Page 39 of Asher's Assignment

“Hey, Essy. Sorry to interrupt. I can eat in my classroom if you’d rather chat with your friend.” He held up the lunch sack he’d packed alongside her this morning.

“No, no.” Liv pushed to her feet. “You’re fine. We were just chatting. Girl stuff. I need to go grab my own lunch. The kids will be back from recess before we know it.” Smiling, she waggled her fingers and walked out of the room.

Asher strode in, pulling up the chair Liv had just vacated. Esther bit back a laugh as he folded his long frame into the child-size seat. “I have other regular chairs.” She nodded to the desk chair across the room by a long table.

“This is fine.” He opened his lunch bag and took out the cold meat sandwich. “So, we’ve been noticed, huh?”

Esther frowned as she picked up her peanut butter. “Why would you say that?”

“She didn’t ask who I was or how you know me.”

“Oh. Right.” She took a bite of her sandwich, wishing he’d drop it. She did not want to discuss Liv’s opinion on their living situation.

“So, what did you tell her? About how you knew me?”

“Mostly the truth. I said you were Edie’s friend from her military days.” She held up a hand. “But I didn’t disclose what it was you did back then. I also told her you decided you wanted to live up here and were staying with me and subbing while you looked for a job.”

A crooked smile crossed his face. “Good. I was actually hoping something like this happened.”

“You were? Why?”

“Because linking myself to you gives me better access to the staff. I’m not the new guy. I’m Esther’s friend. They’ll be more accepting and more talkative if I need information.”

“Information? On what?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know. But if I need it, I can get it.”

The hair around her forehead fluttered as she blew out a quick breath. “I think I’m glad I don’t think like a spy.”

“I wasn’t a spy.”

“No, but you were close enough. Normal people don’t think like you. Or my sister.”

He tipped his head. “I guess that’s true. So, anyway, what did she say?” He sent her a devilish smile that melted her insides.

Covering her reaction, she narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s between me and her.” She flicked her fingers toward his lunch. “Eat your sandwich.”

Asher barked a laugh. “I thought we were buds.” He took a bite.

“That doesn’t mean I spill the tea on my other buds.”

Amusement danced in his dark gaze. “You and Edie have the same ferociousness. You just hide yours under a calm exterior.”

She lifted a shoulder and tossed him a saucy smile. “It’s the red hair.” Chuckling, she polished off her sandwich, then reached into her lunch sack for the container of strawberries she brought. “How was your morning? Other than not being able to work the projector.”

“I could simplify that whole system in less than an hour. It’s ridiculous.” He shook his head. “Other than that, things have gone well. The kids are great.”

“It sounds like you met them at their level with the story voices. That helps. Learning should be fun at this age.”

“At any age, it should be fun.”

“True.” She wouldn’t argue with him about that. Some of her favorite classes had teachers who made the material interesting. “So, what do you want for dinner tonight? We should probably stop for groceries on our way home.” She stared at a point over his shoulder as she went through her mental list of what was left in her fridge, freezer, and cupboards.

“If we can find the ingredients, I could make a dish I learned in Morocco.”

“Morocco?” Her gaze connected with his. “Man, I’m starting to think I should have followed in Edie’s footsteps. She went there too. I’ve always wanted to go. The Marrakesh markets look like so much fun. She brought me some stuff from there, but it’s not the same.”

“Maybe one day you can go. You’re still young.”

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