Breaking Fire Code

by Debra Kayn

  “I know.” Kristy giggled. “Before you know it, you’ll be invited to every Tupperware party on the block.”

  “I’ve never gone to a Tupperware party. It sounds fun.” Amber grinned.

  Kristy shook her head. “You, my friend, have been deprived of a true female bonding ritual. There’s nothing like going gaga over the new shade of plastic for the year with others to make you feel special.”

  “Okay, now you’re just making fun of me.” Amber laughed. “Just for that, I’ll make them invite you too. We can buy matching soup containers.”

  Kristy gasped and laid her hand on her chest in mock delight. “How did you know that was on my bucket list?”

  “Don’t thank me. That’s what friends do.” Amber gazed up the street. “You ready to go?”

  “Go. Go.” Ditto squawked and bobbed his head.

  “Yep, the bird knows it’s time.” Amber pushed the piece of millet spray closer to Ditto’s perch. “I hope the dogs behave. I’ve walked them the last three days, twice a day, in hopes that they recognize everything and are on their best behavior.” She gazed down at the dogs. “Shadow is even walking with the big dogs now, so that means something, right?”

  “Sure does. You’ve got it all covered, girlfriend.” Kristy shielded her eyes and peered over at the house. “Matt! Don’t get dirty.”

  “OK, everything is set. I’ll go grab the treats.” Amber jogged toward the door stopping for a second to lean down and kiss Matt’s cheek before jumping the steps. She grabbed the container off the chair in the entryway, closed the door, and strolled back out to the wagon.

  “I’m glad I splurged on the new wagon. I should have waited, but this one is nice and quiet.” Amber set the goodies in the back and took her place at the handle. “Ready, guys?”

  “Yes!” Matt punched the air. “Let’s go make friends.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Amber grinned. “Let’s start three blocks out and work our way back to the house. I think that will be easier.” She leaned closer to Kristy. “We’ll leave the closest and hardest-to-convince neighbors for last.”

  “Gotcha.”

  With her new best friend flanking her on one side and Matt on the other side away from the roadway, Amber pulled the wagon holding Ditto and Cleo with one hand and led Buster, Max, and Shadow with the other.

  “Amber wait!”

  She turned around and found Betsy, Gregg's mom, hurrying down the sidewalk toward her. She waved. “Is everything okay?”

  The older woman slowed down and came to a stop. “Whew! I’m out of shape.” She smiled at Kristy and the animals. “Everything is perfect. I just dropped off Gregg’s uniform shirt that he wanted me to sew the new patches on, and he told me what your plans were for the day. I wanted to come over here and wish you luck.”

  Amber stepped over and gave her a big hug. “Oh Betsy, that means the world to me. It also helps to know I have people standing behind me who support what I’m doing. I think once the neighbors see the animals and know that they won’t be a nuisance, they’ll see I’m not such a bad person.”

  “You better believe it. Gregg talks so much about you that I can’t help falling in love with you myself.” Betsy reached down and patted Buster. “Let me guess—this is the talking dog? Oh, you are a handsome guy.”

  Amber laughed. “Yep, that’s the notorious Buster.” She motioned Kristy closer. “This is Kristy and her son Matt. They are going to help me today.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” Betsy ruffled Matt’s hair.

  Kristy grabbed Matt’s arm when he moved to sit on the sidewalk. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

  “Well, I don’t want to keep you.” Betsy straightened up. “You go convince those neighbors to give you a chance. We’re all pulling for you.”

  “Thank you, Betsy.” She reached out and squeezed her hand.

  “Oh, did Gregg ask you about Sunday dinner? Sam and his family are coming over too. I would love if you came with Gregg.” Betsy nodded.

  “We’re planning on it. Do you want me to bring anything?” She stepped back and picked up the wagon handle.

  “No. I’ve got everything in order.” Betsy waved over her shoulder. “Good luck girls.”

  She watched Gregg’s mother climb into her car, and then turned to get their little parade moving again. “OK guys. Let’s win over the neighbors.”

  The sunshine warmed their shoulders, but the slight breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean provided enough relief that the walk felt more refreshing than burdensome. “OK, here we go.” She glanced down at the dogs. “I swear if you don’t bark, and you do something cute like shake hands or tap dance, I’ll buy you the biggest T-bone steak you ever saw.”

  Standing at the front door of a rambling brick house, Amber knocked. “Sit.” The dogs sat at attention, except for Shadow who sniffed the flowerpot on the porch.

  The door inched open, and a fortyish petite woman stepped out with her brows raised. “Yes?”

  “Hello. I’m Amber Bailey. I live over on Oak Street. I wanted to introduce myself. I moved to Port View recently and opened a pet daycare.” She smiled. “I thought it would be nice to get to know my neighbors, and if you have any questions about how the daycare is run, I could alleviate some of your concerns.”

  The woman glanced down and smiled. Matt sat on the porch cradling Shadow in his arms and baby-talking to the young pup. Yes! You go Matt.

  “I remember my husband mentioning it.” She folded her arms. “I know he was concerned about the smell and the barking that could go on all night.” She laughed. “But how he could manage to hear anything over his snoring, I don’t know.”

  Amber grinned. “One of the things I’d like to convey is that none of the pets will be staying overnight. I’ve already informed all the owners that if they need me to cover their vacations, I will return the animal to their home in the evening, see to their comfort, and return in the morning to pick them up.”

  She bent down and scratched behind Buster’s ear. “I also pick up after each animal, seal the waste, and dispose of it properly every evening.” Stepping back, she let the homeowner view the animals. “These are the animals I care for now, and I’d like to add a few more, but only if all the animals behave and get along well with each other. I put each animal through a battery of behavioral tests to make sure they are not a danger to any person or other animal.”

  The woman stuck her hand out and Max sniffed. Amber let out the breath she’d held all morning. “You can pet the animals. They are all very well trained and obedient.”

  “I see that. They’re beautiful animals.” She motioned behind her. “We have a bassett hound, but he rarely gets up from the floor by our bed.” She laughed, but quickly sobered. “You’re one of Grace’s relatives?”

  “Yes, her niece.” Amber removed a biscuit from her pocket and snuck it to Buster who shifted from her side.

  “I see.” The woman dropped the subject and moved over to check out Ditto. “Pretty bird.”

  “Pretty. Pretty lady.”

  Amber smiled to hear the woman’s giggle. Thank you Ditto.

  They spent the next five minutes letting the woman pet the animals. Even Shadow barked a hello. Her hand tightened on the leash to keep from throwing her arms around the dogs. Hope built up inside her. She could do this. Everyone would see that bringing a new business to Port View would help everyone in town, not just her.

  Strolling down the sidewalk to the next house, Kristy reached over and squeezed Amber’s shoulder. “It’s working.”

  “Let’s hope my good luck continues and all hell doesn’t break loose.” Amber grinned back. “Oh God, this just might work. You better start saving your money, cause we’re going to have to buy a lot of Tupperware.”

  She gazed back over her shoulder at the house, then turned to Kristy. “Was it my imagination, or does my aunt’s name cause a weird reaction in people around here?” She shrugged. “I don’t know why. The few people who’ve
confessed to knowing her said she seemed to do a lot of good around here.”

  ***

  Gregg sat with his head cradled in his hands staring down at the paperwork. He scanned the list of upgrades needed on Amber’s house, and nodded. He’d have no problems purchasing the items, and he was sure he’d be able to install them on one of his days off.

  He stood up, walked into the kitchen, and grabbed the aspirin bottle. The fax with the instructions Amber was given by the building zone department was sent to him last night by Mr. Bailey. How her dad ended up having them was a mystery, and the reason why Mr. Bailey would send the papers to him perplexed him, but he was grateful to finally find out what had been bothering Amber.

  The cost alone probably worried her. She was operating on little profits this soon after starting her business, but now he could help her. He chugged back a glass of water, swallowing two pills, and coughed. Guilt gave him a pounding headache. He hoped after he bought the supplies, Amber would be hard pressed to tell him no. He wiped his mouth. She was such an independent person, but after convincing her the other night about how they were a team, she’d understand. He wasn’t her father.

  Bang. A knock came from the door.

  “Gregg?”

  The doorbell rang. Bang. Bang.

  “Gregg!”

  Setting the glass down on the counter, he jogged to the door. His heartbeat sped up. Amber.

  He opened the door and Amber jumped into his arms. He closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma in her hair. Relief flooded through him at seeing she was alright, and he squeezed her tight.

  “God Gregg, you should have been there. It was incredible. Everyone fell in love with the animals—well, except at two houses where no one answered the door. No one said anything negative, and I think I convinced everyone that I’m an asset to the neighborhood, and the pets wouldn’t be a bother to their peaceful lifestyles.” She gave him back an extra firm hug. “I just have the best feeling that it’s okay now. They’ll give me a chance to fit in.”

  Jumping down, she paced back and forth in front of him. “And the dogs! You should have seen them. Buster, wonderful slobber-puss that he is, only barked three times. Once when Mr. Corland”—she raised her brows—”your old teacher, remember? He told Buster to speak and he did. He’s a sweet man. I thought he didn’t like me that day out on the beach...you remember that?” She fluttered her hands. “It doesn’t matter. He got one look at Buster, and tears came to his eyes. He said he’d had a dog growing up that looked just like Buster.” She laughed and shook her head. “Even my neighbors on both sides welcomed me into their homes with the animals. They actually listened to my dreams for the pet daycare. Mrs. Parker, the scariest of them all—who I thought hated my guts— even confessed to calling the fire department both times you came to the house. She was afraid I was one of Aunt Grace's stuffy relatives who’d turned their back on her. When I explained how I never met the woman, she apologized for causing me more problems. She said she was just afraid of someone moving in who would cause problems in the neighborhood. She’s actually quite nice.”

  Gregg stood in complete awe. He’d never seen her so animated or talkative. He wasn’t even sure he was following the conversation. Amber was radiant, and he loved seeing her so happy.

  “Oh Gregg, it was the best day. The community accepts me.” She hugged him around the waist. “I know that’s hard to understand, because I’ve only been here for two months, but it all came together today.”

  “That’s wonderful, sweetheart.” He rubbed her back. “I had no doubt your neighbors would fall in love with you. How could they not?” Leaning down, he gave her a kiss. “You’re endearing—a real people and animal person.”

  He felt the excitement rolling off her after her major win today. He slid his hands down her sides and pulled her closer. Her fingers were everywhere, groping, tugging, and clutching his arms. He groaned and held her as she showed him how happy her success made her.

  “Damn. Maybe you should get together with your neighbors every day.” He chuckled. “I like it.”

  She tossed her hair and laughed. “There are benefits, mister. I couldn’t have done it all without your support. It was important that I do this myself. Thank you for stepping back and letting me do this my way.” Moving out of his arms, she glanced over into the dining room. “Oh shoot. You’re working.” Amber stepped toward the table.

  “No.” He grabbed her arm and hauled her back in for a hug. He couldn’t tell her the truth about what he was working on after she’d had such a triumphant day. His surprise could wait. Today was all about her. “In fact, let’s go celebrate your success. Do you feel like walking about a mile down the beach? There’s a great little place down the coastline that serves the best ice cream. I’ll even buy you a burger.”

  She laughed. “Sounds fabulous. I’m so wound up with excitement. The walk will do me good.”

  “Great. Why don’t you grab a couple of sweatshirts out of the middle drawer in the bedroom?” He moved toward the table. “It gets chilly by the water at night.”

  “Okay.” She practically bounced down the hall.

  He scrambled to shuffle all the paperwork into a pile and stuffed his shopping list into an envelope. He laid the papers on the top of his duffle bag and zipped it closed. A twinge of guilt niggled in the back of his mind. She’d never see his decision to help her out as part of loving someone.

  The deadline was still four weeks away. He kicked the bag further away from the door. He’d buy the items and wait. He could always return them and get his money back if she succeeded in saving enough money herself, but there was no way in hell he’d take the chance of her losing everything she’d worked so hard for.

  Chapter Twelve

  The dogs jumped up from their spot on the floor below Ditto’s cage and rushed to the front door, barking. Amber set Cleo up on the back of the couch and hurried to see who was coming. With the way the dogs acted, they served as doorbell, greeter, and security. If you could call security getting licked to death.

  “Sit. Stay.” She waited for the dogs to sit, and then opened the door.

  A tall slender man carrying a briefcase marched up to the house. She smiled. Maybe another person wanted to set up an interview. She could always take care of one more pet.

  She squeezed out the door and shut the screen door to keep the animals inside. “Hello.”

  “Ms. Bailey?” He stopped in front of her.

  “Yes. I’m Amber Bailey.”

  “I’m the building inspector of Port View, and I’ve come to verify that you have working smoke alarms in each bedroom. I’m following up on a report received fourteen days ago from the fire department stating you had no working alarms in your place of business while having an emergency call at this residence.”

  Amber rubbed her forehead. “I haven’t bought them yet. I was going to buy them when I was able to afford the contractor to come over and fix all the other things at the same time."

  The man tsked. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to post a shutdown notice for non-compliance to take effect immediately.” He opened his case and handed over a piece of paper. “If you could sign this for me while I post notice that your business, Bailey’s Pet Daycare, is here by unable to open until further notice, I’d appreciate it.”

  Clutching the paper in her hand, she stared at the man tearing off the protective paper on the back of an orange form. She scooted over when he stepped up and pressed the paper to the glass on the screen door.

  “W-What do you mean?” She held up her arm. “I still have a whole month to complete the requirements. I can get the alarms today. If you can wait, I’ll go get them, and you can see for yourself that I received a three month extension when I applied for my business license to update everything else.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but there’s been a report turned in from emergency services stating the fire department was called to your business, and at that time, you were in violation of ha
ving no working smoke detectors, and a fire extinguisher was not available.”

  Gregg turned her in? She stared at the pen the man held out to her. Gregg told her he had to report her lack of alarms, but she didn't think it would override the 90-days extension they'd granted her. He'd offered to bring her the alarms but she wouldn't let him and promised to do it all herself. He didn't tell her she'd get in trouble. She had one more month before everything had to be done.

  One of the dogs barked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She took the pen, scribbled her name where the man pointed, and handed it back. “W-what do I do? I can’t just stop taking care of the animals. I have contracts, and their owners are expecting me to do my job.”

  “They will have to leave the premises immediately. I'm sorry.” He clicked his briefcase closed and marched across the yard back to the sidewalk.

  She shushed the dogs, and went back inside. Had Gregg known this was going to happen and didn’t say anything? She tossed the paper on the desk and sat down in the chair. Buster laid his head on her thigh, and she rubbed the top of his head.

  “What am I going to do, Buster?” She leaned over and hugged him around the neck. “I’m such a loser."

  Buster whined.

  “I know. I’m sad too. Most of all, I’m sorry that I failed you...all of you.” She picked up the phone and pushed speed dial three for Buster’s owner.

  ***

  “Amber, open up! I need to talk with you.”

  Amber groaned, pulled herself up from the couch where she had been sleeping, and walked over to the door. She stayed behind the locked screen. “What Gregg? I told you over the phone that everything I’ve wanted has fallen apart. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

  “Dammit, yes there is.” Gregg pointed behind him. “I’ve already begun to put the new gate up; I have all the supplies ready to bring your house up to code. The sprinkler system, the alarms...even the damn light switches. I can help you finalize the papers so you can get your business license signed off. It’s not over. You’ll get your animals back and be open before you know it.”