Page 85 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” I said as Anna left us alone.
Lincoln sat down next to me, finally letting his bravado fade. “I’m so happy you’re okay. God, Harper, I was so scared.” He laid his cheek against my stomach.
“Me too.” I blinked away the tears that surfaced and ran my hands over his head. “You were amazing. You know that, right? You were so calm while I was freaking out. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
He lifted his head and raised a hand to caress my cheek lightly. “I love you, Harper. It would have destroyed me if anything happened to you. To either of you.”
“I love you too.” The tears I thought I had under control spilled down my cheeks. My heart beat a happy little rhythm, and warmth flooded my body. I sat up and drew him closer to me, careful not to jostle the fetal monitor still strapped to my belly, and lifted my face for a kiss.
Lincoln didn’t disappoint me. He cupped the back of my head and angled it, so his mouth slanted perfectly over mine. His lips brushed feather-light kisses across my mouth. He deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to trace my bottom lip before sliding inside and flicking and tangling with mine.
I eagerly returned his kiss, clasping my arms around his neck. My body hummed in arousal. I wanted so much more than this kiss. With regret, I forced my lips from his and rested my cheek against the juncture of his throat. His pulse jackhammered beneath my ear as we both took breaths to steady ourselves.
He placed a light kiss on top of my head and eased back down to the chair. His eyes were like molten lava. His pupils stayed dilated as we stared at each other.
“I guess it’s a good thing she took my blood pressure a few minutes ago,” I quipped. “I think it’s probably skyrocketed by now.”
He laughed. I was grateful that after our first big fight, we were able to return to normal. It was another step forward in our relationship.
Lincoln’s grin quickly disappeared as his phone buzzed in his pocket. “I’m sorry, Harper. I’ve got to take this.” He stood and leaned over to place a light, distracted kiss on my lips before slipping out through the curtains.
He hadn’t moved too far from the curtains. While I struggled to hear his conversation, his tone hardened with each word. After a minute, he must have moved closer because I could catch his side of the discussion. “I’ll call you back. I’m still at the hospital with Harper. We’ll be leaving here in another hour or so. I need you to do something about this.” He must have moved farther from me because I couldn't hear his voice anymore.
A few minutes later, Lincoln pushed the curtain aside. His face was now lined and haggard looking. “Hey,” he said and sat down.
“Hey,” I responded, not sure how to ask about his call. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just dealing with some stuff.” He scrubbed at the back of his neck and avoided looking me in the eye.
“Was that Clint you were talking to?” I finally asked. That would be the only conversation he might be hesitant to share with me since we’d already fought over it earlier.
His face paled, looking stark under the yellow lights of the emergency room. “Harper—”
“Lincoln, if he’s pressuring you to take the role, maybe you should consider it.” We needed to clear the air.
He shook his head, his lips set into a mutinous line. “I told you I wanted to stay here with you. This role isn’t worth screwing things up between us.”
“And I think you should reconsider. What if you talked to the director and asked if you could come back around the baby’s due date?”
“Harper, I’d be in Canada. I might still miss it if you suddenly go into labor.”
My stomach dipped at the thought of him not being there. “Maybe. But I also know you’d find a way to make it back here as soon as you can.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. I could tell he was warring with himself. “I don’t know.”
I snagged the hand that rubbed his face and slipped my fingers between his. “Think about it. I know I didn’t act the way I should have earlier, and I’m sorry about that. But I’ve been thinking about this. We love each other. Now we just need to find a way to follow our passions and keep our relationship intact.”
He shook his head again.
“I’m only asking you to think about it,” I insisted gently.
He sighed and held my hand tight. “Okay.”
“Hi, you two.” I jumped as Anna poked her head in. “We’re going to give you another quick exam. If everything is good, then you get to go home.” She flicked an uncertain gaze at Lincoln. “While the doctor is seeing to Harper, do you mind if you and I go over the discharge paperwork?”
“Harper?” Lincoln asked, seeking my approval.
“I’m okay. The doctor will probably finish quicker without you hovering over me. The sooner we get the paperwork done, the quicker we can get home.” I liked the sound of that word.Home.I shooed him out with my hands.
