Poppy's Passions by Stephanie Beck

opinion."
    Poppy nodded and knew she should get up, it was barely seven o'clock. She was supposed to use the intercom to call Cody but it was all the way across the room and her bed was warm and sucking her in. Her babies were fine, her arm was fine and for the first time in three days she didn't feel the imminent threat of having to vomit. She really should use the intercom, she told herself again, but fell asleep instead.
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Chapter 9
    "Is she okay?” Mary asked Duane. “Baby okay?"
    Each of the boys swore, a habit Mary long stopped wasting breath to correct. Not often anyway. Like so many things, her responses were more automatic than conscious when it came to her sons and their dirty mouths.
    "Oh, come on, boys. I was born at night, but not last night.” Waving her dish towel when they started to deny and groan, she couldn't stop her chuckle. “When do I get to be a grandma? It would be an excellent Christmas gift."
    "You know I can't say,” Duane said, and kissed her pouting lips. “But the daddy sure can."
    "Oh, and who's that?” Mary asked, her eyebrows raised high toward her sons.
    "Me."
    "Fuck you. It's me,” Trevor replied. He elbowed Michael the way he had since they were little.
    "You're both wrong. It's me, Mom,” Cody said, and all three brothers looked at each other and grinned.
    "Just like your dads.” Unable to contain her excitement, she hugged each of them. “She's very pretty and nice, but I wouldn't have expected less. So? Due date?"
    "April,” Trevor answered, albeit hesitantly.
    "Don't make a big deal yet, Mom,” Cody added.
    "I've been waiting for grandbabies since Michael turned twenty-one, I can fuss all I want,” she informed them smartly.
    "Poppy's worried about miscarrying,” Michael explained, and she hated seeing him look so uncomfortable and sad. “She lost a baby earlier this year, and it was really hard on her physically. She shouldn't have gotten pregnant again so soon."
    "The poor thing.” She shook her finger at her rarely irresponsible sons. “I know we taught you to be more careful. But everything will be fine. We'll make sure she gets lots of rest and good food and gentle walks. Thomas, honey, you can reduce the heat in the hot tubs so she can soak when she's sore. And we'll have to shop, in a few months of course. Trevor, maybe you could talk to your friends in LA and find out what's the best brands these days for maternity and baby clothes.
    "Duane, don't forget to tell the boys to be extra careful with her. There are parts of a pregnant woman's body that need extra consideration and parts to be left alone completely. She'll tell you, I'm sure.” Her excitement swelled and she didn't care about the looks the men around her gave. “Oh, I'll have to look online for new yarn. I'll have to get started now if I'm going to have time to get a few blankets knitted. I saw the cutest pattern the other day, I should go find it."
    "Calm down, woman.” Thomas laughed, lifting her in a big hug. “The girl just got here, for Pete's sake. Let her get used to the new situation and all of us, before you go too wild. They've still got a lot of getting to know one another to do, right, boys?"
    "Yep,” Cody said and had the decency to look away with a light blush, her youngest the most modest of the bunch.
    "Yep, probably won't see us for days.” Far from shy, even in front of his mother, Trevor grinned. The brat had the nerve to wink.
    "You are awful, Trevor Paul.” She swatted her middle son because he needed it and like he'd mentioned earlier, he was probably too big for her to spank. “Make sure Poppy knows she can come to me about anything. Lord knows, I could have used a feminine sounding board when I found myself the target of two brothers and their cousin. Oh, and make sure you cook her meals in the next few days. I swear, in early days we'd go for weeks without anyone cooking, and she needs protein. You all need to eat."
    Six men groaned, and