Rolling her shoulders to brace herself, she carried the country ham she’d been baking all day to the table. It felt like it weighed a ton. Carl must have noticed, because he immediately stood and took the platter from her and placed it in the center, next to the mashed potatoes and carrots.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. I was worried you were gonna drop it for a minute there.” He grinned at her. “And I’m starving.”
“This looks delicious, Courtney,” Mary said, the corners of her eyes wrinkling. “And it smells wonderful.”
“How about we all stop talking about how it looks and start tasting it?” Ellis suggested, leaning forward to carve a slice. “One slice or two, sweetheart?” he asked his wife.
“Just one.”
“I’ll have two,” Carl said. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
Once the food was served, Carl lifted his glass of red wine. “We should have a toast,” he said. “To absent loved ones. My brother.”
“To Shaun,” Ellis lifted his glass, then Mary did, too.
All three of them gazed at Courtney. She hadn’t found the words to say no when Carl had poured wine into her glass. It wasn’t as though she needed to drive home, after all. And they all knew Cabernet Sauvignon was her favorite wine. She’d let it sit there, planning to pour it down the sink when nobody was looking.
“To Shaun,” she said, curling her fingers around the stem.
Thanksgiving had been his favorite holiday. He always said there was something so simple about it. Good food, family, and none of the gifts and overindulgence that Christmas seemed to bring. Just time to rest and to think about the past year.
“The ham is lovely, dear,” Mary said from across the table. “You really are a wonderful cook.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to have people to cook for.” Courtney smiled at her. “And I owed you one after you cooked on Thursday.”
“I’m glad we’re able to all celebrate together,” Ellis said, spooning more mashed potatoes onto his plate. “It’s a shame you couldn’t be with us on Thursday, son.”
“I tried to rearrange the roster.” Carl shrugged. “But you know what it’s like. Those with families get first pick of the holidays.”
“Maybe you’ll get first pick one day,” Mary said, smiling at him. “When you settle down with a wife and have some children.”
Courtney felt her cheeks flame up. She slowly looked up from her plate. Carl was staring right at her. His gaze was firm. Intent. And it made her mouth go dry. She reached for her wine glass before she realized what she was doing.
And immediately pulled her hand away again.
“You’re not drinking,” Carl said. A statement, not a question. It made her fingers tremble.
“Oh, you should try it,” Mary said, taking another sip. “It’s delicious.”
Courtney glanced at the wine, then back at Carl. “I can’t drink,” she said, her voice low.
This was it. Time to tell them. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Why can’t you?” Carl asked.
She looked up at him. His brows were knitted together, his gaze set on her face. Mary was looking at her, too. Her expression was full of concern. Ellis was the only one still eating.
“I have some news,” Courtney said, trying to find the right words. “And I have no idea how to tell you this, but you need to know. I’m having a baby.”
Ellis dropped his fork, the metal clanging against the tiled floor.
“You’re pregnant?” Mary asked, her voice tremulous.
Courtney nodded. Her eyes stung as she met Mary’s confused stare. “I’m due in June. I don’t have an exact due date yet, but I will after I have my first appointment next week.”
“I don’t understand.” Mary shook her head. “Who’s the father? I didn’t know you were seeing anybody.”