She smiled their way and brought the tray of juice and coffee drinks to them with

effortless grace. “Here you go. Juices, fresh squeezed. An Americano with room—

here’s cream for it, we also have soy milk, rice milk or nonfat milk if you’d prefer—

and the mocha. Honey and sugar are right there.” She straightened and looked back to

their faces. “Do you know what you want?”

“Yes,” Laurent said simply.

She waited but he didn’t say anything else and she laughed. “Okay, care to share it

with me? Hi, your waitress?” Pausing, she caught something out of the corner of her

eye and scowled. “I’m sorry, I need to deal with this. I’ll be right back,” she said,

stalking off to where a man lounged, lighting a cigarette dramatically. Laurent and

Andreas watched her.

“Leon, why do you do this? Put it out now,” she said, hands on her hips.

The short, balding man took a deep drag on the cigarette and then blew the smoke in

her face. Her eyebrows shot up in outrage. Wanting to kill the obnoxious man for

daring to insult his woman, Laurent stood up, but Andreas put a staying hand on his

shoulder. In any case, before he could do anything his woman was a blur of action.

She grabbed the asshole, who tried to shove her off. Using the force of his movement,

she twisted his arm, pushing it high up behind his back and shoving him out the door.

She even managed to pull on his ear as she got him outside.

“You are a very maladjusted individual. Did your mother raise you that way? I bet she

didn’t. Get out, Leon, and don’t come back. You’re barred. If I see you in here again

I’ll kick your scrawny ass from here to Portland.” With a satisfied hmpf she closed the

door in his face.

The whole place erupted in applause and she took a comical bow. “Back to your food

now, nothing to see here, folks.” Laughing, she went back out to the deck where

Laurent still stood, his admiration and the need to protect her warring inside him.

“Sorry about that. He’s been a problem for a few weeks. So do you know what you

want?”

“Are you all right?” Laurent asked, concerned and furious.

She smiled. “Oh of course.”

“Yes, you did look like you could handle yourself quite ably.” Andreas tugged on

Laurent, pulling him back to his chair. “Give me the western omelet with two slices of

sourdough.”

She looked to Laurent who cleared his throat. Seeing her in action made him drunk

with her. She was magnificent. “What do you recommend?”

“Well what do you like? Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Do you like eggs? Big meat

eater?”

“Yes I like eggs and yes I eat meat.”

“The omelets are very good, Alex is a whiz. I had some of the smoked ham this

morning before we opened and it was yummy. You can have the ham and eggs.

Comes with two eggs done any style you like, toast and three pancakes. Or you can

have the western omelet. The waffles are really good too. My personal favorite are the

strawberry waffles with bacon—there’s just something heavenly about the way bacon

tastes when it touches maple syrup or strawberries but I’m weird so don’t mind me.”

Her eyes danced with amusement but there was a sadness there too, it touched him

deeply.

“I’ll have the strawberry waffles with bacon then. Six slices though, I’m very

hungry.”

She took the menus from them. “You got it.”

When she’d gone back inside Andreas began to laugh quietly.

“What?” Laurent growled, feeling a bit more like himself.

“You, my brother, are smitten.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling again. “I do believe I am.”

“It’s good to see. It’s time to have someone of your own, someone to love and

cherish. You’ve spent four years protecting my Mate and my children. Sixteen years

protecting me. I haven’t seen you interested in a woman like this. Not ever. It’s time

to start your own family.”

Laurent simply nodded. He loved Andreas, Kari and their children very much. But

Andreas was right, it was time to have it for himself.

“Rain, who are the hunks out on the deck? I’ll trade you tables,” another server, Alice,

said as she watched them dreamily.

Rain snorted. “Don’t think so! The blond one is wearing a wedding ring and the dark

one is, well, mine. At least while they’re here,” she added with a laugh.

She checked back on her other tables, refilling coffee and juice, and Shane left,

leaving a large tip behind. “Don’t forget about The Holt. Call me if you need any help

choosing pieces to put in your portfolio.”

“Oh really? I’d appreciate that a lot.”

Shane was just taking off in his career. He was a painter and also did large sculpture

and multimedia works. He knew how hard it was to get a career off the ground and

he’d been really supportive of Rain. They’d flirted a lot and up until tall, dark and

sexy walked in she’d always been sad Shane had a girlfriend.

“It’s no problem. I mean it. You know my number. Call me if you need help.” He

smiled.

She hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks so much!”

He laughed and waved as he left and she headed to the kitchen to pick up the orders

for her handsome men on the deck.

“Did you see that? He touched my woman!” Laurent growled.

“She’s not your woman yet.”

“She is, she just doesn’t know it,” Laurent said smugly.

She brought out their food and placed it before them. “Enjoy. Can I get you anything

else?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. Would it be possible for me to have your phone number?”

Laurent said, feeling awkward all of a sudden. He wasn’t used to this sort of thing.

Women usually approached him. More than that, he couldn’t say he’d cared one way

or another about any particular woman before. What this one felt and did was

important to him.

“How do I know you aren’t an ax murderer or something?” she asked teasingly.

“I give you my word that I am not an ax murderer,” Laurent said smiling, making an

“x” across his heart. “Anyway, I bet ax murderers don’t eat strawberry waffles.”

Rain laughed at that, hesitating as she thought. Laurent willed her to agree. “Well. I

don’t usually do this but since you did try the strawberry waffles on my

recommendation you do show some taste.” She wrote her phone number down on a

sheet in her order pad and tore it off, handing it to him. “I’m Rain Foster.”

Laurent stood, towering over her, and took her hand, kissing her knuckles softly. Her

scent sang through his senses, tightening his gut, making him dizzy with need for her.

“Rain? That’s a very pretty name. I’m Laurent, Laurent Cole. I’m pleased to meet

you.”

She raised an eyebrow at that and he sat back down. Andreas cleared this throat.

Without looking at his friend, Laurent just waved a hand in his direction. “Oh and this

is Andreas Phinney. He’s married.” Andreas threw back his head and laughed at that.

“Nice to meet you both. I’ve got to get back to work. Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be by

in a bit to see if you need anything else.” With a small wave she headed back inside,

the long rope of her dark hair swinging from side to side down her back.

“Lackwit! Why did you laugh?” Laurent grumbled but his bad mood was softened

when he tasted the waffles. She’d been right, they were indeed quite delicious and the

bacon with the sweetness of the waffles and fruit was perfect, as she’d promised.

“You’ll have to woo her now. You can’t have a situation like mine. It was hell to have

Kari so angry at me when Michael bit her. Don’t rush her. Human women need time.

It’s not like they meet werewolves every day.”

Laurent snorted. “Yes well, I can certainly learn from all of your errors, can’t I?”

Andreas punched his arm with a teasing growl. “At least you won’t be fawning over

Kari anymore.”

Laurent snorted but his eyes never left Rain. “Your little mate is such a pleasure to

look at. I can’t say I plan to stop. But while I will continue to enjoy her putting you

through your paces, I’ve got my own bundle of feminine trouble now.”

Andreas grunted as he ate his breakfast. “I can’t wait to see her knock you down a few

pegs.”

She came back out a few times to clear away plates and to check if they needed

anything. When they were done Laurent left a twenty for a tip. “What kind of change

back do you need for that?” she said, digging into the apron she wore tied at her waist.

“None, it was a wonderful meal and your service was exceptional.”

“Laurent, your bill wasn’t even twenty bucks.”

He shrugged. “But it was such a pleasure to have you serve it. I’ll be calling you, it

was a pleasure to meet you, Rain Foster,” he said, kissing her hand once more.