Embers of Fate (Blazing Hearts #1)

Chapter 1

Crash and Burn In The Best Way

Ember

The wiper blades whip back and forth in the heavy rain, yet I can barely see through the deluge.

My knuckles whiten around the rental car’s steering wheel as I replay the conversation with my lawyer, Patricia.

“File a cease and desist... document his proof of theft...” The words echo in my head, mixing with the thunderous rain, only Georgia can produce in early spring.

Bright headlights reflect in my mirrors, the glare almost blinding. I squint through the water-streaked windshield, barely making out the twisty, country state highway ahead. Out of nowhere, two deer appear in the middle of the road.

I slam on the brakes.

The compact car hydroplanes on the slick pavement. I clutch the steering wheel, unable to direct the car as it careens over the edge and down an embankment. The world spins in slow motion. A massive evergreen rushes toward me.

“No, no, no, no… Fuck!” Impact.

Metal crunches.

Glass shatters.

The airbag explodes in my face with a deafening pop!

White powder fills the air and I blink, trying to clear my vision.

Stars dance in my head as I sit there, dazed.

My head throbs. The metallic taste of blood blooms on my tongue where I’ve bitten my lip.

Beyond the splintered glass, beams of light pierce the downpour—a tall silhouette wearing heavy work clothes with bright safety bands sprints in my direction.

It’s a man.

He says something, and I shake my head from the ringing in my ears as I push away the airbag.

Opening my door, I ask, “Say again?”

“Ma’am, are you okay? Can you hear me?” A deep voice cuts like a knife through my disoriented haze as I stare up at his towering frame before he crouches next to me.

“I can now,” I croak, groping for my purse strap in the passenger seat.

“What’s your name?” he asks, but he’s looking around and not at me.

“Ember—.” I pull my purse onto my shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need help getting out of the car?”

I wave him off, though my legs shake as I step out of the driver’s seat, leaving behind the massive, deflated airbag. The ground tilts beneath me, and he leans forward with strong arms that catch me before I fall, but not before I face-plant into his muscled chest.

“Whoa there,” he says again, catching me effortlessly and holding me out from him. “Are you sure—”

“Please tell me you’re not a mirage I conjured up in a car crash panic. Because if I’m dreaming, I’d like to order you as takeout.”

He smiles. Wow, that is a thousand-watt smile right there.

“Really,” I insist weakly, “I’m okay.”

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t argue. Instead, he speaks into a handheld radio. “Control, this is Ryan McCallister from Station One. We’ve got a single-vehicle collision at County Road 17, near the Old Mill. One injury, requesting EMS and police response.”

The radio beeps. A reply crackles through. “Copy that, Captain—response in route. Stay safe out there. Rain should let up soon.”

I look up into warm brown eyes set in one of the most handsome faces I’ve ever seen. Square jaw, clean-shaven, and full lips—his uniform jacket hugs broad shoulders. The light from his vehicle gives him a surreal, ethereal look, or possibly, I have a head injury.

“Ryan—McCallister?” I repeat, more to keep myself focused than anything else.

“That’s right.” His eyes are kind but serious as he looks me over. He is professional, quite possibly looking for visible injuries. “What’s your name, again?”

“Ember Rose Harper. Ember.” I gesture vaguely with the hand that isn’t death-gripping his forearm. “Like the—you know. The fire thing. The little glowy bits—” I make a fluttering motion with my fingers that probably looks ridiculous. “My mom is really into metaphors.”

“Ember.” He tests my name on his tongue, and something about the way he says it makes my stomach flip. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, softening the hard edges of concern. “Well, Ember Harper, you’re certainly living up to the name. You crashed into town like a Firecracker.”

“Firecracker?” I blink up at him through the rain, trying to focus on his face. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or—”

“It’s definitely a compliment.” His thumb brushes against my arm—steadying, grounding, keeping me present when everything else is spinning. The smile reaches his eyes now, crinkling the corners. “I need you to stay with me, okay? Right here, Firecracker. Keep those eyes on me.”

“Firecracker,” I repeat, the word feeling warm in my mouth. “Okay. I can do that. Stay. Handsome face. Easy. So, you’re a firefighter who’s trained?”

“Yes, I got all the certifications. Handsome face and all.”

“Well, I do appreciate your fast response time,” I reply, trying not to wince at the pain shooting through my head.

He chuckles, the sound rumbling through me. “I was off duty, heading home. Saw the deer you swerved around and missed before your car went off the road.”

He smiles, and damn if it isn’t the kind of smile that makes my heart flutter despite the car accident adrenaline and my throbbing head.

“I have to say, this beats my last date. At least you showed up.”

A warm chuckle reaches my ears.

He looks up; the rain is still falling. “Let’s get you to my dry truck while we wait for EMS.”

His arms are wrapped around me for support as he walks me to his vehicle. But my legs feel sluggish. The rain under the trees seems like it is starting to ease up; making the downpour less punishing.

“Did you know I once saw a deer give a TED Talk? It was a real eye-opener,” I say.

Those brown eyes study my face intently, filled with… concern and something else I can’t quite read.

“Ember.” His voice cuts through the fog, sharp with command but gentle with concern. My legs are complete jelly. “Eyes on me. Tell me your name again?”

“Firecracker?” I offer hopefully leaning into him more.

He laughs—really laughs—as he signals to someone behind him. “Close enough. Let’s get you checked out, okay?”

“Okay, Captain—” I squint at his jacket. “Captain... Sexy firefighter man?”

“Do you feel pain anywhere? Dizziness?” His warm breath fans across my face, smelling of mint.

“Only when I look at you.” I reach up, touching his stubbled jaw.

The world starts to fade at the edges, and something clicks in my mind, but my mouth decides to verbalize it. “Ryan. Rrrryy-ann.” I test his name on my numb lips. “I swear I dreamed you up. You’re my soul mate.”

The last thing I see before everything goes dark is his startled expression. His warm brown eyes widen with concern as he reaches for the back of my head. Oh, I like his strong hands. My body feels light and floaty.

“Stay with me, Firecracker. Stay with me…”

The beeping of machines and the distant chatter of voices gradually pull me back to consciousness. I briefly remember the ambulance, but then I was out again. I’m in a hospital room, a bed with rails, the white pain—no, that is peach paint. Still, it’s a hospital room.

I blink, then squint against the bright fluorescent lights above me. I’m in a hospital. Turning my head, I spot a familiar figure talking to a female in a similar uniform.

His name, what is his name… Ryan… the beeping around me picks up a decibel in my ears.

“Ryan?” My voice comes out as a croak.

He spins around, relief washing over his features as he approaches my bedside. “Hey there. How are you feeling?”

Wow, he’s handsome in the harsh light. His light brown hair has curled at his neck and looks damp still. He’s no longer wearing the thick jacket. His navy blue uniform shirt fits snugly to his muscled chest and arms.

I manage a weak smile. “Like I got hit by a truck. Oh wait, I hit a tree—that actually happened.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Your car did, but close enough.” He gestures to the female next to him. “This is Jiffy, one of our best EMTs. She’s been helping me keep an eye on you. You passed out.”

Jiffy’s dark hair has streaks of gray. She smiles warmly. “I’m glad you’re awake. You had us worried there for a bit.”

“With names like ‘Jiffy’ and ‘Ryan,’ should I start calling you my Fast and Friendly Rescue Team?”

Ryan grins with his hands on his hips, while Jiffy’s laugh ricochets off the curtains. “Absolutely, sweetheart! I like that better than the references to peanut butter.”

“Thanks for the rescue and for staying with me,” I say, touched at how kind they are. “Talk about white glove service.” I cough, the roughness of my throat scratching at my voice.

Jiffy hands me a paper cup with water.

Ryan leans closer, his brow furrowed. “Let me get the doctor.”

As if on cue, a man in a white coat enters the curtained-off room with a tablet in hand. “Miss Harper, good to see you awake. I’m Dr. Patel. How are you feeling?”

“So… I’m not dreaming. Though waking up to find my hot rescuer still here? Very rom-com of you, Captain.” Jiffy laughs again before leaving. Dr. Patel is flashing a light in my eyes, unimpressed with my deflective humor. I continue, “A bit groggy, but otherwise okay. My head is a little fuzzy.”

Dr. Patel nods, continuing to check my vitals. “You have a mild concussion, which is to be expected given the nature of your accident. You needed a couple of stitches in the hairline on your forehead. However, your blood sugar levels were quite low. Have you eaten today?”

I bite my lip, trying to remember. “I might have skipped breakfast. And lunch. I was in a few meetings and running errands today on my way into town. I had plans for dinner with friends, but didn’t make it with the accident…”

The doctor gives me a stern look. “Well, that certainly didn’t help matters. We’ll get you some solid food shortly. You’re getting fluids through your IV. I want to keep you here overnight. You’ll be released in the morning if everything stays the same.”

Just then, my friend Nicole Blevins bursts into the room in a bright-colored wave with Rhett, her husband, trailing behind her. “Ember! Oh my gosh, are you okay? We came as soon as we heard.”

I blink in surprise. “How did you know I was here?”

Ryan clears his throat. “Nic kept calling your phone… I know Nic, so I answered it.”

“I’m so glad he did.” Nic replies, before smiling at him.

Rhett shakes hands with Ryan, both doing the bro nod.

Nic is at my bedside. “We knew something had happened when you didn’t show up for dinner. This damn storm—I kept texting and calling—thankfully, Ryan answered.”

“If I had known getting rescued by a firefighter came with this kind of fanfare, I would have crashed long ago,” I quip.

“You know, you could’ve picked a less dramatic way to meet someone. Next time, let’s stick to coffee and awkward small talk, okay?” Ryan says.

My heart skips a beat. “Only coffee, then?”

“So, dinner, then.” Ryan laughs. His warm brown eyes never leave mine. “Let me grab your number. Is that okay?”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” I spy my phone with my purse on the small table beside me.

His lips pull to the side, his brown eyes sparkling. “Well, you did say I was your soul mate. Let’s try dinner first.”

Oh my god, I didn’t say that, did I?

My face flushes with heat and the pounding behind my temples intensifies.

I nod toward my phone, and Ryan exchanges our numbers with a quick tap of his phone to mine, which feels more intimate than it should.

Rhett coughs then, breaking the silence and jumpstarting my mind back to the fact there are others here with me, besides Ryan.

I laugh and point at my head. “Concussions make people say the damnedest things. You’ll have to give anything I said a little latitude.” Curiosity about what else I said when I was half-conscious grows. “But you’re right, let’s try dinner first. But only if you promise to let me pick dessert.”

Ryan laughs, laying my phone in my blanketed lap. “Deal, Firecracker.”

Sure enough, when I look at my phone, it looks like Nic blew it up; there are a slew of missed calls and notifications there.

Nic turns to me with a knowing smile as Ryan leaves the room. “Well, well, well. Looks like someone’s got an admirer. And Ryan McCallister? Girl, you crashed into town and landed on your feet, a perfect ten scorecard-wise.”

I blush, sinking back into the pillow with a contented sigh. Maybe coming to Peachwood Grove is what I need.