Spark: A Bad Boy's Second Chance Romance (Burns Brothers Book 3)

by Gillian Archer

  “Yes. Jacqueline. She’s uh, three months older than you. Which would make her your half-sister.”

  Chapter Eight

  Logan

  “They kinda look more like rats than dogs right now,” Travis murmured from the other side of the couch.

  I huffed out a laugh as we both sat watching the little wading pool in my living room that’d become Bella’s new dog bed. Travis and I had lined the inside with weewee pads and towels to make it more comfortable and hopefully absorb some of the mess. That reminded me. I needed to buy a new box of rags for Badass Builds.

  “Well, I should get.” Travis groaned as he dropped his head back on the back of the couch. He’d been an awesome friend—picking my drunk ass up last night and helping me with the puppies. After a quick run to the store for supplies, he’d collapsed to sleep on my couch. We hadn’t really talked much about the thing that’d made us blow up at each other a few days back. I know I owed him an apology, but I also knew he wouldn’t accept it. I’m sorry wasn’t an allowed phrase with us anymore.

  I cleared my throat. “Uh, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about first, if you don’t mind.”

  Something Sabrina had said last night had been bugging me.

  “Yeah sure.” Travis rolled his head so he could see me.

  Not that I could meet his eyes right then. “Uh, shit. I don’t know how to say this.”

  “You want to date Vanessa after all?” Travis asked in a flat voice.

  “What? No.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes. I’m not—I don’t think about her that way. She’s a friend, man. That’s it.”

  “Then what’s got your panties in a wad?”

  My buddy had such a way with words. I scrubbed a hand over my face and huffed another breath. “I’ve been thinking about seeing a therapist. Maybe.”

  “Halle-fucking-lujah.”

  I dropped my hand and finally faced him with a raised eyebrow. “I take it you approve?”

  “It’s about time, man. I’ve been thinking about staging an intervention, but you don’t have any friends left to ask.”

  “That’s not true.”

  Travis smirked. “Aside from me, Vanessa, or Jaeda, name one person you spend any time with.”

  I wracked my brain. Shit. He was right. Not that I could let him think as much. “What about Paul?”

  “He’s a coworker—he’s literally paid to put up with your surly ass. Face it, you can’t name anyone. And that’s a big fucking red flag. It’s past time you finally get some real help.” He sighed and raked his hands down his jeans. “And there’s nothing wrong with getting help. I saw someone while we were in the hospital, and lately I’ve been going through some shit, so I went back again.”

  It was so weird to talk about this kinda shit, but somehow he made it feel almost normal. Aside from his jittery body language. “I didn’t know that. I uh, is it helping?”

  “Yeah. I really like the guy. I have an appointment Monday that I’ll give you if you’re serious about getting help. My guy won’t mind. Or I can give you his number if you need more time. If you want to find someone on your own that’s fine too, but I think you need to talk to someone. All that guilt you’re carrying around isn’t healthy. It wasn’t your fault, man, and I’d really like to see you stop punishing yourself for shit you had zero control over.”

  A lump in my throat made it difficult to speak. It felt good to hear that from Travis of all people. He was there. He knew more than anyone what I lived with.

  What I wished I could change.

  I had to clear my throat before I could whisper hoarsely, “Thanks, Trav.”

  “I mean it, Lo. You’re like a brother to me. You gotta start treating yourself better.”

  “Thanks. I’m gonna try. And I’ll take that appointment if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Here.” Travis pulled out his cell and tapped at the screen. A few seconds later my phone chimed with an incoming text. “There’s the contact info, and I’ll call Monday morning to let them know to expect you. Now, I gotta get. I wanna take a shower and run some errands before work tomorrow. Have fun with your new herd. They’re cute…if a little rat-like.”

  “You know you want one.”

  Travis shook his head. “Fuck me, I knew it. It was only a matter of time before you tried to shove those little fellas off on me and Vanny.”

  “Ooooh, good point. I bet Jaeda would love a puppy.”

  “Sure. That’ll kill her love for you quicker than a—” Travis was interrupted by someone knocking on my front door.

  We both looked at each other in confusion for a second. Like Travis had said, I didn’t have any friends, and I really doubted after the way I’d run out on Vanessa that it was her. Maybe it was a missionary or vacuum salesman or something.

  “Maybe if we’re really quiet, they’ll go away,” I muttered out of the side of my mouth.

  Travis laughed. “That’d work if I wasn’t leaving.”

  He pushed himself off the couch and headed for the door. The fucker.

  Pulling open the door, he blinked in surprise at whatever waited on the other side.

  “Oh.” Sabrina’s voice came from my front step. “I’m sorry. I was hoping this was still Logan’s place.”

  “Sabrina. Hey. Hi. Ah, it is actually.” Travis paused and threw me a wide-eyed what the hell look before turning back to her. “I was just on my way out. Talk to ya later, Lo!”

  Then he was gone, leaving me and a very nervous Sabrina on my front step.

  “Sorry.” Her smile trembled. “I didn’t mean to break up your party or whatever. I just thought I’d take a chance and swing by your old place and check on the litter.”

  The dogs. Right. Somehow I didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. She looked like she holding on by a thread. Her wide sky-blue eyes were shiny with unshed tears, and she was biting on her lower lip like she was trying her damnedest not to say something. Which was strange for Sabrina. I didn’t think she’d ever pulled her punches with me.

  “Sure. Uh, come on in.” I pushed the door open wider and took a step back.

  She entered the house, blinking at the sudden change of light. I hoped. I didn’t know what the fuck I’d do if she broke down in tears.

  “Oh wow,” she murmured as she knelt down next to the pool. “You did an amazing job.”

  I opened my mouth to say thank you when she spoke again.

  “You’ve gotta be so proud of your little family, huh, Bella? They are so darling. You did such a good job, Mama. Yes, you did.” She rubbed behind Bella’s ear as the dog lazily wagged her tail.

  And then the thing I’d feared most happened.

  A tear rolled down Sabrina’s cheek. She brushed it away, sniffling loudly.

  Fuck.

  Taking off down the hall, I returned clutching a box of tissues my mom had bought the last time she’d been in town. I knelt next to Sabrina and thrust the box out with a grunted, “Here.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered as she took a tissue and buried her face in it.

  A moment later she made this awful gasping, choking sound and her shoulders shook harder.

  My heart sagged in my chest. I couldn’t take it. Wrapping an arm around her, I urged her close, whispering stupid platitudes. I had no idea if they were true. “Sshhh. It’s gonna be okay. Sshhh.”

  The storm lasted a lot longer than I thought it would, but after a few minutes, Sabrina calmed somewhat.

  For reasons I really didn’t want to examine, I kept her close. She felt good in my arms. Familiar. I didn’t want to do anything that would spook her and send her running, so I didn’t say anything.

  But nothing lasts forever. After another minute or two, she pulled away, but wouldn’t look me in the face. “Thanks. I’m uh, sorry.”

  “You wanna talk about it? Someone smart I know said talking about stuff makes you feel better.”

  She made a hilarious snort sound that had u
s both cracking up despite the dark cloud hanging over her. Once her laughter subsided, she sighed. “Not really, but thanks for calling me smart.”

  “Okay. Gotta say I’m confused that you came to see me. I mean you have that huge family of yours. And friends too. Why the hell would you want to spend your Sunday with my grouchy ass? That’s a direct quote from my one and only friend by the way.”

  Sabrina smiled slightly. “You have more than one friend. I’d like to think we’re kinda friends now. After last night.”

  “Good to know.” I smiled back at her. “But I still wanna know. Why me?”

  “Because I thought you of all people wouldn’t ask probing questions. Clearly I was wrong.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I was kinda insulted. What the fuck?

  She hitched a shoulder, unable to meet my eyes. “I haven’t told my brothers about the whole dad back from the dead thing. I’m still not talking to my mom, and I didn’t want to answer any probing questions from the people who actually know what’s going on in my life right now.”

  “So you thought you’d come to the one guy in the know who doesn’t give a fuck?”

  “Yeah. Kinda.” She reached out and ruffled Bella’s fur. “Plus, I really wanted to see your fur-babies. They’re so cute and cuddly, rooting around like blind mice.”

  “Right.” I dropped my arm from around her shoulders. The warmth that’d filled my heart was gone. Now it was just as cold as it’d ever been. I knew what the Grinch felt like when he watched the sled full of presents slide away.

  Sabrina didn’t seem to notice the difference. “So what did the vet say? Did you have to take them in?”

  I filled her in on my call with the vet assistant and their plan for the litter.

  “That’s good.” Sabrina smiled slightly, still watching the puppies rooting around Bella. “Have you thought up any names for them?”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought. I’ve been busy worrying about keeping them alive. Haven’t had time to think up names for them.”

  “It’s early days. You have eight whole weeks before they can go to new homes anyways.”

  “Eight weeks?” I repeated in a whisper. I hadn’t thought or looked up anything about how long they needed to be with their mother, but two whole months? I was going to have six dogs for two months? Fuck me.

  I needed a drink.

  I pushed myself up with a grunt and headed for the kitchen. “You want something to drink?”

  “Got any more champagne?” Sabrina teased.

  “Yeah, no. We’re not doing that again. I had a helluva headache when I woke up this morning.”

  “You weren’t the only one.” Sabrina sighed. “I’ll take a beer if you’re offering.”

  I grabbed two long necks from my fridge and returned to the pool with Sabrina, but this time I kept a respectable distance between us.

  Not that Sabrina seemed to notice.

  “Thanks,” Sabrina murmured before taking a long pull from the bottle.

  I tried not to notice the way her lips pressed against the bottle or the way her hair fell back in one long, blonde-red-tipped curtain.

  Clearly I needed to get laid. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d had sex. Way too long, obviously.

  “You have a sister, right?”

  “Huh?” I blinked, erasing the erotic mental image of me holding Sabrina’s hair in one hand while I guided her lips up and down my dick. Or I tried to. “Sister?”

  “You have one of those, right?”

  “Right. Cassie.” If that wasn’t a boner killer, I didn’t know what was. “What about her?”

  “Nothing, I just…” She sighed as she picked at the label on the beer bottle. “Just wondered what it’s like to have a sister.”

  “Probably not much different than having a brother. Or cousin, in your case. Wait, why are you asking about sisters?”

  “I uh, I just found out I have one.”

  “Congratulations?”

  “Thanks, I guess.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. The whole thing is crazy.”

  “I take it you called your dad?”

  “Yeah. We had brunch this morning. It was all very awkward. I didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t know what to say. It was almost like a blind date—that whole getting to know you awkward conversation—only with someone who should’ve known me my entire life. And then I found out that he’d been there for her all this time.”

  I was having a hell of a time following this conversation. “For your sister?”

  “Right. Jacqueline. Apparently, she’s three months older than me and most likely the reason my mom left.” She gave another one of those sad, hiccup sob sounds. “Is it wrong that I kinda hate her?”

  “Your mom? No, I get it. I mean—”

  “No. Jacqueline.” She said her name like it was a curse word. “I haven’t even met her, and I already kinda hate her. She’s had our father this whole time and I don’t… I can’t…”

  And then she lost it again. Sabrina hunched forward and buried her face in her hands and just sobbed.

  Bella whined.

  “I got her, Bella,” I murmured as I bent and took Sabrina into my arms again. Pulling her to my chest, I let myself hold her close. “I’m so sorry, angel.”

  Sabrina pulled back slightly to wipe her face. And then she blinked up at me, looking as gorgeous as she ever had. “I’ve missed that.”

  “Missed what?”

  “Angel. I always loved it when you called me that. Made me feel special. Wanted.”

  “Because you were. Are. I still can’t believe some son of a bitch hasn’t scooped you up by now. I’m seriously wondering about the intelligence level of the dating pool here in Sactown.”

  Sabrina blushed and laughed lightly. “Well I tend to read more than go out lately.”

  “I don’t know why you’re hiding, but you shouldn’t. You’re gorgeous. And sweet. And you’ve always been too good for this son of a bitch.”

  She swayed closer to me. “That never stopped you before.”

  “It’s not gonna stop me now,” I whispered just before I kissed her.

  Sabrina groaned softly and her body nestled close to mine as my lips moved over hers. She tasted slightly of hops, and a sweetness that was all Sabrina. It was so familiar and just as addictive as I remembered. I buried my hand in her silky hair, then it was my turn to groan as I remembered my earlier fantasy.

  But it was too soon, and I wouldn’t take advantage of her vulnerable mood. So I pulled back, breaking the kiss with a sigh. Still, I couldn’t resist giving one more little peck to those fucking luscious lips. “Feeling better?”

  “Hmmm?” Sabrina swayed slightly before shaking her head. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “Good.” I gave her another peck because I couldn’t resist and then stood, brushing my jeans down my legs and away from my aching dick. “Come over anytime you feel like you need some puppy love.”

  Sabrina’s head went back like I slapped her. “Excuse me?”

  “Bella? The puppies?” I nodded at the dogs. “The whole reason you said you swung by?”

  “Puppies. Right. Sorry. It’s kinda been a day.”

  “I get it. I think anyone would be spinning right now with all the shit you’re going through.”

  “Thanks.” Sabrina gave Bella one last pat then stood as well. “And thanks for letting me come by, and just everything.”

  “No problem.” I wondered if she was thanking me for stopping at just a kiss, but I didn’t ask. I didn’t really wanna know. Instead, I followed her to the door and watched her pull it open. “If it means anything, I don’t think you’re wrong in anything you’re feeling right now. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re a good person, Sabrina Wagner. You’re gonna get through this.”

  She stopped in front of me with her toes brushing mine and smiled up at me. “I was just gonna say the same thing about you. You’re a good person, Logan Carter. Thank you.
”

  She gave me one last smacking peck and headed out the door before my brain could catch up on the conversation. I could only watch in bemusement as she walked to the purple Dodge Charger parked on the street.

  What the hell just happened? How did we go from not talking to kissing and calling each other good people? I felt a pang in my heart, not unlike the Grinch on Christmas morning.

  Closing the door with a sigh, I took in the sight of my new living room. The pool, the weewee pads and towels, the pack of dogs. Pointing at Bella, I shook my head. “I blame you.”

  Not that Bella seemed to mind. She stretched lazily and closed her eyes.

  Shit was a lot simpler when I had just the one friend.

  Chapter Nine

  Sabrina

  I heard them before I saw them.

  “Why aren’t you guys working?” Logan’s voice echoed down the hall of Badass Builds.

  “I just had to chase away some older guy loitering near the back door. He was a moron, asking a bunch of questions and then tried to make it sound like he worked here. Tweaker for sure. And now there’s a car out front. Why the hell are there so many people here?” A deep voice I hadn’t heard before answered.

  “Sweet little ride.” Another unfamiliar man’s voice replied. “I wouldn’t mind giving it a whirl, despite the paint job. Who the fuck would paint a Dodge Charger purple? Ridiculous.”

  I rolled my eyes and buried my face in my computer screen. Since I’d woken up to three missed calls from both Ryan and Nathan, I wasn’t in the mood to face anyone. Clearly, word about my not-dead-dad was out, and I wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation. I still didn’t know how I felt about it; I didn’t want to have to hash it out with them until I was ready. With any luck, Logan’s crew outside my office would just shrug and get back to work. I was here to hide from a group of overprotective alphaholes; I didn’t need another group thinking they could dictate to me too.

  “Hey Sabrina.” Logan’s voice sounded from my office doorway.

  My open office door that I clearly remembered closing when I got here this morning.