Page 25 of Matchmaking the Rival

"That's cool. So now you have seven brothers, huh? I thought four was a lot."

That made me laugh. "Yeah.”

“When I was little, I always envied your family."

"Why?" I couldn't fathom it. Her parents were warm people who cared for each other.

"Well, I only have my sister, and I love her, don't get me wrong, but I always hoped for more. I want to have at least three kids myself."

“Three!” Not only did that seem like a huge number to me, but it also drove home how different Meredith and I were. There were no children in my future. No plans for a family.

"You're acting as if I told you I want to commit a federal crime. Let me guess—you're an eternal bachelor."

I sipped from my glass, choosing my words carefully. "I don't believe in family."

“Cade!" Her tone was exasperated but also soft.

"I had one, and then it imploded. I kind of expect everyone to lead a double life now. I lay all my cards on the table when I’m dating. I'm easy—or, if you believe my family, a flirt.”

“You certainly have the looks for that."

"That's high praise from you. So, tell me everything you've done these past few years, Meredith."

“I went to UCLA for college. Tried to major in astronomy before deciding to pursue something more serious. Something I could actually get a job with after I graduated.”

“Astronomy?”

“Yeah, I’ve always been fascinated with the universe. But the job prospects weren’t interesting, so now I’m just an amateur astronomer. Anyway, then I spent a couple years in San Francisco before moving back here."

"How come? Most people I know who moved to California didn’t come back."

“I missed being closer to my family. My parents had a bit of a rough time."

"Why?" I sat up straight, frowning.

"The business went from okay to bad. And then to worse. They never told me that. If I had known, I wouldn’t have accepted money from them to pay my tuition. Anyway, now I'm helping them as much as I can."

"I'm sorry to hear about their business. I quite liked their store."

I’d been to it a couple times. They sold outdoor equipment, kind of like a Cabela’s.

"I know. So did I, but times change. People order their stuff online, and I can't even blame them. I order everything online too. Anyway, back to boxing. I still can’t believe it. How is Colton?”

"He's running a biotech company."

"Wait, wasn’t he into soccer?"

"Yes, he was. Until Mom passed away."

"Wow. It impacted him so much.”

“More than I knew." The whiskey was loosening my tongue. Or was it Meredith's voice? It was so easy to talk to her about things I usually didn't even think about. "I don’t think I ever realized that it’s what still drives him until today when he mentioned it."

"Oh my God.”

“He also mentioned something else. That Mom liked you. I don't even remember you interacting with her."

"What are you talking about? She was there every time I came to your house, always coming to your room with snacks and things. I think she wanted to make sure we were actually studying, not doing anything else. Just like my dad did."

---