Evelyn gave her a look. “You’re not pregnant, too, are you?”
Carolina laughed. “Uh, no. But did Gray tell you he walked into Drew’s room this morning and found Drew and I in bed together?”
Evelyn’s eyes widened. She planted her feet on the floor and leaned forward. “Oh, my God. He so did not tell me this. Was this before I got up this morning?”
“Yes. I fell asleep in Drew’s room, and I guess Gray must have just opened the door to ask Drew to have coffee with him first thing this morning . . . and there I was.”
Evelyn put her hands over her cheeks. “Oh, God, Carolina. Was he mad?”
“At first. You know, the whole overprotective-brother thing that we talked about. But then Drew talked to him, and I reminded him I wasn’t sixteen years old anymore. I think he’s all right.”
Evelyn nodded. “I’ll talk to him, too.”
“You don’t have to do that. You have enough on your plate to deal with.”
“It’s a long flight back to D.C. We’ll have time to talk about things besides the baby.” Evelyn stood. “Oh, God, I’m going to have a baby. How am I going to fit that into my life?”
Carolina came over and hugged her. “This is the life you wanted, the one you dreamed about. A husband and a family. You and Gray will make it work.”
“You’re right. We will make it work. As long as your father doesn’t fire me.”
Carolina laughed. “He’s not going to fire you. He thinks of you as another daughter. He loves you.”
“Wish me luck, then.”
“You won’t need it, but good luck.”
Carolina finished packing, then went downstairs. It was quiet. No doubt Evelyn and Gray were somewhere having a conversation with her parents. She found Drew watching a basketball game on television. She fixed herself a cup of tea, then sat down beside him.
“Hey,” he said, muting the television. “Where did everyone go?”
“No idea. Are you all packed?”
“Yeah. Are we flying out together tomorrow?”
“My flight is at ten thirty.”
“Mine, too.”
She smiled at that. “I figured my mother’s social secretary would put us on the same flight since we’re going to the same place. Do you have a home game next?”
“Unfortunately, no. We have two road games in a row. Then we come back home.”
“That’s too bad.”
“What about you?” he asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Is your staff coming back?”
She shook her head. “I gave them time off until after New Year’s.”
“That’s generous of you. So you’ll be toughing it out alone?”
“That’s okay. It’ll give me some quiet time to do some planning on advertising and take care of some of the myriad minor details I don’t have time to mess with when the staff is in.”
“A quiet way to settle back in after Christmas.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe you can even take New Year’s Eve off.”