Hearts Ablaze

Chapter 6: New Beginnings

## New Beginnings

The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of Emma's bedroom, casting a warm glow across her face. She stirred, blinking awake slowly, the events of the previous night flooding back to her in a rush. The picnic, the rain, the kiss... Liam.

Emma groaned, burying her face in her pillow. What had she gotten herself into? She'd spent the last ten years carefully building a life for herself, one that didn't include the heartache and complications of romance. And now, with one kiss, Liam Harper had thrown all of that into disarray.

The insistent buzzing of her phone pulled Emma from her thoughts. She reached for it blindly, squinting at the screen. Three missed calls from Molly, two from Claire, and a string of increasingly frantic text messages.

"s**t," Emma muttered, quickly dialing Molly's number.

"Emma Jean Lawson!" Molly's voice practically exploded through the speaker. "Where have you been? We've been trying to reach you all morning!"

Emma winced, holding the phone away from her ear. "Sorry, Mol. I overslept. Is everything okay?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. When Molly spoke again, her voice was dripping with suspicion. "Overslept, huh? Would this have anything to do with a certain tall, dark, and handsome firefighter?"

Emma felt her cheeks heat up. "Molly..."

"Don't 'Molly' me," her sister interrupted. "Spill. Now. What happened last night?"

Emma sighed, knowing there was no way to avoid this conversation. "Can we meet for coffee? I'll tell you everything, I promise. I just... I need to process it myself first."

Molly huffed, but Emma could hear the concern underlying her frustration. "Fine. Sweet Maple in an hour. And you better not leave out a single detail, missy."

After hanging up, Emma dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. As the hot water cascaded over her, she tried to sort through the jumble of emotions swirling in her chest. Excitement, fear, hope, uncertainty... it was all tangled up together in a knot she wasn't sure how to unravel.

An hour later, freshly showered and caffeinated, Emma pushed open the door to Sweet Maple Bakery. The familiar scents of sugar and coffee wrapped around her like a comforting hug, grounding her.

Molly and Claire were already there, huddled together at a corner table. They looked up as Emma approached, identical expressions of curiosity and concern on their faces.

"Well, well, well," Claire said as Emma slid into her seat. "Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."

Emma rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "Good morning to you too, Claire."

Molly leaned forward, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Enough small talk. Start talking, sis. What happened with Liam?"

Emma took a deep breath, then launched into the story. She told them about the picnic at Sunset Point, about how thoughtful Liam had been, recreating all her favorite foods. She described the sudden rainstorm, the mad dash to the truck, and then...

"We kissed," Emma said softly, her fingers unconsciously touching her lips at the memory.

Claire let out a low whistle. "Wow. Just... wow."

Molly, however, was practically bouncing in her seat. "I knew it! I knew there was still something there between you two. So, what happens now? Are you guys together? Is he moving back to Maplewood for good?"

"Whoa, slow down," Emma held up her hands. "It was just one kiss. We haven't... I mean, we didn't really talk about what it means."

Claire reached out, squeezing Emma's hand. "How do you feel about it, Em? About Liam being back, about the kiss, all of it?"

Emma sighed, slumping back in her chair. "Honestly? I don't know. Part of me is thrilled. Being with Liam last night, it felt so... right. Like no time had passed at all. But another part of me is terrified. What if it doesn't work out? What if he leaves again?"

Molly's expression softened. "Oh, Em. You can't let fear hold you back from something that could be amazing. Liam's not the same guy who left ten years ago. And you're not the same girl he left behind. Maybe this is your chance for a fresh start."

"Molly's right," Claire chimed in. "You deserve to be happy, Emma. And if Liam makes you happy... well, isn't that worth taking a chance on?"

Emma nodded slowly, their words sinking in. "Maybe you're right. I just... I need to take things slow. Figure out what I really want."

Just then, the bell above the door chimed. Emma looked up, her heart skipping a beat as Liam walked in. He paused when he saw her, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Speak of the devil," Molly muttered, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Before Emma could stop her, Molly was waving Liam over. "Liam! Join us, why don't you?"

Emma shot her sister a glare that could have melted steel, but Molly just grinned innocently.

Liam approached their table, looking a little uncertain. "Morning, ladies. I don't want to interrupt..."

"Nonsense," Claire said brightly. "We were just finishing up. In fact, Molly and I need to get going. Right, Mol?"

Molly nodded, already gathering her things. "Oh, absolutely. Very important... things to do. Emma, why don't you keep Liam company?"

Before Emma could protest, her traitorous friends were gone, leaving her alone with Liam. An awkward silence fell between them.

"So," Liam said, rubbing the back of his neck. "About last night..."

Emma took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Liam, I—"

But before she could finish, the fire alarm blared to life, startling them both. Emma jumped up, instinctively moving towards the kitchen.

"Stay here," Liam said, his firefighter training kicking in. "I'll check it out."

Emma watched as Liam disappeared into the back, her heart racing. A few tense moments later, he emerged, a rueful smile on his face.

"False alarm," he reported. "Looks like someone left a tray of muffins in the oven a bit too long."

Emma sagged with relief. "Thank god. I should probably go deal with this. Rain check on that talk?"

Liam nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Of course. How about dinner tonight? My place? I promise not to burn anything."

Despite her nerves, Emma found herself smiling. "That sounds nice. Seven o'clock?"

"It's a date," Liam said, then quickly added, "I mean, if you want it to be. No pressure or anything."

Emma felt a warm flutter in her chest at his nervousness. It was oddly comforting to know that she wasn't the only one feeling uncertain. "Seven o'clock," she repeated softly. "It's a date."

As Liam left, Emma turned her attention to the chaos in the kitchen. But even as she dealt with burned muffins and apologetic staff, her mind kept drifting to the evening ahead. What would happen? What would she say?

The rest of the day passed in a blur of customers and baking. Before Emma knew it, it was time to close up shop and head home to get ready for her dinner with Liam.

Standing in front of her closet, Emma felt like a teenager again, fretting over what to wear on a first date. She finally settled on a soft blue sundress that brought out her eyes, paired with simple sandals.

At precisely seven o'clock, Emma found herself standing on Liam's front porch, her heart pounding. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Liam opened the door, looking devastatingly handsome in dark jeans and a crisp white shirt. His face lit up when he saw her. "Emma. You look beautiful."

Emma felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself."

As Liam ushered her inside, Emma was hit with a wave of delicious smells. "Something smells amazing," she said, following him to the kitchen.

Liam grinned, looking pleased. "I hope you like lasagna. It's about the only thing I can cook without setting off the smoke alarm."

Emma laughed, feeling some of her nervousness dissipate. "Lasagna sounds perfect."

As they settled at the kitchen table, a comfortable silence fell between them. Emma took a bite of the lasagna, her eyes widening in surprise. "Liam, this is delicious!"

Liam's smile was a mix of pride and relief. "Yeah? I'm glad you like it. I, uh, I may have called your sister for some pointers."

The thought of Liam calling Molly for cooking advice made Emma's heart do a little flip. "That was sweet of you."

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, stealing glances at each other over their wine glasses. Finally, Liam set down his fork, his expression turning serious.

"Emma, about last night..."

Emma took a deep breath, setting down her own fork. "Liam, I—"

They both laughed, the tension broken. "You go first," Liam said, gesturing for Emma to continue.

Emma nodded, gathering her thoughts. "Liam, last night was... it was wonderful. And unexpected. And a little terrifying, if I'm being honest."

Liam's brow furrowed. "Terrifying?"

Emma sighed, struggling to find the right words. "It's just... we have so much history. And when you left before, it broke my heart. I'm not sure I could survive that again."

Understanding dawned in Liam's eyes. He reached across the table, taking Emma's hand in his. "Emma, I need you to know something. Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life. I thought I needed to get out of Maplewood, to prove something to myself. But all I did was leave behind the best thing that ever happened to me."

Emma felt tears prick at her eyes. "Liam..."

He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm not asking for anything you're not ready to give, Em. I know we can't just pick up where we left off. But I'd like the chance to show you that I've changed. That I'm here to stay this time."

Emma searched Liam's face, seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes. She took a deep breath, making a decision. "Okay."

Liam blinked, looking surprised. "Okay?"

Emma nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Okay. Let's... let's see where this goes. But slowly, alright? I need time to trust this. To trust us."

The smile that spread across Liam's face was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. "Slow. I can do slow. I'd wait forever for you, Emma Lawson."

Emma felt her heart swell with a mixture of hope and trepidation. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. How about we start with dessert?"

Liam laughed, the sound warm and rich. "Dessert I can definitely do. I hope you like chocolate mousse."

As they cleared the table and Liam brought out dessert, Emma felt a sense of peace settle over her. She didn't know what the future held for her and Liam, but for the first time in a long time, she was excited to find out.

They spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, sharing stories from their time apart and reminiscing about old memories. It was easy, comfortable in a way that Emma hadn't expected.

As the night wore on, Emma found herself reluctant to leave. But finally, knowing she had an early morning at the bakery, she stood to go.

Liam walked her to the door, pausing on the threshold. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Emma. I promise I won't let you down."

Emma looked up at him, struck by the earnestness in his expression. Without overthinking it, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight, Liam."

As she walked to her car, Emma could feel Liam's eyes on her. She turned back, giving him a small wave before getting in. As she drove home, her mind was whirling with possibilities. For the first time in years, Emma allowed herself to hope for something more than just her comfortable, predictable life.

Maybe, just maybe, Liam's return to Maplewood was the beginning of something beautiful. A second chance at first love. And this time, Emma was determined to embrace it with open arms.