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Colorblind: On The Brink Series, Book 2 (On The Brink Series, Book Two)

By Amy C. Blake

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Chapter 1
June 25, 2014
Columbus, Ohio
I entered the office, pushed the door to with my hip, and turned to the desk. My eye caught on the nameplate Daddy’s secretary must’ve added while I was in class: Christy Kane, Jr. High Chorale Intern. A joyful laugh rose from my core. All those hours of practice had finally brought me to this point.
Setting down a sheaf of music, I tugged my cell phone from my pocket, and arranged myself by the nameplate for a selfie. A tap nudged my office door open, and Daddy poked in his head, now more grey than blonde. His famous grin fanned crow’s feet from the corners of his eyes.
“There she is.” His announcer’s voice boomed throughout the tiny room as he entered. “The gorgeous, world-renowned Christy Kane, musician extraordinaire.” He glided over, scooped me into his arms, and twirled me like a music box ballerina.
I swatted his arm. “Daddy, stop it. I’m working.” Even so, a giggle snuck past my tight-pressed lips as he released me.
He performed a deep, courtly bow that would’ve put King Arthur to shame. “Pardon me, Miss Kane. I couldn’t resist your loveliness.”
As I returned a curtsey, my high-heeled sandal caught in the hem of my pants. Daddy always made me feel like his treasured princess. No matter that I had two left feet at the base of my six-foot frame. “You are forgiven, sir.”
“Thank you, kind lady.” Daddy’s blue eyes grew serious behind his wire-rimmed glasses as he sank onto a tan leather chair. “How did it go, really? Did the kids behave?”
“They were wonderful, Daddy. You should’ve heard them. They’re so talented. Nikki has the most beautiful voice, and Tyler plays the violin like a master. And have you heard Sonya play the flute? It’s divine.” I loaded the stack of music into my new satchel. “Thank you so much for giving me this internship.”
“For the fifth time, Christy, I didn’t give you the internship. Malcolm said you were the best applicant of the bunch. You earned it, fair and square.”
I raised both eyebrows. “It doesn’t hurt that you’re Malcolm’s boss.”
“Don’t underestimate your talent, sweetheart.” A touch of wistfulness crept into Daddy’s tone. “If you wanted, you could be a world-renowned musician by now.”
“Daddy—”
He waved aside my denial with a flick of his wrist and rose to his feet. “I know, I know, you don’t want to be famous. You just want to teach kids music.”
“And to help you with your ministry. To work together, like we’ve always planned. Who needs fame when I can do something important like that?”
“That’s my sweet Christy.” Daddy cupped my face in his hands and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
When a tiny line formed between his eyebrows, a splinter of anxiety pricked my heart.
But then he grinned. “Well, we’d best get a move on. Your mom has absolutely nothing planned in honor of your first day on the job, and you know what that means.”
“A surprise party?”
Daddy mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. “You didn’t hear it from me.”
“Not a word.” I laughed. Poor Mom never could manage a surprise. “You remember my sixteenth birthday when she got Josh, Nat, and Patience to help her with a Phantom of the Opera party? She swore everyone to secrecy—”
“And then she spilled the beans herself when she took you for a ball gown fitting two weeks before your birthday.” Daddy’s burst of fond laughter sent a surge of warmth through my veins.
After a moment, I adjusted my ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils in their holder. “I know Josh’s schedule won’t allow for him to fly home again so soon, but can Nat? Last I heard, she might be in town this week.” Homesickness for my brother and my two best friends made my eyes grow moist.
“Don’t know. You do know Patience can’t come, right? She’s swamped with finals and that campus job of hers.”
My gaze shifted to the framed picture on my desk—a snapshot of Nat, Patience, and me at our joint graduation party in May. The three of us—blonde, lanky me on the right; pretty, not-too-tall, brunette Patience in the middle; and petite, redheaded Nat on the left—side-by-side on the six-foot retaining wall beside my house, our right feet stretched over the edge like we couldn’t wait to step into the world. The Three Musketeers. At least that’s what Josh called us.
When Daddy’s words registered, my shoulders stiffened. “Can you believe Verity’s records haven’t been computerized by now? What an awful job. I know Patience can’t wait to finish.”
His lips twitched into a teasing smile. “Yeah, well…you know how those Southerners are. Places like Hades, Mississippi, don’t always make sense to the rest of humanity.”
I snorted. “Nashville isn’t much better, but don’t you dare let Patience hear you say that about Verity.” Impatient Patience. Then again, without her pushing and prodding, I’d never have gotten to the point of doing an internship so soon, especially at Vanderbilt.
Six whole weeks of music ministry in Daddy’s church.
“I wouldn’t dare risk the ire of Miss Patience McDonough.” He picked up my leather satchel. “Now, let’s get going, or we’ll both face the ire of your mother.”
I breathed a chuckle as I preceded him out of my office. Ire? Not my gentle mother.
Halfway down the hall, Daddy paused beside the massive waterfall landscape a local artist painted for him, his voice dropping to a rough murmur. “Christy, I—”
His eyes fixed on the exit door at the end of the hall as if some monster lurked outside the small square window. I squinted at it. Nothing but grey storm clouds.
“Sweetheart, I’m afraid I need to tell you—”
A phone rang somewhere in the building—three rings, four rings, five. Why did none of the secretaries answer it? A whisper of inexplicable fear crept up my backbone. After ten rings, the phone fell silent.
“Is something wrong?” My voice quavered in the sudden stillness.
Daddy opened his mouth, closed it, and then averted his gaze. “No, it’s—” The phone jangled again. He sighed. “I’d better get that. You go on home. I’ll be there shortly.”
“You sure? I can wait.”
The worry line between Daddy’s eyebrows cut deeper. “I’m fine. Go on ahead.”
“Okay.” I accepted my satchel and took a few reluctant steps.
“Christy?” Daddy’s sudden urgency squeezed my throat.
“What is it? Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
He raked his bottom lip with his teeth, drew in a long breath, and gave his head a final shake. “I’m proud of you.”
I tried for a smile. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“No matter what, don’t forget that I love you more than anything.”
“I love you too, Daddy.”
The phone shrilled again. He turned his back to me and walked down the hall.
I shrugged off my fears as I reached the exit door. Probably upset about church stuff. Maybe giving was down. Maybe he worried that I’d have to get a campus job in the fall or apply for student loans.
Didn’t bother me in the least. Getting a student job wasn’t exactly life-shattering.
But when Daddy’s garbled words, sharp with anxiety, echoed down the hall, my pulse skipped.
Then I shook off my fears. Surely he was only worried about college money.

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