Page 8 of Matchmaking the Rival

"Oh, I love my baby, but I want her out. I can't believe I still have a few months to go. I feel like I'm going to pop any moment."

"I didn't know you were here when I drove up," I said. "I bought you some goodies from the bakery. I've got them in my car." My sister had gestational diabetes. She’d been a bit depressed while reading about everything she wasn’t allowed to eat, so I’d hunted down a bakery that made products especially for diabetics, and they were delicious.

"I'll come out with you before you leave so we can transfer them into my car."

“Want an orange? I can peel one for you now,” I offered. "Vitamin C is good for you."

Something happened to my brain after my sister got pregnant. I suddenly got overprotective, pushing vitamins and stuff. I wondered where this second personality came from.

"Shh, girls," Dad said. My sister, Mom, and I groaned in unison. Mom always said that Dad's first and biggest love was the Red Sox, and I agreed with her. My parents were one of the happiest married couples I knew. They were two peas in a pod.

My sister had followed in her footsteps. Her husband, Derek, was a great guy.

"I'm going to help Mom put everything away in the kitchen," I said. Ever since I turned fourteen, I had taken it upon myself to organize the family pantry. Mom said it was my superpower, and she was right. I could organize even the tiniest of spaces.

"How's the competition?" Mom asked. "Do you know the other companies?"

"Yes, some of the big players are also participating. Guess who's one of the biggest? Remember Cade?"

I heard a movement on the couch. My sister's neck snapped back around as she turned to look at us.

"Cade, yes! You used to tutor him in math," Mom exclaimed but didn’t seem too surprised.

"Yeah, I did. Good memory."

"How is he nowadays?" She glanced away, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Is she avoiding my eyes?

"I haven't had the chance to talk to him too much. I just saw him at the booth on Monday."

In a matter of seconds, my sister joined Mom and me in the kitchen. I barely held back laughter. She liked to complain all day long about how difficult it was for her to move around, yet she practically teleported here.

"Cade, huh?" she said, giving me a knowing smile.

I glanced into the pantry and immediately took out a box with cleaning supplies. "Mom, we spoke about this. They go in the bathroom."

Mom nodded feverishly, taking the box from me. "Yeah, you're right. That's a much better place for them. I never need them in the pantry. I have no idea how they got there."

In a second, Mom was out of earshot. My sister stepped closer. "So, you've seen him in person?"

I nodded as I organized the oranges on the shelf.

"Spill it. How is the man? Did he turn out as gorgeous as we always thought he would?"

Guess who knew all about my crush on Cade? That's right, my sister. She'd always been my confidant. She'd even given me tips on how to capture his interest, but I failed miserably.

I turned to look at her with a huge smile after I finished stacking the oranges. "He seems to suffer from acute arrogance and has a particularly nasty case of know-it-all-itis."

My sister started laughing so hard that she had to grab the wall with her hand. "Jesus, woman, you can't do that to me."

I put a hand on her belly, watching her. "Are you in pain?"

"I'm not even sure. Laughing does strange things to my body these days."

"Okay, no more making you laugh, although I didn't mean that in a humorous way. The guy showed up at my booth, and the first thing he did was start criticizing everything I’d done."

Everly smiled. "That does sound like Cade. He thought very highly of himself even in high school."

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