The Color of Hope Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR KIM CASH TATE

  The Color of Hope

  “In The Color of Hope, Kim Cash Tate weaves a powerful story that will shake you to the core. You will laugh, your heart will break, and, ultimately, you’ll be uplifted by the many colors of hope.”

  –Stephanie Perry Moore, author and co-executive editor of Sisters in Faith

  “Tackling difficult topics, the Color of Hope peels back the veneer of life in the South, turning over traditions and expectations between races, families, and churches. Tate’s engaging storytelling and eloquent prose journeys us through the challenge of breaking through prejudice and hurt for the sake of love and faith. Tate is definitely a voice of influence in today’s Christian fiction.”

  —Rachel Hauck, award-winning, best-selling author of The Wedding Dress and Once Upon a Prince

  Hope Springs

  “Tate expertly crafts an intriguing narrative that explores unrequited love, true faith, and the complicated politics of change in the Christian church.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Kim Cash Tate draws us into a world where the dreams, desires, missteps, and matters of the heart we discover there mirror our own. She is a master at crafting characters who make you forget you’re reading fiction. By the end of Hope Springs, you’ll feel as if you’re cheering on members of your extended family.”

  —Stacy Hawkins Adams, best-selling author of Coming Home and The Someday List

  Cherished

  “Tate’s amazing ability to connect with the reader on both personal and spiritual levels elevates this novel far above the rest. Those looking for hope and encouragement will find it on the pages of this superb book.”

  —Romantic Times TOP PICK

  “As I read Kim’s book Cherished, the word that came back to me over and over again is grace. Kim has the gift of being able to tell a story so vividly that you forget that the characters she portrays are fictitious, and you experience deep empathy for them. You will find yourself in this story. More than that, you will discover for the first time or rediscover how deeply you are loved, valued, and cherished by God.”

  —Sheila Walsh, author of Sweet Sanctuary

  Faithful

  “The author skillfully ties the concept of sexual purity, whether married or single, to the idea of faithfulness on a spiritual level. . . . Readers will not be disappointed.”

  —Crosswalk.com review

  “Kim Cash Tate’s enjoyable novel is true to both the realities of life and the hope found through faith in Jesus. Romance meets real life with a godly heart. Hooray!”

  —Stasi Eldredge, best-selling author of Captivating

  The

  Color of Hope

  ALSO BY KIM CASH TATE

  Hope Springs

  Cherished

  Faithful

  © 2013 by Kimberly Cash Tate

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson, Inc., books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  Author is represented by the literary agency of The B&B Media Group, Inc., 109 S. Main, Corsicana, Texas, 75110. www.tbbmedia.com.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Tate, Kimberly Cash.

  The color of hope / Kim Cash Tate.

  pages cm

  Summary: “Hope shines brightest when all seems lost”-- Provided by publisher.

  ISBN 978-1-59554-998-3 (pbk.)

  1. African American women--Fiction. 2. Teacher-student relationships--Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3620.A885C65 2013

  813’.6--dc23

  2012047038

  Printed in the United States of America

  13 14 15 16 17 18 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To Jesus, in whom lies all hope

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE: TUESDAY, JULY 27

  CHAPTER TWO: THURSDAY, JULY 29

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE: FRIDAY, JULY 30

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT: SATURDAY, JULY 31

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: SUNDAY, AUGUST 1

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SUNDAY, AUGUST 8

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: MONDAY, AUGUST 9

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY: THURSDAY, AUGUST 12

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: SATURDAY, AUGUST 14

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 15

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  READING GROUP GUIDE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sanders Family Tree

  Dillon Family Tree

  CHAPTER ONE

  Tuesday, July 27

  We’re making a huge mistake. I just know it.

  Stephanie Sanders London stood with her husband, Lindell, in front of family and friends in the activity center at Living Word Church, heart palpitating—or constricting. Or whatever word fit the slow but sure panic that had threatened all evening to overtake her and was about to make good on the promise.

  Lindell, on the other hand, had an odd glow.

  “I’m still so overwhelmed by your support,” he was saying. “I never expected this.” He paused, visibly moved.

  Their pastor had asked them to say a few words to the crowd who had come to say good-bye. Stephanie had spoken first, which hastened the onset of whatever this was. She couldn’t even remember what she’d said after acknowledging that they were leaving.

  Lindell continued, “I became a doctor because I wanted to help people. But candidly, I was also drawn to the lifestyle it would afford. I never thought that one day the lifestyle wouldn’t matter and medicine would become ministry. But a one-month trip to Haiti earlier this year changed my life. And now, because of you, I can alternate between practicing in the States and returning to Haiti on a regular basis. I can’t thank you enough.”

  He turned to Stephanie to see if she had
anything more to add. She looked out at her parents, Bruce and Claudia Sanders. Bruce had been surprised and moved that Stephanie had grown so close to his side of the family and would be planting herself in his Hope Springs roots. But he’d let her know how much he’d miss her. Looking at them now, it struck her that they might never live in the same city again. Her parents might never be a regular part of her life or her future children’s lives. She shook her head at Lindell. If she opened her mouth now, the only thing she’d add would be a retraction of all their plans.

  Lindell wrapped up. “This will always be home. You might not see us every week in the first service, fourth pew from the front, left side”—he chuckled with the rest—“but you’d better believe we’ll be there in spirit. We love you, and we’ll miss you.”

  Stephanie nodded her agreement as applause rang throughout the room. They walked down the steps of the riser, and Stephanie searched immediately for her older sister, Cyd.

  “Stephanie! Lindell!”

  They turned to see who was calling.

  “You don’t know me,” a young woman said. “I’m new to Living Word, but when I saw the announcement Sunday at church, I wanted to come tonight. And I’m glad I did!” She regarded Lindell. “I’m in med school at Wash U and was so inspired by what you shared. It’s radical, really, when you think about making a total life shift . . .”

  Alarm bells went off in Stephanie’s head. The only “radical” moves she’d ever made were things like wearing a dress with too much cleavage showing at her wedding rehearsal . . . which she only knew was radical by the feedback. Following-God radical was different. Harder. She needed baby steps. She needed her sister.

  “Excuse me.” Stephanie was glad Lindell had taken up the response. “I need to find someone, but it was nice to meet you.”

  She spotted Cyd a few feet over with her best friend, Dana.

  Stephanie tugged Cyd’s arm. “Emergency. Now. For real.”

  Cyd was laughing, barely holding on to her rambunctious one-year-old, Chase. “I know! He’s been in the dip, the punch, just got a fistful of cookies . . .” She rubbed noses with him as he giggled. “Why did I ever encourage you to walk?”

  Dana pinched his cheek. “Auntie Dana understands, little man. You’re just trying to have a good—”

  “Uh, hello?” Stephanie waved her hands at them both. “Does emergency mean anything to you two?” She gaped at her sister. “As in, I desperately need to talk to you?”

  Cyd gave her the momma look—which she’d always done, but now that she really was a momma, it had more umph. Thirteen years older, she’d actually always been like a second momma. “Steph, it’s not an emergency.”

  “It is an emergency.”

  “I know what it’s about.”

  Chase spied his dad across the room and lunged forward in Cyd’s arms. “Da-da. Da-da.”

  Stephanie latched onto her nephew’s hand. “You’re just a little cutie, you know that? Auntie Stephy loves you.” Chase was her soft spot, and she wouldn’t be seeing him either, which brought her back to her angst. She looked at Cyd. “You do not know what it’s about.”

  Dana laughed, wresting Chase from Cyd. “How about this? I’ll take Chase to his da-da, and you go with Steph. In no time, you’ll be wishing she was still here in St. Louis bombarding you with emergencies.”

  “I know, right?” Stephanie said.

  Cyd gave them both a look.

  The sisters walked out of the activity center. “Okay, what’s the emergency?” Cyd said.

  “I need to know if I’m crazy for going through with this move.”

  “I knew it.” Cyd stopped in the hallway outside the center. “Yes. You are. Crazy for asking the same question week after week.”

  “No, it’s really hitting me right now.” Stephanie smiled at a couple just arriving. She lowered her voice. “I think we’re making a mistake.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.” Stephanie pulled her farther down the hall. “Lindell and I are leaving St. Louis where I’ve lived all my life—not to move to Chicago or DC or someplace else that makes sense, but to Hope Springs. I mean, when I say it I sound crazy. Why would I move to a little country town in North Carolina? Who does that?”

  “You’re doing it. Tomorrow.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “And Janelle did it last month when she moved from DC,” Cyd said.

  “Yeah, but she’s got an excuse for her crazy. She’s in love.”

  Stephanie and her cousin Janelle had cared for their ailing grandmother in Hope Springs earlier in the year while Lindell was in Haiti. Stephanie had been excited that God put it on both her and her cousin’s hearts to relocate there. She’d also been excited that they’d be near another cousin, Libby, who lived in Raleigh. But now . . .

  “Ever since Grandma Geri’s funeral,” Cyd said, “you and Lindell felt like God wanted you to do something different. You prayed and asked everybody and their momma to pray, even Pastor Lyles, which I’ve never seen you do.” Cyd had moved from momma to exhortation mode. “And you both felt this was your answer. I understand the cold feet, but I just know God is leading you. Even if it feels crazy.”

  “It’s more than cold feet. My heart is so out of rhythm, it might be a warning. What if we move to Hope Springs, and that’s not what God was saying? That would be tragic.”

  Cyd almost laughed. “Oh, stop it. You had a great time down there.”

  “The two months I spent there were great, because I got to know Grandma, Janelle, Libby, and other family. Living there is another story. We’ve got more people in our church than they’ve got in the town.” She started pacing. “I can’t believe I told Lindell to do that fleece thing.”

  “I meant to ask where you got that idea,” Cyd said.

  Stephanie paused with pursed lips. “Where do you think I got it? Bible study.”

  “What Bible study?”

  “My personal Bible study.”

  “Really?” Cyd smiled. She’d been encouraging Stephanie to study her Bible for years. “I didn’t know you were doing that.”

  “Well, don’t get happy. I didn’t think the fleece thing would work.”

  “And not just ‘work,’” Cyd said. “It was more than Lindell could’ve hoped.”

  Lindell had said chances were slim that he’d find something near Hope Springs since so many medical practices were downsizing or closing. But Stephanie suggested the “fleece” of contacting Dr. Richardson, a doctor in the little town who’d cared for many in her family. One call led to another, which ultimately led to an interview and an offer for Lindell to join a practice in nearby Rocky Mount. But they could only accommodate him part-time—which turned out to be perfect. Their church family at Living Word was making it possible for him to travel to Haiti one week per month as a medical missionary.