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

  “Yeah, we did,” she declared with pride in her voice. “It was a crazy experience, but I’m so glad we went through it together. It really helps to have someone to talk to about it, someone who knows exactly what happened.”

  He stifled a yawn. “Well, I’m more than happy to listen.”

  “Thanks, Darren.” She paused before adding, “Thank you also for letting me cry on your shoulder last night. The whole experience was so overwhelming. You were really sweet to let me use you as a life-size tissue.”

  Darren’s breath caught in his throat as he remembered how it had felt to hold her in his arms. Being so near Danica had been wonderful, but it had been dangerous, too. The heightened emotions from the intense ordeal, along with Danica’s closeness, had led him to do something he regretted now—kissing her. Even though it had been an innocent one on the forehead, the hopeful look in her eyes afterwards had told him he’d crossed a line. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “No problem. It’s always better to let your emotions out than keep them bottled up.”

  “Did you get a chance to do that, too? After you got home last night?”

  “I went straight to bed, but I’m planning to go for a run later. That’s how I work through things. Exercise always clears my mind.”

  “I see. But if you want to talk, I’m more than happy to listen, too.”

  “Thanks, but I’m good.” His words came out more curt than he intended. He didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but fear made his walls go up. Fear that he would get more attached to Danica than he already was. He knew how easy it would be to open up to her after last night. That was why he and his colleagues were so close. The experience of going through a traumatic event together bonded them. But he couldn’t risk growing closer to Danica, especially after she’d made it clear she wanted more than friendship. Still, he didn’t want to sound like a jerk. He softened his tone and explained, “I appreciate your offer, but I’m used to seeing this kind of stuff happen. I’ll be fine.”

  An uneasy silence came over the line. Danica’s voice was soft as she replied, “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I am.” He relaxed, thankful she wasn’t pushing him.

  “Well, um, if you don’t want to talk about that, do you mind if we finish our conversation from earlier in the evening?”

  Darren gulped. So much for thinking he’d escaped a hard topic. This new one was even messier and more uncomfortable to address. He knew very well what Danica was referring to, but he played dumb to buy himself some time. “Which conversation was that?”

  “The one before all the craziness started. About you and me, and how you said I can do better than you.”

  Danica didn’t mess around. Talk about getting to the point quickly. Darren rubbed the back of his neck, the muscles beneath his fingers growing tenser by the second. “I meant what I said.”

  “I don’t mean any disrespect, but I disagree. I haven’t met any man who comes even close to you. Well, except for my dad; he’s pretty awesome.”

  “Both your parents are. I really enjoyed meeting them.”

  “They liked you, too. After I told them what happened last night, my dad said he wants your autograph.”

  Darren chuckled. “He’s got a good sense of humor.”

  “He wasn’t kidding.” She paused for a moment. “Neither am I. I’m not usually so forward, but I feel really strongly about this. It’s part of the reason why I couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t understand why you’d put yourself down like that.”

  “It’s … complicated,” Darren answered, knowing that was the last thing Danica probably wanted to hear.

  “That’s what Abby said, too.”

  “Abby? What did she tell you?” He tried to stay calm, but knowing how chatty his future sister-in-law could be, he wondered if she’d said too much.

  “She didn’t say anything, which is so unlike her. She said I needed to get the story from you.”

  He released an audible sigh of relief. But he wasn’t off the hook yet. Danica deserved a better answer. “I guess I owe you that much. It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that I went through a bad break-up about a year and a half ago. I was actually engaged. My ex—Tori’s her name—broke things off a month after I proposed.”

  Danica gasped. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. That must’ve been so hard.”

  “It was, but it wasn’t a complete surprise. We had an issue in our relationship that we couldn’t resolve. I’m just glad we ended things before we got to the altar.”

  “Sure, but still, that’s a lot to go through. I totally understand now why you’re not ready for another relationship. And I feel so bad that I pressured you into telling me this. It’s like making you relive the whole break-up again.”

  “It’s okay, really. I’m fine with it now.” It had taken him months to get to the point where he could say these words without feeling an ache in his chest. But that still didn’t change anything. “But I haven’t dated since, and I don’t plan to again.”

  “Wait—what? Like you’re not ever going to date again, or you just want to skip the dating part and get married?”

  “I’m not planning to date or get married.” Darren grimaced. It wasn’t the first time he’d said these words out loud, but to say them to the woman he longed for seemed more final. Too final. But it had to be done. His next words felt like a literal punch to his gut, sealing his fate. “I’m not marriage material.”

  “Darren, you can’t possibly think that. That’s your fear talking, which is understandable, given what you went through. But one failed relationship—even a failed engagement—doesn’t mean your next one won’t succeed. God is a God of redemption. He takes what’s broken and mends them—situations, our past, and people. Especially people. You believe that, don’t you?”

  The earnestness in Danica’s voice made his chest constrict. She had such faith and hope. So much that he almost started believing what she said applied to him, too. Almost, but not quite. “I do. I’ve seen Him do that for many people around me. But when it comes to my own life, it’s harder to have faith. Like I said, my situation is complicated.”

  “How complicated can it be?”

  He sighed. “Just trust me. If I told you, you’d understand.”

  “Okay, try me. I want to understand.”

  Darren clenched his jaw tight. Danica’s challenging tone irked him more than he expected and made him consider coming clean. Maybe it was because he was exhausted, and his defenses were down. Or maybe he wanted to prove to her that he wasn’t exaggerating about his situation. Whatever the case was, he wanted—no, he needed—to extinguish any and all possibilities of a future with Danica.

  “I’m not looking for a relationship,” he stated with more conviction than he felt. “I would like to stay friends, if that’s something you’re open to.”

  There was a brief pause before she replied, “O-of course. Friends, it is.”

  “Thank you.” Darren was wondering where to take the conversation next when another call came in. He let Danica know to hold on while he answered the unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

  “Hello,” a gruff, male voice greeted him. “I’m looking for Darren Spark.”

  “This is he. Who am I speaking with?”

  “I’m Harold Kaiser. We met last night at Sticky Lips, the barbecue place on Bascom. I was the old geezer you did CPR on. Remember me?”

  “Of course, sir. How are you doing, Mr. Kaiser?”

  “It’s Harold to you, son. You helped saved my life, so you’re practically family. My wife, Sally, tracked you down with the help of one of the paramedics. She contacted the fire station where you work, and they gave us your number. I hope you don’t mind me calling you, Mr. Spark.”

  “Of course not. Please, call me Darren. It’s so good to hear from you, Harold. Are you feeling better?”

  The older man laughed warmly. “I’m doing great. My wife and I can’t thank you enough for not giving up on me. Your wife, too—she sat
with Sally and did a great job keeping her calm. We’re both so grateful.”

  “It was our pleasure. But, uh, that wasn’t my wife. Danica and I are friends.”

  “Boyfriend and girlfriend then? Young love is even better.”

  “No, sir, we’re not dating either.” Darren winced, hoping Harold wouldn’t ask for more clarification.

  “Well, we all need to start somewhere,” Harold replied without missing a beat. “Say Darren, the missus and I are indebted to you and Danica. We’d like to have the two of you over for dinner in a couple of weeks. Which day works for you?”

  Darren’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, that’s very kind of you, but it’s not neces—”

  “It is extremely necessary.” Harold cut in, adamantly. In a hushed tone, he added, “Come on now, don’t make this hard for me. Sally won’t take no for an answer. She made me promise I’d get you both to agree to dinner.”

  Darren sighed, feeling stuck. The last thing he wanted was to go anywhere with Danica. But he was touched that Harold would go to the trouble of finding him. It was just one meal. They all had to eat, right? “All right. Thank you for the invitation. I’ll need to check with Danica on her schedule, but I’m sure we can work something out.”

  “Yes, please do. Sally and I can’t wait to double-date with you young’uns.”

  Double date? Darren groaned as he returned to his call with Danica. What was God up to now? He had a feeling things were getting complicated again. At this rate, his heart might never catch a break.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Danica

  Danica wanted to enjoy the wonderful hospitality Harold and Sally were providing in their home, but she couldn’t help feeling the distance between Darren and herself. It wasn’t so much that he was sitting across from her at the small round table, but the fact that he wouldn’t look her straight in the eyes. Even though he’d stated on the phone that he wanted to be friends, he sure wasn’t acting friendly. They hadn’t spoken at all in the past week and a half since that phone call, only exchanging texts regarding the Napa trip. And he hadn’t offered to pick her up for dinner, so she’d driven herself to the Kaiser’s home.

  She couldn’t figure out what was going on with Darren. One minute he was hot, the next he was cold. Maybe it was fear and insecurities over his failed engagement that had him holding back. Or maybe he just wasn’t that into her and wanted to let her down easy by saying he wasn’t good enough for her.

  That did seem like something Darren would do. He was such a gentleman; she wouldn’t put it past him to flip the situation around for her sake.

  Whatever the case was, their uncomfortable double date couldn’t be over fast enough. An hour into dinner, Darren was busy in conversation with Harold who, as it turned out, had once been a volunteer firefighter. They’d been bonding over their shared love of fire engines and potstickers, one of the homemade dishes Sally had made.

  Meanwhile, Sally was keeping Danica’s ears occupied with lively conversation as she shared about anything and everything that came to mind, from her and Harold’s recent travels to their current sermon series at church. Danica didn’t mind listening since she was busy enjoying Sally’s great cooking. There was hardly a minute that went by when her plate was empty. Danica’s eyes widened to see Sally serve her another helping of beef and broccoli stir fry, along with two pieces of scallion pancakes. The savory aroma of soy sauce filled her senses, making her taste buds long for more of the delicious fare, even though she was already full.

  “Thank you so much, Sally, but I really can’t eat much more,” Danica insisted with a smile. “I can’t believe you cooked all this yourself. It’s the best Chinese food I’ve ever had.”

  Sally shushed her as she dropped another potsticker onto her plate. “It’s the least we can do after what you and Darren did for us. I truly believe God placed the both of you at that restaurant that night. If you had gone anywhere else to eat —” Her chin quivered as she wiped her eyes. “I don’t even want to think about the alternative.”

  Danica quickly nodded. “I don’t either. I’m so glad we were there. We almost didn’t make it because my original date had to cancel, but then Darren stepped in to take me. Who knew that one decision would be such a life-changing one?”

  “I don’t believe there are coincidences when the Lord is involved. It was truly His providence, was it not?”

  “Definitely,” Danica agreed wholeheartedly. The older woman’s smile warmed Danica’s heart as much as the food satisfied her belly. She had known since she stepped inside the ranch-style home that Sally was a kindred spirit. The bookshelves Danica spotted full of romance novels had confirmed this, as well as Sally’s open and warm demeanor. Danica felt like she had found a new friend for life.

  “Eat up, dear,” Sally encouraged her. “Anything you don’t finish, you can bring home. If you can’t tell yet, food is my love language. I wouldn’t be doing my job as an Asian mother if I didn’t feed you well.”

  Danica laughed. “Trust me, you are doing a very good job. Your kids must love coming home to eat. I know I would if my mom loved feeding people as much as you do.” She paused, noticing Sally’s demeanor change at the mention of children. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed you have kids.”

  “It’s okay.” Sally held up one hand, jostling the green jade bracelet on her wrist. “You assumed right. Harold and I do have a daughter. Her name is Jade. Unfortunately, she and I—we had a falling out when she was eighteen.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  “We hardly spoke to one another during the past thirty-three years. We only reconnected this week after Harold had his heart attack. He begged me to call her, so I finally put down my pride. That phone call was long, long overdue.”

  Danica gasped. “Thirty-three years? What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Her voice trembled with emotion as she explained. “Jade came home pregnant during her first year of college. She didn’t even know who the father was. I was furious, as you can imagine. I demanded she take care of what I referred to as the problem.” She winced, her cheeks darkening. “At the time, I was a stubborn and unforgiving woman who didn’t know the Lord. I was more concerned with her studies than the life she was carrying. Jade refused to listen to me though. Told us the pregnancy had led her to find Jesus through a campus fellowship group and how she had a new outlook on life. She talked about how God had a plan for every person, even an unborn baby. She begged us to support her, but I did the opposite. I threatened to cut off her finances if she didn’t do as I said.”

  Danica shifted in her seat to face Sally. She was literally sitting on the edge of her wooden chair, wanting to hear more. “What happened?”

  “After she went back to school, she told us she was no longer pregnant. But I was still so disappointed in her, I stopped taking her calls.” Sally sighed, wringing her hands together. “I forbid Harold from talking to her, too. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and then years. Over time, it became easier to shut her out of our lives than to do the work of repairing the relationship. When I became a Christian last year, I knew I needed to make things right between us, but I was still too proud to talk to her first.”

  Danica noticed that Harold and Darren had stopped chatting and were now listening attentively to their conversation.

  Harold set down his chopsticks and reached across the table. With his weathered hand, he covered Sally’s and gave it a squeeze. “It’s not too late, dear. You’ve already done the hardest part of reaching out. We still have time, God willing, to rekindle our relationship with Jade.”

  A single tear fell down Sally’s cheek. She wiped it away before it settled into the soft lines around her mouth. “I know there’s still time to reconnect with her, but we lost our chance of ever knowing our granddaughter.”

  Danica cocked her head, confused. “But you said Jade didn’t have the baby.”

  Harold spoke up, his voice soft. “
That’s what she told us, but the truth was, she did. She went through with the pregnancy, and even stayed in school. But without our support, Jade didn’t think she could raise the baby on her own.”

  Sally shook her head in dismay. Mindlessly twisting her bracelet, she added, “She left the baby at a fire station in Mountain View two days after she was born.”

  A shiver traveled down Danica’s spine. Her head spun at this revelation, not quite believing what she was hearing. This story was starting to sound strangely familiar.

  “Which one?” Darren piped up, asking the question on Danica’s mind.

  “Station number five.” Harold sighed. “Jade told us everything this week. You can imagine how shocked we were. We can only assume the baby went into foster care. Lord knows where she may be now.”

  “Harold and I started praying for her as soon as we found out,” Sally added. “We know that God is a God of miracles. If anyone can find her for us, it’s Him.”

  Darren narrowed his eyes and asked, “How old would she be now?”

  “Thirty-two,” Harold replied. “She’ll be thirty-three this year on October third.”

  “October third?” Darren met Danica’s gaze for the first time that evening. His eyes were wide and filled with wonder as he stated, “That’s two days before yours.”

  Danica nodded numbly. Her mind had already been processing this information before Darren brought it up, jumping to conclusions that could only be deemed crazy. But seeing that Darren was on the same wavelength, she began to wonder if her thinking wasn’t so far-fetched after all. This was too much of a coincidence to be anything but providence.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Darren