Page 54 of Eleven of a Kind

“We’re very close.”

“What’s the story with Riley?”

“I knew you were going to ask that.” I pointed my fork at her. “Riley’s mother, Ariana, spent a summer in Hawaii. We met, spent a lot of time together, and when it was time for her to go back to New York and for Grayson and me to go back to Harvard, we parted ways. I didn’t know she was pregnant.”

“She never called to tell you?”

“No. Her parents sent her away to some farm in Montana, so no one would know she was pregnant. After she had Riley, she was supposed to give her away and return to New York as if she had never been pregnant. Thankfully, she befriended one of the workers at the ranch, and he helped her escape after Riley was born. She raised her on her own and moved from state to state so her parents couldn’t find her. After Ariana passed away, Riley flew to Los Angeles to find me.”

“All by herself?” Piper asked.

“Yeah.”

“How did she know about you?”

“Ariana never kept me a secret from Riley. She told her all about me and said if Riley ever wanted to find and meet me, she could when she turned eighteen.”

“Wow.” She shook her head. “I’m happy she found you. Poor girl. She must have been terrified.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think so. She’s a tough kid. After Ariana died, social services in Georgia found Riley’s grandparents and contacted them. Apparently, they moved to Hawaii, so they came and took her back with them. Riley hates them based on what they did to Ariana, so she ran away, hopped on a plane, and came here.”

“She was a runaway when she came to you?”

“Yeah. Her grandparents and the police showed up at my door the second day she was with me and tried to take her. But my name is on her birth certificate, and Ariana gave Riley my last name, so there wasn’t anything they could do. Riley refused to go with them, and I wasn’t about to let them take her.”

“Wow. Now, that’s a story. You’re a good man, Dr. Gabriel Kind.” She smiled as she held up her glass to me.

“Thank you, Miss Primrose.” I picked up my drink and tipped it to hers.

CHAPTER20

Piper

As I stared at his handsome face, I knew he was a good man. He was a doctor who wanted to help people and took in his fifteen-year-old daughter, whom he had never known about.

“How was the sleepover last night?” I smirked as I finished the last of my dinner.

“It wasn’t too bad.” A smile crossed his lips. “Do you have a relationship with your father?”

“God, no.” I finished off my drink. “I haven’t seen him since I was ten years old, and he walked out of our lives for good.”

“I’m really sorry, Piper.”

“Don’t be, Gabriel. I’m fine with it.”

“And what about your relationship with your mother?”

“It is what it is. She’s still drinking, dates a lot of guys, and can be annoying.”

“Speaking of guys.” A smirk crossed his lips. “Riley told me about some Jack guy at your store.”

“Well, what can I say? We dated for a couple of months, and I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. He isn’t taking it well.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you want to see him?”

“I’m going through a thing.”

“What kind of thing?” he asked.

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