Her Hero (Ember Heart Ridge Search and Rescue #1)

1. Nina

Chapter One

NINA

The cold bites at my bare legs, the wind tugging sequins loose from my ridiculous ‘Bride Squad’ jacket. The sunset's fading fast, and the mountains are turning from gold to shadow.

Brittany shivers next to me.

“How are you doing?” Leaning my back against hers, I try to transfer some of my remaining body heat across, checking my phone. The cell phone coverage is patchy and I don’t have a signal.

“I’d literally sell my soul for a heated blanket right now. I feel stupid. Maybe I could have made it down.”

I shake my head. “No way. You could have made your ankle worse. It’s already starting to swell.”

Brittany sniffs. “This is so not a vibe. Do you think it will heal in time for the wedding?”

I want to tell her that it depends on how badly she’s sprained it, but I smile instead. “Of course. You’ll probably only need to rest it for a few days.”

She sighs. “I hope so. Tiffany wants all the bridesmaids to wear these sparkly four-inch stilettos.”

“I hear you. She will not deviate from her plan.”

“Tell me about it! I thought that Bridezilla was going to yeet me off the mountainside when she found out I’d hurt my ankle. I mean, I knew she was Type A, but this is ridiculous.”

I nod. My dad insisted I check in with my cousin Tiffany this weekend when he knew the bachelorette party was coming to Ember Heart from Bakersville. I’d planned on getting moved in and settled, not joining the party. Two hours max.

But what I’d assumed would be cupcakes and cocktails turned into a drive up the mountain, then a long trek through the forest. There’s this famous stone heart on the side of the mountain. According to legend, it’s lucky for your love life if you see it at sunrise or sunset.

Tiffany insisted I wear a spare ‘Bride Squad’ jacket, since one of her friends had gone back to the hotel. We made it in time to take selfies with the heart in the background. I had to admit it was pretty, the heart-shaped stone glinting in the orange and pink light.

But then Tiffany wanted a shot with everyone in it and somehow convinced us all to climb up on a jutting-out ridge of rock to take the final selfie. Brittany dropped her phone and then twisted her ankle badly trying to retrieve it. She couldn’t put any weight on it, so I said I’d wait with her while the group went to get help.

“Who do you think they called?” Brittany’s shivering more violently now, her teeth chattering. I take off my ridiculous jacket and put it around her shoulders.

“Search and rescue. That’s where I’ll be working, actually. My new job starts on Monday.” I check my phone in case I miraculously have coverage. Tiffany said she’d text me when they’d found a place they could call for help.

Nothing.

“Oh no. Will we end up on one of those viral TikTok rescue videos? And, is this like, really embarrassing for you? Having to be rescued before you start your new job?” Her eyes widen. Good. I can distract her until help arrives, and maybe it will take her mind off her injury.

“Not really. I’m working in dispatch in Ember Heart in the main hub. I haven’t met anyone yet, and they have a bunch of different teams: firefighters, medics, forest rangers…”

Brittany sighs. “I bet they’re hot. I’d love to do a job like that, but I sort of panic in emergencies. How did you get started?”

“My dad’s a firefighter, I worked my way through college as a dispatcher. Then I did city dispatch for a couple of years. I needed a change and heard about this through the grapevine.” I shrug. I don’t need to tell her that this was the first place I applied to, desperate to get away from all the crap back in the city.

The last of the sun disappears behind the mountains. I wrap my arms around my body, trying to keep warm. My back-up plan involves trying to carry Brittany off the ledge and into the forest, then using my rusty survival skills to build a shelter for the night.

A steady, faint sound echoes around the mountain. Like a heartbeat. It’s getting closer and louder by the second, and I stand up as the distinctive whup-whup of rotor blades cuts through the air. A spotlight darts across the side of the mountain, and I wave my arms, jumping up and down. It finds us, and I squint in its blinding light.

The helicopter hovers overhead as a harness is lowered, followed by a massive figure rappelling down at an impressive speed. Even in the harsh spotlight, he's mountain-rescue fit, all big, broad shoulders and capable hands. When his boots hit our ledge, I get my first clear look at our rescuer.

Oh. Oh wow .

He's gorgeous in that rugged mountain-man way, with dark hair pushed back from a handsome, bearded face that belongs on the cover of Wilderness First Responder Monthly . If that's even a thing. It should be, with him as the model.

His expression, however, is all business, bordering on annoyed. Grumpy, even.

“Axel Blake, Ember Heart Search and Rescue,” he shouts over the helicopter noise. His voice is so deep it sends a jolt to my core. “Is anyone injured?”

“Yes. Brittany hurt her ankle. Bad sprain, by the look of it. I’ve had first aid training; it’s not broken. But, she can’t put weight on it.” I point at her, and she waves weakly.

His eyes flick up and over me, taking in my inappropriate outfit with a quick sweep that somehow makes my skin heat up despite the cold. His gaze lingers for just a second before he's all business again.

“I’m taking her up first. Stand to the side.” He crouches down, effortlessly lifting Brittany to her feet with one arm and expertly clipping her into a harness. He speaks to her in a low voice and then talks into his radio. They’re lifted up into the air, and I’m left alone, shivering, as they disappear upwards.

I’ve worked scenes with adrenaline, with blood, with shouting and chaos. But none of that prepared me for the way my brain short-circuited when that man landed beside me.

I’m so cold that I start dancing from foot to foot to try and keep warm. The spotlight finds me again when I’m doing my signature shimmy move.

Axel rappels down again. For such a huge guy, he lands with grace on the small ledge and hands me a jacket.

“Put it on,” he grunts.

“Is that a request or an order?” I’m trying to make him smile, but there’s nothing. Not even a twitch; his lips are set firm under that thick dark beard.

“Your turn. What’s your name?” he says, holding out the harness.

“Nina.” I loop my arms through the straps as he steps forward to help me.

When his hands brush against my waist, my breath catches. He smells like pine and something spicy that makes me want to lean closer. Our eyes meet, and for a brief moment, something flickers in his gaze before he looks away.

“Arms up, Nina,” he instructs.

I comply, trying not to notice how his body shields mine from the wind, or how secure I feel with his hands adjusting my harness. It's just the rescue effect, I tell myself. People always get crushes on their rescuers.

“Hold tight!”

The harness digs into my ribs, snug and unforgiving, but all I can focus on is the warmth of his chest pressed to my back. His arm slips around my waist with practiced ease, anchoring me, grounding me.

“Got you,” Axel says, his breath brushing my ear. His voice is low, steady, and impossibly calm in the chaos.

Then we’re rising.

Air rushes past us, wild and cold, curling into my clothes and stealing my breath. My stomach flips as my feet leave the ground, and for a heartbeat, I panic. But his hold tightens. Protective. He’s all strength and quiet confidence; I let myself lean back, into his solid frame. The rotors thunder above us, the mountain shrinking below, but there’s only the rush of blood in my ears and the steady rhythm of his breathing behind me. I close my eyes.

I’m flying, hundreds of feet above the ground.

But somehow, I’ve never felt safer.