Page 41 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
I missed Lincoln.
By the time I sent the pictures to Hannah, my stomach rumbled. I’d waited too long before stopping and felt a little light-headed.
“He did say we could grab whatever we wanted from the fridge,” I said out loud. Over the past few weeks, I’d taken to thinking out loud so the baby could hear me. I slipped off my shoes, which were now too tight, and padded to the kitchen.
I filled a plate with leftover pizza and popped it into the microwave. Sitting at his kitchen island by myself, the place seemed so empty. It was hard to believe Lincoln planned to live here by himself. He could throw some lavish parties, but he didn’t seem like a Rebekah Harkness type.
Thoughts of spending more time here, with him, had me smiling. The place would definitely accommodate me and the baby. The house was large enough to comfortably entertain my whole family during the holidays. Would he enjoy hanging out with my loud, well-meaning family?
My fingertips trailed along the marbled countertop. The pattern reminded me of the beach house Lincoln had rented and of our weekend-long tryst. That weekend had been more than just hot sex for me. I really liked him. Walking away at the end of it had been awful. There were so many times I wished I’d given him my phone number.
When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately wanted to share the news with him. Just from our tender exchanges, his ability to really listen to what I said, and the way he made me feel like I mattered, I knew he’d be a great father. But as scared as I was to do this alone, I wasn’t alone. Not only did I have my family, but I had a piece of him still with me.
A huge yawn took over me as I finished eating. I forced my eyes to stay open long enough to shuffle back into the living room. A few gentle kicks from the baby had me resting my hand on my stomach imagining how much stronger the baby would get in the coming weeks.
I dropped with a plop down onto the couch, thinking I’d wait a few more minutes for Lincoln to return. He’d only been gone an hour and a half. Letting my body press into the soft cushions, I propped my head up on the pillow shoved up against the arm of the couch. I promised myself I’d only close my eyes for a minute.
***
ISTRETCHED AND SNUGGLEDmore under the fuzzy blanket wrapped around me.Fuzzy blanket?
My fingertips reached out, skimming the back of a leather cushion.
Was I still at Lincoln’s? Heat washed over me. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to confirm it wasn’t a dream.
The room was dark, with only the flickering light of the TV filling the space. Lincoln sat on the other side of the couch, engrossed in the show.
“Hey,” I called out in a croaky voice. I sat up and pushed the blanket off of me.
Lincoln turned towards me and pulled out a wireless earbud. “Hey. You’re awake.” His eyes softened as they looked me over.
Blushing, I shoved my hair away from my face. I had drool on my cheek and probably looked like a mess. For the first time in a while, I’d slept soundly. “Hi. I’m sorry.”
“No big deal. It’s not like you’re pregnant or something,” he teased.
I smiled. “I get super tired at night now. How late is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “Almost midnight.”
“Really? Shit. You should’ve woken me up.” How could it have gotten so late? My fingers wrapped around the edges of the blanket, trying to pull the twisted material away from my body. The harder I tugged, the more entrapped I became, just like my bathing suit bottoms the day I met Lincoln. Could this get any more embarrassing?
“You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, it’s really late, Harper. Why don’t you stay here?”
Was sleeping under the same roof as Lincoln the best idea right now? Memories of our time together flashed through my mind: my head resting on his bare chest, his fingers tracing along my shoulder, and his boisterous laughter at my wisecracks. I fell hard and fast for his sweet charm last time, which is why our one night together turned into two. A third night was getting hard to resist
Logic told me to head home, but my heart and my body were begging me to stay. To see if we could recapture the feelings from the amazing weekend we spent together.
“You can sleep in the guest room,” he said, as though anticipating my question.
I worried my bottom lip. “I don’t know, Lincoln.”
“Harper, you just admitted you’re exhausted. It’s not safe for you to be on the road.”
He wasn’t wrong. I still had sleep pulling at me, and in my tired state, I didn’t want to exert the wall of indifference I kept trying to maintain. I wanted to give in.
“You’re right. I’ll stay.” Without giving myself time to change my mind, I got up and sat next to him. The heat of his body enveloped me. My soul and heart sighed a happy little sigh and whispered,Finally. I’d made myself forget how nice it was to just be with him. “What’re you watching?” I curled my legs up under me.
He tapped a few buttons on the remote, and sound filtered through the room. “The newest Marvel movie. Have you seen it?”
