5 Reasons To Love Again

Chapter 119

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.