Page 50 of Ignacio

“No go?”

“He thinks I should listen to A&R and stick to the sexy songs. Sex sells, et cetera, et cetera.” She tapped a manicured nail on the tabletop in irritation. “The songs I want to include are love songs. ‘Bad Behavior’ is about a woman who’s crazy in love and the bad decisions she makes because of her feelings. ‘Unworthy’ is...well, I’m sure you can figure out what it’s about. The lyrics are sad and nostalgic, and I know their meaning will touch listeners.”

“You’re giving up?”

“I considered giving up, but then I asked myself, what would Ignacio do?” She rested her chin on her hand. “So no, I’m not giving up. I’ll finish the album with the songs they want me to,but I’m going to work with Lance to recordmysongs that I’ll share with A&R when I go to New York next month. I really believe once they hear them, they’ll change their minds. At least I hope so.” She crossed her fingers.

The food arrived, and they ate their meals, both of them cleaning their plates. On the way out, the manager asked if he could take a photo of them. The request turned into them taking pictures with him, members of the staff, and other patrons. They signed autographs and then headed back to the studio.

When Ignacio parked, he turned to her. “Have you decided about Thanksgiving?”

“I was hoping I could avoid giving you an answer,” Delta said, using a joking tone, though she wasn’t joking.

Ignacio knew it, too, because he didn’t laugh. “My brothers know the truth, but everyone else in my family believes our relationship is real.”

His parents wanting to see her made sense. She hadn’t visited them since she and Ignacio “reconciled,” but she wasn’t sure spending Thanksgiving with the Connor-Santanas was a good idea. Granted, she and Ignacio were in a better place than at the beginning of this ruse, but they were supposed to be a temporary couple.

“Yes, I’ll come to Thanksgiving dinner.” She might as well get it out of the way.

“They won’t give you a hard time. I promise.” Ignacio squeezed her hand.

“I better get back to work,” Delta said.

She hopped out of the car and went inside, wondering how she would get through Thanksgiving dinner with his family.

Chapter Nineteen

With nerves fluttering in her belly, Delta walked up the stairs and through the double doors of the home where Ignacio’s family waited. She had visited this house numerous times when she was younger—first as a friend and later as a girlfriend. His father, Benicio, had built this mansion for their blended family decades ago. On part of the expansive grounds, Ignacio’s stepmother had created a fruit and vegetable garden, which she tended to keep herself busy.

Delta knew Ignacio’s family hadn’t approved of their on-again, off-again relationship years ago. His sisters, especially, had seemed ready to claw her eyes out for hurting their brother. The rest of the family had been better at hiding their animosity, but Ignacio had hinted at their displeasure without explicitly saying they weren’t happy. That’s why she had taken great care with her appearance, hoping to impress his family and not reveal that their whole relationship had begun as a lie to the public.

She’d had her hair styled in body waves and wore dark slacks with a cream-colored blouse. Ignacio looked handsome in a black button-down shirt and black slacks, his curly hair hanging loose on his shoulders.

After a member of the staff took their coats at the door, they walked through one of the arches toward the great room. As soon as they entered, everyone halted their conversations and stared at them.

Rose Santana, the matriarch of the family, was the first to rise from her chair and approach. “Well, hello. Welcome. It’s good to see you again, Delta. I’m so glad you could join us for dinner. It’s been a long time.” She gave her a warm hug.

Delta melted into the petite woman’s arms. “Thank you, Mrs. Santana.”

Ignacio and Delta sat next to each other, and after brief welcomes from the rest of the family, the conversations resumed. She remembered that Ignacio had a big family, but it had gone through changes over the years.

Thiago was in the process of taking over his father’s company. His sister Audra was now married with five children, Monica was engaged, Ethan had remarried, and Bruno was also married. Maxwell, the youngest, was on his way to becoming a doctor and had come home from his residency for the holiday, bringing friends with him. Ignacio’s parents were no longer together, but according to him, they got along well, so she wasn’t surprised to see his father at the house.

Finally, Rose stood. “There are so many of us today—too many to eat in the dining room, so dinner will be served in the party room, where we have tables set up.”

After her announcement, she led the way out of the room.

“The party room?” Delta whispered.

“The huge sunroom at the back of the house,” Ignacio explained.

“Oh, the one where part of the ceiling and most of the walls are made of glass?”

Ignacio nodded. “We started calling it the party room because that’s where my parents hosted big gatherings for a while.”

The room had been transformed to look like the ballroom of a hotel, with several tables covered in white tablecloths to accommodate the entire family. Along the main wall were more tables filled with covered dishes. Delta could already smell the food, and her stomach growled as she anticipated digging in.

“You all know Rosa likes to have the whole family together, so of course she’s very happy right now,” Benicio said.

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