Page 89 of Finding Fate

“Just a sec,” she responded, rushing back to his side. She took one of his hands, and he felt her press something hard into his palm. “Okay, now you can look. Happy birthday!”

She bounced on her heels as he looked down at the basketball wrapped package. “I wanted to be the first one to give you a gift,” she explained, the excitement still thick in her voice. “Well, come on, open it!” she urged impatiently when he didn’t react fast enough.

“Alright,” he chuckled.

He tore the wrapping paper away and revealed a wooden box that latched closed on one side. He looked up at her, curiosity coating his expression.

“Tucker, open it!”

He obeyed, worried that she might burst with overexcitement if he waited anymore. When he lifted the lid, he couldn’t help but stare at what he found inside.

“Well? What do you think?”

He shook his head. Was he really holding what he thought he was?

Izzy’s face fell at his lack of response, “Do you not like it?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s great, love. I’m just surprised, that’s all. Is this what I think it is?”

She nodded eagerly. “Do you want to wear it?”

“Yeah, sure,” he answered, pulling Patrick Dearly’s watch from its case.

“It looks good on you,” Izzy said as they admired the sleek, black face and white gold band on his wrist. “I’m glad you like it. It took me forever to think of what to give you. I wanted it to be special.”

“It is. Are you sure this is okay? What did your mom say? What about Annie?”

“Annie’s fine with it and so is my Mom. They agreed that it was better for it to be used than to just sit on the shelf forever.”

“But shouldn’t this go to Tyler?” He still couldn’t believe that the Dearly’s had given him Patrick’s watch.

“Tyler’s way too young to wear it, but I did ask him, if that helps. He said there are other things he wants of Daddy’s. To let you have this.”

Tucker shook his head, in awe of the kid. He wasn’t sure he would have said the same if it had been him, and his dad had barely been gone more than a year. He wondered suddenly what Patrick would have thought of his relationship with Izzy, their father-daughter relationship so close, and it made Tucker realize more than ever that he wanted his child to know him.

He met his girlfriend’s gaze. “This, it’s an awesome present, but are you sure this is okay?” He didn’t want to give Bridgette any more reasons to resent him.

“Definitely. I talked to my mom about it, and she agreed it’s what Daddy would have wanted. You are a part of the family now, after all.”

She beamed up at him, looking absolutely gorgeous with so much happy energy radiating from her. He swept her up in a kiss, holding her tightly against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He wished he could take her up to his room right then, but there was a slew of people in the backyard here for his birthday, and it was only a matter of time before someone would come looking for them.

He was about to pull away from the kiss to resist his growing temptation, when he felt it. He paused, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Tuck?” Isabel said from next to his unmoving lips. It had been a good kiss, and it wasn’t like him to just stop like that.

He took a small step back from her to press his hands against the swell of her stomach, waiting.

“Tucker?”

“Hold on,” he whispered. He was on the verge of something huge. He just wanted one last bit of confirmation first.

Nearly a whole minute had passed before he felt it again. The nudge pressed into his hand this time instead of his stomach where Izzy’s middle had been pressed before.

“Did you feel that?” he asked hopefully.

She nodded eagerly. “All the time. You felt that? You could feel the baby kick?”

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