Page 87 of Claimed By Ruin

I wanted to look, just to put eyes on Asia, so I stood and glanced out the kitchen window.

“Stubborn-ass woman,” I muttered.

“Won’t stay put, huh?”

“No,” I said, ignoring my displeasure as I watched her try to weed the vegetable garden. Miles was next to her, and she practically pulled the kid to the ground trying to get down in the dirt.

“Well, what’s your brother’s name?” he said.

The softness in my chest at watching her faded, choked up at the mention of Evan.

“Evan. Evan Thorne,” I said.

“All right. Well, as to the other thing, looks like you and the missus don’t have so long before the little one comes,” he said.

“Yeah. Not sure, though,” I said.

“Great. Wait here,” he said.

Dante stood, and I watched Asia as I listened to him leave and hop into the SUV he drove up in.

Asia came back into the kitchen, wiping her brow before she settled one hand on her hip and let the other rest on her rounded stomach. I walked over to her and put my hand on hers. “You doing okay?” I asked.

She chuckled and patted her stomach. “Other than your son kicking the crap out of me, I’m fine.”

“I’m telling Levi on you,” I said.

“You know what snitches get, Jackson,” she said.

I frowned at her, but gently rubbed her belly again.

“You have to start taking it easy,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” she said.

I shook my head, then put a glass of water in front of her.

“Dante gone so soon?” she said.

“You said he’d be back,” I said.

“Looks like he will be,” Asia responded.

The sSUV drove back up the drive, and Dante got out, but this time, he wasn’t alone.

“Brought us another mouth to feed, I see,” I said, looking up and down at the woman through the window before I went to meet them outside.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs next to Dante when I made it outside.

“Jackson Thorne, meet Miranda Warren, formerly chief of obstetrics at Atlanta Metro.”

The woman looked me up and down. “Dante, I don’t think your friend here is in need of my services,” she said.

“You’re a doctor?” I said.

The woman looked at Dante. He didn’t look at her, but I didn’t miss the little twitch in his fingers. “You heard the man,” she finally responded.

I looked at Dante.