“Hello, lovely ladies,” a masculine voice crooned. “Can I get you anything this fine afternoon?”

Sera frowned. “Yes, a damn waiter who doesn’t take thirty minutes to take my order. I saw you over there with the Savoie sisters. Elva has a husband and Minnie is barely eighteen.”

Zep shook his head. “I’m not trying to sleep with them, sister. I’m trying to get tips. I’m using my masculine wiles to try to pay off those damn parking tickets before Roxie throws me in jail.”

Sera faced off with her younger brother. “I’ve got a tip for you. Stop using your masculine wiles. You’ve got none. You’ve got a pretty face and nice abs. No wiles whatsoever. Develop some serving skills, like table management and customer service, and the tips might follow.”

Delphine stood up, putting a hand on her youngest child’s back. “Don’t you worry about her, Zep. You’re doing a fine job. Your sister is merely hangry. I heard that word used and it fits Seraphina to a T. Come on. I’ll make her a croque-monsieur and she’ll perk right up. I’ll make one for my new baby, too.” She reached out and patted Lisa’s head. “You like ham and cheese, right, child?”

“Sure.” She was just happy Delphine wasn’t offering her a cleansing. Food she could handle.

Delphine led Zep away, but not before he stopped by the playpen and picked up his nephew. He smiled in a way that had every woman who wasn’t related to him panting. He said some words that made the boy smile and then he kissed Luc and put him back down before following his mother into the kitchen.

Sure enough, the Savoie sisters both sighed as he walked past them.

Sera shook her head. “Now, see, those are masculine wiles. My brother isn’t the most self-aware of men and he can be righteously obnoxious, but one of these days, he’s going to be a good husband. One day a long time from now.” She looked back at Lisa. “Though I think my older brother would make a good one right now. Don’t listen to Momma about the sight stuff. And her Dellacourt relatives certainly didn’t sell their souls. My second cousin Dante is simply very good with computers. And Remy is just plain good.”

“Sera, I don’t know that we should talk about this,” she began.