kitchen when we let ourselves in with the remaining bread.
“It looks beautiful, Emily,” she said. “You’ve got the touch.”
“We should find out who else has the touch,” she said. I tuned them out as she explained her growing plan to not only integrate the humans and the fey but to cultivate important shared skills that would give the fey and humans purpose beyond surviving. And a skilled workforce was something we desperately needed once the pre-existing food supplies ran out.
“The fey are plenty strong to plow fields,” Mary said at one point. “Hung like plow horses, too. If they’re willing, we’d never run out of wheat even if we couldn’t use tractors.”
I shook my head. No wonder Emily was noticing fey dicks. She was hanging around Mary too much. That older woman’s fascination with male parts was concerning.
They continued to brainstorm as they worked on the dinner for the lucky couple. The cream of asparagus soup, which would be served to start, was thawing in its jumbo plastic bag. A pot roast with root veggies already waited in a crockpot and would be served as the main meal along with Emily’s fresh bread. I sat at the table, happily licking out the pot from the pie filling for the pecan pie Mary just put in the oven.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have too much of that,” Mary said. “The sugar might keep you up again.”
“Again?” Emily asked.
“Tor said Hannah had to go for a run last night because she couldn’t sleep.”
“Hannah, why didn’t you tell me? I would have stayed up with you and watched a movie.”
I finished licking my finger, cursing Tor’s big mouth, and rolled my eyes at the pair.
“Sugar has nothing to do with my inability to sleep. And I did ask if you wanted to watch a movie, but I can’t expect you to stay up half the night with me.”
That was Merdon’s job.
I frowned at that random thought.
“Besides, Tor seemed more than happy to keep me company. After he unintentionally mocked my feeble lung capacity, he came up with his wish list for his dream date.”
Emily gave a rueful smile.
“He’s so excited for these dinners.” Her humor faded. “What if I’m just getting their hopes up?”
“One rocky date doesn’t make this a hopeless effort,” I said. “Stop killing the odds before they have a chance to do it themselves.”
Mary chuckled. “They seem to have a knack for putting their foot in it. Such sweet men, though. I wish the Whiteman people would be more open-minded.” She patted Emily’s cheek. “Don’t give up on this. What we’re doing is important. And your idea about doctoring and Angel’s idea for massage is good, too. If we keep at this, Whiteman will be opening their arms and legs to the fey before they figure out what’s happening. You’ll see.”
I gave Mary a look that Emily caught. She stifled her laugh and agreed with the older woman.
“You’re right. There’s no point in making it this far and giving up now. What’s left to do for dinner?”
We had everything ready by the time the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” I said quickly.
Emily wasn’t fast enough to beat me to the kitchen door, and I grinned in triumph.
“Fine,” she said. “But tomorrow night is me.”
The door swished shut a moment before I reached the entry and let Sain and a very uncomfortable Jackie in.
“Hi, Hannah,” Jackie said. “Can I walk now?”
“Absolutely.”
Sain, the fey carrying her, looked a bit crestfallen that he had to give up his shiny new toy. Unfortunately, Jackie saw his reluctance as clingy, unwanted fascination, which I understood too well.
“Sain, remind me to take you up on a lift tomorrow after practice. I should have asked for one today. Everything still hurts.”
“I will remind you,” he said, putting her down.
“What practice?” Jackie latched onto the conversation, as I’d guessed she would, and moved closer to me.
“Yeah, the fey are teaching a few of us girls some survival techniques. You know, in case we’re ever chased by an infected again. I think I’m getting pretty good. What do you think, Sain?”
“You’re good at knives. Eden is better at evading. Brenna is the best with the bow.”
“I’m going to tell Angel you left her out,” I teased.
“Angel is good at snacking.”
I laughed.
“I’m so telling her that.” I turned and started leading the way to the table. “Did you find anything on today’s supply run that you’ll be able to use to bribe yourself back into Angel’s good graces?”