Page 22 of Blazing Hearts

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As the team worked, Mallory found herself stealing glances at the clock. Each minute dragged, each second felt like a lifetime. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for—some kind of sign, maybe. Some kind of confirmation that the path she’d been walking down wasn’t the only one she could take.

Ember’s words haunted her. Was she really afraid? The fear of repeating her past mistakes had always been a part of her, something she had learned to live with. But now, with Kara’s presence stirring something in her, Mallory couldn’t deny that there was more to it than that. There was something there, something that felt too real to ignore.

As the surgery began, Mallory focused on her work, trying to shut out the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. But every cut, every stitch, only seemed to magnify the feeling of being stuck, of being unable to break free from the walls she had built around herself. And with every passing minute, the doubt grew.Maybe it’s time to tear those walls down,she thought, a whisper in the back of her mind.

But what if she was wrong? What if she let her guard down and ended up hurt again? What if she wasn’t strong enough to handle the risk of loving someone else, especially someone like Kara, who was so different from the person she had once been with?

Mallory’s heart ached at the thought. She hadn’t fully processed the grief of losing Ember all those years ago and every other girlfriend since, and the idea of going through something like that again was almost too much to bear. But at the same time, the thought of walking away from Kara, of pushing her further away, felt just as unbearable.

When the surgery finally concluded successfully, Mallory felt like she had been holding her breath for an eternity. Luckily her hands had worked on autopilot- a surgery she had done a million times before. She stepped out of the surgical suite, her mind still racing with a thousand thoughts. Her chest was tight, her body felt exhausted from the emotional toll of the day. The patient was stable, the surgery a success, but Mallory knew there was another battle waiting for her. One that had nothing to do with medicine or patient care. It was a battle within herself, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to face it.

She walked down the corridor toward the staff lounge, her footsteps slow and deliberate. She couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that there was something she had to confront—something that had been waiting for her to acknowledge it.

As she passed the lounge doors, she glanced over her shoulder, as if expecting to see Kara standing there. But there was no one. She sighed softly and turned back to walk the long hallway, the weight of Ember’s warning still heavy on her shoulders.You deserve love, Mallory. Don’t let fear stop you from getting it.

The words echoed, and for the first time, Mallory felt the truth of them. But as much as she wanted to believe it, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to let go of her fear. Not yet.

With each step, the tension in her chest only grew, the unresolved feelings between her and Kara pressing in from all sides. Would she face them? Would she allow herself to take the risk, or would she keep running from the very thing she wanted most?

Mallory didn’t have the answer. All she knew was that for the first time in a long while, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was at a crossroads. And whatever choice she made now could change everything.

8

KARA

Kara’s boots crunched against the charred earth as she surveyed the scene. The wildfire had broken out the night before, fueled by the dry conditions and strong winds that had swept through the area. Now, in the daylight, it was a monster. Flames leapt in every direction, crackling hungrily, sending embers into the sky like fireflies. It was the kind of inferno that could devour an entire town in a matter of hours if left unchecked.

Kara, though, was steady. Calm. Her crew had been working for hours already, and they were tired—physically and mentally. But Kara had a gift for keeping people grounded when in chaos, for drawing on every ounce of her strength and focus to give the team direction. They looked to her for reassurance, and she delivered, no matter how much adrenaline was coursing through her veins.

“Cass, take your team and head to the north ridge. We’re going to need to get ahead of this fire,” she instructed, her voice strong but steady, never betraying the urgency of the situation.

Cass nodded, already heading toward her crew. Kara turned to the rest of her team, meeting each of their eyes. Her presence alone seemed to settle them. She didn’t need to raise her voice. She didn’t need to panic. Kara was in control, and her team trusted her to make the right calls.

“Keep the lines tight, watch your backs,” Kara continued, always the leader. “We’re not out of the woods yet. But we will be.”

The crew nodded, moving with the precision of well-oiled machinery, each member of Kara’s team knowing their role, their job, and their place in the effort to stop the fire from spreading further.

Kara’s heart hammered in her chest as she scanned the horizon. The flames were relentless. They roared in the wind like living creatures, creeping toward the forest’s edge where homes stood—homes with families inside. The thought gnawed at her, the weight of it. She couldn’t afford to let her emotions get in the way of the mission, but they were there, always lurking beneath the surface. Each decision she made affected lives. She needed to make sure she chose wisely, to ensure no one else would have to suffer.

Her radio crackled, Chief Becky Thompson’s voice pulling her focus back to the task at hand. “Kara, we’ve got a break in the south sector. We’re losing containment.”

“Dammit,” she muttered, turning toward her crew. “Change of plans. Sara, get the reinforcements ready. We’re going south.”

They worked quickly, the rhythm of their movements smooth and practiced. Kara’s mind was already calculating the next steps, analyzing the shifting winds, the current containment lines, and the geography of the area. She didn’t just react—she anticipated. And as her team moved into position, she could feel the pulse of the fire, its heat against her skin, its crackling roar threatening to drown out her thoughts.

9

MALLORY

The hospital had a waiting room filled with people, and it was always good to stay updated in case there were major events unfolding that would bring more patients. As Mallory swiped through the headlines, one news story caught her attention. The Phoenix Ridge Wild Fire. The footage from the scene was captured live, and as the camera zoomed in on the flames, Mallory’s heart skipped a beat. And then she saw her.

Kara.

There she was, standing tall against the smoke and chaos, her fire gear filthy, her wild brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail under her helmet, but a few strands still managed to break free and whip around in the wind. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the fire’s edge, calculating her next move with an intensity that Mallory admired. She watched as Kara barked orders to her crew, moving effortlessly between them, offering encouragement, guidance, and leadership with every step. There was a quiet strength to Kara, a sense of assurance that commanded respect.

Mallory’s chest tightened. Mallory felt a wave of panic rise in her. Kara was out there, in the thick of it, in the firestorm, and Mallory couldn’t do a thing to help. She couldn’t protect her, couldn’t keep her safe.

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