The Sweetest Spark (The Spark Brothers Book 3)

by Liwen Y. Ho

  For the remaining weeks of winter, Cherry on Top would be hosting weekly “Warm Winter Nights.” The first one would feature Aiden performing a couple of acoustic versions of songs from his boy band days. Brandon had agreed to read a chapter from his newest romance novel, as long as he could do it by candlelight. Darren offered to round up some of his firefighter buddies to serve ice cream while wearing their uniforms. And Evan would act out a monologue from a well-known Broadway play. With how talented each one of his brothers was, Colin was sure they’d attract new customers and bring back existing ones. All they needed to do was get the word out.

  With his gaze still trained on Candy, he saw her look directly at him. The hosts were asking her about the recent place she reviewed. Colin’s ears perked up as he listened.

  “Spoons is a great place to take the kids when you’re looking for a healthy, nutritious after-school snack. The only downside to the shop is its size. It’s more of a pick-up and dash kind of place.”

  Gordon, a man with graying hair, thick black frames, and a smart-looking blazer, nodded in agreement. “I absolutely agree with your assessment. It’s a nice little place, emphasis on little.”

  Rachael, a woman about Candy’s age with a head of thick blonde curls, a blue top, and large hoop earrings, shook her head in disappointment. “The dessert is on point though. I just wish there were more places to sit.”

  Candy smiled knowingly as she made eye contact with each host. “You both are in for a treat then when you hear about the place across the street. Diagonally across from Spoons is a trendy ice-cream shop called Cherry on Top. It has everything you love about the old mom-and-pop shops you remember from childhood, but with modern decor and fun names, plus plenty of sitting room. The owner, Colin Spark, offers favorites like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, along with a selection of specially created flavors that he came up with himself. I personally like Beachy Bazinga, which is coffee ice cream mixed with caramel and sea salt.”

  “That sounds like a place I’d want to check out.” Gordon cocked his head to one side and asked Candy, “Say, I don’t recall you doing a review on this place before. Is there a reason you haven’t yet?”

  “It took me a few tries to discover how much I like this shop. Seeing the owner’s passion and enthusiasm, and especially his love of sweets, brought me around.” Candy flashed Colin a knowing smile. “Consider this my official five-star review of Cherry on Top. You’ll definitely want to check out this shop over the next few weeks. I hear they’re putting on some special events that will be perfect for a date night. The first one will feature the former lead singer of Heartland.”

  “Aiden Spark?” Rachael squealed as all the females in the audience gasped. “Where do I sign up?”

  Candy grinned. “More details will be announced on the store’s website, Cherry on Top dot com. Be sure to check it out,” she added, speaking directly to the camera.

  “It’s a date!” Gordon announced to the audience. “Thank you so much, Candace, for joining us today. It was a pleasure chatting with you.” The host continued his closing remarks until the director cut the scene.

  After shaking hands with the hosts and the crew, Candy made her way off the stage into the audience. She headed straight to Colin’s seat, opening her arms for a hug as he stood up. “What’d you think? Did you enjoy the show?”

  Colin’s smile grew wider than he thought possible to be holding Candy in his arms. The sweet scent of her shampoo filled his senses as he kissed the top of her head. He pulled back and found her hand, loving the feel of her soft skin against his. Their fingers laced together effortlessly as if they’d been holding hands all their lives. Lord willing, Colin prayed, they would be for the rest of their days. He took one look at Candy’s expectant face and nodded. “It was awesome. You were awesome. But I’m surprised you mentioned the shop. You didn’t have to do that. I thought you didn’t mix personal with professional—”

  Before Colin could finish his sentence, Candy’s mouth was on his. She kissed him long and hard, wrapping her arms around his neck. Colin pulled her close and kissed her the way he’d wanted to back at his apartment. The TV gig was over, and there was no stopping him now. Candy seemed to feel the same way as she leaned in and deepened the kiss. Loud cheers and applause sounded all around. Colin pulled back and nodded to his fellow audience members as they gave him thumbs-ups before walking away.

  Candy’s face flushed pink as she brought a hand to her mouth. “It’s safe to say we’re way beyond professional now.”

  “Oh yeah.” His brows shot up when Candy dropped her hand from her face. He quickly scanned the area above her mouth. The concealer and foundation had smudged to reveal a dark red line.

  “The makeup smudged, didn’t it?”

  “Just a bit. Don’t worry, I can touch it up in the car.”

  She shook her head firmly. “No need. I’m fine, really.”

  Colin cupped her cheek, taking a moment to admire the woman standing before him who was growing more beautiful by the minute. “You are fine. As in gorgeous, smoking hot fine.”

  Candy rolled her eyes and laughed. “You are such a sweet talker. Keep it up, and I may have to kiss you again.”

  “Oh, you’re on,” Colin ribbed as they exited the studio, side by side and hand in hand.

  Epilogue

  Seconds

  Colin scooped out a generous helping of ice cream from a large tub and plopped it into the sugar cone in his hand. He dropped the ice-cream scooper into a bowl of warm water then closed the door to the glass case. Taking a breath, he scanned the inside of his shop. With half an hour to go before the store opened, every round table had been wiped down and the chairs already set up. The soft strains of a pop song played from a speaker overhead, and the sweet smell of freshly baked cones filled the air. Bright rays of sunlight shone through the windows, bringing with them the first signs of spring.

  Along with the changing season, a new season had come to his life as well.

  Almost two months had passed since he and Candy became an item. Fifty-seven wonderful days of loving and being loved by the gorgeous woman sitting at one of the tables near the window. Colin gazed at her, thinking she’d never looked more beautiful than she did now, wearing a pair of navy leggings and an old sweatshirt of his, the large neckline falling to the side to reveal one shoulder. Her hair was piled high on top of her head in a bun that showed off the delicate curve of her neck. She stared intensely at her laptop screen, writing up her latest restaurant review. The determination on her face reflected her passion and her drive, two things he loved about her.

  It was Candy’s passion and drive that had helped make Cherry on Top profitable again. He was now in the black and making more than enough profit to cover the rent increase and quit his tax prep job. Frank was sad to see him go, but Colin’s offer of free ice cream anytime cheered him up fast.

  Candy had received rave reviews for her TV appearance. She was now in talks with the network producers to be a judge on one of their popular cooking shows.

  Colin couldn’t be more thankful to the Lord for guiding him—and Candy—personally and professionally. His had been a bumpy path, but everything was now right with his world. Only one thing would make it even more rosy and delicious. God willing, today would be the day to make that happen.

  Candy glanced up and flashed him a wry smile. “Colin, the ice cream’s dripping.”

  “Huh? Oh, it is!” He quickly wiped the trail of cold liquid going down his hand. Feeling his heart pound in his chest, he realized he needed to act quickly to put his plan into motion. He walked around the counter and joined Candy at her table. Presenting the cone to her, he declared, “For you, my love. It’s a new flavor called Candy Craving.”

  “Cute name. Thank you.” Candy took a taste, delight wrinkling her nose. She quickly licked her way around the cone, catching the drops of melted ice cream. “Candy cane and chocolate—what a great combination. It’s like Christmas in April. You’re
not going to have one?”

  “Maybe later.” He knelt beside her chair, feeling the coolness of the tile floor through his jeans. “This one’s especially for you.”

  “Okay.” She eyed him curiously but continued eating. “Why don’t you take a seat on the chair?”

  “I-I like it here.” Colin cleared his throat, suddenly feeling his nerves get the better of him. He pushed up the long sleeves of his polo shirt and wiped his sweaty hands on his thighs. “Just enjoy your ice cream.”

  “What’s going on, Colin? You’re acting strange.” Candy gave him a long, hard look then glanced at the cone in her hand. “What’s in this ice cream?”

  “Uh, the usual. Milk, cream, sugar.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Well, not exactly. This particular scoop of ice cream also has love and promises and happiness. You need to get to the end to experience it all though,” he added, nodding toward the pointed bottom of the cone.

  Her brows shot up. “What are you saying?”

  He grinned in delight, finding it hard to contain the joy welling up in him. “Just keep eating.”

  Candy dug into the rest of her ice cream, taking big bites until only the cone was left. “Okay, I’m done.”

  “May I?” He took the cone from her and turned it over, catching a sparkling diamond solitaire ring that fell out. He held it up between his thumb and forefinger as Candy gasped, then slipped it onto her finger. He smiled, pleased to have surprised her. “Candace Connelly—”

  “Yes!”

  He burst out laughing. “I didn’t ask the question yet.”

  “You don’t need to. I already know what you’re going to say. And my answer is yes.” Her eyes twinkled brightly with unshed tears. “One hundred percent yes.”

  “Woman, just let me ask the question!”

  A smile played on her lips. “Okay, fine, go on.”

  He took a deep breath and tried again. “Candace Connelly, you make my life sweeter than I ever thought possible. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you by my side. Will you marry me?”

  Without a word, she pulled him to his feet and stood on tiptoe to bridge the distance between their lips. She kissed him, slowly and passionately, until he felt the heat from her mouth course through his body. A contented sigh escaped his lips when they finally parted.

  With a raised brow, she looked at him expectantly. “Does that answer your question?”

  He rubbed his chin, pretending to think. “I think so. But I might need a second kiss to make sure. I’m big on seconds, especially for anything sweet.”

  She laughed. “It’s a good thing you’re marrying me then.”

  Colin couldn’t agree more. It sure was a good thing. And as he knew from experience, there could never be too much of a good thing, especially when it was as wonderful and sweet as Candy.

  * * *

  Don’t miss Darren and Danica’s story, At First Spark, book four in the Spark Brothers Series.

  He’s a tender-hearted firefighter who’s been burned by love. She’s an optimistic bookstore owner determined to heal his heart. Little do they know how much sacrifice it will take for them to be together.

  Firefighter Darren Spark doesn’t think twice about risking it all when it comes to his job, but he’s not about to put his heart on the line for love. He's accepted the fact that no woman will want him when he can't promise them a future ...until he meets the one who challenges that belief.

  Abandoned as a baby, Danica Reed longs to fill in the missing pieces of her past with a family of her own. She’s more than ready to get married and have kids, but she wonders why the perfect man—who's just as into her and wants the same things—keeps taking one step forward in their relationship, then two steps back.

  Darren won’t let himself hope for more; Danica won’t settle for less. But there’s one obstacle they can’t seem to overcome. Will the spark that drew them to each other be enough to keep their love burning or will their short-lived romance go down in flames?

  * * *

  Check out Chapter one of At First Spark here …

  Darren Spark never imagined that one person could make him feel so happy and sad all at the same time.

  He was at his brother’s home for a baby shower, but all he could focus on was the woman sitting by the large bay window. The afternoon sun cast a warm glow on her, highlighting her long blonde hair. It was pulled back in a ponytail as usual, giving him a clear view of her high forehead and defined cheekbones. Other than some light pink lip gloss, she looked fresh-faced and natural. Long lashes framed her blue-gray eyes that were open wide with excitement. A light blue T-shirt dress paired with white sandals showed off her tanned legs.

  She sure was a beautiful sight to look at.

  “Here you go, Dare.” Darren’s older brother, Colin, interrupted his thoughts as he handed him a soda. Colin dropped onto the couch beside him and ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair that was a similar shade to Darren’s. “This is weird, right? Us at a baby shower. I kind of feel like a real adult.”

  “It’s about time you did,” Darren ribbed. He moved his arm out of the way when Colin tried to elbow him, despite the fact that they both knew what he said was true. Colin had only recently settled on a career and a serious relationship at age thirty. “We’re all getting older. Three of us are married or engaged,” Darren stated, referring to their family of five brothers. “Babies are naturally the next step.”

  “Let’s hope for Mom’s sake that she gets a granddaughter. She always said she was surrounded by too much testosterone.”

  Darren smirked. That was a huge understatement. Their mom had had her fair share of smelly laundry and wrestling matches when they were growing up. It would be a nice change of pace if their brother Brandon and his wife Bria had a daughter. Or for any of his brothers when the time came. As for himself, he had given up on that hope after his ex-fiancée ended their relationship. Her decision had confirmed, once and for all, that he wasn’t marriage material.

  “All right, listen up, guys!” Colin’s fiancée, Candy, called out for everyone’s attention from the center of the spacious living room. Behind her hung a widescreen TV that was hooked up to several video game consoles. To the right of her stood several guitars in their stands and piles of music sheets scribbled on with blue ink. Several bracelets along Candy’s right arm jingled as she clapped her hands. “We have one more game to play before we open presents. Everyone, find a partner.”

  A deep-sounding groan resounded in the room as Colin protested. He took the dramatics a step further by clutching his chest and pretending to faint.

  Candy shot him a wide-eyed look, silencing him with the sharp curve of one perfectly groomed brow. Her no-nonsense attitude could intimidate even the toughest of firefighters, but somehow, she had won the heart of their goofball brother.

  “I meant, yay! Let’s do this.” Colin blew a kiss to Candy, then rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “I have a feeling we’re gonna win this one, baby.”

  “Of course, we will. We make the best team,” Candy declared before walking over to give him a kiss of her own, right on his mouth. She wiped off the red lipstick stains on his lips as she cradled Colin’s scruffy jaw in her hand. The motion had the whole room of onlookers smiling to see them being so comfortable with their PDA.

  Almost the whole room. Darren chuckled when he spotted his nephew, Seth, with his nose scrunched up in disgust.

  “Ew! Why is there always so much kissing in our family?” Seth exclaimed with all the passion and disgust of an eleven-year-old boy.

  Brandon leaned over and ruffled his stepson’s blond head. “You’ll understand one day, buddy. Come on, you, me and Mom can be a team together for the game.”

  Darren raised his hand. “How about you join me, Seth? I don’t have a partner.”

  “Oh, yes, you do!” Candy declared as she pulled the blonde woman sitting on the other side of the coffee table to her feet. With a c
heeky grin, she directed her toward Darren. “Danica will be your partner! Isn’t that right, Danica? We’re all set now.”

  “Hey.” Danica quickly sat down next to Darren. Their elbows brushed, causing her cheeks to flush. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you.”

  “No, of course not.” Darren gave her a reassuring smile. He really didn’t mind having her close, especially when she smelled so good. The scent of her shampoo reminded him of lemonade and sunshine, a perfect representation of her bright personality.

  Upon hearing his answer, Danica beamed, her eyes lighting up in relief. She leaned over and murmured in his ear, “Cool. Let’s crush ’em. Well, everyone besides Seth. He’s too cute to crush.”

  Her warm breath tickled his skin, causing Darren’s whole body to heat up. His mind drew a blank, so he simply nodded. He wasn’t a man of many words anyway—he had more brawn than brains—but he found himself more tongue-tied than usual around Danica Reed.

  She was the woman who’d been occupying his thoughts all afternoon. For good reason, too.

  Darren marveled at how amazing she looked in casual clothes and minimal make-up. She exuded such confidence and warmth, the latter which he found the most attractive. Honestly, Danica could wear a brown sack and she’d still be the most beautiful woman in the room to him. Everything about her was genuine and welcoming, especially her smiles.

  He’d noticed her smile the first time they crossed paths. He still remembered that June morning well, when he’d rushed to Between the Lines, the bookstore she owned, to help someone who’d fainted. It’d been a routine call for him as a firefighter and EMT. What he hadn’t expected was the impression Danica had left on him.

  One word came to mind when he thought of their interaction: intense. As brief as it was, it reminded Darren of the first time he’d run into a burning building during his training days. All his senses came to life as the heat of the flames threatened to engulf him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, drawing him past the point of fear to exhilaration. It was this feeling that gave him a sense of purpose and made him feel alive.