Chapter 10
“Do you think I’m crazy for considering moving back to Providence?” Paige stared into her phone at her cousin Damon.
He’d called to video chat just as she picked up her phone to see if Riley wanted to hang out.
“That depends. If you want to move home for the exciting night life, then yes, you’re crazy.”
Paige snorted. “What night life?”
“Exactly.” Damon laughed. “Now, if there was a man in Providence that you’ve fallen for, then I’d think you’re only mildly crazy.” He pointed at his phone before she could speak. “And I’m not talking about Zack Hastings. I hope you’re smarter than that after all these years.”
“Zack Hastings?” Paige scowled. “Why would you bring him up?”
“You crushed on him all through high school, and I heard he recently got divorced.”
“Eew. No.” Paige made a face. “I stopped liking him my senior year when I realized what a womanizer he was.” She’d seen Zack’s true colors easily enough, so why hadn’t she seen through Phillip’s deceptions?
“There must be a man though. Why else would you want to move back home?”
Paige’s mind jumped to her handsome physical therapist and their near kiss at the pool last week.
Nope, not going there.
She shrugged then picked up her phone and started to pace her room.
She was tempted to tell Damon the truth about what happened with Phillip and her fear of running into him if she returned to Seattle, but she didn’t want her cousin to think she was an idiot for letting herself be duped for so long.
“I miss being around family. Ben’s kids are growing up so fast, and I feel like I’ve missed so much.”
“Tell me about it. I hardly recognized my nieces and nephews when I came home for Riley and Daniel’s wedding.”
“Do you plan to settle down?” Paige asked. “Will you ever come back to Providence for good?”
“Whoa! Those are heavy questions.” Damon’s face turned thoughtful. “Settle down? Yes, someday, but not while I’m still enlisted.”
“Why not?”
“Two reasons.” He held up a finger. “One, I don’t want to have to worry about leaving a possibly pregnant wife behind when I deploy, and she shouldn’t have to worry about whether I’ll come back in one piece.
” He held up a second finger. “And I don’t want the distraction of wondering if she’ll stay faithful while I’m deployed. ”
Paige figured he probably had plenty of buddies who had been in each of those situations. “Those are valid reasons, but how much longer do you plan to stay in the military? You want to have a family, don’t you?”
“Yes, I want a family.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll stay in. Some days, I love that the military is my life.”
“And other days?”
“Other days, I miss my family and long for the slower pace and simpler, safer life of a small town like Providence.”
“So, are you thinking about getting out soon?”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to get out just yet. I’m due to re-up next spring though.” He grinned as he shrugged one shoulder. “So, unless I meet a woman who changes my mind between now and then, I’ll probably re-enlist for another three to five years.”
“I hope you meet someone,” Paige said, giving him an intense look. “Wives aren’t the only ones who worry when their loved ones are deployed.”
“Yeah, my mom keeps reminding me of that.” Damon shifted to lay back on his bunk. “Are you serious about moving home then?”
“I am, if I can find a job.” They spent several minutes discussing the lack of teaching positions in southeastern Washington until Paige’s phone signaled an incoming call from Riley. “Hey Damon, I gotta go. Riley’s calling me.”
“Okay. Take care. Tell Riley I said hi.”
“Will do. Love you, bye.” Paige ended her video call with Damon and held the phone to her ear. “Hi, Riley.”
“Why didn't you tell me how good looking the new physical therapist is?" Riley’s voice sounded like she’d just found out a juicy secret.
“Hello to you too.”
“Hi, now stop trying to change the subject. Why didn’t you tell me the physical therapist was tall, dark, and handsome?”
“He’s not all that tall. I don’t think he’s even six feet.”
“You’re right, but two out of three isn’t bad.” Humor filled Riley’s voice. “Seriously, Paige, how did you forget to mention how gorgeous he was?”
Paige sighed. “Because I didn’t want you to act like my mom.”
“Why would I act like your mom?”
“She thinks I need to get to know Gabe on a personal level after I’m done with PT.” Full of restless energy, Paige continued to pace around her room.
“You absolutely should.”
“No way. I’ve sworn off men.”
"I don't blame you for being gun-shy.” Riley’s tone was full of empathy. “But by swearing off men you might miss the one."
"The one?" Paige felt her brows draw together as she paused to look out the window.
"Yeah, you know, your soulmate. The one you're meant to be with."
Paige believed in love, but she'd never believed everyone had a soulmate.
That there was only one person in the whole world you could be happy with.
Only one person you could ever love. As long as there was mutual attraction, respect, and fidelity, Paige figured she could be happy with any number of men.
There should probably be more than just those three attributes, but Paige was confident love could grow from any relationship that was properly nurtured.
She paused at her own thoughts.
Phillip isn't the only man I can be happy with.
The thought was freeing, but that didn't mean she was ready to open herself up to the possibility of being hurt again.
"I know Phillip hurt you terribly, but that just means he wasn't the right guy for you.” Riley’s voice interrupted Paige’s thoughts. “You'll see, the right guy will come along when you least expect it and sweep you off your feet."
Sweep me off my feet? Didn't Gabe do that last week at the pool?
No. Technically, he’d put her back on her feet and made her feel safe and secure.
A part of her wanted to tell Riley Gabe almost kissed her, but she wasn't certain she hadn’t imagined that heated look in his eyes. The almost kiss could have been wishful thinking on her part.
She’d felt a keen disappointment when he wasn’t there for aqua therapy on Wednesday, and that feeling was amplified this morning when she showed up for PT to find another fill-in therapist.
She asked Gary, the stoic substitute therapist, where Gabe was, but all she got was a shrug. When Luke informed her Gabe left early on Monday for a family emergency, she peppered him with questions. But he didn’t have the answers.
Missing four days of work after leaving for a family emergency meant it was something serious. Knowing how close Gabe was to his mom and sister, Paige had prayed for both of them. Again, she wondered if his dad was in the picture.
“Hello? Paige are you still there?” Riley’s voice jerked her back to the present.
“Yes, I’m here.” Paige let out a heavy sigh. Her attraction to Gabe was as confusing as feeling she should stay in Providence with no prospects of a job.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get preachy and sound like your mom.
I just don’t want you to lock your heart so tightly you miss what’s right in front of you.
” Her voice dropped to a reverent tone. “Every day, I think about the pain and trauma Daniel and I could have avoided if I didn’t walk away from him years ago. ”
“You guys were meant to be together. It was only a matter of time before you found your way back to each other.”
Maybe I do believe in soulmates.
“You’re meant to be with someone special too, Paige.” Riley’s tone was adamant. “There’s a reason God brought you home, and there’s a reason He brought a good-looking physical therapist to our little town. Who knows, maybe those reasons are supposed to intersect for more than just PT.”
“Now you really do sound like my mom.” Paige let out a chuckle. “Fine, I admit I find Gabe attractive, but he's my physical therapist, Ri. I can't fall for him. That's like totally opening myself up to more heartache, because doctors don't date their patients."
“It’s frowned upon, yes, but you won’t be in PT forever.”
She still had months of physical therapy ahead of her, but Paige doubted she’d be ready for a relationship even then.
Besides, what if Gabe wasn’t interested in pursuing a personal relationship when their professional one ended?
What happened at the pool could have just been a heat of the moment thing.
No. Regardless of what Riley thought, Paige was better off not getting her hopes up.