Page 13 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
CHAPTER FIVE
Lincoln
Four months later...
My arm draped along the back of the leather couch as I took in the almost-empty trailer. I’d spent a lot of time in this space between scenes, running lines with my co-stars, and thinking about the next steps in my career.
Sorrow tightened my chest. I wasn’t ready to leave Toronto and the temporary family we’d created on set. The pure enjoyment we had working together helped make this movie great.
When I’d readToo Hot to Handlein Rhode Island, I knew it was written well, but I never could have predicted how incredible our cast and crew would work together.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I tapped to answer the incoming video call.
“Uncle Theo, how’s it going in Montana?” I had a better appreciation for my uncle’s small-town living after moving back to Los Angeles when I’d started my acting career. Moving to Montana at age twelve after my parents died had been a shock to my system. Back then, I had missed the hustle and bustle of being in a city and couldn't understand why my uncle loved living in the middle of nowhere. As an adult, I now understood the draw to having a quieter lifestyle.
His smiling face filled the screen and the corners of his blue eyes crinkled as he broke into a smile. “It’s good. You almost done packing?”
I groaned. I had more things to pack than I realized. “Almost done. Just doing a final sweep to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“Do you plan to make it home for Thanksgiving in two weeks?” No matter how busy I was, I made going home to Montana for Thanksgiving and Christmas a priority. My uncle was the only family I had left.
“Absolutely. My assistant is shipping everything to LA tomorrow. I plan to stop there and check on the house, then fly to Montana to see you. I was thinking I’d stay with you until just after Christmas.”
He ran his fingers through his short salt and pepper hair. “Linc, you know I’ll always have room for you here, but don’t feel like you have to spend the holidays with me.”
“I know that. I spend the time with you because I want to. If my realtor finds me a new place in Rhode Island, we can spend some of our holidays there too.” And maybe if that happened, I'd run into a certain redhead I continued to fantasize about. Even though I had wanted her number, she’d refused to give it to me. Harper had been adamant it would only spoil the beauty of our weekend together. Now I wished I hadn't given up so easily. I tried to find her on social media after I returned home, but it was like she didn’t exist.
“I like the idea of that.” He smiled.
After four months of searching, it seemed like I might never find the right house. Uncle Theo and I had spoken at length about how quickly I fell back in love with the little state. And how carefully I’d considered a move there. In reality, the home would only be used part-time since Clint’s phone had been ringing off the hook with requests for me to fill lead roles.
“Thanks. Any lovely new ladies going to be joining us for Thanksgiving?”
My uncle snorted. “No one but us.” In the small town we lived in, my uncle was considered quite the catch. He’d been successfully avoiding the matchmakers in town for years. While he did date, no special someone ever stuck. “How did the rest of filming go?”
“Perfect.”
“Any sparks with your beautiful co-star?” My uncle winked.
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Amber was amazing to work with. Our chemistry on set was off the charts, but there were no real-life sparks. Besides, I think her husband might have a problem with that.”
Even if Amber wasn’t taken, I couldn’t get my weekend with Harper out of my head. For the first time, I was totally captivated by someone. Thoughts of Harper made looking at other women impossible.
“I’m sure he would.” My uncle grabbed a magazine off the table beside him and held it in front of the screen. The glossy cover showed a picture of me and my four co-stars from the action movie that just hit theaters. “Your movie is smashing box office records. I’m so proud of you, Lincoln.”
A warm feeling grew in my chest. “Thanks, Uncle Theo. You’ve always had faith in me.”
