At First Spark (The Spark Brothers Book 4) Read online

  “Look at you, doing cute coupley stuff.” Colin gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I’m so happy for you, bro. After all you’ve been through, you deserve to have love in your life.”

  Darren shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t feel like I deserve anything, least of all Danica. She’s more than I could have hoped for.”

  “You know you should never underestimate God’s grace,” Colin touted before he closed the door. “Or your amazingness. You’re a Spark, after all! Have fun!”

  Darren chuckled to hear Colin’s voice echoing from inside the bathroom. Turning on his heels, he called out a quick thanks before heading out the door.

  A short time later, Darren pulled up in front of Between the Lines. He checked his appearance in the rearview mirror one more time, then exited his car and made his way to the sidewalk. He dropped a couple of coins into the parking meter before weaving his way around a group of young professionals talking on their phones. The sun was still high in the sky on this late July afternoon, lighting up the busy sidewalk where people were strolling by. Customers at the restaurant next door sat outside with their happy hour appetizers and drinks.

  Darren glanced through the window of the bookstore as he neared, eager to catch a glimpse of Danica. Smiling from ear to ear, he pushed open the heavy door. The area was quiet, with soft pop music playing from the speakers overhead, and a handful of customers with their heads buried in books. Who would have thought that a place with endless shelves of books would become the sanctuary he needed from the noise and busyness of his work? Or that its gorgeous owner would be the answer to all his prayers?

  His heart skipped a beat as he walked along one wall of the store. Several tall wooden bookcases blocked his view of the check-out counter where Danica usually stood. After he rounded the last bookcase, he finally saw her. He paused, completely entranced by her beauty. With both elbows on the counter, she stared intently at a computer monitor. One side of her blonde hair was clipped back, leaving the other side loose and wavy around her shoulder. Her pink lips were pursed, and her brows furrowed in thought. Wearing a white dress paired with a blue denim jacket, she looked like an angel.

  His angel.

  Darren said a prayer of thanks, one he had been saying every single day when he woke up and before he went to bed. Mingled with his thanksgiving, however, was also a petition for mercy and grace. He asked the Lord to continue to watch over this new relationship. A part of him still felt unworthy of Danica’s love. He couldn’t help wondering how long it would take before she realized she’d signed up for more than she bargained for.

  He clenched his hands at his side and swallowed hard. It was ironic how he had the strength to fight his way through a burning building, but he had such a hard time fighting those niggling seeds of doubt lurking in the back of his mind. But he needed to. Entertaining those doubts would only hurt their relationship. He wouldn’t be able to trust Danica if he was always second-guessing her commitment to him. He needed to trust her. Most of all, he needed to trust the One who had brought her into his life.

  With renewed determination coursing through his veins, Darren picked up his pace and strode toward Danica, ready to wrap her up in a warm embrace. His plan was interrupted, however, when a tall blond man walked up to the counter first. The man greeted Danica with a smile wide enough to show off a set of straight white teeth that had no doubt lived in braces for many years. He leaned on the counter, cocking his head to one side in a casual manner. By the way he was holding up a hardcover book in his hands, Darren assumed he was engaging Danica in a conversation about the story. Which was normal for a customer to be doing in a bookstore, Darren reasoned to himself. But it was Danica’s enthusiastic response—her raised brows and animated gestures—that made his chest tighten.

  Darren dropped his gaze, trying to shake off the feelings plaguing him. Doubt, insecurity and … was that jealousy? He grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to be one of those guys who got jealous whenever their girlfriend talked to another man. He’d never experienced this situation before, so why now? He knew why. Danica was the best thing to happen to him and the thought of losing her scared him.

  It wasn’t hard to imagine her changing her mind. Sure, things were new and hopeful at the moment, but given time, any relationship would face its share of challenges. How would Danica feel when her close friends became pregnant and started families of their own? What if Danica realized she’d rather be with someone who could give her the biological family she was giving up for him? What would happen then?

  If only he had the ability to look into the future and see how everything would turn out. That would make the not-knowing part of the present so much easier to swallow. He scoffed at how the situation had flipped. Now he was the one wanting to read the ending of a book first.

  The melodic sound of Danica’s laughter filled the air, prompting him to look up. Her expression was so sweet, he couldn’t help smiling himself. An emotion he could only label as love surged through his chest. He was truly falling for this woman—hard and fast.

  Danica spotted Darren, and her eyes immediately lit up. Smiling, she gestured for him to join her.

  When Darren reached her side, she made a round of quick introductions. “Grant, this is my boyfriend, Darren. Darren, Grant’s one of my regular customers. We were just talking about a book we both love.”

  The two men shook hands. Darren sensed Grant’s eyes on him, sizing him up. He couldn’t help standing a little straighter, although there was really no need to since he was a full head taller than Grant. “Nice to meet you. Which book is this?” he asked, pretending to be interested. “It must be good if you both liked it.”

  “The Time Rift. It’s a time travel romance written by a husband and wife team,” Grant answered. “Have you heard of it?”

  “No, I can’t say I have.”

  “Darren’s not much of a reader,” Danica explained.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Grant replied, not really sounding sorry at all. “I was just inviting Danica to a book club my sister hosts. It’s always nice to interact with people who have similar interests.”

  “Well, Danica and I have other things in common.” Darren crossed his arms over his chest, feeling both foolish and proud, knowing that the action showed off his muscles. He hated pulling such a caveman move, but he didn’t want Grant getting any ideas about where he and Danica stood. “Speaking of, she and I have a date we need to get to.”

  Grant set his jaw, seeming to get the hint. “I’ll let you guys go then. Nice chatting with you again, Danica. Thanks for the book recommendation.”

  “No problem. Have a good evening, Grant,” Danica called after him as he walked away. She returned her attention to Darren, an amused smile curving her lips. “What was that about?”

  “What was what about?”

  “Darren Spark, are you jealous? Because you kinda look like you are.” She stood tall and crossed her arms, mimicking his stance. Her expression grew stern as she puffed out her chest. After a moment, she dropped the act and shot him a cheeky grin. “I didn’t take you for the jealous type.”

  “I-I’m not.” Darren shrugged and dropped his arms. “Not usually, that is. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I just saw how happy you were talking to him, and you both like to read. I felt a little …”

  “Insecure?” Danica finished for him.

  He reluctantly nodded.

  Danica made her way around the counter, her eyes never leaving his face. She strode up to him and took both of his hands in hers. “You have nothing to feel insecure about. Let me reassure you that I’m committed to you, Darren Spark, and to you alone.”

  “I believe you. I’m completely committed to you, too. It’s just that sometimes these doubts pop up and I have to remind myself to push them aside.”

  “I get it. There are days when I doubt, too. But as long as we put our faith in the One who will never fail us, we’ll be all right. God has had His hand in
everything that’s happened to us, since the first day we met up till now. I trust He has more good things in store for us.”

  Darren smiled, feeling his spirits lift. He was so impressed with Danica’s conviction. More than that, he was thankful she seemed to have enough faith for both of them. “You’re right. It sounds so simple and doable when you put it that way.” Darren shook his head, completely in awe of Danica. “You are amazing, you know that?”

  She laughed. “Actually, you’re the amazing one. Here, let me show you.” She proceeded to take her phone from her purse and turn it on. After tapping the screen a few times, she flipped it around to show him her contact list. “See, that’s you right there.”

  He followed her index finger to the second entry under the letter A. “You saved me under the name Amazing?”

  “Because you are. Plus, it’s easier to find you since you’re near the top of the list. But that also made it easy to confuse you with Abby.” She punctuated her statement with an eye roll. “That’s how I accidentally sent you the text that was meant for her. I was trying to stop her from meddling.”

  “That explains a lot.” Darren grinned, then pulled out his phone from his pocket. “So, I’m not the only one who has a nickname. You have one, too.”

  “I do? Let’s see it.”

  He found the entry for Danica on his phone and showed it to her. “There you are.”

  “Fuego?” She balked. “As in fire? I don’t understand.”

  “It started out as a reminder for me to not play with fire, but then it became a constant reminder of how hot you are,” he explained with a shy smile. “Not that I need to be reminded of that fact. It’s pretty obvious how you make me feel every time I’m near you.”

  Danica’s eyes lit up. “How do I make you feel?”

  Darren leaned in close and placed one hand under her chin. He tilted her head up to look her squarely in the eyes. The tenderness and delight he saw in her baby blues made him swallow hard. He meant every word as he confessed, “Like I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I have hope again because of you. I never thought I’d find a woman who would accept me. You not only accept me, you believe in me, too. You make me feel like anything’s possible as long as I put my faith in God, in you, in us. I trust you, Danica. I’m in, all in, if you’ll have me.”

  “Of course, I’ll have you! You don’t even have to ask. You’re stuck with me for good, Darren.” She rested her forehead gingerly on his. “For good.”

  “For good,” he echoed, before placing his mouth on hers. He kissed Danica with abandon, fully and deeply, until her warm lips melted away all traces of doubt and fear in his heart. All that remained was love. Love so pure, strong and sweet, sweeter than anything he had ever imagined.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Danica

  Danica blinked back tears as she stood in the hallway just outside the living room. She held a tray of appetizers she’d just prepared in the kitchen, ready to share it with everyone gathered inside, but the scene before her made her pause. Two faded couches faced each other with a rectangular coffee table in between them. Her parents were seated on the left side while her grandparents and birth mom sat on the other. Both groups were focused on a thick photo album laying on the table in front of them. Laughter filled her ears, along with the sound of excited chatter as they oohed and ahhed over her childhood photos. Darren sat between them all in a recliner at the end of the table, quietly observing the group.

  The sight was so odd, yet perfect, that Danica couldn’t help but admire it. Oh, how her life had recently changed. A month had passed since that fateful night when she and Darren had gone over to Harold’s and Sally’s for dinner. And it had been two weeks since DNA testing had confirmed she was Jade’s daughter. Today was the first time all of her family members had gathered in one place. Danica’s heart was so full watching them, she could have stood there all day if it weren’t for the fact that the food was getting cold.

  Still smiling, she walked over and set the tray on the table. “Help yourselves, everyone,” she announced. “The veggies are for you, Grandpa.”

  Harold’s blue eyes twinkled in delight when Danica handed him a cup of carrot and celery sticks. “Thank you, dear. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you call me Grandpa.”

  Danica beamed. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying it. Or Grandma or Ma,” she added, referring to the Chinese word for mother. She turned to her birth mother who gave her a teary smile of her own. Danica marveled at how familiar Jade seemed to her, even though they had only met a handful of times. In that short amount of time, however, they had already developed the makings of a strong friendship. They were doing a lot of catching-up and learning new things about each other every day.

  “This is delicious, Danica. Did you make these yourself?” Jade asked, holding up an egg roll between her manicured fingers. The pale pink nail polish matched the floral blouse she wore over a pair of dark jeans. Even though her hair and eyes were darker than Danica’s, they shared the same high forehead and the same full lips.

  Danica smirked. “I wish. If only I cooked as well as I alphabetize, I’d never have to buy frozen food again.”

  “Same here.” Jade laughed, the sound so similar to Danica’s, though a little lower. “You’re better than me though. I always end up burning something.”

  Danica’s mom jumped in, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I distinctly remember a time when Dannie burned a pot of water.”

  “Mom!” Danica exclaimed. “It was only because the book I was reading was so good, I’d forgotten I was making tea.”

  “Sure, you did,” Jade teased Danica playfully. “You did a great job with these appetizers though.”

  “Speaking of appetizers, could I at least have one egg roll?” Harold practically begged. “I need a little more sustenance than this rabbit food.”

  “Harold, please. That rabbit food is what’s keeping your heart strong,” Sally touted. “We can’t have you dying on us again. Especially not today.”

  “Ma!” Jade piped up, her brown eyes opened wide. “Be careful what you say.”

  “Oh dear, I better stop now. You’ll not hear another peep from me.” Sally’s cheeks pinkened. She popped a mini quiche into her mouth and brushed a lock of her salt and pepper hair behind one ear.

  Danica quirked a brow as she looked from Jade to Sally who were both trying to look nonchalant. A carrot dangled between Harold’s lips, quickly disappearing into his mouth as he chewed. Her parents suddenly seemed very interested in the multi-colored rug beneath their feet. The room grew silent as everyone avoided eye contact with Danica. Everyone except Darren. She gave him a curious look as she mouthed the words, what’s going on?

  He stood up and motioned for Danica to take his place in the recliner. She walked over and sank down into the worn leather. Once seated, she smoothed out the skirt of her pink maxi dress. Her family leaned forward in their seats, every eye focused on her.

  “I feel like I’m missing something here.” Danica patted her cheeks, careful not to mess up the make-up she had painstakingly applied for this occasion. “Do I have something on my face?”

  Darren knelt down in his navy slacks and took one of her hands in his. He looked especially handsome today with his broad shoulders filling out a light blue linen blazer. The light scruff along his jawline gave him a rugged, masculine appearance. A bright smile lit up his face as he replied, “No, nothing’s there. You look beautiful as always. We’re all just happy to be here with you.”

  “O-kay.” She dragged out the word into two long syllables, still confused. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll play along.”

  “That would be great.” Darren squeezed her hand, then placed it back in her lap. He took the photo album from the coffee table and handed it to her before taking a seat on the armrest of the recliner. “Would you please flip to the next page? There’s something I want to show you.”

  “Sure,” she agre
ed, even though she had no clue what Darren was getting at. She’d gone through this album dozens of times before, so she was sure there was nothing new in it. Even still, she turned the page, holding her breath in anticipation. In doing so, she realized a couple of new pages had been added to the back of the book.

  The photos staring back at her were brand new ones of her and Darren. Most had been taken over the course of the last year during their group activities with his brothers and their significant others. A handful of selfies captured more recent events, specifically at Abby and Aiden’s wedding, as well as the dates she and Darren had gone on as an official couple. She ran her fingers along the edges of the photos, happy and thankful for such wonderful memories. “Thank you for printing these out. I love seeing how far we’ve come.”

  “We have come a long way, haven’t we?”

  “Yes, we have. But the journey’s been more than worth it,” she added with a knowing grin.

  “I’m happy to hear you say that, but I know you have a thing for peeking ahead, so I have one more page for you to look at. It’s actually the last page of the book … for now.”

  A soft gasp resounded in the room as Danica lifted a corner of the page. She paused and looked up to see Sally gesturing for her to hurry. Both her mom and Jade had their hands up to their mouths, looking as if they were in the middle of an intense movie scene. Their reactions were so dramatic, Danica began to wonder if something was wrong.

  “Darren …?” She searched his face for clues, but only saw joy and affection there.

  “It’s okay, babe, I promise it’s a happy ending,” he reassured her. “You can turn the page.”

  It was at this moment that Danica’s heart began pounding and she started to have an inkling of what was going on. She did as she was told, her eyes filling with tears. Once she turned the page, the tears began falling, warm and fast, down her cheeks. The image of Darren on the page began to blur, but she’d already gotten a good look at it to know he was reenacting the photo in person.