by Liwen Y. Ho
“You’re amazing, Brandon. Thank you. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you and your brothers hadn’t come. You guys were an answer to prayer.” She paused, as if pondering her next words. “What made you come over though? Was it the voicemail I left you earlier?”
“Voicemail? I didn’t get a chance to check my messages yet. What did you call for?”
She bit her lower lip before replying. “To apologize. I wanted to say sorry for the mean things I said last week. And also to let you know how much Seth has missed you. How much I’ve missed you.”
The uncertain way she spoke the last sentence made his heart ache. Did she not know how much he cared for her? “I’ve missed you guys, too. So, so much.”
“You have?”
“Oh yeah.” He took a deep breath. This was it. Earlier, he’d been sitting in his car trying to sort through his feelings like Colin had suggested. Now was his chance to fulfill his purpose for coming over tonight. He was ready to share his heart with Bria. It was now or never. “I want to apologize, too. I should’ve been more honest with you about how I feel. It would’ve caused a lot less confusion if I had just come out and told you what I was thinking. You know, why I stopped our kiss.”
Bria turned to him with a bright smile. “It’s not too late to tell me now.”
Brandon inhaled as their bare knees bumped below the hemlines of their shorts. Warmth zinged through his body, filling him with joy. Being this close to Bria felt wonderful and so natural. The tenderness in her eyes emboldened him to speak. “Ever since we lost touch, I always wondered if I’d see you again. Bumping into you at the bookstore was a dream come true. Then to have the chance to marry you, even though it was on paper only—that was the happiest day of my life. I loved spending time with you and Seth and pretending we were our own little family. Everything was going so well up until the kiss. Kissing you—it scared me. I didn’t want to ruin what we had. And I didn’t know if you truly felt the same way about me or if you’d gotten caught up in the moment. I just didn’t want what we had to end.” He swallowed hard, allowing his words to hang in the heavy silence as he waited for her reply.
Bria nodded. “I get what you’re saying. What we had, even for the short amount of time that we had it, felt too good to be true. I never thought I’d let myself get close to a man again.” Her lips trembled as she spoke. “I didn’t think I deserved a happy ending after the mess I’d made of my life.”
“But, Bria, what happened is all in the past. God’s forgiven you already. You don’t need to beat yourself up over it.”
“I know,” she replied simply. “But He’s God; it’s easier for Him to forgive because He’s all loving. From my experience, people aren’t so forgiving. But you, you’ve been so kind to me and to Seth. You gave to us without expecting anything in return. You make me feel like I matter. You give me hope, Brandon. And a surprising amount of butterflies,” she admitted with a sparkle in her amber eyes. “Just to be clear, you helped me believe in love again. I kissed you because I wanted to, Brandon. As a matter of fact, I still want to.”
Her answer was just what he needed to hear. He reached for her hand and asked, “May I?” When she nodded, he wrapped his palm around hers and gave a gentle squeeze. He wondered if the tingles going up his arm were traveling up hers, too. There was no denying the spark of electricity between them.
The moment was nearly perfect, even if they didn’t have everything figured out yet. They would get there eventually—together.
But first, there was something he needed to remedy.
With bated breath, he lifted a hand to her face and brushed some strands of her hair back. His eyes zeroed in on her lips, noting how they parted in response to his gaze. “I want to kiss you again, too.”
“Good, because if you don’t, I will. But this time, I’ll let you make the first move.”
Brandon grinned. He leaned in close until the sweetness of her breath filled his senses. Their surroundings seemed to blur as if the moment was happening in slow motion. He bit his lip in anticipation. Their first two kisses had been good, but he had a feeling this one would be the best. Third time was the charm, right?
Slowly and gently, he traced a path with one finger down Bria’s cheek to her chin, tilting it up. In the next instant, he captured her mouth with his. Her lips drew him in, urging him to savor the feel and taste of her. The intensity of the kiss made Brandon’s body heat up and his head spin.
He wished he could freeze time and commit all the details to memory. He had a feeling he’d be writing even more awesome kissing scenes from now on. Maybe he could convince Bria to practice with him some more, for research purposes of course. He had a feeling she wouldn’t mind.
There was also another person who didn’t seem to mind their display of affection. A soft yelp of excitement came from behind. Brandon and Bria broke apart and leaned over the couch to see Seth grinning up at them, giving his approval with two enthusiastic thumbs-up. The three of them broke out in laughter, the harmonious sound filling Brandon with the wonderful knowledge that God had answered the little boy’s prayers. Not long ago, Seth had whispered in his ear and promised to pray for them to be together again. Their family had been reunited, and Brandon intended for their union to last this time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bria
Bria absentmindedly traced her finger on Brandon’s hand as it rested on the center console between them. Peace flooded her heart as she felt the warmth of his skin and enjoyed the freedom of touching him. A week had passed since they’d had their magical third kiss. Since their reunion that evening, she and Brandon had decided to take things one day at a time. They’d explained to Seth that things were going to be different from now on—different and better. God had given them each other, and they would be spending a lot of time together again.
The cause of Richard’s behavior also came to light soon after. Through Darren’s cop friend, they’d learned that Richard had been under suspicion for accepting bribes related to his legal cases. He was now awaiting his own trial and was permanently out of the running for mayor.
While Richard’s threats no longer hung over her head, neither she nor Brandon had brought up the fact that they were still legally married. She figured they would address the issue in time, and she would let Brandon take the lead on that. He did a wonderful job of leading when she gave him the chance to do so, especially with initiating their kisses.
Today, he’d gone ahead and planned a special evening for the three of them. The sun was beginning to set as they drove along Highway One up to Mt. Tamalpais. They were keeping their promise to Seth to look for shooting stars. He was happily sitting in the backseat with his nose stuck in a book. He glanced up occasionally and smiled whenever Bria looked back at him. If it were possible, he was probably more thrilled than she was to have Brandon back in their lives.
The car slowed as they headed through the entrance gate into the parking lot. They parked and exited the vehicle with blankets, flashlights, and a telescope in hand. Brandon led the way to an open clearing where they set up their gear and sat down to wait.
“Wow!” Seth exclaimed as he took in the sight around them.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Brandon chimed in. He ruffled Seth’s hair and pointed out the city lights that illuminated the layer of fog below them.
Bria listened in on their conversation with a heart so full of joy, it threatened to burst. Even though the scenery around them was breathtaking, she found the sight of the two blond heads beside her even more amazing. How was it that God was so good to her?
Brandon turned to her with a curious look. “What are you thinking about?”
She leaned on his shoulder and received a kiss upon her head. “Just how happy I am right now. That there’s nothing missing from this moment. I have everything I’d ever want right here.”
“Is that so?” He placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Are you sure there’s nothing else y
ou want?”
“Nope, nothing at all.” In the dimness, she thought she saw a mysterious smile appear on his face. His tone remained calm though, so she didn’t think much of it. She settled herself into the crook of his arm as they looked up at the darkening sky.
They spent the next two hours patiently waiting for a shooting star to appear.
Seth bounced in excitement when the first flash of light shot through the darkness, falling in rapid speed to the earth. “Was that it? Was that a shooting star?”
“Yes, buddy, that was it. Your first shooting star.” Bria reached over to pat her son’s leg. “Was it what you expected?”
“Even better.”
Bria smiled. She had to agree with Seth. This—her life right now—had turned out even better than she’d ever hoped for. “It truly is.”
Silence fell upon them as they continued to gaze up at the night sky. After a while, they lay down on the thick blanket they’d brought, with Seth on Brandon’s left side and Bria on his right. A couple of yawns later, her son dozed off.
Brandon covered Seth with his jacket then turned onto his stomach to face Bria. “Do you mind if we stay a little longer?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I like it here. It’s a lot less crowded than the place we went to back in college.”
“That’s probably because the hill you took me to was a make-out spot.”
“Oh my goodness, now that you mention it, I think you’re right.” She chuckled then grew serious. “I hope I didn’t give you the wrong idea back then.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t expect you to get anywhere near me after I touched poison ivy.”
Bria picked up on the disappointment in his voice. “Thankfully there is no poison ivy around tonight. So we can make out as much as we want to.”
Brandon glanced to his right where Seth was sleeping. “Maybe not as much as we want to.” He tapped her nose gently before sitting up. “I think there’s something we need to clear up first though.”
Bria rose onto her elbows at the change in his tone. Whatever he wanted to say sounded serious. “What is it?”
He released a long breath. “I know we decided not to look too far ahead into the future, but I want to make sure you know where I stand. I don’t want there to be any doubt about us, especially for Seth’s sake.”
“What are you saying, Brandon?”
“I’m saying that even though we’re technically already husband and wife, I want you to know that I love you and I love Seth.” He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small object. With his other hand, he flipped on a flashlight.
Bria gasped and sat up straight. The red beam from the special astronomy flashlight lit up a ring box in Brandon’s palm. The diamond solitaire sitting inside glowed red like a crimson shooting star. “Brandon? What are you doing?”
He took the ring and slipped it onto her finger. “This is for you, Bria. Will you marry me—again? For real this time?”
Happy tears filled her eyes as she looked at the ring and then at Brandon. “Yes!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, knocking him to the ground in her enthusiasm. Their legs intertwined as she landed on top of him. She pulled back and cradled his face with her hands, satisfied to rest in his arms like this for the rest of her life. The thought that she would be able to caused her tears to spill over. Now, everything was as it should be. She and Seth had the love and commitment of the most wonderful man.
Oh! She needed to tell her son the good news. She pulled Brandon up as she exclaimed, “Seth! Wake up, buddy!”
“Huh?” He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Are there more shooting stars?”
Bria turned to Brandon who had a huge grin on his face. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”
“May I?”
She nodded, motioning for Seth to join them. “Mr. B. has something important to tell you.”
Brandon placed a hand on Seth’s shoulder and announced, “Your mom and I are getting married. That means we—the three of us—are going to be our own family. What do you think, Seth?”
“No way!”
“Yes way!” Bria exclaimed. “Are you okay with this?”
“Okay? It’s amazing! This is the best night ever! I knew God would answer my prayer!”
She looked at Seth in wonder. “You’ve been praying for this?”
“Yeah. I know Mr. B. loves us, and I love him. I asked God to help you love him, too.”
Bria swiped at her eyes. Her tears were really falling now. She reached for Seth’s hand and squeezed it. “Well, your prayers worked, bud.” She turned in Brandon’s direction. “I do love him. I love both of you so very much.”
“Yay!” With a joyful shout, Seth leapt into their arms.
The three of them tumbled to the ground, their laughter filling the vast expanse of the sky.
Epilogue
Postscript
Brandon added one more sentence to his story before typing The End. He leaned back with a satisfied smile. Yep. He’d finally gotten the ending right, on his first try no less. What had changed? He’d like to think his writing skills had improved over the years, but he knew better. The real reason for his inspiration were the people sitting beside him on the sofa—his wife and son.
Life sure had changed in the last month since he and Bria had remarried in a small ceremony with his family by their side. He had also officially adopted Seth as his own. His days and nights now were so much fuller and sweeter, and his heart held more love than he’d ever known.
He noticed Bria looking over his shoulder at his laptop screen. “You’re welcome to be the first person to read this if you like.”
She pursed her lips. “Thanks, but I don’t know if romance books are for me.”
“Not for you?” Brandon feigned hurt. “You do know you’re married to a romance author, right?”
“I know. Which means I don’t need a fictional happy ending when I already have a real one.”
He grinned to see a sparkle in Bria’s eyes. “That’s a good answer.”
“Can I read it, Dad?” Seth piped up on the other side of Brandon.
“Hm. Maybe when you’re older. And only if you want to read about kissing,” Brandon joked. “There’s quite a bit of it in this story.”
Seth’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Eww, there’s already too much kissing in our family. Never mind,” he added before returning to his book.
“I beg to differ,” Brandon murmured into Bria’s ear. “There can never be too much kissing.”
“Especially when it counts as research,” she replied with a wink. “I think I know what we’ll be doing tonight after someone goes to sleep.”
“Oh, definitely,” Brandon promised. “Tonight and every night for the rest—”
“Let me guess,” she cut in with a soft laugh. “The rest of our lives?”
He pulled her close and murmured, “Yes, for the rest of our lives.” He sensed a smile upon her lips as he kissed her.
Despite Bria’s dislike for romance books, he knew she found his sentimental sayings amusing. This one-liner was obviously no exception. It might have been his cheesiest line to date, but he didn’t mind. He specialized in cheesy. He was a romance author after all, one who had finally discovered the best happily-ever-after: his own.
* * *
Don’t miss Colin and Candy’s story, The Sweetest Spark, book three in The Spark Brothers series.
He’s a fun-loving ice cream shop owner looking for more than a fling. She’s a straight-laced food critic too scared for love. Little did they know how much a foolish kiss would trigger an avalanche of emotions too great to contain.
Colin Spark may not have the best track record when it comes to his career choices, but he’s loved the same woman since he was thirteen. His only obstacle to winning her heart is proving he’s ready to settle down—an impossible task now that his store is going out of business.
Since her sister’s passing, Candy Con
nelly has survived by being in control and protecting her heart. There’s only one man she’s let her guard down with, but his unreliable past shakes her confidence in his future.
Colin won’t give up pursuing his passion; Candy won’t give in to her attraction. That is until an accident brings all their unspoken issues to the surface and forces them to listen to their hearts. Will this incident be the spark that drives them apart for good or gives them their sweetest taste of romance yet?
* * *
Check out Chapter One of The Sweetest Spark here …
Colin Spark had one thought on his mind, and one thought only: he’d do anything to have Candy Connelly back in his life.
His gaze traveled from his plate with its miniscule portions over the length of the dining table at one of San Francisco’s finest restaurants. He and his four brothers, along with their significant others, were seated for dinner to celebrate his oldest brother’s engagement. Although Candy wasn’t a member of their family, she had enough history with the Sparks to be an honorary sister. Plus, Aiden’s fiancée, Abby, had given her the role of wedding coordinator, which suited her straight-laced, organized ways just fine. Candy was about as professional as they came, looking put together in a dark blazer and dress pants and not a single strand of hair out of place.
Despite looking polished, Candy looked as uncomfortable as Colin had ever seen her. Perhaps that was because she had no choice but to take the seat directly across from him when the others had filled up. Everyone else around the table were paired up, leaving the two of them as oddballs out. Which was suitable, considering they were the oddest pair present.
