Page 72 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer

Dad put the plates down on the table so he and Mom could walk us to the door. In the foyer, Lincoln put his hand out to shake Mom’s, leaning down slightly to reach her in her wheelchair.

“We hug here, Lincoln.” Mom gently scolded him and held out her arms.

He leaned over and gave her a gentle squeeze, then hesitated when he faced Dad.

I hid my laughter at the panic that crossed Lincoln’s face. Dad pulled Lincoln in for a hug. The dull thud of Dad’s hand against Lincoln’s back made me smile. Dad was gruff and rough around the edges, but inside he was a marshmallow. He just wanted people to think he was a tough guy.

He winked at me over his shoulder, let go of Lincoln, and drew me in for a hug. “I want you happy, baby girl.”

“I know.”

“If you’re happy, my granddaughter will be happy.”

I smiled. “I know.” He and Mom were excited when they heard we were having a girl. Lincoln had an in with them when he presented the stuffed animal with the baby’s heartbeat, and I joked that he’d wanted one for every family member.

We got our coats and headed outside.

The moment the door closed, Lincoln winced. “Wow, I think your dad left bruises.”

I chuckled. “That’s his way of saying, ‘I like you, so don’t fuck this up.’”

Lincoln smiled. “I don’t intend to.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Lincoln

The scent of pine permeatedthe air as we moved slowly up and back down the same aisle at the tree farm.

I wrapped my scarf around my neck and rubbed my hands together. It was cold enough to snow, yet Harper said they rarely had snow for Christmas. She bounced between the trees, trying to decide which one she wanted. You’d never know how frigid the temperature was by the way Harper was dressed. Her coat flapped open, her gloves were stuffed in her pockets, and she'd left her hat in the car.

With Christmas only three days away, there were only a few trees left to pick from. I hoped Harper didn’t have her heart set on any particular species. Each of the trees in front of us were still good-looking, but there wasn’t the same variety there would have been if we’d come earlier this month. The tree farm was closed for the season, but once the owners knew it was Harper requesting a tree, they invited us to come right over to look at what they had left.

“Isn’t this place magical?” Harper smiled as she lovingly caressed the nearest tree. She sucked in a deep breath. “I love coming here.”

She was right. This place seemed to welcome us the moment we set foot on the property.