by Debra Kayn
Breaking Fire Code
By Debra Kayn
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Breaking Fire Code
2nd Digital release: Copyright© 2013 Debra Kayn
Previously published with Etopia Press under the title Where There's Smoke
1st Digital release: Copyright© 2010 Debra Kayn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
www.debrakayn.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Sneak Peek - Aching To Exhale by Debra Kayn
Sneak Peek – Healing Trace by Debra Kayn
Biography
Debra Kayn's books
Dedication
To my brothers Doug and Dan—the real firemen heroes in my life. You’ve put your own life on the line to save other people for years, every day. That’s huge in my book. There will be many more Yagers in the future who fight fires, help others, and support their community the way you two have, it’s in the Yager blood to do so.
To my niece Kira—you’re the calm and reasoning voice behind the emergencies as you answer 911 calls. You’ve touched people’s lives in ways you can’t even imagine by helping them stay calm, receive help, and feel like someone is listening. I’m so proud of you.
Chapter One
Amber Bailey leaned over the tree limb fifteen feet up in the old apple tree in the front yard of her house. She glanced down and groaned. Climbing this web of danger would be a lot easier if she weren’t suffering from a sprained ankle.
Reaching for the next branch above her head, she used all her upper arm strength to pull herself closer to her target. She wouldn’t even be up in this tree if it weren’t for Buster. The furry Irish setter still hadn’t calmed down after she’d spent hours working with him every day for the last week. She balanced on the branch and hugged the trunk of the tree. It was bad enough that she’d tripped over the hyperactive dog while trying to catch the other dog, Max, last week, but today’s stunt went too far.
Buster had chased Cleo, the new calico kitten, up the tree before Amber could hustle her way out the door to stop the madness. If he kept this up much longer, she’d have to expel him from pet daycare. She wasn’t sure how he even passed the behavioral test. He needed way more help than she’d thought.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” She stretched her upper body out farther along the higher branch being careful not to let her feet slip off the limb below, but the skittish kitten scooted out of her reach. “Oh please, Cleo. By the time you decide to come down, Buster and Max will do major redecorating. Be a good kitty cat and come here, sweetie.”
The sudden whirring roar of high-pitched sirens up the block set the back of the cat’s fur straight up. Amber groaned in embarrassment. Maybe if she got lucky, the firemen wouldn’t spot her camouflaged amid the foliage.
She certainly didn’t want to attract more attention. Her new neighbors already thought she’d sipped too much Jack from the bottle when she opened the pet daycare next to them. They’d scrutinized her every move. At least it was a safe place to live with the neighborhood watch they had going on.
“Here pretty Cleo. Come to Aunt Amber.” Her fingertips just barely brushed the soft white fur under the cat’s chin. “I’ll keep you save from that awful noise, and we can go back into the house where it's nice and safe.” She sidestepped along the branch, drawing herself closer to the young calico cat, and snatched her up by the scruff of the neck. “Gotcha, you adorable little minx!”
She worked her way back toward the thicker part of the branch. Cuddling the feline to the front of her chest, she became aware of the silence. She peered down.
A yard full of spectators and three firefighters stared up at her.
“Now look what you’ve done, Cleo," she muttered.
“Stay right there, ma’am. We’re bringing the ladder in. We’ll have you down in no time, just hold on tight.” One firefighter in full turnout gear held his hand up, signaling her not to move an inch.
“Sir, that’s really not necessary. I—” She gasped as Cleo’s claws poked through her shirt and gouged the sensitive skin between her breasts. “Ow, ow, ow!”
She pried one paw off at a time and turned the kitten around so she couldn’t cause more damage. "For a little thing, you sure do cause a lot of trouble," she whispered.
The limbs of the old tree below her shook. She reached out to hold onto the trunk to keep her balance. The extra motion brought a wave of dizziness.
“Almost there. Don’t move.” A big yellow helmet rose on the extension ladder, and a man underneath the hard hat popped up beside her.
Rugged in an outdoorsy way, the fireman’s five o’clock shadow and tanned skin had her desperately wishing she were anywhere else. She sighed and bit down on her lip. Great, she finally meets a hot guy and he thinks she’s too dumb to climb out of a tree.
Cleo howled and dug her little bitty claws into Amber’s wrist. She fought to keep the kitten within her grasp, scrunching her nose to hide the pain from Cleo's claws digging in her. The situation was humiliating enough without someone witnessing her losing against a cat.
“Are you hurt, ma’am?”
She shook her head, but those startling blue eyes framed in dark eyelashes proved to be her undoing. “Maybe.” She nodded. “Yes. I am, but I’ll be okay. I think.”
Real intelligent. It wasn't bad enough the fire department came to her rescue, her cat was scarring her for life, but that she'd forever remember this day as her most humiliating.
“Go ahead and pass me the cat, and I’ll carry you down the ladder.” He extended a gloved hand.
She handed him the squirming Cleo and hurried to check out her wrists where the cat had clawed her. She puckered her lips and blew across the three raised lines beaded with blood. Shit, those little wounds stung.
“Okay, your kitten is safe and secure in my coat pocket. Let’s get you down from here and back on the ground. I’m going to wrap my arm around you and pick you up.” He gazed up into her face. “I’ll need you to squat down a little, lean forward, and let yourself fall over my shoulder.”
“Upside down?” She swallowed. “I really don’t think—”
“I’m trained in rescuing beautiful women, ma’am.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “You’ll be perfectly safe.”
She sucked in her bottom lip and clamped her teeth down. Oh...my...Lord. Mr. Hero-Material could tell her to stand on the branch and flap her arms, and she’d freaking fly. “Lean toward me. It might help if you close your eyes.” He leaned...closer and wrapped one of his big, strong arms around her thighs.
Amber dove in, but instead of landing over his shoulder, she panicked at the last moment and wrapped her arms around his helmeted head and held on for dear life.
“Hang on. One, two, three.” He shifted, picked her up, and settled her over his shoulder without los
ing his foothold on the ladder.
She squeezed her eyes closed as she sailed over his shoulder, upside down, and grabbed the only thing in front of her, his butt. Despite the heavy fire-retardant material of his gear, he packed one solid body to admire. His muscles flexed from firm to rock hard as he climbed down the ladder, and matched the blood pulsing through her eardrums.
The titillating ride ended too soon, and her hero placed her on her feet. “Let me help you over to the step.” He wrapped his arm around the back of her waist. “I’ll check out your injuries and we’ll see about getting you some medical help if necessary.”
“Wait. Where’s Cleo?” She stopped and patted his coat pocket. Receiving a yowl in protest, she lifted the flap and extracted the ticked-off kitten. “This is entirely your fault, you know.”
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Not you. Her." She kissed the fur between Cleo’s ears, and then gazed up at the firefighter. “I’m so sorry. I really was perfectly capable of climbing down on my own.”
“You’re limping.” He stopped and held her elbow.
She waved her hand. “That’s last week’s injury. I’m fine. Really.”
“Are you sure? You don’t need us to call someone to check it out?” He raised his brows.
The two dogs inside the house barked and jumped at the screen door. Amber groaned. “Positive. I’ll be fine. Thank you.” She held her hand up to Buster and Max, tsked with her tongue, and they quieted down to a low whine. “Can I ask how you learned about my tree climbing adventure?”
“We received a call from a concerned citizen who spotted a woman stuck in a tree.”
“I wasn’t stuck.” Mrs. Parker. It had to be her busybody neighbor who’d called it in. Smiling, Amber offered her hand. “But thank you anyway. It was really nice of you to come to my rescue.”
He tilted his head. “You’re new in town.”
She nodded. “I’m still trying to set up my business, figure out my way around town, and organize my aunt’s belongings. This was my aunt’s place... She died...” Shut up! He doesn’t want to hear about all your troubles.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He smiled at her and those luscious lips turned up at the corners. “You know, I finish my shift tonight and planned on having a few neighbors over for a barbecue tomorrow. Would you like to come? You can meet some new people, and we can welcome you to Port View.” He stepped forward pulling off his glove and held out his hand. “I’m Chief Gregg McKee.”
“Amber Bailey.” She gazed up at him. Her arm lifted, and her stomach fluttered at the way he gently held her hand.
“It fits.” He grinned.
Her insides melted at the sight of a dimple growing on his left cheek. She cleared her throat and dragged her gaze back to his eyes. “How so?”
Chief McKee angled his head and seemed to study her. “Your hair’s purple in the sunlight. Like a glass of merlot—rich, dark, warm, with a hint of a kick behind it.”
"You know your wine," she said, smiling.
He chuckled. "A little bit."
She ducked her head and raised her hand to check if her new short hairstyle remained mess-free after her stunt in the tree. His description pleased her more than she wanted to admit. The man definitely knew the right words to make a woman feel alive.
“How about it? Feel up to a burger on the grill and a little conversation?”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Great.” He walked backward toward the street. “I’ll pick you up around three?”
She nodded.
Standing in front of the door, she gazed after the fire truck as it rumbled down the road. She inhaled deeply. The embarrassment of having the emergency crew pull her out of a tree faded behind the joy of snagging a date with the fire chief.
Chapter Two
Holding the aerosol can up in the air, Amber hurried through the house, hitting each room with a blast from the spray can. She stopped, sniffed, and smiled. The sweet scent of apples and cinnamon overpowered the aroma of musty, wet dog and litter box.
Amber returned the air freshener to the kitchen, grabbed her purse off the counter, and spied the envelope that caused last night’s sleeplessness. Pushing the reminder farther back on the counter, she planned to put all of her worries out of her mind for the rest of the day. Besides, she had almost two months left to raise the money for the building supplies to get her home up to code, thanks to the nice man in the zoning office recognizing her as the niece of Grace Bailey, and today she was only going to concentrate on having fun.
A loud roar filtered through the house from the outside. She laid her hand on her chest and stepped over to the window. Peering between the closed curtains, she laughed. Mr. Responsible, hero of the fire department, rode a souped-up Harley.
She glanced down at her outfit. Flip-flops and a skimpy sundress weren’t exactly riding clothes, but the thrill of getting on the back of a bike outweighed her decision to go change. She used to love puttering around on the second-hand Vespa she’d owned in Seattle. A bubble of excitement had her grinning. A fire chief with a touch of bad boy on the side could make today very interesting.
Chief McKee took off his helmet, set it on the seat of the bike, and ran his fingers through his hair. She bit down on her bottom lip. The tousled look definitely worked for him.
Sexy just got a new name. Gregg.
The form-fitting black T-shirt molded against a flat stomach and showed off a killer chest. She sighed. Yesterday’s glimpse of the man inside the fireman’s outfit didn’t compare to viewing him today.
Faded Levi’s hugged his long, muscular legs and screamed prime, grade A steak. Her lower stomach fluttered in womanly adoration. Oh yeah. If these were the kinds of dates she could expect, moving to Port View had been the right choice.
He strode up the walkway with his shoulders back and his head held high. Amber took a deep breath, held it, smiled, and swung open the door.
Gregg whistled under his breath. “Wow. You look great”
“Hi and thanks.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Smell good too.”
Inside, she smiled. He was smooth, she'd give him that.
He flashed a one-dimple grin. “I probably should have brought my car, but with the sun shining, I couldn’t help myself. I look for any excuse to pull the bike out of the garage. Are you okay with riding?”
“You bet.” She strolled down the walkway beside him. Her flip-flops slapped against her bare heels. “I love to ride.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back. “Excellent. I second-guessed myself after seeing you in that pretty little sundress.”
She cocked her head. “Why?”
“You know...first date and all. I wasn’t sure you’d appreciate having to ride on the bike in a dress, but I hoped the woman who scaled a tree to save a cat would be game for messing her hair up and catching some air.”
She stopped alongside the bike. “Is this the first?” Amber’s smile grew as a pleasing warmth filled her stomach. “I wasn’t sure if this classified as a date or just a friendly neighborhood barbeque.”
Gregg swung his leg over the bike and toed up the kickstand. His lips twitched as if he were fighting a grin, and the skin at the corner of his eyes wrinkled. He handed her the spare helmet before slipping on his own. “It just so happens I forgot to invite the neighbors.”
“What do you mean?” She moistened her lips, knowing nothing about the man besides where he worked, what he drove, and he liked how she smelled.
“I decided that I liked the idea of having you to myself. I’d like to get to know you better, Amber.” He cocked his left brow. "Are you okay with that, because we could go to a restaurant or someone that there will be a crowd around? You know, if you need to scream for 911."
She smiled and glanced down the road, pretending to give his question a lot of thinking. “Kind of sneaky and deceptive, but I like how you work, Chief McKee. I'd love to go out with you.”
“What day is it?” She hugged the helmet to her chest.
He grinned. “It’s a surprise. A Port View tradition you can’t miss. Now slip on the helmet and we’ll be ready to kick up the dust.” He helped her weave the strap through the D rings. Bracing the bike, he held still while she used his shoulders to climb behind him. “Keep your feet on the foot pegs, the exhaust pipe gets hot.” He glanced down at her legs before turning forward. “Hold on.”
Amber tucked the ends of her dress under her thighs, wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggled closer to his warm broad back, and leaned her head against his shoulder blades. Gregg’s off-duty persona pleased her as much as his on-duty professional persona did.
Tightening her hold, she felt adrenaline flooding her body. She smiled behind the safety shield of the helmet. Learning about this man surprised and delighted her. He wasn’t the irresponsible type she normally attracted. More shocking was the fact that he appealed to her...a lot.
He drove the bike through the streets of downtown Port View. Tingles danced deep in her lower belly. The wind caressed her body, the heat from the sun warmed her skin, and the exciting man she’d wrapped her arms around was the perfect treat for a Saturday afternoon.
Gregg slowed in front of the fire station, saluted, and received a thumbs-up from the other firefighters. Amber waved and laughed at the men washing the fire truck in front of the big opened doors. Going by the catcalls and heckling his coworkers threw at him, he’d be in for some serious teasing the next time he was on duty.
Hitting the straight stretch of county road leading out of downtown Port View, he opened the throttle and let the bike roar. She raised her head off his back, closed her eyes, and let the speed take her away to a place empty of life’s worries. A new and gorgeous man in front of her, a fun-filled day ahead, and nothing but good times lay at her destination.
