Page 19 of Stealing Embers

I glance at Sable. She’s wearing a giant smile.

I restrain an eye roll. This was an obvious set-up that’s going to work in her favor.

Giving Ash a tentative smile, I force myself to nod. “Sure.”

She does a little jump thing and claps her hands together. “I can’t wait to introduce—oof.”

Did Sable just elbow her?

“Ah, I mean, I’d love to show you how to get dinner.” Her smile is a little crooked when she calms down.

“I’m glad that’s settled. I’m going to let you have a quiet meal with Ash. I’ll find you after dinner and explain a little more about how things run around here.”

“Wait!” I say loudly as Sable starts backing away from us. “A hat.”

“I’m sorry, what?” She cocks her head at me.

Apparently my verbal skills are a lot rustier than I realized.

“A hat. Is there one around I can use to hide my hair? A dark one if possible.”

Sable’s eyes soften. “I hardly think that’s necessary in this—” She stops herself mid-sentence and nods after a momentary pause. “Sure. If you girls can just give me a few minutes, I’ll see what I can find.”

She hurries down the hall and disappears around the corner. Only then do I turn to Ash.

“Girl, are you crazy?”

“Um, excuse me?” Oh no, what have I done this time?

“If I had hair like yours, I’d be flaunting it however I could.” She tosses her hair, stopping to fluff it and wave at imaginary admirers. It’s ridiculous enough that a genuine smile breaks out on my face.

“I’m not really into standing out in a crowd.”

Her smile is sad enough to be knowing. “Yeah, I can respect that. Hopefully in time you’ll be comfortable enough here not to worry about it anymore. And if not, hey, you can start a hat trend. Goodness knows we could use a little more fashion up in this place.”

It’s an olive branch I’m happy to receive. I hope my smile conveys my thanks, because words fail me.

“Here we go,” Sable calls as she rushes toward us. She extends a dark blue baseball hat with a Denver Broncos logo on it.

Denver, really? So over that city.

I hold in a groan because it’s better than nothing, and I truly appreciate the effort she’s gone to.

“I know it’s probably not exactly what you were hoping for, but it’s all I could find. We can order some hats if you decide that’s what you want.”

I won’t be able to twist the length of my hair under it, but it’s something. I can knot my hair into a low bun so it’s not as obvious.

“Thanks.” Accepting the hat, I quickly adjust the back—it was obviously worn by a guy—and slip it on, pulling it low over my forehead.

Ash throws me a reassuring smile before grabbing my hand and hauling me to the cafeteria doors. She stops right before the entrance and levels me with a stare.

“It’s time to be brave,” she declares, and pushes them open.

Chapter Six

The gawking factor isn’t quite as bad this time around, but it’s still there. Ash hauls me through a maze of tables to a long counter at the back of the cafeteria. Stacks of food are laid out over the surface of the countertop, creating the most lavish buffet I’ve ever seen.

The aroma of fresh baked breads and sliced roast beef makes my stomach growl, even though I’ve already eaten today. I spy bowls of fruit and platters of hamburgers, French fries, green beans, even full roasted chickens you can pull from. This feast would rival the best Thanksgiving meal.

---