When I woke up, I wondered why I felt so tired still and then the memory of last night came rushing back and I felt a momentary panic. That of course affected my stomach and I launched myself out of bed and to the toilet just in time to barf into it. I felt Chase's hands pull my hair back and clip it back with a claw clip that I had laying on the counter. I heard the water run and a cool damp washcloth was pressed to the back of my neck. When my stomach finally stopped heaving, I wiped my mouth off with some toilet paper and flushed it before sitting back and leaning against the wall. Chase crouched down and went into doctor mode.

"Let's get you back into bed and let me check you over." he said in a concerned voice. I nodded, "Just let brush my teeth first please and I need to pee still." He agreed and waited until I was done before guiding me back into bed. Chase went and got his portable medical bag and checked me over. After he was done, he said, "I am taking the day off of work and staying with you today." I must have had a look of alarm on my face and he was quick to reassure me, "No! Nothing is wrong. You just had a nasty shock last night and I would just feel better if I stayed with you today."

"So the baby is ok?" I asked him. He nodded with a smile and said, "Here, I can prove it to you! I borrowed this from the hospital." Chase pulled out a little handheld machine with little wide wand attached by a cord. "This is a heartbeat dopplar. We can hear the baby's heartbeat with this." He turned it on and pressed the wand to my stomach and moved it around. After a whooshing sound, a fast heartbeat filled the air. I smiled at Chase and he smiled back. "See? Nothing to worry about. Now let's get you some juice to sip. That last thing we want is for you to get dehydrated."

He opened the mini fridge and pulled out a box of apple juice. Opening the straw and poking it through the top, he handed it to me. I sat up, held it and took a cautious sip. I felt much better after I drank it all. Chase sat next to me the whole time watching me. I looked back at him and he just smiled at me. I set the empty box aside and moved closer to him. He understood and gathered up into his lap. We shared a long cuddle before he let me go.

I had to admit that he looked cute wearing just a t shirt and boxers. We got out of bed and took a shower together before getting dressed. Downstairs, I nibbled on toast that Brady had made for me. Preston sat next to me and that's when I noticed that everyone was home. Jake noticed my expression and said, "Well, we thought that you could use a family day. So everyone has taken the day off." I smiled at their thoughtfulness. It did make me feel better. Lexine sat on my other side and I dropped a kiss on the top of her head. She giggled and then continued to eat.

After breakfast, it looked to be a mild day outside, so we all pulled on some sweatshirts and went out in the backyard to take a walk through our property. Wyatt made sure that he had a handful of nuts for George the squirrel and Lexine couldn't wait to give him one. We walked slowly without purpose, Lexine often ran a few feet ahead to pick a flower or a pinecone up. Suddenly she let out a shriek, pointing at a quivering bush. "Daddy!" she screeched out. All the guys sprang into action and surrounded her except for Chase who stepped in front of me. I stood stock still, not believing that she had called out to them. A big smile slowly spread across my face. Peeking around his shoulder, I saw Brady scoop her up in his arms and stepped back a few steps, keeping Lexine from danger. Preston and others investigated the bush and then started laughing. Jake reached in and pulled out a brown and black ball of fur. It was a puppy! The puppy wiggled and whined looking a little scared.

Lexine looked surprised then intrigued as she tugged on Brady's arm. "Closer!" she demanded to him. To their credit, the guys did not make a big deal of her talking. Jake held up the puppy closer so that she could inspect the creature. I saw that Preston and Jake were grinning widely. Brady and Wyatt had tears in their eyes that they discreetly wiped away. I was touched and leaned my head on Chase. Sneaking a peek at his face, I saw that he was moved by the event as well. "I knew this day would come but I had no idea how strongly I would feel when it did." he told me quietly as Lexine's hand reached out to pet the puppy on the head.

I closed my eyes savoring this feeling of happiness. Lexine was getting better, there was no doubt of that now. I felt a kiss drop on my lips and I opened my eyes to see Preston inches from my face. "This is a great day." he said to me and I had to agree as I gave him a hug. Walking closer to the puppy, I couldn't tell what kind of breed he was. "No collar on him. I wonder if he has a microchip." Jake said. "We need to take him to the vet probably to get him checked out." Wyatt said decisively. Lexine nodded enthusiastically. It was decided that Jake, Wyatt and Lexine would take the puppy to the vet to see if he was someone's lost pet while the rest of us stayed home.

Lexine wriggled to be put down and held her arms out for the puppy. She carefully cradled him in her small arms and marched in front of us back  towards the house. We dutifully followed and the guys took turns walking next to me and confiding in quiet voices their happiness. Back at the house, Jake, Wyatt and Lexine with the puppy left to Vet clinic that was open on weekends.

Preston, Chase and Brady could hardly contain their happiness and I was kissed every couple minutes by one of them. I couldn't help but giggle at their enthusiasm. We sat around the living room talking about Lexine. Since they didn't want me to exert myself too much, Preston ordered some pizza to be delivered. "It should get here right before they get back." he explained. "I wonder what happens if the puppy is unclaimed." I said aloud. "It probably goes up for adoption." Brady said. I had my suspicions that if the puppy didn't belong to anyone, Lexine would beg to keep it and they wouldn't be able to tell her no.

Wisely, I changed the subject to possible baby names. We kicked around a few ideas for both girls and boys and just ended up laughing when we all couldn't agree on a name. "When did you start showing when you were pregnant with Lexine?" Chase asked me. I thought for a moment, "Um...I was about 4 months along I think. I just woke up one morning and there was a little baby bump." The guys grinned and it was obvious that they couldn't wait until I was sporting one. I scooted over on the couch until I was in Brady's lap. His strong arms enveloped me and I sighed in happiness.

Soon the pizza arrived so Preston and Chase got up to get the gate open for the delivery guy since Brady had his hands full with me and I had no intention of moving right then. Reaching up with my hands, I pulled his face down to mine to kiss him. My lips lingered on his but we ended it when the guys came back in with the pizzas. The aroma of sauce and melted cheese assaulted my nose and made my stomach give an unlady like growl. Brady chuckled as I hid my face in his chest. "The baby must be hungry." he said indulgently.

Preston said, "Let's start eating lunch now. Jake texted me and said that they are going to be a little longer than they expected." I lifted my head up and slid out of Brady's lap to stand up. His hands stayed on my hips until he was sure that I had my balance. We sat down at the dining room table that Chase had set the pizzas down on along with paper plates, napkins and drinks. Chase put a couple slices of pizza on my plate before getting some for himself. I had just finished my slices when the front door opened and we heard footsteps and activity. Lexine burst in to the room still holding the puppy who looked to be freshly bathed and dried. He was also sporting a new blue collar.

Jake and Wyatt followed holding bags of dog food and other pet paraphernalia. I looked at them and raised an eyebrow. They both had the decency to look sheepish and tried to explain. "The vet checked him out and he's healthy and unclaimed. Looks like he's a mix of lab and something else. No microchip. So...." Jake said. Wyatt picked up where he left off, "Well, she looked at us with those eyes and said one word. Mine?" he gave a deep sigh before continuing, "We couldn't say no. So here we are the proud new owners of a puppy."

I managed to keep a straight face and still said nothing. Jake spoke again, "He's had his puppy shots now and has an appointment next month to get a microchip and fixed. They gave him a bath there." I just stared him down and he tried again, "Um.. he's a friendly little guy and uh... no fleas?" Bursting into laughter I clutched my stomach. Jake and Wyatt looked so relieved! Shaking my head, I managed to get out, "We should be glad that there was only one puppy found." Since I was finished eating for now, I took the puppy from Lexine and told her to go wash her hands and eat her lunch. I inspected the little thing and he wagged his tail before a pink tongue swiped my cheek. He nestled into the crook of my neck and settled down for a nap.

The guys grinned at that and I asked Lexine if the puppy had a name yet. She chewed a bite of pizza and swallowed before uttering the name. "Tiger." she said decisively and then continued to eat. Everybody praised the name and it was fitting for his coloring. I gently stroked the puppy's fur as he slept. I had to admit that I was liking the little guy already. He woke up when we all stood up from the table. "It's probably time for him to eat." Jake said as he went to get the dog food. He set out a mat on the floor of the dining room corner and filled a metal dog bowl with water and another one with puppy chow. I set Tiger down on the ground and his little legs scrambled to get him to the food. He ate well and then drank water. Lexine found him absolutely fascinating and couldn't stop watching him.

"So what is going to be his sleeping situation?" I asked. "We have a crate for him and Lexine seems to want him in her bedroom at night if that's alright with you." Wyatt said. I agreed to it and Lexine was thrilled. Preston took Tiger and Lexine out to the backyard to start potty training him. "Did you buy a pooper scooper?" I asked Jake. "Uh oh, I forgot that." he said. I smiled and told him that we would need one soon so that we didn't step into dog poop when we were in the backyard. "Good point." he admitted. "Don't worry, we will all take turns doing poop patrol." Brady said with a wry grin.

Jake went upstairs with the dog crate and a package of puppy pads to set up Tiger's bed in Lexine's room. I yawned and stretched my arms as I sat down on the couch. "Tired darling?" Wyatt asked me in his southern accented drawl. I nodded, "I'm still in the sleepy stage, I need a nap." Chase spoke up, "It's the worst in the first trimester. You'll perk up again soon." I nodded and smiled before turning my eyes to Wyatt and indicated that I'd like to head upstairs for a nap. Right then Preston came back in with Tiger and Lexine. I told them that I was going to take a nap upstairs, and then headed up with Wyatt.

I chose his room to nap in and quickly stripped down to my underwear and climbed into bed. Wyatt sat on the edge of the bed and watched me as I made myself comfortable. Snuggling down under the comforter, I managed to wiggle out of my panties and out of my bra. Wyatt looked confused at my moving around under the covers, "You alright there darling?" I gave him a coy smile and handed him my underwear. After a few seconds of staring at them in his hands, his eyes lit up and he tossed them to the foot of the bed before standing up and getting naked fast. I threw back the covers and before I had a chance to get cold, he was covering me with his warm body. We kissed, our tongues tangling together. Wyatt moved down to kiss my neck and then my breasts before moving further south. He thoroughly made love to me and I fell quickly asleep after we were done.