As we stepped back outside, Daniel appeared beside us. He’d obviously shifted sometime earlier, because his auburn hair was a little wild, and his green eyes were bright in that way they only got after he’d gone bear. His warm smile brightened the entire street, and I blushed at the sight of him like a much younger woman. My thoughts wandered to our passionate night last night, and my chest fluttered in a way that made me wonder if I'd ever be able to look at him without reliving those moments.
"Morning, ladies." He greeted us, running his fingers through the gray hair at his temples like he was aware that his hair was out of sorts. "I hope you don't mind if I join you for breakfast?"
"Of course not." I tried not to squirm. "We're just waiting for a table."
"Good, I'm starving."
“Trust me, we all are,” I said.
He gave a sympathetic smile. “Sorry about the restaurant, Deva.”
She nodded.
“I know how much time and effort you’ve put into it, but we’re going to figure out who caused the fire, and we’re going to get the place up and running again in no time. I already called some of my connections in town, and they said they’d be happy to give you a discount on anything you need when rebuilding. I’ll send a list of those names when I get home.”
Deva looked surprised. “Thank you so much,” then turned to me, “you really got one of the good ones.”
I smiled. “Marquis isn’t anything to sneeze at.”
Her face heated. “Yeah, but I don’thavehave him. We’re just kind of… I don’t know…”
“You’ll figure it out, when you’re ready,” Carol reassured her. “I mean, Bryan and I certainly took our time.”
We all laughed. Bryan, the sweet vampire, and Carol most definitely took their time. They waited for each other from the time they were teenagers, but now they were ridiculously happy. If people thought Daniel and I were sappy together, it was nothing compared to those two.
“Or it doesn’t work out, and you’re fine, because you don’t need a man,” Beth said with a shrug.
I almost told Beth that not everyone was like her and could just be independently happy, but I wasn’t sure how she would take it. Since she got her divorce, and her ex cheated on, she has seemedto be mostly happy, but there were times that I suspected she was lonely. I knew what it felt like to be lonely, even if it was for a much shorter time, and I’d never want to say anything that might make her hurt more.
A big, warm hand ran down my back, and I glanced toward Daniel. He smiled, and my heart beat faster. That hand on my back kept moving, warming every part of my body in the most distracting way possible, except it was the worst possible time to feel that way.
As we stood there waiting for our name to be called, I tried to focus on anything other than Daniel's presence beside me. The tantalizing aroma of bacon and maple syrup wafted through the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation. Around us, people chatted animatedly, their voices blending into a pleasant din.
"Emma." Carol leaned closer to me. "You really need to get your mind out of the gutter and back on the case. We've got a lot of work to do."
Before she said anything, I was getting it together. Now my mind went straight back into the gutter she'd mentioned. I stole a glance at Daniel, remembering our not-so-innocent rendezvous a couple of nights before. I quickly averted my gaze, trying to focus on the bustling breakfast joint in front of us.
Beth pulled out her trusty pad of paper and scribbled something down. "I'm adding the owners of this place to my list of suspects. They definitely benefit from Deva's café going up in smoke." She tucked her pad back into her purse.
My entire body stiffened. She was right. This place had gone from just having a scattering of customers to being packedovernight. The owners would likely be raking in money until Deva’s Delights was open again. Money could do crazy things to desperate people.
I wanted to ask the ladies more about the owners before I let my mind run wild. Somewhere along the line I was sure I’d known who ran the place, but I couldn’t remember who off the top of my head. I didn’t even know if they were humans or supernaturals. Yet, I didn’t think it was the time with all these ears around to hear me.
We watched one person after another leave the restaurant, and more people getting called to their table. I tried not to feel impatient when it felt like everyone who was here before us had been called, but we were still left waiting with all the new people. Then, the door to the restaurant opened, and the hostess said a name once, looked around, then disappeared back inside. It sounded like my name. It might have been, but I wasn’t sure.
My gaze met with Beth’s. “Should we check?”
“Before she gives our spot away,” she said, patting her stomach.
As we approached the front door, it was hard to actually get in. A sea of hungry patrons milled about, waiting for tables to open up, and making it hard to pass through their groups. We managed to squeeze our way through the crowd, but there was yet another crowd around the hostess stand. I internally sighed, trying to find a spot to wait in the line where we wouldn't be elbowed in the ribs every few seconds.
"Ugh," I said under my breath as someone's backpack dug into my side. "I never knew breakfast could be such a contact sport."
"Welcome to the big leagues, kid," Carol said, playfully bumping me with her hip.
Beth leaned in close so we could hear her over the din. "Over there by the cash register are Mr. and Mrs. Burns, they own this place. Their kids, Frank and Maggie, work here too."
"Frank was a troublemaker back in the day." Deva nodded toward a tall man with a scruffy beard bussing tables nearby. "Who knows, maybe he's still got a few tricks up his sleeve."
