Page 37 of Audra: The Prequel

He sighed. “All right, if you’re sure, let’s get out of here.”

On the drive over, Audra told him that Ethan, Thiago, Bruno, and Maxwell would be at the house, in addition to her parents and Kerilyn. She warned that while her mother would be welcoming and kind, her stepfather was a toss-up because he could be protective like her brothers. Kerilyn was excited that she’d finally meet her mother’s friend.

When they arrived at the property, Damon parked on the side of the house and followed Audra up the stairs and into the foyer. As soon as they entered, her parents approached.

“Hello and welcome. It’s nice to meet you.” Rose was a petite woman with a glowing smile.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Santana,” Damon said, clasping her small hand in his.

“Please, call me Rose.”

Benicio’s greeting, while not cold, was cooler as he assessed Damon with curious eyes and a firm handshake.

He was a bearded Hispanic man with salt-and-pepper hair. “Nice to meet you,” he said in accented English.

“Nice to meet you too,” Damon replied.

“Please, come join us in the great room. We’re waiting for the rest of the family.” Rose extended a hand to guide them through a trio of arches toward the back.

The room contained a fireplace and seating arrangements that promoted conversation. They all sat down, with Audra and Damon on one sofa across from Rose and Benicio on the other.

He quietly took a deep breath, anticipating the questions that were coming.

“What’s for dinner? The food smells delicious,” Audra said.

On the way to the room, Damon had also smelled the meal, which reminded him that he hadn’t eaten much because he had saved his appetite for dinner.

“Rodolfo prepared herb-crusted lamb chops with ratatouille, and for dessert, vanilla panna cotta with strawberry compote. Rodolfo is our chef,” Rose explained to Damon.

Before they could continue the conversation, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Other members of the family strolled into the room.

“These are my brothers. That’s Ethan, Bruno, and Thiago,” Audra said.

Damon stood to greet them, and as he shook their hands, he remembered everything she had told him about her siblings. Ethan, the serious oldest brother, was quickly amassing a real estate empire. Bruno was a chef who looked like a younger version of his father with dark hair and gray eyes. Thiago worked with their father and was in town for a few weeks.

The sound of girlish giggles preceded the appearance of a little girl racing into the room with a teenage boy running behind her.

“Gotcha!” He scooped her up.

When he saw their company, he slowly lowered her to the floor.

“You must be Maxwell. I’m Damon.” He extended a hand.

The teen grinned. “I know who you are. Nice to meet you. Did Audra tell you I said thanks for the jersey?”

“She did.” Damon smiled at Audra’s daughter, who looked up at him with curiosity as she sidled closer to her mother.

“Keri, this is my friend, Damon. Remember I told you about him?”

Kerilyn nodded and folded her hands in front of her. “Hello,” she said in a polite voice.

“Hello, Kerilyn. It’s nice to meet you.”

Benicio came to his feet. “That’s everyone. Now that we’re all here, we can make our way to the dining room. I am starving.”

They filed into the dining room, where a long table was set to accommodate them. Audra’s parents sat at either end, and everyone else settled into chairs on each side of the table.

As Rose placed a napkin across her lap, she said, “I hope you brought your appetite, Damon. We have plenty of food.”

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