Page 29 of Blazing Hearts

Kara took a deep breath, her resolve slowly hardening. She knew Ember was right, but part of her still wanted to take the reins, wanted to be bold, to make things happen now. The conflict simmered inside her, but she nodded, accepting Ember’s advice even if it didn’t come with the certainty she craved.

Scotti, upon returning to the table, sensed the shift in Kara’s mood and lightened the air with another playful tease. “So, are you going to let Mallory keep you on the sidelines, or are you going to take that leap? Because I think we all know you’re dying to find out what happens next.”

Kara grinned despite herself, the fire of determination flaring once again in her chest. She didn’t have all the answers, but one thing was clear: she wasn’t going to give up without trying. The question was no longer whether Mallory was the right person for her—it was how far she was willing to go to make it work.

“Guess I’ll figure it out, won’t I?” Kara said, her voice steady, even if her heart was still racing. The ball was in her court now. All she had to do was find the courage to play it.

Kara sat back in the booth, a glass of whiskey recently delivered in front of her, the amber liquid catching the dim light of the bar. The laughter of Scotti and Ember still echoed in her mind, but her thoughts had drifted inward, away from the banter and teasing. The decision was made now, her resolve slowly settling in, but it wasn’t as simple as she had hoped.

Patience.

That was what she needed to show Mallory. The word had a bitter taste at first, a feeling of restraint that Kara wasn’t used to. She had never been the type to sit back and wait for things to unfold, to let someone else dictate the pace of a relationship. But Mallory wasn’t like anyone else. Mallory was different, and Kara knew it deep down. She wasn’t just another woman to chase, another conquest to win. Mallory had layers—layers that Kara had only begun to understand—and those layers needed time, space, and gentleness.

Ember’s words from earlier ran through her mind, still ringing with a quiet truth.You’ve got to let Mallory lead when she’s ready.It wasn’t advice that came easy to Kara. She wasn’t the type to wait around for permission. But when she thought about Mallory, about how she had let her in just a little, how she had kissed her, how she had let the walls down in small moments—Kara knew she couldn’t rush that. She couldn’t be the one to push Mallory past her limits. Not after everything she had been through.

Mallory’s history with relationships wasn’t something Kara could ignore. She had seen the way Mallory pulled away, how quickly she closed herself off, and Kara knew that a part of that was fear. Fear of being hurt. Fear of trusting again. Fear of letting someone else in. Mallory was scared. And if Kara wanted to have a chance with her, she had to be patient. She had to prove that she could be trusted. That Kara wasn’t like the others.

As much as Kara wanted to take control, to move things forward quickly, she knew that wasn’t the right path. She couldn’t rush Mallory; it wouldn’t work. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the fragile bond they had started to build. So, she’d wait. But she wouldn’t wait in silence, locked in the limbo of indecision. Kara would be present. She would give Mallory the space she needed, but she would make sure Mallory knew she was there, ready and willing when the time came. She wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t giving up on them.

As the night drew to a close, Kara finished her drink, the liquid warm and smooth in her throat. She placed the empty glass on the table and stood, stretching as she prepared to leave. Scotti and Ember were still talking, but Kara had already started to feel the pull of the night outside. The cool air would clear her mind, help her think.

Before she left, she took one last look at her friends, her resolve firming. She knew what she had to do. She had to be patient. She had to respect Mallory’s boundaries, even if it meant waiting longer than she wanted.

As she stepped out into the night, the cool air hitting her face, Kara took a deep breath, letting the crispness clear her head. She was ready for this—ready to be the kind of person Mallory needed, the kind of partner who could wait, who could give her the space she needed to heal and trust again.

It wasn’t going to be easy. She knew that. But Mallory was worth it. And Kara was willing to wait, no matter how long it took.

13

MALLORY

Mallory leaned back in her chair; her body heavy with the kind of exhaustion that came from endless back-to-back shifts. The quiet hum of the hospital, the faint beeping of monitors, and the low chatter of nurses created a false sense of calm that Mallory knew would be shattered at any moment. It always was. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, the half-finished patient chart glaring at her.

She tried to focus, but her thoughts wandered again—to Josephine’s advice, to Kara’s magnetic presence, to her own gnawing fears. She didn’t want to admit how much those conversations had been circling in her head. She could still hear Josephine’s voice, firm but kind:Take the leap, Mallory. You can’t let fear hold you back forever.

Her phone buzzed, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and frowned. “Doctor Storm,” she answered, her tone brisk.

“This is dispatch. We’ve had a partial building collapse at the south end of town. Multiple casualties reported. We need you on-site for triage.”

Mallory’s heart leapt into her throat. Building collapses were the stuff of her nightmares—chaotic, unpredictable, and dangerous. She gripped the phone tighter, already reaching for her medical bag. “I’m on my way.”

Her pulse quickened as she pushed through the ER doors and into the cool night air. This wasn’t the time to let her emotions take over. Whatever awaited her at the site, she had to be ready.

* * *

The first thing Mallory noticed as she approached the collapse site was the smell—smoke, dust, and the faint, acrid scent of burning materials. It hung heavy in the air, making her throat tighten and her eyes sting. Her shoes crunched against the asphalt as she jogged the last few blocks, weaving through the tangle of parked emergency vehicles.

The scene before her was a symphony of chaos. Fire trucks lined the street, their lights flashing in dizzying patterns that cut through the settling dusk. Ambulances were parked at odd angles, their back doors flung open as medics worked frantically to stabilize the injured. Police officers directed traffic and cordoned off the area, shouting instructions to onlookers who crowded too close.

The collapsed building loomed in the background, a haunting silhouette against the hazy sky. Portions of the structure had crumbled entirely, while other parts leaned precariously, as if deciding whether to stand or fall. Smoke curled from the wreckage, mingling with the dust that coated everything in a fine gray layer.

Mallory’s breath hitched as she took it all in. It was one thing to hear about these scenes; it was another to stand in the middle of one. But there was no time to freeze. She tightened her grip on her medical bag and pushed forward, scanning the area for the triage zone.

That’s when she saw her.

Kara stood near the edge of the debris field, her fire gear streaked with soot and her helmet resting under one arm. Even from a distance, Mallory could see the tension in her shoulders, the deliberate way she moved as she barked orders to her team. Kara’s voice carried over the chaos, sharp and commanding, directing firefighters to reinforce a section of unstable debris.

For a moment, Mallory forgot to breathe. The Kara she saw now was a force of nature—focused, confident, and utterly in control. She looked like she belonged here, in the thick of the chaos, bending it to her will.

---