Page 3 of Eleven of a Kind

“You don’t have to yell.”

I took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. You’re just asking way too many questions right now. Can you please just sit there and not say a word?”

“Whatever.”

I pulled into the drive-thru at IN-N-OUT. “What do you want?” I asked her.

She leaned over so she could read the menu.

“I’ll have combo #2 with a strawberry shake.”

“Why strawberry?” I narrowed my eye at her.

“Because I like it.” She narrowed her eye back at me. “Is that a problem?”

“No. It’s just that I like strawberry shakes too.”

I placed the order and pulled up to the window. As I was waiting for the food, I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to Grayson.

“I need you to come over the second you leave the hospital. It’s extremely important.”

“Combo #2 and two strawberry shakes,” the server said as she handed me the shakes and bag of food.

I pulled away and headed home. This was not happening to me. She couldn’t be my daughter. I was a bachelor living my best life, and this was nothing but a joke. A sick joke someone was playing on me.

CHAPTER2

Gabriel

“Wow, this is where you live?” Riley stared at the house as I pulled into the driveway.

“Yes. This is where I live.” I grabbed the bag of food and my shake and climbed out of the car.

After unlocking the door, I stepped inside while she followed behind.

“Damn. I can’t believe this place.”

“Can you please not swear?” I asked her.

“Like you don’t? Oh my God.” She ran to the sliding door. “You have a pool!”

“Sit down and eat your food.” I pointed to the table.

“You don’t have to be so rude,” she spoke with irritation.

“I’m not being rude.”

“Yeah, you are.” She rolled her eyes and sat at the table.

I grabbed my shake and sat across from her.

“Tell me what happened to your mother,” I said.

“She died.” She shoved a French fry in her mouth.

“Yes, I know. You said that earlier. How did she die?”

“She and her new boyfriend went out to the bar. They both drank too much and didn’t have enough sense to call an Uber. Frank got behind the wheel, lost control of the truck, and smashed into a tree.”