Prelude: Prequel to The Lewis Legacy Series by Joann Durgin Page B

anything unkind come out of your mouth, you will be asked to leave.”
    Wally swung around on the counter seat to face her. “Who died and made you the boss, girl? Perry Sellers and I have known each other for years. You ain’t gonna tell me what to believe. Like it or not, it’s a free country. I got the right to think or say whatever I want, and I’m sayin’ their kind ain’t got no right to be in here.”
    Moving between the counter seats, thankful no one was sitting close to Wally, Sarah leaned close. “Perry hasn’t owned the diner for years. Myrna does, and I know I speak for her. That young couple has every right to be in here, same as you, because it is a free country, and I intend to serve them the same as you, Perry, Harold and Betty, my parents, Donald Marcum, Joseph Lewis, Cora Blanton or anyone else who comes in here for a good meal.”
    “They got the wrong color skin, or are you color blind?” Wally hissed. “They’ll cause trouble.”
    Sarah bit back a sigh of frustration and sent up a silent prayer for words that wouldn’t come across as unkind but would convey how judgmental Wally was acting. The older man wasn’t all bad, but like now, he never hesitated to speak his mind.
    “You know what, Wally?” She made sure to keep her voice low. “God doesn’t look at the outside of us as much as what’s on the inside. Maybe you should take a peek at what color you are inside. I’d venture to guess it might be a whole lot darker than the color of their skin.” Pulling out her order pad, she tore off Wally’s ticket, slapped it on the counter and pushed it toward him.
    Myrna eyed her with a quirked brow after Sarah shoved the swinging door and walked into the kitchen. She raised her hand. “I know. Please don’t say anything.” Myrna had been nearby during the exchange with Wally. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be fired. Heaven knows, through the years, she’d given Myrna a few reasons to sack her, usually something to do with shooting off her mouth. Although she believed in defending those who wouldn’t—or couldn’t—defend themselves, she’d yet to learn the lesson that she couldn’t singlehandedly save the world. But she’d do her part if she died trying.
    “Relax. I was just going to say good job,” Myrna said. The lines around her eyes crinkled, and she blew a strand of gray hair away from her face. “Wally’s an old coot. About time someone put him in his place. I’ve never known anyone—much less a lady—as fearless as you, Sarah. Well done.”
    “Yep. If anyone can do it, it’s our Jelly Bean.” Jimmy nodded to her from the grill. “I’ve been wantin’ to tell Simms off for a couple of decades myself.” He placed a grilled cheese on one platter, a tuna melt on the other, and handed them both to Myrna.
    Myrna laughed. “Maybe you should leave the kitchen every five years, Jimmy. And you,” she said to Sarah as she added fries, “have the face of an angel but the fierce conviction of one of those lawyers. You’re smart as a whip, state your case, and people listen.” Myrna handed the plates to Sarah. “No wonder you like that Atticus Finch character so much.”
    She’d never thought about her fascination with the fictional lawyer in To Kill A Mockingbird from that angle before. Spearing pickles from the large jar on the counter, Sarah added three each to the platters. The Morrisons liked their pickles and considered them a food group all their own.
    Jimmy nodded to the dining room. “Awful quiet out there. Too quiet, if you ask me.”
    “Goodness, I pray that sweet young couple hasn’t left because of all the stares and whispers.” Sarah wiped her hands on a dishtowel, hoping she wouldn’t hear the bell on the outer door until she could get back to the dining room. “What’s wrong with people?”
    “You can’t stop them from staring.” Myrna shook her head. “It’s human nature to stare at something or someone we don’t see much of around here.”