Page 11 of Rescue My Heart
“Yeah, she is for sure… but she also has a wild streak, that’s for sure. ”
“So what happened?” McKenna asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Well, my mom eventually caught us and she was MAD! But, eventually it all calmed down and we lived happily ever after! So, it is possible!”
McKenna laughed. “You are crazy. But, I kind of like your style!”
“Hey, it worked out in the end,” Ember said, shrugging. “Now look at us. She’s still running the hospital, I run a muscle car garage, and we’ve got a perfect daughter. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But none of that would’ve happened if I didn’t have patience. Who knows what my life would’ve looked like if I hadn’t taken the time to let things unfold.”
McKenna took a slow sip of her coffee, thinking about Mazey and the limited time they had. “It’s just she’s so different from anyone I’ve ever liked before. I don’t want to mess it up.”
Ember smiled, her voice soft but firm. “You won’t. Just be yourself, McKenna. If there’s something real between you and Mazey, it’ll find its way.”
McKenna nodded, feeling a small spark of hope flare in her chest. She could make this work. Maybe she didn’t have all the time in the world, but she had enough to show Mazey who she really was, to make her see there was something worth holding onto.
“Thanks, Ember,” she said, setting down her empty cup. “I needed this talk.”
“Anytime,” Ember said, standing up and clapping McKenna on the shoulder. “Now go get some rest. You’ve got a Hollywood star to impress.”
McKenna smiled, a mix of nerves and excitement swirling inside her as she stood. She didn’t know when she would see Mazey next, but she knew that she’d just have to let whatever might happen happen.
5
MAZEY
It had already been a couple days, but Mazey couldn’t stop thinking about McKenna. The way she felt so secure when McKenna had saved her from the cliff, the calm strength in her touch, the easy flow of their conversation afterward—it lingered in her mind, almost obsessively. She couldn’t figure it out. Sure, McKenna had rescued her, and yeah, they’d had a great talk, but there was something more to it, something deeper that Mazey couldn’t shake.
Was it just admiration? Or was it something more?
This feeling...it was familiar, like the admiration she’d felt for people she looked up to, but much stronger. And the strangest part? It was for a woman. She wasn’t used to this. It wasn’t the way she had felt around men before, the fleeting crushes, the predictable interest. This was something that rooted itself in her, demanding attention.
She needed to explore it, but carefully. Mazey wasn’t the type to rush into anything, especially not with the spotlight constantly on her. The last thing she needed was some media frenzy over whatever this was she was feeling. If the paparazzi even got a whiff of her spending time alone with a woman,especially one like McKenna who gave off serious lesbian vibes, it’d be all over the tabloids in seconds, spun into something she wasn’t ready to handle.
She could probably play it off if anyone asked and claim it was just her way of getting deeper into her character for the show. That would work, right? But the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to lie. This wasn’t about acting. This was about something personal, something she wasn’t even sure she wanted to admit to herself.
No one from production could know. Mazey had always been good at keeping secrets. She’d navigated Hollywood’s harsh scrutiny for years, dodging rumors and scandals, always in control of her image. But this…this felt different.
She didn’t want anyone assuming what she was feeling, not when she hadn’t even figured it out herself. For now, she’d keep it buried, try to focus on the work, and hope it would pass. But every time she closed her eyes, McKenna’s face flashed in her mind, the memory of her touch pulling Mazey deeper into confusion.
And maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want it to go away.
She paced around her trailer, trying to shake off the thoughts of McKenna, but it was no use. The more she tried to push them away, the stronger they came back. Maybe it was because McKenna had saved her. Maybe it was the way they’d connected so effortlessly during their conversation. But no matter how much Mazey tried to dismiss it, the truth was there, nagging at her: this was more than admiration.
She needed to clear her head, maybe get some distance. But no amount of distractions seemed to help. Her mind kept wandering back to McKenna, her easy smile, the way she’d made Mazey feel safe in a way no one ever had. She felt torn between curiosity and fear. What did it mean? What did McKenna mean to her?
Mazey glanced at the clock. She had a few hours before the next shoot, but sitting around wasn’t doing her any favors. She needed to do something, anything. Her feet carried her toward the door before she realized what she was doing.
Before she could second-guess herself, she grabbed her jacket and left her trailer. There was only one place she could think to go.
The fire station.
Maybe seeing McKenna in her element where she thrived would help her make sense of everything. If nothing else, it might ease her mind to just talk things out or maybe even get a better grasp on the connection she felt. She had to figure it out one way or another.
As she stepped outside, the crisp air filled her lungs, and with every step toward the station, Mazey’s pulse quickened. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find there, but she knew she had to go.
She made her way over to the fire station. She realized she hadn’t even checked to see if McKenna would be working that day. Hopefully if she was, it wouldn’t be an intrusion that she would be coming to see her. She was so focused on her own feelings she didn’t even stop to think if McKenna even wanted to see her.
It was too late for that. She was already driving herself over to the station. If McKenna wasn’t there, that meant that it wasn’t meant for them to see each other, she thought to herself. When she arrived, she parked and gave herself a minute to compose herself.