Page 14 of Hearts on Fire

Naomi scrambled awkwardly back over to the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry, Scotti. I… I lost control.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. I want you. It seems to me like you want me too. Let’s give this a try. Worst that can happen is that we don’t work out.”

“No, it’s not,” Naomi said sharply. “The worst that can happen is that I fall wildly, passionately in love with you and then you die. That would break me.”

“You can’t go through your life assuming the worst, Naomi. That’s no way to live.”

“It’s the way I choose to live my life, and it’s a valid choice. Not everyone is brave like you, Scotti. I’m not going to risk my heart like that.”

Scotti supposed that Naomi had a point, but she still didn’t like that Naomi had kissed her knowing that she hadn’t changed her mind. She didn’t like being messed around with like that. She deserved better, and she had thought better of Naomi.

“I think we should go back.”

“Scotti, please don’t be upset. I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have kissed you. I promise, I won’t do it again.”

“Yeah, you won’t. I think I’ll get out here. I can take a taxi home.”

“No, Scotti, wait—”

Scotti opened the door and got out. She walked away and was both relieved and disappointed when Naomi didn’t follow her.

She knew she was overreacting. She should just let Naomi drive her back, but she was hurt—hurt that Naomi would kiss her and not mean it, and hurt that Naomi would still reject her because of her career despite the obvious connection they shared.

Scotti walked a block away before sitting down on the sidewalk and calling a taxi.

She reflected sadly that as much as she wanted it, Naomi had to want it too. They simply weren’t meant to be.

4

Naomi

Naomi checked her phone again, but all she had was spam messages. Nothing from Scotti.

She didn’t even know why she was still checking her phone. It had been three weeks. If Scotti was going to contact her, she would have done so by now. They had agreed to be friends, but Naomi had messed all that up with her moronic loss of self-control.

It seemed that Scotti had moved on from the brief but intense connection they had shared.

Naomi only wished that she could do the same.

She told herself it was for the best. She and Scotti barely knew each other, and Naomi’s emotions were already spinning around, untethered and uncontrolled. This was the main reason she didn’t do relationships. Women made her crazy. How could she focus on her research if she was being driven crazy by some hot muscly firefighter? She didn’t know exactly what it was she felt for Scotti, but it was intense, twinged with both pleasure and fear—fear for what it could mean.

She couldn’t develop feelings for a firefighter. That simply wasn’t optional. Better to stay away before she could get in over her head. Why was it always these tough hero women she was into?

Naomi was about to go into her next surgery when her pager started beeping frantically.

She glanced at it and leaped out of her chair. She was sure that surgeons all over the hospital were doing the same. There was a multi-car pile-up not far from them and the rescue teams needed assistance in stabilizing patients.

Ambulances were already leaving the hospital. Naomi got into the nearest one alongside the paramedics and they sped off.

The scene of the accident was utter chaos. It was difficult not to trip over shrapnel due to the stinging smoke in the air. It looked like at least one of the cars was on fire. The firefighter who seemed to be in charge hurried over to Naomi.

“You’re the cardio surgeon?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m Captain Roddis. You’re needed over there—there’s a man with a steel rod through his chest. We want to get him out, but we need your expertise, Ma’am.”

Naomi wondered how the hell steel rods entered into this messed up equation, but she didn’t want to take the time to ask.

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