Country Love

Chapter Four

Isabelle ended up paying cash for a cavalier not much different than the one she had just wrecked the night before. She and Sara walked down the road to a small diner to get some lunch.

They sat down in a back corner booth and a very bubbly young woman with blond hair and green eyes bounced over to take their order.

"Hey there! I haven't seen you around before!" she said.

"We're passing through." Isabelle replied politely. The woman handed her a menu.

"My names is Trisha. What can I get you two to drink?" Sara smiled.

"I'd like some pop." she said matter-of-factly. Isabelle shook her head.

"Milk." she said. "And I would like some water." Trisha nodded.

"Milk and water." she said. "Got it." She gave them another smile that Isabelle found familiar before bouncing back into the kitchen. Isabelle wondered why this woman's smile and eyes seemed familiar. She knew she had never met the woman before. For that matter why had Bradley seemed so familiar. She had never met him before either…

"Mommy what is that?" Sara asked pointing to the juke box against the far wall of the empty diner.

"That's a juke box baby girl. You put quarters in and it plays music."

"Can we play it!" Sara asked excitedly.

"Lets wait until after we order and then we will." she promised. As if on cue Trisha bounced back out with a water in one hand and a milk in the other.

"Here ya go!" she said happily. "What can I get ya to eat?" she asked.

"Grilled cheese and French fries." Sara said. Trisha glanced at Isabelle as if making sure that was okay and Isabelle nodded.

"I'll have the same thing." she said. Trisha wrote it down.

"It'll be just a few minutes." she said and then bounced back to the back. Isabelle found herself liking this woman. She seemed so happy and carefree. The way that Isabelle would like to be. Isabelle led Sara over to the juke box.

"I wanna put the quarter in." Sara said. Isabelle handed it to her and she stuck it in the slot while Isabelle scanned the list of songs. Her eyes fell on a song that she hadn't heard in a few years called 'Let Me In' by Brad Thompson. It had always been her favorite country love song and it was about a man telling his woman that she didn't have to be strong alone anymore. In the song the man was begging her to let him into her heart and hand all her cares to him and let him take care of her forever.

As Brad's strong, soothing voice filled the diner Sara grabbed Isabelle's hand.

"Dance with me, mommy!" she said. Isabelle looked around the empty diner and smiled. One of her many foster mothers growing up had been a big fan of the saying 'dance like no one is watching' and Isabelle decided this was the perfect time to take her advice for once.

She picked Sara up in her arms and began to twirl her around the diner while Sara laughed happily and Isabelle sang along with Brad's voice.

"You've got a nice voice." Trisha said walking back into the diner. Isabelle stopped dancing instantly and blushed a deep crimson.

"Um..thanks." she said awkwardly as she quickly walked back over and sat down in the booth. Trisha laughed.

"Don't stop because of me! I wish I could sing but that talent passed me by."

"I can't sing." Isabelle said. "I love to anyway though. In the car, in the shower. Anytime music is playing."

"That was a good song you were listening to." Trisha said sitting down across from Sara and Isabelle. Sara picked up some crayons and started coloring the children's menu in front of her.