Breaking Fire Code

by Debra Kayn

  “I have all the faith in the world that you’ll succeed.” He leaned over and captured her lips.

  “Mm...” She closed her eyes and let his lips soften hers. “Thank you...for everything. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to face my dad by myself. It was nice of you to stick up for me.”

  “Woof.”

  Buster nosed his way between Gregg’s legs and gazed up at him. Amber giggled.

  Gregg scratched Buster’s ears. “Does it look like he’s smiling at me?”

  “Yep.” Amber clapped her hand on her thigh. “Come here, Buster Boy. Give us a hug.”

  “Woof.” He pounced on top of them and licked Amber’s cheek.

  “Oh, I love you too.” She threw her arms around his neck. “You are a special dog, huh?”

  Gregg chuckled.

  “What’s so funny? Do you want a doggy kiss too?” She cupped Buster’s head and turned the big open mouth and drooling tongue toward Gregg. “I swear this dog can understand English. We just need to figure out what his barks mean.”

  “You want your parents’ approval, but I think you should concentrate on people who recognize you for the talented person you are...like Buster.” He leaned back away from the drool coming out of Buster’s mouth. “I think he accepts and loves you already.”

  “I love him too.” She gave the dog one more hug, then snapped her fingers and commanded him to sit on the floor. “We’d better go finish the dog run. I have a new puppy coming tomorrow that passed the behavioral test last week. It’ll be nice if I can separate the bigger dogs from the puppy if things get too rowdy between them during the day.”

  Gregg stood up. “You heard the boss, Buster. Let’s get moving. We’ve got a job to do.”

  Chapter Eight

  The squeal of the wagon wheels set the pace for Amber’s walk downtown. Thump, squeak, thump, squeak, and on it went over each little crack in the concrete sidewalk. The dogs seemed content to ignore the rattling contraption she’d found in her aunt’s shed, and Cleo lay inside her carrier licking her paws, apparently enjoying the vibrations.

  Amber stopped and stepped back to peer into the other cage. She slipped a small milk bone through the wires. Shadow, a three-month-old miniature pinscher, peered out at her shyly. The new puppy would be coming on a biweekly schedule from now on.

  “Oh my goodness, look at the doggies, Matt," a woman said.

  Amber straightened, noticed the mother and child, and tightened her hold on Buster and Max’s leashes. She clicked her tongue, and then smiled as the dogs sat. “If you’d like, he can come and pet them. They’re very friendly and well behaved.”

  The little boy nodded and stepped closer. She kneeled down beside the animals and shortened the slack on their restraints to make sure the dogs minded their manners.

  “Let them smell the top of your hand.” She demonstrated. “Sometimes animals can be shy, like people, and this helps them know that you want to be their friend.” Buster licked the boy. “See! They like you.”

  “I want a dog, but my mom says we have to wait until we move.” The boy squatted down and let Buster lick farther up his arm. “That tickles. His tongue is all wet.”

  “We live in an apartment.” The mother shook her head and mouthed No Pets.

  “Can we walk with you? Can I hold the leash? Can the dogs run superfast? Can—”

  “Matthew! Slow down. You can’t invite yourself. Remember, I told you to wait until someone answers the first question before hammering more at them.” The mother shrugged and turned to Amber. “I’m sorry. I’m hoping he passes through this stage of twenty questions sooner rather than later. I think I hear him asking me questions in my sleep.” She laughed. “I’m so sleep deprived, I probably answer him too.”

  “I don’t mind answering them.” Amber smiled. “I’m walking down to the fire department. If you two are going in that direction, you’re free to join me.”

  “Sure, I’d like that. Matt, you may walk on the other side of Amber, but give the dogs enough room to walk, okay?” The woman raised her eyebrows and waited.

  “Yes, Mom.” He scooted back a couple feet.

  “I’m Amber Bailey, by the way.”

  “Kristy Duncan.” She shook Amber’s hand. “It’s nice to meet someone around my own age. We’ve lived here six months, and besides a handful of older women at the laundromat, I haven’t had the time to find my own social network between taking care of Matt and working nights.”

  “I know what you mean. I’ve only been here a couple of months, and I think I’ve mostly made enemies.” Amber laughed. “That sounds terrible, doesn’t it? I don’t mean it, really.”

  “It sounds like an interesting story. You seem nice enough. Why would you think other people dislike you?” Kristy peeked around Amber at Matt. “Go slower Matt, you’ll fall.”

  “I run a pet daycare for people who work during the day and don’t want to leave their pets home alone for hours at a time.” She inhaled and shrugged. “I guess my neighbors don’t like the fact that I have dogs. It’s either that, or they didn’t like my aunt, and for some reason, I’m treated like an unwanted bedbug.”

  “Have you gone out of your way to meet them?” Kristy shook her head and frowned. “I know sometimes it’s hard to fit in when the town is so cliquish. They all get set in their ways, and it takes a while for someone new to break through the inner circle. I’ve always lived in small towns, so it hasn’t really bothered me.” She shrugged. “They’ll accept me eventually.”

  “I haven’t had time to, really.” Amber rolled her eyes. “Maybe part of the blame does lie on my shoulders. I’ve been so busy advertising and fixing the house up, I should also make time to learn more about the people.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Kristy motioned Matt to her side.

  Amber slowed down and let the young boy pass in front of her. “Thanks. I’m glad I got to meet you. Don’t worry, I normally don’t talk through my problems with people I just meet.” She shook her head. “I’ll work on my presentation before putting my new plan to work.”

  “You did fine, and I did ask.” Kristy stopped. “This is our street.” She smiled. “I hope I see you again, this has been nice. For once, I didn’t have to talk about Pokémon and recite math facts."

  Amber laughed and reached out with one arm to hug the other woman. “You have no idea how nice it is to hear you say that. I haven’t relaxed around anyone for a while, well except for my boyfriend, and... Hey, you want to come over some time? Matt can play with the animals while we sit and talk.”

  “Now you’ve made my day!” Kristy nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “Wait a sec, and I’ll get you one of my business cards. You can come any time.” She stepped over to the wagon, rifled through her purse, and extracted one of her cards. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks, and we’ll definitely come over.” She waved. “Say thank you, Matt.”

  “Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie. See you soon.” Amber waved, turned the dogs, and picked up the handle on the wagon. “All right crew, let’s go run our errand, and then it’s back to the house to check on Ditto.”

  Now if only she could find a few more people who were friendly like Kristy. She turned the corner and hurried her steps. The fire engine sat out in the front of the building, and it looked like the firemen were getting ready to wash it.

  “Hey, Chief, the woman from the tree is here.”

  Amber ducked her head and groaned. They’d always think of her as the crazy woman who climbed trees and burned doggy biscuits, not the sexy girlfriend of the chief or the animal daycare lady.

  Gregg walked around the front of the fire engine. “Hey, Amber. This is a surprise. You’ve got the whole gang with you.” He leaned over and stole a kiss, then scratched Buster’s head. “How you doing, buddy?”

  “Woof.” Buster’s tail wagged.

  Amber smiled up at him. “It’s our take-an-afternoon-stroll time, and I though
t you”—she peered around at the other firemen who stood around eyeing them—”and the guys might enjoy some brownies. I managed not to burn them and they’re perfectly edible.”

  One shirtless firefighter dipped a sponge into the soapy bucket at his feet. “You got a winner there, Chief.”

  “Brownies. I’m starving.” The guy holding the hose shut the water off.

  Amber moved over to the wagon, turned her back to the men, and bent over to uncover the pan of brownies. A catcall of the male kind came from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and caught Gregg throwing the soaking wet sponge he carried at one of the firemen.

  Ha! Not the silly woman in the tree now, am I? She handed the goodies over to Gregg. “Here you go. You can toss the pan; it’s one of those aluminum throwaways.”

  Gregg lifted the foil off the corner, reached in, and brought out a brownie. He took a bite, closed his eyes, and groaned. She bit down on her lip and her stomach fluttered. He wore the same expression the other night at her house after making love to her for their third, or was it the fourth, time?

  “Aw, these are good, sweetheart.” He licked his lips, gave her another kiss, and hurried to take another bite. “I don’t know the last time I had a brownie.”

  Buster yipped, sat down on his haunches, and put his front paws in the air. Amber dug in her pocket and flipped him one of Shadow’s treats.

  “I better get these guys back home and check on Ditto. He was sleeping when I left, but I wouldn’t be a good pet sitter if I left him too long.” She motioned at the truck. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, just thought you might like a snack.”

  He handed over the rest of the brownies to his men. Amber stepped over and stretched up for a kiss.

  “Are you still coming over to my place after I get off work?” Gregg stole another kiss and stepped back.

  “Better believe it. Eight o’clock okay? I have a surprise for you.”

  He cocked his brow. “What have you got planned?”

  “You’ll see.” She winked and led all the animals back onto the sidewalk grinning. Not quite ready to leave him, she turned around. “Hey, Gregg!”

  He stepped away from the fire truck and shielded his eyes against the sun with his hand. “Yeah?”

  “You gonna say yes when I see you?”

  He glanced over at the other firemen before turning back around to her. He nodded and grinned. “Oh, hell yes.”

  Amber laughed and skipped a step in her amusement. “Good answer, Chief.”

  With all the dogs probably eager to get a drink and Amber anxiously rushing to plan for tonight, the distance back to the house seemed shorter than their walk to the fire station. She passed a couple of people she didn’t recognize. Smiling, she gave a little wave. “Hello.”

  They merely nodded and kept going about their walk. She leaned over and patted Buster, as if consoling him over other people’s rudeness would make her feel better.

  Despite finding all the newspaper articles in Aunt Grace’s home stating what a close-knit community Port View was, Amber didn’t understand the hype. She quickened her steps. At least she had Gregg, and now Kristy.

  ***

  The radio in the car blared over the sniffles plaguing Amber on her way to Gregg's house. She thumped her forehead against the steering wheel. She couldn’t believe when she got home from her walk earlier that Robert, her dad's secretary, was there to meet her with papers to sell the house.

  Wasn’t it good enough she was supporting herself, and seeing after every little detail of her business by herself, did he have to keep showing her how little he believed in her? When would the disapproval stop?

  Amber swiped the tears off her cheeks, pulled the emergency brake, and shut off the engine. She searched with one hand for a tissue in her purse. The only thing she found was an old receipt from the grocery store. She tossed it on the floor.

  Leaning forward, she peered into the rearview mirror and groaned. Her waterproof mascara was obviously not tear proof. She swiped her cheeks with the back of her wrist, inhaled a deep breath, held it, and slowly let the air out. Pull it together Amber, you don’t want Gregg to think you still need mommy and daddy’s approval.

  She scooped up the bag of goodies she planned to surprise Gregg with and climbed out of the car. If she was lucky, he wouldn’t notice the smudged makeup.

  She wanted to soak up the hope and contentment she found around him. Once she calmed down and could think rationally, she’d come up with an answer. She had to. She still didn’t have enough money to pay the contractor she’d talked to about fixing the house to code, and no way would she run back to her parents asking for their help.

  Amber headed toward the front door of Gregg’s place, but stopped as Gregg yelled out from the back of the house. She changed directions and hurried along the side path into the backyard. Soon his arms would be around her, and she could show him the cute little outfit she bought for tonight.

  Smiling, Gregg sat in a lounge chair with his formal uniform on. She whistled, tossed her things in the empty chair, and hurried over to give him a kiss. “Look at you.” She ran her hands down the shoulders of his suit coat. “Stand up, let me see. I’ve only seen you in turnouts.”

  Standing back, she studied the crisp pleat at the front of his navy slacks, the pins on his coat lapels, and the shiny brass badge pinned over his heart. Port View Fire Dist. 1, Fire Chief, Gregg McKee.

  With his hair slicked back and his cheeks shaved smooth, he had a professional edge that did funny things to her stomach. “I thought you looked hot in your firefighter gear, but this?” She shook her head. “God, you’re sexy.”

  “What’s wrong? Why have you been crying?” He ran his finger over her cheek and frowned. “Did something happen?”

  She nodded and glanced away. “Bad news, but I’m okay now.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” He stepped over, and motioned for her to sit in the chair. “Here...talk to me.”

  “It’s really nothing. Or, at least I hope it isn’t. I’m just worried.” She leaned back, crossed her legs, and sighed. “Oh God Gregg, sometimes I just wish I had a normal family. Maybe if my dad had been a...a teacher, he’d be busting his buttons telling everyone he knows that he’s proud of what I’m doing with my life.” Swallowing, she blinked longer than normal to stop the deluge of tears that fought their way to the surface. “Why is it that no matter how old we are, we want our parent’s approval?”

  “But you don’t need it anymore. Don’t you see, Amber?” Gregg’s eyes softened. “You have people around you who care. I’m not saying forget about your parents, but hold those that support you, encourage you closer and shrug off those who don’t.”

  “I don’t have that here, Gregg.” She crossed her arms. “I want to feel like I’ve found my spot in the world. And, honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to stay in Port View much longer.”

  “What are you talking about? I thought you said your aunt gave you the house?” He pulled up the hem of his slacks and squatted down in front of her chair. “I’m not understanding all this, sweetheart. You’ll have to tell me more than that. You can’t just leave—”

  A three-toned alarm blared over the pager fastened to Gregg’s hip. He removed it and gazed down at the screen. His face pulled into a frown. “Dammit.” He turned toward the house. “I’ve got an emergency. We have two guys out on vacation. I told them I’d be on call tonight.” He opened the sliding door. “Come in. Don’t leave. I want to talk to you when I get back.”

  “OK. I’ll stay.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “Don’t they have someone else who can go?”

  “I’m the Chief and I’m on call. I have to go.” He disappeared into the house.

  Amber gathered her things and followed him inside. She stood back and picked up the suit he peeled off and threw haphazardly across the living room on his way to the garage door. Her heart beat extra fast. She didn’t know what kind of call warranted such speed, but she h
oped it wasn’t anything serious.

  Gregg pulled on a T-shirt and sweatpants he kept folded beside his turnouts. He kept the fire retardant coveralls turned down over his boots and only had to step in, pull the suspenders over his shoulders, and he was fully dressed. He grabbed his coat and helmet, opened the door, and turned around.

  “I want you here when I get back.”

  “But Gregg...” She reached for him.

  Possible two-alarm fire on block twenty-three... Gregg removed the pager. “I have to go.”

  She nodded at the empty room and gazed down at the uniform she’d admired on him only seconds ago. Her stomach constricted. Oh God. Please be safe and hurry back.

  Picking up his suit coat, she hugged it to her chest and inhaled deeply through her nose. A tingle swept through her. The woodsy scent of Gregg’s cologne clung to the material. She sat down on the couch. Her thumb rubbed the cool metal of the badge. She had to do something. She couldn’t lose Gregg, and she was running out of time.

  Chapter Nine

  “Gregg?”

  He grabbed the towel hanging over the glass shower door, wiped his face off, and opened his eyes. Peeking out of the shower, he smiled at Amber standing in the bathroom. “Hey. I didn’t think you heard me come in. You were sleeping so hard, I thought I’d get cleaned up before I woke you.”

  “Did you just get home? I tried staying awake, but...” She stretched her arms above her head. The way Gregg gazed down at her breasts woke her up. “Do you think there’s room in there for me?”

  “Yeah.” He slid the door open farther. “Jump in, it’s nice and warm.”

  Amber peeled off her T-shirt, dropped her panties, and stepped into the shower. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek on his bare chest. She sighed and wiggled closer. His arousal pressed against her, and for the first time today, she got what she wanted.

  “Make love to me. Here. Right now.” She tilted her head. “I need you.”