by Liwen Y. Ho
“No, everything’s not okay!” Her lower lip jutted out, quivering as she gazed up at him. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”
Evan stepped back to allow her to enter. Margot squeezed past him, her feet clad in fuzzy white slippers. A strong fragrance filled his senses, making his eyes burn. She must’ve reapplied her perfume since they shot their last scene together. She sidled up to him until there were only a few inches between them. Evan didn’t know what was going on, but he suddenly felt trapped in the small space. He crossed his arms over his chest and faced Margot. “What do you need to talk about?”
“Have you read the next script?”
“Yeah, I did. I think the fans are going to love it. Well, they’re going to hate it at first, but everyone’s going to end up talking about it.”
“So, you’re okay with us breaking up?” A line formed between her perfectly plucked brows, indicating she was anything but okay. “I can’t believe you want to end what we have.”
Evan blinked quickly, not sure he was hearing her right. “You mean our characters.”
“I mean us!” Margot placed a hand on his chest, tracing the outline of a heart over his left pectoral muscle. She leaned in close to whisper into his ear. “I know you have a thing for me, Evan Spark. I can tell by the way you kiss me.”
He cringed, his mouth growing dry. He hadn’t even tried hard in that scene. Either Margot had a vivid imagination or he really was an amazing actor. Evan took her hand and gently lowered it from his chest. “I’m sorry, Margot, but I was acting. There is nothing going on between us. I’m actually dating someone,” he added, hoping Emma wouldn’t mind him sharing this information. No one outside their family knew this fact about them. He and Emma had been keeping their relationship status private so as not to attract the media’s attention. He’d learned from watching his pop star brother, Aiden, that the paparazzi could be brutal.
“You are? I had no idea.” She laced her fingers with his, preventing him from letting go. “Do you kiss her the way you kiss me?”
Evan scoffed. That was a complicated question to answer, but he didn’t owe Margot any explanations. He extracted himself from her grip and repeated in a firm tone, “I was acting, that’s it. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, but there’s nothing going on between us.”
Her pout grew even bigger. “Who is she?”
For once, Evan was thankful Emma had a minor role on Edenvale. She had never had a scene with Margot, and they were usually on set at different times, which explained why Margot didn’t know about her. He wasn’t about to give out Emma’s name though, but perhaps if Margot knew his girlfriend was a colleague, she’d back off. “She’s been on the show.”
Her expression suddenly turned stony as she narrowed her icy blue eyes. “You know who my daddy is, don’t you? He can have anyone written off the show.”
“Margot, that won’t be necessary. She has a very small part. But that’s beside the point. You and I are only playing roles. There’s nothing going on between us. Do you understand?”
She turned her pert nose up at him. “Prove it. Kiss me again.”
He balked. “What? I’m not going to kiss you. I only kiss when it’s in the script.”
Her expression relaxed as a sly smile played on her lips. “Fine then. We’ll see about that.” She dropped his hand and sauntered to the trailer door just as it opened.
A redheaded woman with fair skin poked her head in. “Evan, I’m here—oh, excuse me. Am I interrupting something?”
Evan gritted his teeth as he noticed Emma’s eyes flit from him to Margot and back again. The uncertainty on her face made his chest tighten. Even he had to admit this situation looked bad, especially with Margot edging her way back to his side.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Evan?” Margot licked her lips as she tugged on his arm.
Evan swallowed hard. This was one sticky situation he wanted to get out of, and get out of fast.
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Afterword
First of all, thank you for reading this far! This story was the hardest of all the Spark books for me to write (so far), and the fact that you stuck with it makes me so grateful and happy. I have to admit, there were plenty of moments when I wished I had created a family of three brothers because this series has felt like it would never end! LOL. But then we wouldn’t have had the chance to meet Darren and Danica and given them their happily ever after. And that would’ve been sad—for them and for us!
Darren is such a cool character—tender and sweet, yet also strong—and the challenges he faced are very realistic and relevant. I’m glad I got to address the issue of infertility, especially from a man’s perspective. I know this is a delicate subject and one that is not so neatly wrapped up with a bow in real life. For this reason, I struggled with how to end the book. I wanted Darren and Danica’s story to be more about the journey than the destination, but alas, I am a hopeless romantic, so I gave them the “ideal” ending that I wanted them to have.
I hope and pray that this story, as fictional as it is, still reminds you of some important truths. Whatever disappointments and losses you have experienced or are still struggling through, please know that God sees you. You are not alone! He loves you unconditionally and He knows your heart’s desire. There are plenty of things we will never understand this side of heaven, but we must trust that God knows all and sees all. He always does, and only has the best for us.
Lastly, I wrote this story with many of you in mind. Those who have struggled to get pregnant, those who have lost precious little ones, and those who yearn to be parents. My heart goes out to you. I pray for the peace and grace of God to sustain you in your journey.
I’d love to hear what you thought of At First Spark, so please leave an honest review to let me know. Thank you so much for loving this family of brothers as much as I do!
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 gave me brilliant suggestions on how to make this story 1000% better, and for supplying me with lots of virtual chocolate during the hard times, and cat gifs during the good times.
My proofreader, Priscila Perales Borda, for her time spent in making this manuscript beautiful, and for also being a great friend.
My Early Bird Launch Team, who encouraged me during the whole process of birthing this book and supplied me with plenty of creative ideas for character and restaurant names.
My hubby and munchkins, who are my most favorite people in this world.
My Lord and Savior, for giving me the drive, inspiration, and heart to keep on writing.
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
Bes
t 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)
