by Liwen Y. Ho
And it was this same kind of thrill he’d felt the moment he laid eyes on Danica.
After he and his crew had finished attending to the elderly woman that day, he’d left, assuming he wouldn’t see her again. But as God would have it, his oldest brother Aiden’s fiancée turned out to be best friends with Danica. That meant they were practically family now, or so it seemed with how much time they’d been spending in each other’s presence.
Since he and Danica were both part of Aiden and Abby’s wedding party, they got together on occasion for planning meetings. They also hung out on the weekends with the whole gang, like they were doing today for the baby shower. Over the course of the year since they first met, and after getting to know her better, Darren knew the initial spark he’d felt with Danica was just as strong today as it was then.
That’s why it made it harder to accept the fact that he’d likely never have a future with her.
With a heavy heart, he turned his attention back to Candy who was explaining the rules of the game to each team. When she got to Darren and Danica, she handed them a roll of toilet paper and an inflated balloon, then instructed them to create a maternity outfit. “Make sure you put your best effort into this. Bows, ruffles—I want to see it all.”
“I guess I’ll be the pregnant one?” Danica took the balloon and carefully stuffed it underneath her dress. She straightened and looked down at her now-blossoming belly holding up the cotton fabric. “Oh boy. I can’t see my feet anymore.”
“You look great.” Now that Darren had finally found his words, he couldn’t stop giving her compliments. “Really beautiful, in fact.”
“Aw, thanks, Darren. That’s sweet of you to say.” She placed her hands on her hips and grinned. “Shall we start? Let’s get a semblance of a dress going, then we can think about how we want to decorate it.”
“Yeah, sure.” Unfurling the toilet paper, Darren began wrapping it around Danica’s shoulders, then her torso. He fought to keep his breathing slow and even, but with only a few inches between them, it was hard to stay calm. His whole body seemed hyper aware of her presence. He kept his eyes down as he worked, doing his best to keep his internal struggle hidden.
With about a foot of height difference between them, he had to kneel down when he reached her stomach. He placed the delicate paper over the makeshift bump, looping it over and behind her back half a dozen times. He tried his hardest to focus on his actions and not on the beautiful woman gazing down at him. It was a good thing he was used to working under pressure. Once he was satisfied with the results, he stood up and gave her a quick onceover. “I think it’s good. You look about as pregnant as Bria,” he added, nodding toward his sister-in-law who was busy wrapping toilet paper around Brandon’s balloon belly.
Danica placed her hands on her stomach and gave it a gentle pat. “Isn’t the miracle of life one of the most amazing gifts God gives to us?” She lifted her eyes to meet Darren’s. “I can’t wait to experience this for real someday. I don’t care what people say, I’m going to enjoy carrying around a watermelon—swollen feet and all. It’s such a blessing.”
“Yeah, it is.” Darren lowered his head, busying himself with a wad of toilet paper he was trying to turn into a bow. Despite his best efforts, the paper kept ripping. His attempts seemed as hopeless as his personal situation.
A lump formed in his throat as he digested Danica’s words. I can’t wait to experience this for real someday. It was just as he’d thought; regardless of how he felt about her, he didn’t stand a chance. That’s why being near her could produce the highest and lowest of emotions at the same time. Right now, he was definitely feeling the latter. Darren knew it was time to stop hoping for a spark between them. Danica would never want a future with him if she knew he wasn’t capable of having children.
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Afterword
I’d been looking forward to writing this book ever since Colin “made himself known to me” in book one. He’s the fun-loving middle brother who is so easy to be around and is so enjoyable for me to write. I couldn’t think of a more perfect match for Candy and was eager to bring the two of them together in this book. Candy, on the other hand, wasn’t so easy to convince! Writing her side of the story made for some frustrating times and brought out a lot of emotions that I hadn’t expected. I had to really dig down deep to make her struggles authentic and true to life. Grief is not a topic that’s fun to write about at all, but it’s something that we all deal with in this imperfect, messy world. I’m forever thankful though for the flip side of grief, for God’s healing, redemption, and love. I hope you were reminded of these things as well as you read this story.
Just a side note, the incident that Colin shared with Candy about his parents losing their car and hotel keys in the Pacific Ocean is a real situation that happened to my hubby and me! And just as God found the keys in the story, He also found our keys for us. It just goes to show that nothing is too hard for God to do and that He cares for all our needs. I was delighted to be able to include that wonderful memory in this book.
I’d love to hear what you thought of The Sweetest Spark, so please leave a review (positive or negative) to let me know! Thank you so much for loving this sweet family of brothers!
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank the following people who blessed me in the making of this book:
My wonderful critique partners, Jocelynn Fitch and Kristen Iten, who give so freely and generously of their time and expertise to make each and every one of my books better than the one before!
My editor, Heather Hayden, who is so enjoyable to work with. Thank you for your flexibility with the scheduling for this book.
My Early Bird Launch Team—you ladies are the best! Thank you for your awesome suggestions for everything from character names to ice-cream names for this story. I’m so grateful for your creativity and support!
My dear hubby and munchkins who share in my triumphs and also encourage me through the valleys.
My Lord and Savior who teaches me so much about love and redemption and forgiveness and grace so I can sprinkle these truths in my stories. Thank You for the blessing and privilege of putting my thoughts and emotions into words.
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 M
iss
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)