Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy) by Jacinda Buchmann

herself.
    The man
casually flipped through the menu. “Sarah, are you serving lunch yet? We just
flew in, from out of town, and our schedule is slightly off.” He smiled and
seemed nice enough; and yet, a line of goose bumps ran down her arms, in
warning.
    She made
a mental note to take a break as soon as she placed their order. It must be
pregnancy hormones playing havoc with my nerves , she thought.
    “We
don’t serve lunch for another hour yet, but the place has cleared out enough. The
cook might make an exception for you. I can run back and check, if you'd like.”
    “Thanks.
That would be great.”
    Anxious
to escape their odd stares and her sense of unease, Sarah excused herself to
the kitchen, where she was greeted with a friendly smile by her friend, Juan.
“Hey, mija ,” he said, “what’s up?”
    “I hate
to ask, but this couple that just came in wants to know if you’re willing to
make lunch.”
    The cook
glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s no time yet.”
    “I know.
I know. But they seem really…uppity. I was scared to tell them no. I told them I
would check with you.”
    Juan
looked at her quizzically and shook his head. He didn’t understand her word
choice.
    “Uppity…You
know, um…rich…used to getting what they want.”
    He smiled
in understanding. “Ah, I see…Snobbish.”
    Sarah
nodded. “Yes, and I am in no mood today to deal with cranky, demanding
customers. So, do you think you could just make them lunch so they’ll be happy,
eat, and get outta here?” Sarah pressed the palms of her hands together in a
pleading gesture. “Pleeease.” She offered a beaming smile.
    Juan
nodded. “For you, mija , anything.”
    Sarah
smiled at the Spanish endearment. “Thank you!”
    After
she had taken their order, she caught up to her friend, Julie, at the kitchen
door. “Hey, would you mind taking my table by the fireplace? I need to take a
break for a little bit.”
    “Sure
thing.” She looked over Sarah’s shoulder to the table in question. “Who are
they? They look a little out of place for these parts. Are they lost?” She
laughed at her own joke.
    “Yeah, I
don’t know. I didn’t ask, but I know what you mean. They said they just flew in
from out of town. Definitely not from around here, that’s for sure. Let me know
if you find out anything. I’m curious.”
    “All right.
Have they ordered yet?”
    “Yeah,
I'm going to put their order in then I’m going to sit in the office for a bit
and take a break.”
    “Are you
feeling okay? Can I get you anything?”
    Sarah
knew her friend was concerned; it wasn’t like her to take a break so early in
the day. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired. I’ll just prop my feet up for fifteen minutes,
and I’m sure I’ll feel refreshed.”
    “Take an
hour. The morning rush is over, and I doubt we’ll get much of a crowd until
dinner. Go on, go take a break. I’ll call you if I need help.”
    “Thanks."
Sarah offered an appreciative smile, and with relief, she headed for the break
room.
     
    *****
    Sarah
plopped into the blue, lounge chair and turned on the television. She had no
interest in watching anything in particular and did so more out of a desire for
background noise so she wouldn’t feel alone. She closed her eyes, took a deep
breath, and let it out slowly.
    When her
husband, Danny, had been deployed overseas, leaving her alone and pregnant in
Fort Lewis, Washington, her aunt had suggested that she stay with her to help
run the family inn and restaurant. Grateful for the offer, Sarah had moved to
Granite Falls, in December.
    She had
known from the beginning of her marriage that there was a risk he could be sent
into a war zone, but she had illogically told herself that it wouldn’t happen
to him. She had dreamt that they would get married, she would finish college,
and they would buy a little house with an apple tree in the backyard, get a
dog, have a couple of babies, and live happily ever after.
    Now,
seven months later