Hearts Ablaze

Chapter 3: The First Encounter

The Saturday morning of the summer festival planning meeting dawned bright and clear, the kind of perfect early summer day that seemed to be made for new beginnings. Emma Lawson stood in front of her closet, frowning at her reflection in the mirror. She'd already changed three times, and nothing felt right.

"It's just a town meeting," she muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair. "Get it together, Lawson."

But she knew it wasn't just any meeting. Liam would be there. The thought sent a flutter through her stomach that she firmly squashed down. It had been three days since he'd walked into her bakery, looking unfairly handsome and bringing with him a whirlwind of memories and emotions she'd thought long buried.

With a sigh, Emma settled on a summery floral dress and sandals. Casual, but put-together. Perfect for a community meeting and definitely not chosen with anyone specific in mind. Definitely not.

As she made her way downstairs, the smell of coffee greeted her. Molly was already in the kitchen, perched on a stool at the counter, scrolling through her phone.

"Morning, sis," Molly chirped, not looking up. "There's coffee in the pot."

Emma grunted in response, making a beeline for the caffeine. It wasn't until she'd taken her first sip that she noticed Molly's raised eyebrow and amused smirk.

"What?" Emma asked, suddenly self-conscious.

Molly's grin widened. "Oh, nothing. Just admiring your outfit. Got a hot date with the town council?"

Emma felt her cheeks heat up. "It's just a dress, Mol. I wanted to look nice for the meeting."

"Uh-huh," Molly nodded, her tone dripping with skepticism. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with a certain tall, dark, and handsome firefighter who's going to be there?"

Emma busied herself with pouring a second cup of coffee, avoiding her sister's knowing gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Molly snorted. "Please. The whole town's been buzzing since Liam got back. And don't think I didn't notice you sneaking peeks at the fire station every time we drive by."

"I have not!" Emma protested, but even she could hear the weakness in her denial.

Molly's expression softened. She reached out, squeezing Emma's hand. "It's okay to be nervous, Em. It's a big deal, seeing him again after all this time. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Emma squeezed back, grateful for her sister's concern. "I know, Mol. And I appreciate you looking out for me. But really, there's nothing to worry about. Liam and I... that's ancient history. We're just two adults who happen to live in the same town now. That's all."

Molly didn't look entirely convinced, but she let it drop. "If you say so. Now come on, we're going to be late if we don't get moving."

The town hall was already buzzing with activity when Emma and Molly arrived. It seemed like half of Maplewood had turned out for the meeting, all eager to have their say in the summer festival plans.

As they made their way through the crowd, Emma found herself scanning faces, looking for one in particular. She told herself she was just being polite, wanting to say hello if she ran into him. It had nothing to do with the way her heart had skipped a beat when she'd seen him in the bakery earlier that week.

"Emma! Molly! Over here!"

Claire's voice cut through the chatter, and Emma spotted her friend waving from a row of chairs near the front. As they made their way over, Emma's eyes landed on a familiar broad-shouldered figure standing near the podium, deep in conversation with Mayor Johnson.

Liam looked good. Really good. He was wearing a light blue button-down that brought out the color of his eyes, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms. Emma forced herself to look away, focusing on greeting Claire.

"Hey, you made it!" Claire grinned, pulling them both into quick hugs. "I was starting to think you'd chickened out."

Emma rolled her eyes. "As if I'd miss this thrilling display of small-town democracy in action."

As they settled into their seats, Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order. Emma found her attention drifting as he went through the usual preliminaries, her gaze continually drawn to where Liam stood off to the side.

"And now," the mayor's voice broke through her distraction, "I'd like to introduce our new fire chief, Liam Harper. Many of you remember Liam from his high school days here in Maplewood. We're thrilled to have him back, bringing with him years of experience from his time with the Boston Fire Department. Liam?"

A smattering of applause filled the room as Liam stepped up to the podium. Emma's breath caught as his eyes scanned the crowd, briefly meeting hers before moving on.

"Thanks, Mayor Johnson," Liam began, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down Emma's spine. "It's good to be back in Maplewood. I'm looking forward to working with all of you to keep our town safe, starting with making sure we have all the necessary safety measures in place for the summer festival."

As Liam launched into a brief overview of the fire department's role in the festival preparations, Emma found herself captivated. He spoke with confidence and warmth, easily fielding questions from the audience. This wasn't the same boy who'd left Maplewood all those years ago. This was a man who'd seen and done things, who carried himself with an easy authority that Emma found... well, attractive was putting it mildly.

"Earth to Emma," Molly's voice broke through her reverie, accompanied by a sharp elbow to the ribs. "You're staring."

Emma blinked, realizing that Liam had finished speaking and Mayor Johnson was back at the podium, discussing volunteer sign-ups. She felt her cheeks heat up, grateful that at least Liam hadn't noticed her gawking like a lovestruck teenager.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur of committee assignments and event planning. Emma found herself volunteering to coordinate the baking contest, a task she'd done for the past few years. As the meeting began to wrap up, people started milling about, chatting and signing up for various roles.

"Well, that was about as exciting as watching paint dry," Molly quipped as they stood, stretching.

Claire laughed. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. Besides, some of us found it very interesting, didn't we, Emma?"

Emma shot her friend a warning look, but before she could retort, a familiar voice spoke up behind her.

"Emma? Hi."

She turned to find Liam standing there, looking slightly nervous but with a warm smile on his face. Emma's heart did a little flip that she steadfastly ignored.

"Hi, Liam," she managed, proud of how steady her voice sounded. "Great job up there. You seem to be settling into the role nicely."

Liam's smile widened, a hint of the boy she'd known peeking through. "Thanks. It's definitely different from what I'm used to, but in a good way. How've you been? I meant to stop by the bakery again, but things have been a bit crazy getting set up at the station."

Emma nodded, hyperaware of Molly and Claire's not-so-subtle eavesdropping beside her. "Oh, no worries. I've been good. Busy with the bakery, you know how it is."

An awkward silence fell between them, years of unspoken words and shared history hanging in the air. Emma scrambled for something to say, anything to break the tension.

"So, uh, are you volunteering for anything for the festival?" she asked, wincing internally at how stilted she sounded.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture so familiar it made Emma's chest ache. "Yeah, actually. I signed up to help with the dunk tank. Figured I might as well put myself out there, you know? Show the town I'm not above a little public humiliation for a good cause."

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Liam in the dunk tank. "Well, I'm sure it'll be a popular attraction. Who wouldn't want to dunk the new fire chief?"

Liam's eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned. "Planning on taking a few shots yourself?"

"Maybe," Emma replied, surprising herself with the teasing note in her voice. "Depends on how many of my pies you eat at the baking contest."

"About that," Liam said, his expression turning slightly more serious. "I was wondering if you might need any help with the contest? I'm not much of a baker, but I've got two working hands and I'm good at following orders."

Emma blinked, caught off guard by the offer. Part of her wanted to say no, to keep the safe distance she'd been maintaining. But a larger part, the part that remembered lazy summer afternoons spent baking together in her parents' kitchen, couldn't resist.

"Sure," she heard herself saying. "That would be great, actually. I could use an extra pair of hands."

Liam's face lit up in a way that made Emma's heart do somersaults. "Great! Just let me know when and where you need me."

The double meaning of his words hung between them, charged with potential. Emma felt her cheeks heat up, and she saw an answering flush creep up Liam's neck.

Before either of them could say anything else, Mayor Johnson's voice boomed out, calling Liam over to meet some of the other committee heads. Liam gave Emma an apologetic smile.

"Duty calls," he said ruefully. "But I'll stop by the bakery soon to work out the details for the contest, okay?"

Emma nodded, not trusting herself to speak. As Liam walked away, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Well, well, well," Molly's amused voice broke through Emma's daze. "That was interesting."

Emma turned to find both her sister and Claire watching her with identical knowing smirks. She groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Not a word," she warned. "Not one word."

Claire laughed, linking her arm through Emma's. "Come on, let's go get some lunch. You can tell us all about how you're definitely not still interested in Liam Harper."

As they left the town hall, Emma couldn't help but glance back, her eyes finding Liam in the crowd. He looked up at that moment, their gazes locking across the room. He gave her a small smile and a wave, which she returned before allowing Molly and Claire to steer her out the door.

The warm summer air hit them as they stepped outside, carrying with it the promise of long days and new beginnings. As they walked down Main Street towards the diner, Emma found herself lost in thought, replaying her conversation with Liam.

"Okay, spill," Molly demanded as soon as they were seated in their usual booth at Maplewood Diner. "What was that all about with Liam?"

Emma sighed, fidgeting with her napkin. "It was nothing. We were just being friendly."

Claire snorted. "Friendly? Emma, I haven't seen that much tension since the great pie vs. cake debate at last year's bake sale."

"It wasn't—" Emma started to protest, but Molly cut her off.

"Em, come on. This is us. You don't have to pretend."

Emma slumped back in her seat, the fight going out of her. "I don't know what you want me to say. Yes, seeing Liam again is... complicated. But it doesn't matter. Whatever we had, it's in the past. We're different people now."

Claire reached across the table, squeezing Emma's hand. "It's okay to have feelings, you know. It doesn't make you weak or silly. It makes you human."

Emma squeezed back, grateful for her friends' support. "I know. It's just... I've worked so hard to build this life for myself. The bakery, my place in the community. I can't risk all that for some schoolgirl crush."

"Who says you have to risk anything?" Molly asked. "Maybe this is a chance to see where things go. You're both adults now. You've lived, you've grown. Who knows? Maybe this time it could work."

Emma shook her head. "It's not that simple, Mol. There's too much history, too much that went wrong last time."

"But that's just it," Claire interjected. "It's history. You're not those same kids anymore. Maybe it's worth giving it another shot."

Before Emma could respond, their waitress arrived to take their orders. As she rattled off her usual – turkey club, no mayo – Emma found herself thinking about what her friends had said.

Could they be right? Was there a chance for her and Liam to start over, to see if the spark that had burned so bright in their youth could be rekindled? Or was she setting herself up for heartbreak all over again?

As lunch progressed, the conversation drifted to other topics – Molly's latest dance class drama, Claire's struggles with her fledgling photography business. But Emma's mind kept wandering back to Liam. To the way his eyes had lit up when she'd agreed to let him help with the baking contest. To the familiar comfort of his presence, even after all these years.

By the time they finished their meal and headed back out onto Main Street, Emma had come to a decision. She wouldn't actively pursue anything with Liam, but she wouldn't run from it either. If something was meant to happen between them, it would. And if not... well, at least she'd have given it a chance.

As they passed Sweet Maple Bakery, Emma paused. "Hey, I think I'm going to head in and do some prep for tomorrow. You guys go on ahead."

Molly and Claire exchanged a look that Emma pretended not to notice.

"Alright," Claire said, giving Emma a quick hug. "But remember what we talked about, okay? It's okay to open your heart a little."

Emma nodded, waving as her friends continued down the street. She took a deep breath, unlocked the bakery door, and stepped inside. The familiar scents of sugar and vanilla enveloped her, calming her racing thoughts.

As she tied on her apron and began pulling out ingredients for tomorrow's pastries, Emma allowed herself to really think about Liam for the first time in years. About the boy he'd been – passionate, driven, with dreams too big for their small town. About the man he'd become – still passionate, still driven, but with a new depth to him, a quiet strength that spoke of battles fought and won.

And as she lost herself in the rhythm of measuring and mixing, Emma began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was room in her carefully constructed life for a second chance at first love.