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

“Whew!” She ran a hand over her forehead, pretending to wipe away some imaginary sweat. “That’s a relief. I know exactly where the book is. Let me get it for you.” She stepped away from the counter, pausing for a brief moment to ask, “Paperback or hardcover? I assume paperback, but thought I’d confirm.”

  “You assumed wrong.” The twinkle in his eyes matched his teasing tone. “Definitely hardcover. They last longer.”

  She smiled in pleasant surprise. “You’re a man after my own heart. One hardcover coming right up.”

  She strode to the science fiction section and located the book, where it sat front and center on a shelf. Feeling the weight of a book in her hands always made her happy. She prided herself on having one of the few remaining brick-and-mortar bookstores in the Bay Area.

  While she loved eBooks, it had been a dream of hers to offer people a place to go where they could hold a book in their hands. She had fond memories of her mom bringing her to bookstores and libraries when she was young. Her parents—both bibliophiles themselves—were the ones who encouraged her to open Between the Lines soon after college. With their financial and emotional support, and her undergrad business degree, she’d made her bookstore a popular hangout for the young and old alike. Being able to help customers like this man today made her job so worthwhile.

  With the book in hand, she made her way along the beige carpet back to the register. “You’re in luck. This is our last copy until our next shipment comes in.”

  “Great. That’s two for two today.” He gave her an appreciative nod, all the while smiling as she rang up his purchase. “I’m so glad I came here. You don’t get this level of customer service online. Especially not from someone as personable and kind as you.” He paused, then extended his hand. “I’m Grant Storm, by the way. I don’t think I properly introduced myself.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Grant.” Grant seemed to hold her hand for an extra beat before letting go. “I’m Danica, as you already know. Danica Reed.”

  “What an appropriate name for someone who works in a bookstore.”

  “Yeah, you could say I was meant to have this last name.”

  “Well, it was nice meeting you, Danica. And thank you for all your help.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “I’ll be back for a recommendation once I finish this.” He held up his purchase. “Maybe we can talk more about the ending then.”

  “Sure thing. Happy reading.”

  He gave her a heartfelt smile before turning to walk out of the store. Through the front window, he waved once as he headed down the sidewalk.

  Danica waved back before picking up her phone. She was sure both Abby and Darren had to be wondering by now where she’d gone. She swiped her screen open to where she had left off in her conversation with Abby.

  Her most recent text—For the last time, I am NOT asking Darren out!—was still awaiting a reply.

  She was surprised Abby hadn’t texted her back yet. Maybe she’d gotten busy at work or she was finally backing down. Or maybe—oh no!

  Danica almost hyperventilated when she saw Amazing at the top of her screen. Heart pounding, she double-checked her other message thread. Her cheeks flushed, the heat quickly spreading to the tips of her ears. Sure enough, she’d texted Darren, thinking he was Abby. Great. How was she going to explain her way out of this now?

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she said a quick prayer for wisdom … or for a hole to open up beneath her feet and swallow her up. Either way, she needed some divine intervention. She opened her eyes and decided to text Abby for help—triple checking this time that she really was texting her best friend.

  Abs, I’m so dead. I texted Darren, thinking it was you! I told him I wasn’t going to ask him out!!! What am I supposed to do now?

  Instead of a message back, her phone rang. Danica answered the call to the sound of Abby’s loud laugh filling her ear. “Abby Dearan, how can you laugh at me at a time like this?” she mumbled, even though she really wanted to yell the question. This was the one time when she wished she didn’t work in a bookstore. It was taking all her restraint to remain quiet.

  When Abby’s laughter finally died down to a soft chuckle, she exclaimed, “This is classic! It’s just like when I texted Aiden by mistake. And look what happened to us—we’re getting married. Don’t worry. God is more than capable of taking our mistakes and working our messes out for us.”

  “I know He is, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Can I just pretend nothing happened? I have no idea what Darren’s thinking. He hasn’t texted me back since I sent that message.”

  “Well, he’s probably offended that you don’t want to ask him out.”

  Danica could tell from Abby’s tone that she was on the verge of laughing again. “Abs, be serious.”

  “I am! Wouldn’t you be crushed if the guy you liked told you he wasn’t going to ask you out?”

  “Darren doesn’t like me. I’ve told you a thousand times he’s not interested.”

  “He is, Dannie. It’s just … argh … complicated.” She cleared her throat and rushed the rest of her reply. “And I better go before I say more than I should! Love you, girl. Bye!”

  Danica lowered her phone, more confused than ever.

  Abby promptly sent her a zipped-mouth emoji with the words, Sorry, I promised Aiden to keep my big mouth shut. You’ll have to get the scoop from Darren.

  No worries, Danica texted back.

  It wasn’t like anything Darren could say would negate the fact that he always seemed to be guarded around her. Sure, he was friendly and kind, but she sensed there was something holding him back from truly engaging with her. She wondered if he would ever feel comfortable enough with her to get past their usual small talk. Maybe this one text would be the start to that?

  Soon, however, business picked up so much that Danica couldn’t have replied even if she wanted to. The text weighed heavily on her mind though throughout the rest of the day, making her blush at the mere thought of it. When she finally got a chance to check her phone again, it was half an hour before closing. With no further replies from Darren, she let the conversation drop and hoped he’d forgotten her careless mistake.

  Chapter Five

  Darren

  Life got busy for Darren during the following few days, which was a good thing because he didn’t want to keep thinking about Danica’s text. Or the fact that she hadn’t texted him again. The latter bugged him the most since he had no idea what she was thinking. She obviously should have realized by now that she had sent him the text by accident. Was she too embarrassed to reply? Or was this her way of letting him down gently after she’d pretty much rejected him?

  Ouch. The truth stung more than he expected.

  Darren ran a hand through his hair, pulling on the ends in frustration. A cold draft of air blew down on him from the overhead vents as he sat in one of the hard-wooden chairs of the hospital waiting room. Leaning back, he rested his head against the wall and waited, along with the rest of his family, for news about Bria’s labor.

  He’d seen Brandon’s text message as he was getting off his shift. After he’d gone home, showered, and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a polo shirt, he’d rushed to the hospital to meet Colin and Candy who were already there with Seth. Aiden and Abby promised to come as soon as they were done with work that afternoon. Evan, unfortunately, wouldn’t be able to get away from the set of his TV show, but both he and his girlfriend, Emma would be coming for the bachelor/bachelorette getaway in a few weeks.

  Double ouch. There was no way he would be able to avoid Danica during that weekend trip.

  It was better this way though. That mistaken text was a blessing in disguise, perhaps even an answer to prayer. Now that Danica had made her intentions known, he had even more reason to move on. And truth be told, he’d rather be the rejectee, no matter how much it hurt. Having been in that position before, he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, especially not someone as sweet as Danica.
/>   “Hey, Dare.” Colin nudged him with his elbow from where he sat on Darren’s right. “Are you hungry? Candy and I are going to take Seth to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. The poor kid just told me he didn’t have breakfast, and it’s nearly lunchtime.”

  Darren shook his head. “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  “Okay. Text me if there are any updates.” Colin rose to his feet and followed Candy, who was dressed in a power suit and a pair of heels, out of the waiting room. Both of them trailed after the young blond boy who was urging them to hurry.

  The sight of his brother, his future sister-in-law, and their nephew made his heart ache. Not to mention, the fact that they were waiting for Seth’s new brother or sister to arrive. Darren didn’t begrudge any of his family members for their blessings, but he did wonder why he was the only brother to have faced health challenges.

  He’d had it hard from the start, being born premature. Weighing in at three ounces shy of four pounds, he couldn’t maintain his own body temperature at birth. It’d taken a three-week stay in the NICU before he could go home. However, once he did, he thrived and grew, thanks to his parents’ care and the prayers of their friends and family. By the time puberty hit, he had surpassed his brothers in height. For the most part, he was as healthy as he could be now at age twenty-eight. But complications from having a hernia as a baby had damaged his ability to have children.

  That was the reality of his life.

  Darren closed his eyes, praying for peace as he often did when he felt himself going down a rabbit hole of self-pity. He also remembered to give thanks to God for all the good things in his life. Faith, family, friends. Also, a job he loved. Thinking about those blessings always helped change his perspective. He’d seen enough loss as a firefighter to know he had it better than so many others.

  His shoulders relaxed as his mind cleared itself of negative thoughts. He found himself dozing off, the exhaustion of the past forty-eight hours weighing down on his body like a heavy hose filled with water. On his next exhale, he fell into a deep sleep.

  The next time Darren opened his eyes, nearly an hour had passed according to his watch. A crick in his neck confirmed he’d fallen asleep in a strange position, but his mind was clearer after his nap. He usually needed a day to physically recover from a work shift, so it wasn’t a surprise he’d practically passed out. He rolled his head to either side to stretch out his muscles, then exhaled.

  The waiting room was a lot more packed now. Several older couples, likely soon-to-be grandparents, sat with newspapers or yarn and knitting needles on hand to pass the time. Colin, Candy, and Seth were nowhere to be seen. Aiden and Abby had shown up though and were seated about ten feet across from him in a row of chairs facing his. His older brother, a college professor, was hunched over his laptop, no doubt working on his students’ final grades for the semester. He had come straight from the office, in a long-sleeve shirt and slacks, as had Abby, although her job as a radio deejay allowed her to wear sweats. Abby’s voice rose above the quiet murmurs in the room as she talked animatedly with the woman beside her.

  The beautiful blonde woman Darren had just been dreaming about.

  Darren swallowed hard. His body warmed at the sight of Danica dressed in an oversized top and a pair of navy leggings with books of every color printed on them. Her hair was pulled back in a braid that lay over one shoulder with loose strands framing her face. Seeing the smile on her face was enough to make his own lips curve up.

  Her expression sobered though when Abby suddenly stopped talking. Abby nudged Danica with her elbow, nodding eagerly in Darren’s direction. When Danica looked up and locked eyes with him, her cheeks flushed red. The smile she wore now was sheepish and small. Darren was sure his was the same.

  If it weren’t for Abby’s insistent nudges, he and Danica would probably have continued staring awkwardly at each other. Instead, Danica was now walking toward his side of the waiting room. Darren quickly brushed a hand through his hair, then popped one of the mints he carried in his pocket into his mouth.

  Danica pointed to the chair beside his as she neared. “Hi. Is this seat taken?”

  “No, go for it.” He got a good whiff of her citrus-scented shampoo as she sat down. Overwhelmed by her closeness, his mind went blank. Too bad he didn’t have his firefighter’s mask with him. He sure could use a fresh dose of oxygen to wake himself up. What did move him to react was the sound of Abby clearing her throat loudly from the other side of the room. Darren shook himself free from his stupor and asked, “How are—”

  Danica spoke up at the same time. “How did—”

  They both chuckled, their laughter working like magic to break the ice. Darren gestured for Danica to speak. “Ladies first.”

  “I was just going to ask how your shift went. You must have been really tired to fall asleep in these hard chairs.”

  “I can pretty much sleep anywhere, anytime. It’s kind of my hidden talent.” He paused, surprised to see dark circles under her eyes. “How are you? I didn’t think you’d be able to get away from the store.”

  “I didn’t think so either, but one of my staff was able to come in for a few hours today.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  Both of them dropped their gazes and stopped talking. The awkwardness from earlier had returned, settling on them like a thick haze of smoke. Darren didn’t know if he should bring up the text message or just pretend it had never happened. Either way, they had never finished their conversation about the weekend trip, and he didn’t want to leave Danica to do the planning alone. He decided to stick to the facts and hope for the best. “So, uh, we still need to decide on the Napa trip. Should we just talk to Abby and Aiden since they’re here?”

  “Oh yeah, Abby just gave me a list of activities they want to do. The only thing we need to book are the mud baths. I can do that.”

  “I don’t mind doing it. I have the next three days off to make some calls.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, just text me the info.”

  A funny noise escaped Danica’s lips, the sound resembling a strangled groan. Wrinkling her nose in chagrin, she turned to face him. “Speaking of texting, Darren ...”

  Darren held up both hands to stop her. “It’s all right. You don’t need to explain.”

  “But I do. My parents taught me to treat others with care and respect. You know, love your neighbor as yourself.” She glanced up, momentarily distracted when a nurse in scrubs walked by. After a moment, she returned her attention to Darren. “If the tables were turned, I’d want an explanation for what happened the other day.”

  He shook his head. “I’d rather not make things weird between us.” Not that it wasn’t weird already, but still. He didn’t want Danica to feel more uncomfortable than she already was. She was wringing her hands in her lap, nervously twisting a gold ring she wore on her left hand.

  “Things are already weird. But they’ll only get better if we air them out, right?” Her tone matched the uncertainty on her face, but she shifted in her seat to face him squarely. “So, here’s what happened. I was texting both you and Abby at the same time. Work got busy and before I knew it, I had sent you the message I meant to send Abby.”

  “I figured as much. It’s not the first time this kind of stuff happened. I mean, Aiden and Abby met because of a wrong text.”

  “True. But I also want to explain why I said what I did. You know, the bit about not asking you—”

  “It’s fine,” he cut in before she could reject him in person. That would hurt too much. “I know Abby and the rest of the gang have been trying to set us up. They have good intentions, but they’re not that great at matchmaking. We hardly have anything in common. It makes sense why you and I wouldn’t work out.”

  As soon as the sentences left Darren’s mouth, his heart sank. The fact that Danica didn’t try to protest added to his disappointment. He had said those words as an excuse, but hearing t
hem out loud, he now realized how true they were. It was no wonder why someone like Danica wouldn’t be interested in him. She needed a man who had more brains than brawn. Unfortunately, that someone wasn’t him.

  Chapter Six

  Danica

  Danica forced herself to nod in agreement with Darren’s comment. We hardly have anything in common. Those six words seemed to seal the fate of their relationship before it could even begin. Her stomach twisted as he continued to explain to her why she wouldn’t want to date him. All the sleep she’d lost the previous few nights over this conversation were for naught. Darren was doing all the talking for her. Oh, the irony of it all.

  “You need a guy who understands you,” he reasoned. “Someone who cares about the same things you do. Someone who shares your love of reading.”

  Darren sounded so sure, he had her questioning herself. Danica hadn’t really thought about their compatibility before, but he had a point. Why was she attracted to him? Other than the fact that he was insanely gorgeous—which was not a good reason at all. No relationship could survive on physical attraction alone. There had to be something deeper, more meaningful—right?

  “That’s obviously not me. I can’t even remember the last time I read something for fun,” he continued without missing a beat. “The Sunday comics don’t really count. I mean, they’re not exactly on the same level as, uh, Shakespeare, right?”

  Danica squeezed out a smile in response to his soft chuckle. “Um, yeah, not exactly the same.”

  He continued going on about the comics he and his buddies loved to read at the firehouse when they had down time. Danica nodded absentmindedly as she pretended to listen, but inside, she was making a mental list of all the things she liked about Darren. Traits that didn’t include how well his pectoral muscles filled out his shirt, or how sexy his jawline was with the light sprinkling of scruff that she liked, or how amazing he smelled—