Page 1 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
CHAPTER ONE
Harper
Though the storminessof the sea is unmatched in power, it always returns to this calm. The easy solitude of the ocean and the shore, my special place, is where I felt complete. It had always been this way. From the moment I learned to swim in the Narragansett Bay, my mother often remarked I was like a mermaid.
The tempo of the waves lapping against the sides of my tube helped release the tension in my shoulders. The swaying kept me adrift and relaxed. Quietly, I sang a modern pop song from my favorite female artist. The upbeat lyrics about shaking off negative comments resonated with me and was stuck in my head.
“Harper!”
I jumped at my older sister’s call. My sisters—all six of them—were probably ready to leave the quiet inlet, but I wasn’t ready to go yet. With a groan, I kept my eyes closed and did my best to ignore her.
Until the rest of my sisters joined in. With all of them yelling my name, it was much harder to ignore.
I sat up and glared in their direction, though I was too far out for them to see my expression. “What?!”
Half of them pointed behind me, and the other half motioned for me to try to swim in.
Fuck, is there a shark swimming toward me?
I swallowed past the boulder in my throat and jerked my head in the direction they were pointing. I kept my eyes trained on the water near me and tried to remember anything I’d learned on TV about fending off a shark. You’re supposed to punch them in the nose or go for the eyes, right? I’d never thrown a punch in my life.
Oh shit, not a shark.
I looked up just in time to see an unseasonably mountainous wave rolling toward me. I’d been so relaxed and unfocused on my surroundings, I hadn’t noticed how far I’d drifted out or that the rocking of my tube was the ocean indicating its peaceful lull was over. My fingers scrambled to grab the small handles set on either side of me, but that was a mistake. The wave lifted my tube out from under me.
For a brief second, my body felt weightless. Then the filmy, curled water tossed me overboard.
There was no chance to scream and barely enough time to take a gasping breath before I was dragged under by the wave.
My body twisted and tumbled sending a sharp bolt of terror right through me. My throat squeezed shut, trapping the tiny bit of oxygen I’d drawn in seconds before I’d lost my grip on the tube.
After what felt like an eternity, the water finally calmed enough that I stopped rolling. Salt water stung my eyes as I searched for the surface. Panic gripped me. I couldn’t tell which way was up. I forced myself to shove down my panic. It wouldn’t help me right now. My lungs forced me to acknowledge that I was running out of air. They burned, and my reflexes pushed me to open my mouth, but I stubbornly kept it shut.
I am not about to fucking drown.
Finally, I caught a glimpse of the sunlight glinting off the surface of the water. I kicked hard to force my way upwards. My head popped up, and I only had time for one gasping breath before another wave crashed over my head.
This time, I was able to find a spot to dig my feet into the rocky ocean floor. I pushed through the pain created by the sharp edges against the soles of my feet while the inky black water that reached my chin created a murky void. Fortunately, the wave had pushed me toward the shore instead of away from it.
The erratic beating of my heart returned to its regular rhythm. With water up to my shoulders, I took tiny steps toward the shore, praying I didn't step on anything gross, forcing my way forward against the strength of the tide. I’d ended up further away from my sisters than I realized.
Cool water splashed at my right breast which had popped out of my swimsuit. I shoved the straps of my suit back up and tucked my breast in before the upper half of my body broke the surface.
Thank God, I’d caught my wardrobe malfunction before embarrassing myself. My sisters would never have let me live that down. I shuffled forward a few more steps before the water shifted, pushing me off balance. I whipped around, dreading what I would find.
Another fucking wave.
This time, when it slapped down over my head, I was ready. I held my breath, and tried to duck down, but was too late. The force of the next wave knocked me under its surface. I tumbled, scrambling to stand in the violent surf. Finally, I was able to right myself.
Elated, I fought the urge to yell ‘ha!’ at the choppy water now that I’d defeated it.
As the water receded, I realized my freaking bathing suit bottoms had been yanked down to my knees. It was a losing battle to keep myself steady while unsuccessfully working to pull my bottoms up. My knees slammed down into the rocky ocean floor. I grit my teeth as the tiny particles of sand and rock dug into my skin. The pain pushed me to work faster. I yanked upwards with short, frantic tugs, only proceeding to twist them further.
I wanted to scream in frustration.
Without warning, a firm hand slipped under my armpit and wrapped around my chest. My butt brushed against the rock-hard body behind me.
“What are you doing?” I screeched and struggled against his hold.
