Page 163 of Tempting Miles
“Ruin and Rain brought you clothes, toiletries, makeup… honestly, probably half the damn store.” He rolls his eyes. “They figured you might appreciate a few essentials until we can get home.”
Warmth spreads through my chest at the thoughtfulness of his sisters. Somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling like Miles’s family and started feeling like mine too.
“And since none of us were prepared for a preemie,” he continues, “they already decided they're going shopping tomorrow. You know how they are.”
I nod, already picturing Rain and Ruin buying every miniature onesie they can find.
“So are we here alone?” I ask after a moment. “What about my parents? Did you call them?”
A nervous wave washes through me.
“Mama went back home to keep an eye on Granny,” Miles explains while absentmindedly tracing circles on my hand. “Gio, Ruin, and the kids went home. Same with Rain and Xander.”
He counts everyone off with his fingers.
“Your parents are on their way. They should be here any minute now.” He pauses. “Merlin drove back to Raleigh after things settled down, and River’s still out in the waiting room pretending he doesn’t care while stressing himself out.”
That makes me smile.
“The overprotective oldest brother,” I murmur, grateful River stayed behind to keep Miles company.
“Yeah,” Miles says with a fond chuckle, “it’s in his nature.”
A soft knock sounds at the door before a woman peeks her head inside.
“Mr. and Mrs. MacAllister?”
I know we aren’t even engaged yet, but I don’t correct her. It has a ring to it.
Once I spot the badge identifying her as a doctor, I offer her a warm smile.
“I’m Dr. Clark, the OB who delivered your baby girl.” She walks farther into the room. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” I admit honestly. “I just want to see my daughter.”
The doctor smiles kindly as she sanitizes her hands before checking my vitals. She listens to my heart, checks my blood pressure, then tests the sensation in my legs, where I’m finally starting to feel a faint tingling.
“Good,” she says with an approving nod. “Very good. You should be able to start walking within the hour, which means you’ll get to see her very soon.”
Excitement blooms inside my chest at the thought of finally holding my baby.
“Thank you,” Miles says suddenly, his voice rough. “For saving them both.”
His throat bobs hard afterward, like he’s struggling to keep himself together.
The doctor smiles. “It’s my job.”
Then her expression turns serious.
“I heard you experienced a highly stressful event right before your water broke. Is that correct?”
I give her a small nod, trying not to think about that awful encounter with Showbiz again.
“Although it isn’t extremely common,” the doctor explains carefully, “PPROM—premature rupture of membranes—can sometimes be linked to severeemotional stress. In some cases, prolonged stress can weaken the amniotic membranes and increase the risk of them rupturing early.
“It’s important that you understand this wasn’t your fault,” she adds quickly. “What matters is that you got here quickly, and we were able to assess the situation, and your daughter was delivered safely.”
I exhale a shaky breath.
