Candice: Seven Sisters, #6

By Amelia C. Adams

As the second to youngest in a very unusual family, Candice McClain has seen each of her sisters develop amazing paranormal gifts that are sure to do a lot of good in the world. Her own gift, weather prediction, seems completely useless in comparison, and she can't help but wonder why she ended up with the loser power.

Greg Burton was crippled as the result of a car accident, but a new technique in back surgery has enabled him to walk again, giving him hope for the first time in two years that he might have a normal, ordinary life. But there's nothing at all ordinary about Candice McClain.

When she predicts a natural disaster that threatens to wipe out half the small town of Bagley, Texas, Greg has to decide if he believes her strange story about gifts and powers, or if he should leave and try to move on with someone else. After all, some things are just a little too unbelievable for words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia C. Adams
• Release date: Dec 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201097967

Book preview

Candice

Seven Sisters Book Six

by Amelia C. Adams

With thanks to my beta readers—Amy, Barbara, Cheryl, Dorothy, Joseph, Mary, Meisje, and Shelby.

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Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

Table of Contents:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter One

September, 1985

Candice looked up from the want ads as Marti, her younger sister, came into the house and closed the door. Is it ever going to stop raining out there? Marti asked, kicking off her shoes and putting her umbrella in the stand.

That’s the strange thing—I can’t see an end to it, Candice replied.

Each of the seven McClain sisters had developed some sort of gift or special talent a year and a half previously when there was a weird power outage in their dad’s den. Candice’s was the ability to predict the weather. She was still trying to figure out what good that was. Her sisters had gifts that she considered a lot more useful—Heather could tell when two people were supposed to be together. That was an awesome gift—just think of all the heartache that could be avoided if you knew right from the start that it wasn’t going to work out. Jessica dreamed about things as they were happening, and she’d been able to help find a lost boy because of it. That was useful—saving children had to be one of the best things a person could do.

Oh, and then there was Gaylynn. If you told her a story about something that happened, she could see it in her mind and know if you were lying. That had helped her a ton in her counseling practice. Rebekah had saved lives with her ability to diagnose disease and illness, and she would be hearing back any day now if she got into medical school. Tracy could diagnose and fix machinery—she’d saved Candice hundreds of dollars in car repairs that year alone.

And then let’s not forget about Marti, who was a precog and could see the future. That was the ultimate in helpful gifts. But weather prediction? Come on. The most good Candice could do was saving someone from ruining their favorite shoes in a rainstorm. That was hardly earth-shattering.

Find anything good? Marti said, sitting down next to Candice on the couch.

A couple of things, but they all want a ton of money. Why do apartments have to be so expensive?

You know you can stay here as long as you want—Mom and Dad haven’t kicked you out, have they?

No, but I really like living on my own. It’s the whole independence thing, you know? Dad offered to give me some money for a better deposit, but I don’t want to take it—I know I’m being stubborn, but I don’t know how to stop it.

Marti nodded. Yeah, you always have been stubborn. Maybe the most stubborn out of any of us, and that’s saying a lot.

Candice gave her sister a look. Gee, thanks. Anyway, I just don’t understand why my landlord had to decide to sell the building. I was happy there. I had all my stuff exactly where I wanted it, I had great neighbors, I was within walking distance of the bank and the library . . . and now I live at home with my parents and my little sister. It’s taking a huge step backwards on the growing-up ladder.

And I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself, Marti replied. "A new job and finding a new apartment all at the same time? Why not settle in at work first and then look for a new place? Take it in smaller chunks."

Because I never do things the easy way. You know that. Candice put the paper aside and scowled. Do you see anything for my future? Like, where I should live or how this job’s going to turn out?

Marti picked up a throw pillow and whacked Candice’s shoulder with it. I see you driving yourself crazy if you don’t settle down and take this a little slower. Go to the movies with me tonight—let’s do something fun.

What’s playing?

Marti grabbed the rest of the newspaper and flipped through it. "Blah, boring, boring, dumb . . . Hey! Teen Wolf! Come on, Candice—let’s go see it!"

Really? Candice shook her head. "You just heard me talk about how much I want to be an adult and move forward with my life, but you want me to go see Teen Wolf? How does that even make sense?"

"It makes sense because you need to have some fun. Honestly, between you and Jessica, you carry more stress than any twelve people should. Have you talked to Gaylynn and let her do her shrinky-dinky stuff on you?"

I don’t need counseling. I just need to find a place to live that isn’t three million dollars a month. And don’t let Gaylynn hear you talking like that—she’ll never let you live it down.

Tell you what. Come to the movies with me tonight, and tomorrow, we’ll spend the whole day looking for a new apartment. It will be good for me—I’ve got to be thinking about that for myself pretty soon, and I should see what the market’s like.

I’d offer to have you move in with me, but I think we both know we’d get on each other’s nerves without Mom and Dad there to referee us.

Oh, definitely. And I want to try this independence thing too. Marti stood up. "I’m going to change because I’m going to the movies. Are you coming, or am I going to be all by myself? You wouldn’t want your baby sister to be out after dark all by herself, would you?"

Fine, fine, I’m coming, Candice said, pulling herself out of the couch as well. But only because it’s Michael J. Fox. You can take care of yourself perfectly well in daylight or in the dark—you don’t need me.

Oh, but I do. I need you to keep me from dying of loneliness.

You’ll never be lonely, Marti—with your personality, you draw people to you like flies. Although, why that’s supposed to be considered good, I don’t know—things that swarm with flies aren’t usually the most awesome things.

Change your clothes and come on. You’re overanalyzing again, Marti said, grabbing Candice’s hand and pulling her down the hall.

Once in her bedroom, Candice stood in front of her closet and scowled. She had plenty to wear, but she didn’t feel like wearing any of it. Her new job at Downtown Chic had her staring at clothes all day—hanging them up, taking inventory of them, recommending them to customers, ringing them up—and she would be happy never to touch another outfit again. It had only been a week, so really, it was too soon to complain, but she’d complain anyway.

It’s not that clothes were bad. Clothes were awesome to keep you from being naked and stuff. It was just the way people acted—if they couldn’t find just the right acid-washed jeans, they thought it was the end of the world, and they just had to be cooler than their friends. Candice remembered