Page 28 of Blazing Hearts

Kara leaned back in the booth, letting her shoulders relax for the first time since she’d left the station. “Yeah, something like that. The fire was pretty intense, but we got it under control. No one got seriously hurt.” She paused for a moment, tapping her fingers against the glass.

Ember, who had been silently listening, raised an eyebrow at her. “You look like you’re still carrying it, though,” she observed. Kara glanced at her, meeting her dark eyes for a beat longer than she intended.

“Just tired,” Kara said quickly, but Ember wasn’t buying it.

“Right,” Scotti cut in with a knowing smirk. “Tired or not, I’m more interested in hearing about yournight.” She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. “Come on, Kara, spill it. How did it go with Mallory?”

Ember threw her hands up to cover her ears. “You know I’m not convinced Mallory would want me of all people to be hearing this—matter of fact I’m not sure I want to hear it either!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t scar you, Ember. No reenactments tonight!” Kara laughed in reply.

“Spoilsport,” Scotti sulked, pulling a face in Ember’s direction.

Kara shifted in her seat, running her hand through her hair, trying to figure out how to phrase it. “It was good,” she started, though the word felt too small to capture what she was feeling. “We talked. A lot. More than I expected.”

“More than you expected?” Scotti repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what you wanted? To, you know, connect with her? So how’d it go?”

Kara let out a breath, her fingers drumming against her glass. “Yeah, I mean… wedidconnect. But it’s different with her, Scotti. She’s not like the other women I’ve been with. She has… baggage. And I get it. Hell, I have my own baggage too.”

Ember, who had been silent up until now, gave Kara a long, assessing look. “It sounds like you’re starting to care for her,” she said quietly, her voice thoughtful.

Kara winced slightly. She wasn’t sure why she had mentioned it, but Ember’s words hit too close to the truth. She did care. In fact, she was starting to care more than she was ready to admit. “Yeah, I guess so,” she muttered. “But I don’t want to push her too hard. I’m just… figuring out how to take it slow with her.”

Scotti scoffed, tossing back her drink. “Taking it slow?” she repeated, her voice incredulous. “Kara, come on. You’ve never been one to take things slow. You go for what you want, and you get it. Look at all the women you’ve had before—hell, half the town knows your name. You want Mallory? Go get her.”

Kara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but she didn’t have an answer to that. She knew Scotti was right in some ways—she had always gone after what she wanted, unapologetically. But Mallory wasn’t like the others. Kara had been pushing and pulling with her, trying to figure out how much space to give her while still moving toward something deeper. And now, more than ever, Kara realized she couldn’t force Mallory into anything. It was up to Mallory to decide how fast this relationship would move, and Kara had to respect that.

“I know,” Kara said, her voice quieter now. “I want her, Scotti. But I’m not going to mess it up by rushing her. If I push too hard, she’ll just shut down. I need to give her space.”

Ember’s voice broke through the tension in the air. “I get it, Kara,” she said softly. “But be careful not to pull back too much. There’s a balance between giving someone space and letting them slip away. Don’t wait too long to make your move. You don’t want to miss your shot.”

Kara looked at Ember, the weight of her words settling into her chest. She was right. Patience was important, but so was action. She couldn’t sit on the sidelines forever.

“I’m not waiting too long,” Kara said with a slight smile. “I’ll figure it out. I just need to give her time to trust me.”

Scotti grinned and raised her glass in a mock toast. “Well, whatever happens, Kara, I want all the juicy details when you do seal the deal.”

Kara laughed, though the tension in her chest didn’t completely lift. She was navigating new territory, and that made her more uncertain than she liked. But she had made her decision: She would be patient with Mallory. She would wait for the right moment, and she would be ready to take that leap when Mallory was ready.

As the conversation turned to other things, Kara couldn’t help but feel the weight of the moment settle in her chest. She wanted Mallory, yes, but more than that, she wanted to build something real with her. Something that wouldn’t fade like her past relationships. Something that had the potential to last. And for that, she was willing to wait.

There was a lull in the conversation as Scotti left the table, heading to the bathroom; Kara watched her leave before returning her attention to Ember.

“While it’s just the pair of us,” Ember began, her tone gentle, “Obviously you know the history between me and Mal. Part of the reason we didn’t work out was me not giving her grace to come to grips with the reality of our work. At the time I had no idea the fallout would leave her as scarred as she is now.”

“I know that, Ember. I wouldn’t still be friends with you if I thought you had hurt her on purpose, that’s not like you.”

“Thank you, though that wasn’t quite what I was trying to get at. You want her. She wants you. Scotti is right that you shouldn’t let her walk away from what you have together. But you need to be careful, Kara. Don’t rush this. You can’t push Mallory too hard, especially after everything that’s happened between you two. She’s not like the women you’ve dated before. She can be brave, but she needs you to help her be brave, help her see that the connection between you is worth facing her fears.” Ember clocked Scotti heading back in their direction and leaned back in her chair. “Well I’ve said my piece, I truly hope it works out for the both of you.”

Kara sighed, resting her head back against the booth, looking out across the bar for a moment. She could feel the weight of Ember’s words sinking in, trying to find their place in her mind. The urge to follow her instincts—to push forward, to make things happen—clashed with the quiet voice inside her that told her to slow down, to let Mallory take the lead.

“Am I rushing her, though?” Kara asked, her voice low, more to herself than to Ember. She looked over at her friend, whose dark eyes were fixed on her, unblinking, as if she were reading every thought in Kara’s mind.

Ember hesitated for a moment before answering, her gaze softening. “I’m just saying… don’t make the same mistake you’ve made before. Sometimes, the most intense chemistry isn’t always the best foundation for a relationship. You need to let Mallory come to you, on her terms. She’s been hurt before. Let her decide when she’s ready to open up.”

“I just don’t want to screw it up,” Kara admitted quietly, the words feeling heavier than she expected.

“You won’t,” Ember reassured her, giving her a small smile. “But you’ve got to trust her and trust yourself. Let Mallory lead when she’s ready. And if she’s not ready yet, then… be patient. And remember, patience doesn’t mean waiting forever. Just give it time.”

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