SCOTT SAT AT the kitchen table in the Starlight Point fire station. The early morning light streamed in the solitary window and illuminated the fact that everything in the kitchen was a shade of brown. The countertops, cabinets, floors and laminate-topped table were all at least forty years old. Chief Harlan poured them both a cup of coffee and pulled out the chair across from Scott.
“I heard you have the plans for the hotel project locked up in your office,” he said. “Still.”
“It’s only been twelve days,” Scott said.
“Not that anyone’s counting.”
“I’m sure Evie is counting.”
“So why the delay?” Link asked.
Scott drank his coffee and weighed his words. “Have you ever had to review a site plan for a new construction project? Calculate the size of the water mains necessary for the fire-suppression systems? Measure the width of access and fire lanes?”
“I’ve seen quite a few things in my career,” Link said.
Scott stared at his coffee and waited the chief out. Link Harlan was his elder by thirty years and Scott respected the man. What if I ask his advice about the project?
“But I never had to do a review like this, exactly,” the chief admitted. “It’s a big responsibility. But it’s your job. A job I heard you jumped at when Marty retired.”
“It’s a job I don’t take lightly,” Scott said.
“Didn’t say you were.”
“And a mistake on my part could cost someone’s life one day.”
The fire and police band radio buzzed with talk about a gate left unlocked overnight and a guest with a dead battery in the hotel parking lot. Scott and the chief sat silently, listening.
“So you’ve looked at the plans?” Harlan said.
Scott nodded.
“What do you think so far?”
“Evie has a good construction super. Plans follow the code right down to the inch.”
Harlan sat back in his chair and smiled. “Good.”
How much do I say?
“I think the plans for the tear-downs and totally new construction won’t be a problem,” Scott said. “The rules for new builds are cut and dried.”
“But?”
“Did you know Evie plans to renovate the old part of the hotel? The rotunda and two of the original wings?”
“I’d heard about it,” the chief said. “Probably saves a lot of money and keeps the historic status of that part of the building.”
“So you did know about this.”
“Know about what? It’s no secret. Everybody knows the hotel’s on the national register of historic places. There’s a big bronze plaque on the beach in front of it. Of course she wants to respect the history of the place.”
“Not what I mean,” Scott grumbled.
“So what do you mean?”
“You knew she meant to use the historic status of that old fire hazard to avoid bringing it up to code.”
“Maybe she has another reason for renovating the old part,” Chief Harlan protested. “Like nostalgia. Or not throwing out the baby with the bathwater.”
“I didn’t see nostalgia evident in her marina project. And she doesn’t seem to mind tearing down at least two of the wings.”
“Not following where you’re going.”
“State fire code,” Scott said. “Old hotels are not required to have sprinklers in every room. If you do a substantial renovation, you have to follow the law for newer buildings. I’m saying Evie is staying just on the edge of that line.”
“So what if she is? It probably saves a lot of money and effort. Maybe she wants to spend that money and time somewhere else.”
“So guests in the new wings will be safer than guests in the old wings,” Scott said. “Maybe they should add that to the brochure for the hotel. Lakeview wings in the front come with an added thrill—potential death by fire.”
The chief stood. “If you’re accusing Evie of doing something shady, you might want to keep your opinions to yourself. As long as you’re working here.”
The dispatcher’s voice came over the radio on the table. “Dispatch to SP Fire. Back injury, Last Chance Bakery.”
Scott glanced at the wall clock. “Must be an employee this early.”
“Let’s drive the ambulance,” Chief Harlan suggested. “If it’s a back injury, I don’t think whoever it is will want to ride in the scooter. Park doesn’t open for two hours yet.”
Only the two of them were on duty until then. Scott was sorry he’d started a quarrel with the chief about the hotel plans. He should have kept his opinions to himself until he was ready to approve or reject the proposal.
They drove the ambulance through the gate nearest the Wonderful West, past the Gold Mine roller coaster and across the train tracks. As they approached the Last Chance Bakery, the first thing Scott noticed was a baby blue sedan parked in front of it. His chest tightened. What is Evie doing here this early? Is she the injured person?
He shot out of the ambulance as soon as the chief parked it and crossed the front porch of the western-themed bakery. There was no one in the front of the shop, even though it already smelled like cookies and doughnuts.
“Back here,” someone called from the work area in the rear. Scott recognized Evie’s voice, but it sounded strained. It only took him three long steps to get to the swinging door separating the two areas. Augusta Hamilton, hugely pregnant, sat on a chair with one hand supporting her back. Evie knelt next to her, lines of worry wrinkling her forehead. There was something different about Evie this morning… What was it?
“What happened?” Scott asked, relieved Evie wasn’t the one injured, but a glance at Augusta’s face told him this was serious. He leaned down, picked up Augusta’s wrist and felt her racing pulse. Chief Harlan swung through the doors behind him.
“I came in early as usual to get the ovens going,” Augusta said. She stopped and seemed to hold her breath for a moment as if she were in great pain. She clutched her apron with her free hand and wrinkled the fabric mercilessly. Scott glanced back at the chief, whose expression was somewhere between “uh-oh” and “holy smoke.” This was Jack Hamilton’s wife. They treated every employee and guest injury with great care, but this was kid-gloves territory.
Augusta drew breath. “Slipped on something. Fell to my knees.”
“Did you hit your head?” Scott asked. “Lose consciousness?”
“No. I just…jolted myself.”
Evie moved behind Augusta and put her hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. Augusta relaxed for a moment, leaning back into the chair. She let go of her apron and smoothed the fabric. “I think I’m okay.”
“I’m not,” Evie said. “You scared me to death when you called me so early.”
Scott looked up at Evie and realized what was different. She wore a Starlight Point T-shirt. Shorts. Sneakers with no socks. No makeup, hair wild. She’d just gotten out of bed. Who fixed her car for her? When?
“I couldn’t call Jack. He’d panic. He’s probably still in bed.” Augusta grimaced. “Only one of us keeps baker’s hours.”
“That’ll change when your baby arrives,” Chief Harlan said. “When are you due?”
“Two weeks,” Augusta said.
Scott moved behind Augusta. Evie stepped aside for him but she was still close enough for his arm to brush against hers. “Can you point to where it hurts?”
Augusta shook her head. “Sort of everywhere. It’s a strange feeling.”
Scott and the chief locked eyes over Augusta’s head. The chief raised an eyebrow and Scott guessed what he was thinking. They had both seen this before.
“What time did you fall?” Scott asked.
“About six,” Augusta said.
“An hour before you called me?” Evie said.
“So,” Chief Harlan said, “you’ve been feeling like this for almost two hours now?”
Augusta nodded. “It wasn’t so bad at first.”
Scott leaned closer to Evie, his lips brushing her ear. “You need to call your brother.”
Evie frowned and her mouth parted with a question.
Augusta gasped and gripped her apron again, clenching both hands into fists. Her shoulders hunched against the pain.
“Not even five minutes apart,” the chief said.
Scott turned to Evie. “Call your brother and tell him his wife is in labor.”
Augusta shook her head. “No, it’s just… I fell and…”
The chief leaned down and put a hand on Augusta’s shoulder. “I think your fall got things started. The ambulance is right out front. When this contraction passes, we’re going to walk you out there.”
Evie got out her phone and Scott overheard her arrange for Jack to meet the ambulance at the marina gate.
“Was he panicked?” Augusta asked.
“My brother?” Evie asked. “Cool as a cucumber, of course.”
“I don’t need an ambulance,” Augusta protested.
“But Jack probably will,” Evie said.
When Augusta gave the word, Scott and the chief each took an arm and walked her slowly to the ambulance. Scott had transported women in labor before, but he’d never delivered a baby. He wondered if the chief ever had and if they’d have to deliver one today. No. First baby. These things take time. He hoped.
Evie held the shop door for them and then opened the back doors of the ambulance. Scott gave her a reassuring smile as he helped Augusta step up into the vehicle. The chief got in with her and Scott had almost shut the door when he heard Augusta call Evie’s name. He held it open so Evie could climb in.
“My shop,” Augusta said.
“I’ll run it until reinforcements arrive,” Evie said. “I got pretty good at that two summers ago.”
“Thank you,” Augusta murmured. Her face was as white as the sheets on the gurney.
“Time to go,” Harlan said.
Scott shut the doors and headed for the driver’s seat. Evie walked alongside him. “Take good care of her,” she said.
“Of course.” He noticed Evie’s pale face and the way she clutched her shaking hands in front of her. He put his own large hand over both of hers. “You take care of yourself. Augusta will be fine. Babies are born every day.”
He got in the driver’s seat and drove down the trail, trying to miss the tree roots and bumpy spots. As soon as they picked up Jack and got on smooth pavement, he planned to hit the siren and test out the horsepower under the hood.
* * *
EVIE PULLED HER hair back and put on a Starlight Point baseball cap she found in the workroom. Dug lip gloss out of her purse and applied it. She lowered doughnuts into the fryers and called Aunt Augusta to let her know what was going on. She would have called Augusta’s parents but she didn’t have their number.
Aunt Augusta was thrilled to hear the news, and also told her which summer employees would be the most helpful in an emergency. Evie found their cell numbers on a list hanging over the desk in the workroom.
She called her mother and June next to assure them both she would hold down the fort if they wanted to go to the hospital.
Now all she had to do was make doughnuts and bake cookies until help arrived. After that, she just had to run an amusement park. By herself. I can do this.
Only thirty minutes went by. Evie knew this because she’d been watching the clock wondering how Augusta was doing. They would be at the hospital by now. The ambulance was probably already back at the park. She wished she had grabbed her radio before she’d left home. If she had, she could hear the customary announcement from the firefighters when they were back on the grounds of Starlight Point.
The swinging doors of the Last Chance Bakery squeaked, but Evie didn’t see who came in. She was in the workroom, gloves on her hands as she boxed cookies in half-dozen sets. Augusta must have gotten here very early. The icing was already dry. The cutout cookies in the shape of landmarks at Starlight Point had been Augusta’s brainstorm two summers ago, and Evie had plenty of experience helping her with them. Although she had mostly done the accounts and ordering for Augusta’s three bakeries at the point, she had pitched in with the baking and decorating as needed.
She put a carousel horse, Ferris wheel and four other cookies in a box while she waited for whoever had come in to find her in the workroom. Please be a bakery employee reporting early for work.
Scott Bennett strode in and leaned on the counter next to Evie. He wouldn’t be helpful with the pastries, but he had something she wanted. News.
“I thought you’d like to hear the report,” he said.
She was glad her hands were busy and no longer shaking.
“I do. Thanks for coming to tell me.” She glanced up but immediately refocused on her work. Scott had a way of unnerving her. She didn’t know if he would hug her or turn a fire hose on her. Why is he staring at me?
“Well?” she asked.
“We got her there,” he said. “In time. They wheeled her into the maternity ward and we left.”
“Did Jack pass out or anything?”
Scott chuckled. “Not that I know of.”
“There’s still time. Jack can be squeamish.”
“But not you,” Scott said. “Is that why you’re in charge of safety?”
“Part of the reason. Hold out your hand.”
Scott slanted his eyebrows but complied and opened his right hand.
Evie chose a sugar cookie shaped and iced to resemble the Lake Breeze Hotel and laid it in Scott’s palm. “Thank you for your help this morning.”
Scott looked at the cookie in his hand and then met Evie’s eyes. “Just doing my job.”
Although Evie wore an apron, her long legs were bare. She felt exposed in front of Scott without her usual professional attire. She didn’t even have her name tag on.
“When did you get your car fixed?” Scott asked.
“Two nights ago. Mel came over and put a new battery in.”
“Did he also fix the broken taillight?”
Of course that would bother Mr. Safety. He probably wishes he had the power to write me a ticket for the infraction.
“Yes,” she said, even though it would have been more fun to make him wonder. Just as she wondered if her hotel plans were anywhere close to approval.
Scott bit the cookie in half and ate a whole wing of the hotel.
“How long do you think it will be?” Evie asked.
Scott leaned on the counter and ate the rest of the cookie. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Never know with first babies.”
“I can’t imagine,” Evie said.
She continued to arrange cookies in pink boxes, wanting to stay busy. She tied string around each box and stacked them. Surrounded by food, she was too nervous to eat any of it.
“Have you had anything to eat today, Evie?”
She shook her head.
“You’ve had a stressful day and nothing to eat,” Scott said. “Bad combination. It’s supposed to be humid and over ninety degrees today. I don’t want to have to scoop you off the midway when you faint in this afternoon’s heat.”
Scott turned toward her and tapped his fingers on the countertop. She wanted to ignore him but she had just boxed the last cookie on the counter and she had no choice but to look at him. Why is he concerned about me?
“Especially since you’re going to be pulling double duty,” he added. “For at least several days.”
“I’ll try to keep my cool.” If you really want to show you care about me, you’ll approve my hotel plans so I can stay on track with the project.
She faced him and met his eyes for a moment. What makes you tick, Captain Scott Bennett?
“I’m sure you will,” Scott said. He walked out and she heard the squeaking door at the front of the shop open and close.