof of the car and planted himself in front of her.
Instinctively, she fell back a step, pressing her back against the car.
"We don't need to act lovey dovey, but she'll expect us to show some affection toward each other. You are my girlfriend after all."
Fake girlfriend!
She wanted to scream the words but couldn't find her voice thanks to the tightness in her chest. For appearance's sake, even a fake relationship would have physical aspects.
That thought had kept her awake half the night.
She thought she'd come to terms with the show they would have to put on, but she had a feeling even fake affection from Gabe would affect her in a very real way.
He must have noticed her hand clenching the fabric of her dress again, because he stepped closer, closing the gap between them. "Do we need to practice so you don't recoil every time I touch you?" Without waiting for a response, he took her hand.
She uncurled her fist as his fingertips slid over her wrist and across her palm in a slow caress until his fingers laced through hers.
Warmth shot up her arm followed by a tingling sensation as a rush of butterflies swarmed her stomach.
He stood close enough for her to smell his woodsy cologne, and it wreaked havoc on her senses.
"See, this isn't so bad, is it?" The intensity of his gaze and his deep voice only added to the flood of sensations assaulting her.
He seemed to be completely unfazed by their proximity. In fact, he looked calm, composed, and…guarded.
"No." Did her voice sound as breathless as she felt?
Meeting his mom was terrifying but having him shower her with affection that took her breath away and left her wanting more scared her to death. Her body didn’t understand that it wasn’t real. That Gabe was only pretending.
How do I keep my heart from getting involved when the simple touch of his hand sends sparks ricocheting through me?
The breeze blew a lock of hair across her face, but before she could swipe it away, Gabe’s fingers were on her cheek, gently tucking her hair behind ear. His fingertips lingered on her jaw as his eyes searched hers.
"This is important to me, Paige. I need to know I can count on you." His warm breath feathered across her face, sending a whole new wave of awareness shooting through her.