A Sudden Spark (The Spark Brothers Book 2)

by Liwen Y. Ho

  They were as different as two people could be. Not one to care about his appearance, he had thrown on a sweater and a pair of khakis five minutes before leaving home. He slouched in his high-backed chair, while she sat up straight in hers, doing everything in her power to avoid eye contact with him. The fact that she smiled at everyone around the table except him hurt even more. He sighed loudly, wallowing in his own self-pity. The sound must have irked Candy because she immediately stopped eating. With purposeful movements, she set her fork down, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and stood up.

  Colin’s eyes followed the woman he loved toward the back of the room where she stopped to chat with the chef. Chest heavy, he narrowed his eyes at the tall man who greeted her with a long embrace. To his dismay, Candy seemed very interested in what the chef had to say, tilting her head to one side as she listened in earnestness. Colin bristled. Had she ever looked at him that way? If only she saw past his goofy exterior and into his heart. Then she’d know how much he cared for her.

  He cut into his two-inch piece of Wagyu steak and took a bite. The juicy morsel did nothing to satisfy his taste buds. Normally a big eater, he couldn’t even stomach the small bite.

  He groaned, wishing he was anywhere but here right now. As much as he loved his brothers, and was happy for any occasion when they could get together, being surrounded by the ones who knew him the best wasn’t what he wanted at this moment. Which was a strange thought, considering how much he loved company.

  As the middle child of five, Colin had never had cause to be alone. He was the family jokester and thrived on being in the limelight. That’s how the good Lord had designed him. Even though his brother, Aiden, was a pop star, and Evan, an actor, Colin liked being the center of attention just as much as them, if not more. Then there was Brandon, who was a successful romance author, and the fourth youngest brother, Darren, a firefighter.

  All the Spark boys besides him seemed to have a good grip on their lives. His own career path hadn’t taken him in that direction though; his spontaneous nature wouldn’t allow for a conventional route. On the cusp of turning thirty, Colin was still finding his way, as his mother so kindly put it. He supposed that included finding his way around love as well.

  Not that he didn’t know who he loved, but getting her to reciprocate his feelings was another matter. He had fallen for Candy since the first time he laid eyes on her. He was only thirteen and she was seventeen when their families had gotten together for a summer BBQ. Colin hadn’t noticed the opposite sex much until the gorgeous teenager wearing a pretty yellow sundress, with her hair curled perfectly, walked into his backyard.

  He’d always had a sweet tooth as a kid, which made crushing on a girl named Candy all the more appropriate. Of course, she’d only seen him as a cute kid, one of the little Spark boys. Later, when they were both in their twenties, she’d moved away to New York to check out the restaurant scene there. When she returned to the Bay Area last summer, he had immediately reached out to her under the guise of asking for her help with his business. They had spent plenty of time together, to the point where they walked the line between friendship and something more. That was until she told him a month ago that they needed to stop hanging out. Now, they were practically strangers.

  The chair across from him pulled out before the woman he’d been thinking about sat down. Candy took the napkin next to her plate and placed it in her lap. She began cutting into her food with the proper fork and knife, taking care to take small, careful bites.

  Colin observed Candy as she ate, completely lost in her beauty. She’d curled her chestnut brown hair so that it fell around her shoulders in soft, shiny waves. Her red lips—a color he loved on her—curved into a smile as she talked to the woman next to her. She had such a presence about her, always in command of a room even without saying a word. He supposed that’s why he’d been drawn to her from the start. Candy knew what she wanted and always went after it. He admired that about her. Oh, how he wished to be on the receiving end of her desires.

  “Can I have your attention?” The oldest Spark, Aiden, stood at one end of the table and lifted his glass. He wore a fancy navy suit, a wide smile lighting up his face. “Abby and I want to thank you all for taking time out to celebrate with us tonight. It’s so good to see everyone, especially Evan and Emma. It worked out well that you guys came up from So Cal for work this week.” He turned to the brunette beside him. She stared up at him with adoring eyes behind her glasses. “Is there anything you want to add, baby?”

  Abby lifted her glass as well in the direction of the rest of the table. “I can’t believe Aiden and I have been together for over a year and this is the first time all the siblings have been in one room. That means the rest of you need to get hitched so we have more reasons to get together in the future.”

  “My fiancée makes a good point,” Aiden chimed in. “If anyone needs help in that area, we’re more than happy to help. But for now, let’s enjoy this delicious meal.” He lifted his glass. “Cheers, everyone.”

  The rest of the table lifted their glasses in unison and replied, “Cheers.”

  Aiden took a seat then called out to Colin, “Hey, Colin, you know what? Now that I’m engaged and Brandon’s married, you’re next in line, brother.”

  Colin scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. “No need to wait on me. If Darren or Evan want to go ahead, I’m not stopping them. I’m waiting for the right woman to come along or the right one to realize she’s the one for me.” He snuck a look at Candy who had started coughing as she drank from her glass. “You all right, Candy?”

  She shot him a wide-eyed glare and nodded curtly. “I’m fine, thanks.” Her tone was controlled as was everything else about her. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and replied, “Speaking of weddings, there’s a lot we need to talk about. As the official wedding coordinator, I’ve put together a timeline of tasks that need to be completed over the next five months until July.” She reached for her work bag and pulled out a folder. From it, she removed several stapled documents and passed them out on her right and left. “I’ve highlighted everyone’s name in a different color, so be sure to keep an eye out for your responsibilities. Each task has been explained in detail, but if you have any questions, let me know.”

  “Thanks for this, Candy,” Darren piped up at the other end of the table. “I see here on page three that the wedding party has been paired up already. Is that set in stone?”

  Candy shot him a disapproving glare. “Yes, is there a problem with that?”

  “No, no problem. Just wanted to confirm, that’s all.” Darren smiled at the blonde woman sitting across from him. His broad shoulders and defined chest filled out his dress shirt, showing off his firefighter form. Despite his large stature, his voice was gentle and kind. “Looks like you’re stuck with me, Danica.”

  “That’s totally cool,” Danica replied with a pleased smile. Her cheeks flushed as she looked around the table. “It only makes sense. Brandon and Bria are married, Evan and Emma are dating, and Colin and Candy …”

  Colin noticed Candy’s body tense considerably. Her complexion reddened as she took another sip of her water. He felt everyone’s eyes on them both as the tension in the air of the restaurant thickened. There was complete silence, since Aiden had reserved the popular restaurant all to themselves for the evening. Several awkward moments passed until the servers came around, exchanging their empty plates with the next course.

  The tension broke as everyone marveled at the next dish, commenting about its presentation. In the midst of the chatter, Colin raised his eyes and met Candy’s for a brief moment. Their gazes locked, making his chest tighten with longing. The words she’d spoken when they ended their pseudo-relationship came back to him. It’s not you, Colin, it’s me. I’m just not ready to commit to anything. I need to focus on my career right now. I hope you understand.

  Candy’s words didn’t bring any more comfort to him today than they had months ago. Not when Colin knew it w
as all a lie. She didn’t think he—the impulsive owner of an ice-cream shop—was good enough for her. He didn’t have any accomplishments worthy of her respect. To her, he’d been a good time, a temporary fling at best. If that were true, then why had he seen such tenderness in her eyes?

  Get your copy of The Sweetest Spark on Amazon.com!

  Afterword

  While I like strong and assertive guys (I married one!), I wanted to have one brother in this series be someone who wasn’t your typical leading man. Enter Brandon Spark onto the scene. Brandon is what you’d call a beta male because he prefers to play a supportive role. He’s a sweet and sensitive guy who doesn’t like or do things the same way as his brothers, and that’s totally okay! Who he is makes him special, lovable, and perfect for Bria.

  As someone who struggles with social anxiety, I wanted to write a character who people with similar challenges as me could identify with. If that’s you, please know you’re not alone. You are wonderfully made in God’s image and a beautiful work in progress. Keep going and growing!

  I hope you enjoyed Brandon and Bria’s story! I’d love to hear your feedback (positive or negative), so please leave a review and let me know what you thought.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank the following people who blessed me in the making of this book:

  My awesome critique partners, Kristen Iten and Jocelynn Fitch, who went through the highs and lows with me as I wrote this story. Thank you for your timely and constructive feedback and for running this marathon with me. Let’s do it again!

  My wonderful beta reader, Michele Chung, who so willingly took time out to help me again.

  Heather Hayden, my go-to editor, who does a fabulous job with each of my manuscripts.

  My Early Bird Launch Team for their help in coming up with Seth’s names, as well as many of the names for the businesses.

  Priscila Perales Borda, for catching some pesky typos and for her continued support.

  The four authors from The Writing Gals who so freely and graciously share their writing and marketing tips. I’ve learned so much from you all!

  My amazingly supportive hubby and munchkins—I’m so thankful for you guys!

  You, my dear reader, for giving me a reason to write. Thank you so much for your support.

  About the Author

  Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay-at-home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

  In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and she blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at http://www.2square2behip.com/.

  Sign up for Liwen’s newsletter to receive an exclusive free book, news about her upcoming releases, giveaways, sneak peeks, and more at: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL

  Also by Liwen Y. Ho

  The Spark Brothers Series

  A Single Spark

  A Sudden Spark

  The Sweetest Spark

  At First Spark

  An Extra Spark

  Sage Valley Ranch Series

  Falling for the Younger Cowboy

  Lawkeepers Series

  Lawfully Cherished

  Billionaires with Heart Series

  At Odds with the Billionaire

  Best Friends with the Billionaire

  Crushing on the Billionaire

  Taking Chances on Love Series

  Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker

  Taking a Chance on Mr. Wrong

  Taking a Chance on the Enemy

  Seasons of Love Series

  The More the Merrier

  A Spoonful of Spice

  Of Buds and Blossoms

  On Waves of Wanderlust

  Tropical Kiss Series

  Tropical Kiss or Miss

  Tropical Kiss and Tell

  Welcome To Romance Series

  Chasing Romance

  Romantically Ever After

  Holding onto Love in Romance

  Non-Series Books

  Puppy Dog Tales

  The Love Clause

  Love’s Choice

  The Time Rift (co-authored with David H. Ho)