At First Spark (The Spark Brothers Book 4) Page 13

  Down on one knee, Darren held a small black velvet box in his hands. He opened it to reveal a silver band with three diamonds set along the top. All three stones sparkled bright, especially the largest one in the center. Darren held up the ring between his thumb and forefinger and cleared his throat.

  “I know it may seem early in our relationship to do this, but I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. You love me for who I am, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful. Because of you, I feel strong, hopeful, and content. Plus—” he winked “—a little hot.”

  That last line made Danica giggle.

  “Danica,” Darren continued in a more serious tone, “this ring symbolizes our relationship. We’re the stones on each side and God is the one in the middle. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, and with God in the center of our relationship.” He gazed into her eyes and asked, “Danica Ann Reed, will you marry me?”

  “Yes! Oh, yes!” Danica cupped his face with both hands and leaned in, feeling his warm, minty breath on her cheeks. She brought her mouth to his, causing his laughter to turn into a soft moan. On Darren’s lips, she tasted the saltiness from her tears, but more than that, a deep, sincere sweetness.

  She couldn’t have asked for a more amazing man to spend the rest of her life with, or to kiss. And boy, could he kiss! She would’ve happily gotten lost in the moment if it weren’t for the sound of applause filling her ears. She pulled back with a soft giggle.

  “Save some for the honeymoon, dears!” Sally called out. “Let’s see the ring!”

  “I almost forgot.” Darren slid the ring onto her finger, then placed a soft kiss on her knuckle. “Now it’s official.”

  As her family gathered around to congratulate them, Danica slipped her hand into Darren’s with a pleased sigh. Her story, with its pieces of her past, present, and future, was all coming together now, and she couldn’t be more fulfilled.

  Epilogue

  Aftermath

  Darren paced the carpeted room slowly, holding the most precious gift he’d ever received securely against his chest. The warm bundle snuggled into the crook of his neck, tickling him with her soft black hair. He kissed the top of the sleeping toddler’s head and inhaled her sweet scent of applesauce and shampoo. With care, he placed his daughter down in her crib for her afternoon nap. He exhaled as he stepped back, careful to avoid the spot near the bookcase that tended to creak.

  Standing in the dim room, he marveled at how different his life was now. In the past five years, he had gone from being single to married to now being a father. There had been a lot of changes, but he’d welcomed every one, especially the last. Not long after he and Danica had gotten married, they had decided to start their family. At the encouragement of Danica’s birth mom, they looked into international adoption, specifically from China. The process had taken a lot longer than expected, but the twenty months of waiting had all been worth it. The moment they met their fifteen-month-old daughter at the orphanage in Beijing, they’d felt a connection.

  Danica had described it as an insta-kind of love. Both of them knew from the moment they laid eyes on Hope that she was theirs. It didn’t matter that she didn’t look like them or speak the same language. She was so, so precious with her big brown eyes and dimples that it seemed like she’d been birthed from their hearts. Neither he nor Danica could imagine a life without her.

  It had been four months since they brought Hope home, four months of adjusting and figuring out a new routine for all of them. Thankfully, they had more than enough help from their family, including Sally, Harold, Jade, and his brothers and their wives. Darren’s parents were even talking about moving back to California so they could see their grandkids more often.

  Darren heard the front door to their home open. He quickly turned on the baby monitor before leaving Hope’s room. With an urgency in his steps, he reached Danica’s side just as she closed the door.

  He greeted Danica with a kiss. “How did the appointment go?”

  She met his gaze, her eyes rimmed with red. The tip of her nose was pink as well, but she looked surprisingly alert. A smile curved her pale lips as she hugged him. “It was good. You got Hope down for her nap already? How many rounds of Baby Shark did she request today?”

  “Only four.”

  “That’s one more than she usually asks me for.” She smirked. “I think she’s got you wrapped around her cute little finger.”

  “That she does.” Darren chuckled. “So, what did the doctor say? Did she say you have food poisoning? I knew we shouldn’t have eaten that leftover Chinese food.”

  “Nope.” Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. “It’s not food poisoning.”

  “Then what’s making you so sick?”

  She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a square piece of paper. Grinning from ear to ear, she flipped it over for him to see. “Some would call it a miracle.”

  Darren stared at the black and white image in her hands. He recognized it as an ultrasound photo; he’d seen several of them when his sisters-in-law had been expecting. But he had no idea why Danica would be showing him one. “I-I don’t understand.”

  “Darren, we’re pregnant!”

  He stared at her blankly, hearing the words, but not registering them. None of this made sense. When he finally found his voice, he could utter one word: “how?”

  “God’s grace, that’s how.”

  “But I thought I—” He shook his head in disbelief. “Are you sure? Is the doctor sure?”

  Danica laughed. “Yes, I heard the baby’s heartbeat. Dr. Phillips said you must’ve had one really strong swimmer that fought its way through.”

  Darren gazed at the photo in wonder. His eyes welled up as the reality of the situation began to sink in, canceling out all the doubt in his heart. “This is really happening. It’s crazy.”

  “I know. Hope’s going to be a big sister. We’re going to be a family of four. I’m amazed God’s blessed us with two little miracles.”

  His heart swelled with joy. “Our whole journey has been a series of miracles, one after another after another. I thought we already had our happy ending, but it keeps getting better.”

  “I know, right? I’m so glad I get to experience all of this with you.”

  Darren wrapped Danica up in his arms, feeling her heart beat next to his. “Me, too. I love you so much, Danica Spark.”

  “And I love you.” She tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “I loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you, Darren Spark.”

  He cracked a smile. “It was seeing me in my uniform that did it for you, huh?”

  “For sure.” She batted her eyelashes at him playfully. “That’s when I felt the first spark.”

  “The spark that started the fuego?”

  “Yes. But this is one fire I don’t ever want put out.”

  He planted a soft, lingering kiss on her lips with a lifelong promise. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

  * * *

  Don’t miss Evan and Emma’s story, An Extra Spark, book five in the Spark Brothers Series.

  He’s an actor pressured to risk everything for his job. She’s an actress struggling to fit into the Hollywood scene. Little do they know how much they will be tested when they are forced to keep their love a secret.

  Evan Spark grew up in the shadow of four older brothers, but he’s finally found his own place in the limelight on primetime TV. His job, with the best fans and a chance to work with the love of his life, is everything he ever wanted ... except for the flirty costar who’s set her eyes—and lips!—on him.

  The last thing shy and unassuming Emma Dearan expects is to land a role as an extra on Edenvale and to win the heart of its leading man. With the reassurance of a “no kissing” clause in her contract, she’s finally feeling at home in the spotlight, on screen and off—until the executive producer’s daughter forces her to choose between a promotion or her boyfriend.

  The longer they keep their re
lationship under wraps, the harder it is to know what’s real. As the paparazzi zero in on their secrets, they must learn to discern the truth from the lies. Will the hazards of show business spark new insecurities or strengthen their bond of trust?

  * * *

  Check out Chapter One of An Extra Spark here …

  Evan Spark wished with all his heart that he was holding his girlfriend instead of the curvy blonde who had made herself at home in his arms.

  Standing with his back to a cold metal locker, he went through the motions of embracing the woman pressed against his chest. He brought his mouth to hers, tilting his head to kiss her with as much passion as he could muster. Despite his outward behavior, his insides were knotted and twisted up as if he’d eaten one too many spicy chicken wings. The guilt building up inside of him felt like acid. But no amount of over-the-counter medication could cure this pain.

  As the lead actor on Edenvale, primetime’s hottest teen drama, locking lips with his on-set love interests was part and parcel of his job. He had once enjoyed this perk, but it had become an occupational hazard. Ever since he got into a serious relationship over a year ago, he couldn’t stomach kissing his colleagues. And he’d kissed a lot of them. Beautiful actresses who’d been written into the script as his girlfriend of the week. Lately, however, it had been the same one—Margot Everly—playing his fling. This bold woman wasn’t shy about her interest in him either. She made it a point to request extra takes of any scenes they shot together. And as the daughter of the executive producer, whatever she asked for, she usually got.

  “Cut!”

  A surge of relief coursed through Evan’s body to hear the director’s command. He quickly pulled back, breaking off the claim Margot had on his mouth. Moving even farther out of her reach, he ran his hands through his wavy brown hair and blew out a long breath. “How was it, Greg?”

  Margot flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and pursed her bright red lips. Her lipstick had stayed in place without even a smudge, a testament to the makeup team’s stellar work. She wore a pair of three-inch strappy sandals and a tight mini skirt that were more appropriate for a nightclub, but the outfit was on point for the elite prep school featured on their show. Batting her fake lashes, she gave Evan a pained look. “It didn’t feel right. There wasn’t enough emotion. I say we do the scene again.”

  “It felt fine to me,” Evan touted, immediately regretting his choice of words. Margot seemed to take his reply to mean he had enjoyed the kiss. Her heels clicked on the concrete as she stepped closer and placed a hand on his arm. “I meant,” Evan corrected himself, “we acted the scene the way it was written. But the final say is Greg’s. Let’s let him decide.”

  Margot dropped her hand and pouted. “Fine.”

  “Give me a second to check out the angles.” Greg pressed a few buttons on his camera to rewatch the scene. With sweats and a T-shirt on, the red haired man looked like he belonged in a gym instead of the director’s chair, but he was one of the best in the business. He usually got a good take the first time, which meant shorter days on set. But when he wasn’t happy with a scene, it could take up to five tries to get it right. This take appeared to meet his standards. “We’re good,” he called out with a toothy grin. “That’s all for today, ladies and gents. Nice work.”

  Evan threw a fist in the air in celebration. While Margot stomped away from the row of lockers, he high-fived the camera crew and asked about their day. For a simple shoot like today, there were still a dozen folks on set, men and women who worked hard behind the scenes to keep the show running.

  The late afternoon sun shone down on him as he headed to his exclusive luxury trailer. The white vehicle was parked outside of an old high school the show was renting for an hour outside of Los Angeles. Once inside the trailer, Evan locked the door and took a seat in one of the plush leather seats.

  He immediately took his phone out to text his girlfriend, Emma, the one person he’d been looking forward to talking to all day. There were no new messages from her since they’d spoken that morning. He wondered if she was busy picking up last minute wedding stuff for her sister, Abby, who was getting married to his brother, Aiden, in two days. Yes, their union would technically make him and Emma family, but Evan hoped they would one day seal the deal themselves. With all of his brothers either married or engaged, he looked forward to settling down, too. Especially since he’d found the perfect woman for him.

  Sure, their relationship was moving slowly, but he had no doubt of their commitment to each other. From the start, he’d intended for them to focus on building their emotional intimacy and trust. He was tired of all the shallow hook-ups the characters on Edenvale got involved in. Out of reverence for God and respect for Emma, he vowed to do things differently in real life.

  He tapped out a quick text to Emma that began and ended with heart emojis in her favorite color, pink. Hey love, how’s it going? I’m done for the day. When do you want to meet up for dinner?

  While he waited for her reply, he changed out of his high school jock slash bad boy costume—an all-black ensemble of a T-shirt and jeans—and threw on his own turquoise polo shirt paired with white shorts. Once he wiped off the light layer of makeup on his face, he felt more like himself.

  He splashed some cool water onto his face at the small bathroom vanity and dried off with a fluffy towel. The person staring back at him looked like a young man, yet here he was playing a teenager. He wondered if he’d forever be locked into this kind of role, destined to stay in high school forever. He liked being a teen heartthrob, but one of these days, he’d love to do more. More action and drama. Serious roles that required more of him than taking off his shirt. He may have gotten discovered based on his looks, but he didn’t want that to be the only reason casting directors hired him. He wanted to be known for his acting skills. That’s why he was willing to do whatever it took to get to the next step in his career.

  Even if it meant kissing girls who were not his girlfriend.

  Thank the Lord he didn’t have to kiss Margot again today. He knew it was a minor victory, considering he had yet to read the next script. But he knew better than to worry about tomorrow when he obviously had enough to worry about today. That was one Biblical truth he clung to as an actor.

  He’d been in the business for a decade now, since he got discovered at age sixteen during a family trip to Hollywood. Even as the star of his own show, he knew never to take a paycheck for granted. Acting was hard work, and few ever made it big. Fortunately for him, he had open-minded parents, a great manager, and amazing fans who had supported him in his journey from day one.

  He’d started out in his teen years on a sitcom, playing one of three sons. As the youngest of five brothers in real life, he’d had no problems filling the role. He was used to being surrounded by plenty of testosterone and having to compete for attention. And boy, did he have some serious competition. Between Aiden’s musical talent, Brandon’s writing skills, Colin’s humor, and Darren’s athletic ability, Evan struggled to find his own niche to shine in. Not until he’d been offered the opportunity to act did he finally feel like he was doing what God had made him to do.

  He’d forever be grateful for his ability to transform into a character. Call it intuition or empathy, but once he put on his costume for a scene, he took on that person’s essence. His own thoughts, expressions, and behavior fell to the wayside. With his current role, he played the part of a high school senior struggling with his parents’ divorce. Even though his own parents were still happily married after nearly thirty-six years, Evan had no problems imagining and portraying his character’s pain. The only problem he did have was putting his heart into those dreaded kissing scenes.

  Evan’s phone vibrated with an incoming text from Emma.

  Hi! I’ve been running around trying to find hairpins for Abby. I finally found them at the last store. I’ll come by and meet you on set. I need to pick up my script for next week. I’m in two scenes!

  Ev
an grinned. Emma had gotten her start on Edenvale as an extra, which is how they’d met, but she had quickly caught Greg’s eye. Soon after, the producers created a role just for her, as one of the regular actor’s out-of-town cousins. It wasn’t just Emma’s gorgeous looks that had landed her the job; she was a natural on camera. He quickly texted back: I knew it! Pretty soon, they’re going to write you in as a regular. Just you wait.

  A grimacing face emoji popped up on his screen. That’d be amazing if I can quit my waitressing job, but eeks!

  Don’t worry, love. You’ll do great. We can run lines together later.

  I’d love that, thanks! I gotta run, but I’ll see you soon! A kissy face emoji punctuated her last line.

  Evan sent one back to her, then set down his phone. He couldn’t wait to see Emma and hold her in his arms. But first, he needed to look over his lines for tomorrow. To his relief, there were no kissing scenes, but rather, a big blow-up between his character and Margot’s. He couldn’t be more thankful. Perhaps their on-screen relationship was coming to an end.

  It didn’t surprise him, considering how much the characters went through on a weekly basis. It seemed every couple on the show had broken up at least once. But the fans ate up the drama. There were usually a dozen or more hashtags about their show floating around on social media. He was sure his and Margot’s break-up would be trending for days after the episode aired. He planned to channel all his energy into making this scene an epic one.

  Close to an hour later, a knock sounded on his trailer door. Certain it was Emma, Evan ran to the door and threw it open. To his great disappointment, Margot stood there in a cream colored silk robe and her hair up in a messy bun. Her eyes were red, as was the tip of her nose.

  Evan studied her curiously. “Is everything okay?”