As soon as she turned on the water, she heard Daniel’s voice. “Sabrina, baby, I’m home.”

“Of course, today he’s home early!”

It appeared that for the first time, he would have to wait for her.

7

Daniel held Sabrina’s hand for the majority of the drive to the Hamptons. He loved his work, but he loved Sabrina more, and he was thankful to have the weekend off to be able to spend it with her and show her just how important she was to him. He knew that his parents were going to love her and he couldn’t wait for them to meet her. He also realized that Sabrina was beyond nervous.

Daniel brought her hand to his mouth and gave it a lingering kiss. Then a gentle squeeze.

“We’re here,” he announced as he pulled into the driveway.

Sabrina smiled at him, but he knew it was forced. He could feel her body tensing beside him. There was no reason for her to be so nervous—he’d assured her over and over again.

“Wow, what a beautiful house,” she said, awestruck.

He smiled. The first time Daniel had brought Audrey here, all he’d seen in her eyes were dollar signs. But Sabrina was different. She had nothing but admiration in her eyes. It was so strong he could feel it in his core.

Daniel took a moment to admire his childhood home. Technically, it should be called a mansion, not a house. The place was huge, with large, white pillars framing the porch and front door.

His mother’s flowers were in full bloom, giving the perfectly manicured lawn a splash of color. Coming home to visit was always nice, but this weekend it was different. This time, Sabrina was with him. And even though Daniel knew he couldn’t just simply take her and carry her over the threshold, a small part in him wanted to do just that.

“Ready?” he asked, releasing her hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Daniel got out of the car and went around to her side, opening her door and helping her out. He pulled her close to his side, kissed her temple, and whispered, “Please relax, Sabrina. Everything will be fine.”

Then he grabbed Sabrina’s bag from the trunk and escorted her up the steps. He used his key to let himself into the house and dropped the bag in the foyer.

“Mom! Dad! We’re here,” he called out, pulling Sabrina with him.

From the back of the house, Daniel saw his mother emerge. She was barely taller than five feet, with long black hair that she had tied in a loose bun at her nape, and chocolate-brown eyes that sparkled with warmth and affection. She’d always been a curvy woman, but now, in her early sixties, she’d put a few extra pounds on her waist and her hips, though it looked good on her.

“Oh, Daniel!” she called out and pulled him into a hug as soon as she reached him.

He hugged her back and laughed. “Guess you missed me, Mom, huh?”

She smiled at him, then looked past him to where Sabrina stood and released him from her embrace. His father appeared in the hallway at the same time. He was as tall as Daniel, his brown hair now interspersed with lots of gray, his face marked by wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, caused by lots of laughing. He was in great shape with barely an ounce of fat on his athletic body, which was surprising, given his love for his wife’s rich cooking.

“Hi Dad.”

“Danny, good to see you,” his father responded and hugged him.

Just as his mother was now looking at Sabrina, so was his father.

Daniel took Sabrina by her hand and pulled her next to him. “Mom, Dad, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, this is my mother, Raffaela, and my father, James.”

“Nice to meet both of you,” Sabrina said, extending her hand to his mother first.

But his mother didn’t waste time shaking hands. She simply pulled Sabrina into a hug. Daniel felt a boulder lifted from his shoulders. His mother only hugged people she liked. She’d never hugged Audrey.

“Hello, cara. I’m so glad Daniel finally brought you to meet us. He’s told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you.”

Sabrina smiled, clearly surprised by his mother’s words. “Thank you for having me.”

“Do I get to say hi too, or are you gonna monopolize her, sweetheart?” his father asked with a smirk on his face.

Daniel exchanged a grin with his father. They both knew how overpowering his mother could be.

His father extended his hand and shook Sabrina’s. “Danny speaks very highly of you.”

“Thank you. He’s told me lots about the two of you, too.”

His father chuckled. “Uh-oh! I hope only good stuff.” He winked at Daniel.