Cauldron family was just that—family.
“I’ll have one of those today.” I nodded to the order he was finishing up. “Heavy on the arugula please.”
“And light on the aioli.” He grinned while still dressing the sandwich in front of him. “And let me guess. For Clara, fried oyster po’boy, hold the mayo, extra pickles.”
“Yep.” I passed him by, grabbing a French fry from the fry basket on the workstation.
“Hey!” said Jules.
I spun around, stuffing the fry in my mouth and pretending I wasn’t caught already.
“We’re working here,” she informed me with her maternal tone, turning back to her smoking skillet and pointing her spatula toward the door. “Wait out at the bar.”
Jules was strict about her house rules, and I didn’t blame her. She ran a tight ship and liked everything in order. I totally understood since I was the same way. In other words, we were the control freaks of the family.
As I pushed through the swinging door that opened up right beside the bar, I heard the light chatter of the mid-afternoon crowd and then loud boisterous laughter off to my right. My sisters Violet and Evie were gathered alongside another waitress, Belinda, around a four-top in the corner. JJ wasn’t minding the bar, but leaned against the wall, a towel hanging out the back of his jeans’ pocket while the four of them were riveted to the only one sitting. Devraj Kumar.
Evie huffed out a laugh. “So you were both caught with your pants down. Literally.”
“With the king’s mistresses,” added Violet, actually looking shocked. Which never happened.
A flaming heat brushed up my neck and filled my cheeks. I gritted my teeth and listened intently while also telling myself to mind my own business. But I couldn’t.
Devraj leaned back in his chair, using animated hand gestures as he held court in my family’s place of business. I crossed my arms, feeling defensive and agitated. There were literally a hundred places to eat along Magazine Street. But he had to come here?
JJ pushed off the wall into a standing position. I swiveled toward the line of windows, tuning him out as he regaled them with some story about schmoozing his way out of trouble with the Spanish royalty. The foot traffic seemed light today out on the sidewalk as the heat index kicked up. More raucous laughter drew my attention back to the group in the corner.
Devraj caught sight of me at the bar and froze, his expression blank, his gaze piercing. Slowly, he swiveled back to Evie who was straddling a chair backward, her chin resting on her hands on the back of the chair. He launched into some other story, captivating them with his wit and charm.
But I wandered over to the window overlooking the side street and tried to ignore the way he rattled my nerves. A cute couple walked and laughed arm-in-arm, their perky Collie tugging on the leash. I smiled, thinking of Archie back at Angel Paws.
Evie’s loud, infectious laugh caught my attention. Belinda giggled along with her.
Devraj shrugged one shoulder, glancing my way as I walked back toward the kitchen door, hoping Sam would hurry the hell up.
“That’s what happens when Big John joins the party.”
Then they all laughed, even him before he homed in on me, heat simmering in his dark eyes, his lips parted in such a sensual look that sweat broke out on my back.
It had been a hot minute since a man had looked at me like that, that’s all. I’d stopped dating a few years ago, immersing myself in happier pursuits. Like gardening. Men just didn’t compare to the joy of hyacinth in bloom, sorry to say. Not in my experience anyway.
Devraj added in that teasing rumble, “Got to love Big John. Always there to give a helping hand.”
Dawning realization shot through me like a thousand daggers hitting me at once. I suddenly stepped back, bumping my hip into the bar, my mouth going cotton-dry.
Big John? Big John. Big John!
No, no, no, no, no!
They all dispersed, but the he-devil just sat there grinning at me like the fiend he was. I had no idea what the hell the story was, but I knew without a single doubt his little tale was meant for me. To embarrass me. Even if he was the only one who knew what Big John was really a reference to. Heat raced under my skin, filling my cheeks.
No, Isadora. You will not allow him to get to you.
Tipping my chin higher and pretending to be