Hearts Ablaze

Chapter 4: Reconnecting

The early morning sunlight filtered through the windows of Sweet Maple Bakery, casting a warm glow over the polished countertops and gleaming display cases. Emma moved with practiced ease around the kitchen, her hands working almost on autopilot as she kneaded dough and measured ingredients. The familiar routine was soothing, helping to calm the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach since yesterday's encounter with Liam.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear the bell above the door chime. Wiping her flour-covered hands on her apron, Emma made her way to the front of the shop, plastering on her best customer service smile.

The smile faltered slightly when she saw who it was.

Liam stood just inside the doorway, looking slightly unsure of himself. He was dressed casually in jeans and a soft-looking gray t-shirt that did nothing to hide his broad shoulders. Emma felt her heart do a little flip in her chest.

"Morning," Liam said, a tentative smile on his face. "I, uh, hope it's okay that I stopped by. I know you're probably busy getting ready to open..."

Emma shook herself, remembering her manners. "No, no, it's fine. Come on in. Can I get you some coffee?"

Liam's smile widened, looking more like the boy she remembered. "That'd be great, thanks."

As Emma busied herself with the coffee machine, she could feel Liam's eyes on her. The silence between them was charged, filled with unspoken words and shared history.

"So," Emma said, desperate to break the tension as she handed Liam his coffee, "what brings you by so early? Craving some sugar to start your day?"

Liam chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Well, that's always a bonus. But actually, I wanted to talk to you about the baking contest. You know, see how I can help out."

"Oh, right," Emma nodded, trying to ignore the little thrill that went through her at the thought of working together. "Well, there's always a lot to do. Setting up tables, organizing entries, that sort of thing. And of course, we'll need taste testers."

Liam's eyes lit up at that. "Now that's a job I can definitely handle. I always did love your baking."

The compliment, casual as it was, sent a warm flush through Emma. She ducked her head, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. I've learned a few new tricks since high school, though."

"I bet you have," Liam said softly, his tone making Emma look up. The intensity in his gaze made her breath catch. "You've done amazing things with this place, Emma. Your parents would be so proud."

Emma felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them away, not wanting to get emotional. "Thank you, Liam. That... that means a lot."

Another silence fell between them, but this one felt different. Warmer, somehow. Less awkward and more... anticipatory.

The moment was broken by the sound of the back door opening. "Em? You in here? I brought those extra pie tins you asked for—oh!"

Molly stopped short as she came around the corner, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her. A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Well, good morning, Liam. Fancy seeing you here so early."

Liam cleared his throat, looking slightly flustered. "Morning, Molly. I was just, uh, talking to Emma about helping out with the baking contest."

"Uh-huh," Molly nodded, her tone dripping with skepticism. "Well, don't let me interrupt. I'll just put these in the back and get out of your hair."

As Molly disappeared into the kitchen, Emma felt her cheeks heat up. She shot Liam an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. Molly can be a bit..."

"Protective?" Liam supplied with a wry smile. "It's okay. I get it. I'm glad you have people looking out for you."

Emma nodded, not quite sure how to respond to that. She was saved from having to by the reappearance of Molly, who was now sans pie tins and sporting an entirely too innocent expression.

"So," Molly said brightly, "what are we all chatting about?"

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Liam was just offering to help with the baking contest set-up. Right, Liam?"

Liam nodded, looking grateful for the lifeline. "Yeah, exactly. I figure it's the least I can do, being new to town and all."

Molly's eyebrows shot up. "New to town? Please. You're practically Maplewood royalty. I bet half the town's dying to get you involved in every committee and bake sale they can think of."

Liam laughed, a rich sound that made Emma's heart skip a beat. "Well, I don't know about royalty. But I do want to do my part. This town... it means a lot to me. Always has."

His eyes met Emma's as he said this, and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her. She quickly looked away, busying herself with wiping down the already spotless counter.

"Well," Molly said, her gaze darting between Emma and Liam with poorly concealed glee, "I should get going. Dance class to teach and all that. You two have fun... planning."

With a wink at Emma that was about as subtle as a flashing neon sign, Molly sauntered out of the bakery. Emma seriously considered whether it was possible to die of embarrassment.

"So," Liam said after a moment, amusement clear in his voice, "your sister hasn't changed much, has she?"

Emma groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "God, I'm so sorry about that. She's... well, she's Molly."

Liam chuckled. "Hey, no need to apologize. It's nice, actually. Feels like old times."

Emma looked up at that, studying Liam's face. There was a softness in his expression, a hint of nostalgia that made her heart ache. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I guess it does."

Another moment of charged silence passed between them. Emma found herself wondering what Liam was thinking, if he was remembering the same things she was – lazy summer afternoons spent in this very bakery, stealing kisses when her parents weren't looking, dreaming about the future.

Liam cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "So, uh, about the contest. When do you need me? I'm pretty flexible, what with being new to the job and all."

Emma nodded, grateful for the return to safer topics. "Well, the festival's in two weeks. I usually start the heavy prep work about a week before. But if you're free, I could use some help this weekend getting the entry forms sorted and the judging criteria finalized."

"This weekend works for me," Liam said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Should I bring anything? Coffee? Donuts?"

Emma laughed. "Bringing donuts to a bakery? That's practically sacrilege, Harper."

Liam's grin widened. "Fair point. How about I just bring myself and my devastating charm, then?"

The words were out before Emma could stop them. "That'll do just fine."

As soon as she said it, Emma felt her cheeks flame. Liam's eyebrows shot up, surprise and something else – pleasure? – flashing across his face.

Before either of them could say anything else, the bell above the door chimed again. A group of regulars, retirees who came in every morning for coffee and gossip, bustled in.

"Looks like you're about to get busy," Liam said, stepping back. "I should let you get to work. But I'll see you this weekend?"

Emma nodded, trying to ignore the little flip her heart did at the thought. "Yeah, Saturday morning? Around nine?"

"It's a date," Liam said, then quickly added, "I mean, not a date-date, just, you know, a time. That we've agreed on. To meet. For contest stuff."

Emma couldn't help but laugh at his flustered expression. It was oddly comforting to know she wasn't the only one feeling off-kilter. "I know what you meant, Liam. Saturday at nine. I'll see you then."

As Liam left, giving her one last smile over his shoulder, Emma took a deep breath. She had a feeling this weekend was going to be... interesting.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of daily routines and festival preparations. Emma threw herself into her work, trying not to think too much about her upcoming "not-a-date" with Liam. But despite her best efforts, she found her mind wandering to him at odd moments – when she was kneading dough, when she passed the fire station on her way home, when she lay in bed at night unable to sleep.

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, Emma was a bundle of nerves. She'd changed her outfit three times before settling on a simple sundress and sandals. It was just contest prep, she told herself sternly as she unlocked the bakery door. No need to get worked up.

At precisely nine o'clock, there was a knock at the door. Emma took a deep breath, smoothed down her dress, and went to answer it.

Liam stood on the other side, looking unfairly handsome in jeans and a blue button-down that brought out the color of his eyes. He was holding a tray with two to-go cups and a paper bag.

"Morning," he said with a smile. "I know you said not to bring anything, but I figured we could both use some caffeine. And before you accuse me of bakery sacrilege again, these are from the diner. I wouldn't dare compete with Sweet Maple's pastries."

Emma laughed, stepping aside to let him in. "Well, in that case, I suppose I can forgive you. Come on in."

As they settled at one of the tables, spreading out entry forms and paperwork, Emma found herself relaxing. This was easy, familiar. Just two people working together on a shared task.

"So," Liam said as he looked over one of the forms, "how many entries do you usually get for this thing?"

Emma hummed thoughtfully. "It varies year to year, but usually around thirty or so. Maplewood takes its baking very seriously."

Liam chuckled. "I remember. My mom used to stress for weeks over what to enter. I think the year she finally won with her peach cobbler was the happiest I'd ever seen her."

A warm feeling spread through Emma's chest at the memory. "I remember that! Your mom was so excited she practically floated out of the judging tent. And your dad couldn't stop grinning for days."

Liam's smile turned soft, a hint of sadness creeping into his eyes. "Yeah, they were quite the pair."

Emma reached out without thinking, placing her hand over Liam's. "They were wonderful people, Liam. I'm so sorry about what happened."

Liam turned his hand over, squeezing Emma's gently. "Thank you. It... it means a lot to hear you say that."

For a moment, they just sat there, hands linked, a world of shared memories and unspoken emotions passing between them. Then, as if suddenly realizing what they were doing, they both pulled back, clearing their throats awkwardly.

"So, uh, judging criteria," Liam said, his voice a bit rough. "What are we looking at?"

Emma gratefully latched onto the change of subject. "Right, yes. Well, we usually judge on taste, presentation, and originality. But I've been thinking of adding a fourth category this year – maybe something about using local ingredients?"

They fell into an easy rhythm after that, discussing ideas and making plans. As the morning wore on, Emma found herself relaxing more and more. It was nice, she realized, having someone to bounce ideas off of. Someone who understood the importance of traditions like the baking contest to a small town like Maplewood.

"Oh!" Emma exclaimed suddenly, glancing at the clock. "I can't believe it's almost lunchtime already. I should probably start getting ready for the afternoon rush."

Liam looked surprised, checking his own watch. "Wow, time really flew. Here, let me help you clean up."

As they gathered papers and wiped down the table, their hands brushed several times. Each touch sent a little jolt through Emma, reminding her of all the reasons she'd fallen for Liam in the first place – his kindness, his easy laugh, the way he always seemed to know just what she needed.

"So," Liam said as they finished up, "same time next week? We could go over the layout for the contest area, maybe start putting together goodie bags for the judges?"

Emma nodded, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the thought of spending more time with him. "Sounds good. And, um, thanks for today. It was really helpful having an extra set of hands."

Liam smiled, that warm, genuine smile that had always made Emma's heart skip a beat. "Anytime, Em. I'm just glad I could help."

As he turned to leave, Emma found herself calling out. "Liam, wait!"

He paused, looking back at her with a questioning expression.

Emma took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I was thinking... maybe we could grab dinner sometime this week? You know, catch up properly. Without entry forms and judging criteria between us."

Liam's face lit up in a way that made Emma's heart soar. "I'd really like that, Emma. How about Wednesday? I'm off shift at six."

"Wednesday sounds perfect," Emma said, unable to keep the smile off her face. "I'll see you then."

As Liam left, the bell above the door chiming cheerfully behind him, Emma leaned against the counter, her heart racing. She'd done it. She'd taken a step, opened the door to... well, she wasn't sure what yet. But for the first time in a long time, she felt excited about the possibility.

The afternoon rush kept Emma busy, but she couldn't shake the lingering warmth of the morning spent with Liam. As she handed out pastries and poured coffee, her mind kept drifting to their upcoming dinner. It wasn't a date, she told herself firmly. Just two old friends catching up.

But as she closed up shop that evening, Emma couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, it could be the start of something more. Something that felt both thrillingly new and comfortably familiar, like coming home after a long time away.

With a smile on her face and a spring in her step, Emma locked the bakery door and headed home, her heart full of hope for what the future might hold.