Page 38 of Eleven of a Kind

“That is a really bad situation,” I said.

“I know.” Riley laughed.

“Are you hungry? I can stop somewhere if you want?”

“No. I’m good.”

“So, how did it go with your dad last night?” I glanced at her.

“It was brutal at first. He grounded me and took away my phone. But we talked, and I got my phone back.”

When we arrived back at my shop, I introduced Riley to Raj and had her unpack and hang some jewelry that had come in.

“So, what kind of doctor is your dad?” I casually asked her.

“Internal Medicine. He has his own practice at the Kind Medical Center, which his cousins own. His twin brother, my Uncle Grayson, is a trauma surgeon at Cedars-Sinai.”

“Oh, your dad is a twin?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Fraternal twins.”

“How about your dad’s girlfriend? How do you get along with her?” I curiously asked because I had to know if he was single.

“He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Stop it.” My heart beat a little faster. “A handsome man like himself has to be taken.”

“Nope. He likes to date a lot of different women. I told him he was a man-whore. He didn’t appreciate it.” She laughed.

“I’m sure he didn’t.” I laughed with her. “Where are you from, Riley Kind? Your dad mentioned yesterday that he recently found out about you. Are you from California?”

“No. My mom and I moved around a lot. We were living in Georgia when she passed away.”

“I’m sorry. It must be tough for you to move here, get to know your dad, and start at a new school.”

“I’m used to moving around, so it’s really not a big deal.”

“Any boyfriends back in Georgia?” I smirked.

“I had one, but he turned out to be a jerk, so I dumped him.”

“Most men are,” I said. “You don’t need that complication in your life right now. You’re too young to have to deal with all the drama they bring to the table.” I winked.

“Like that Jack guy who was in here yesterday? What did he do that was so bad?”

“He’s not a bad guy. He’s just upset that I didn’t want to see him anymore.”

“Why don’t you want to see him if he’s not that bad?”

“It’s complicated.” I smiled.

The bell above the door rang, and I saw Dr. Kind walk in when I looked over.

“Hey, Dad.” Riley smiled.

“Hi, Riley. Hey, Piper.” He smiled as he tucked his hands into his pants pockets.

“Hi, Dr. Kind.” I stared into his dreamy blue eyes.

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