Page 27 of Frostbite & Mistletoe
December 17
A week later, Gabriel stood in The Hair of the Dog’s kitchen, staring at the stove hood with a sinking feeling in his gut.
His fire safety inspection of the premises before reopening had been going smoothly until now. The new sprinkler system had passed all the tests with flying colors. Each of the club’s exits were now unobstructed, and all the doors opened easily from the inside, with lighted signs installed above the doorways.
But now, his discovery threatened to derail the club’s reopening… and possibly even his relationship with Kymberlie.
The old stove, grill, and fryers Tyler and his crew had reinstalled to save money weren’t the issue. It was the ventilation hood above them.
One glance up at the hood’s interior had told Gabriel everything he needed to know—it was a simple extraction system with no fire suppression capabilities whatsoever. The smoke-stained metal and grease buildup confirmed it had been a part of this kitchen for years.
How the hell did this place ever pass inspection before?Gabriel asked himself for the hundredth time since the fire three weeks ago.
He could guess why… this wasn’t the first time he’d run across glaring examples of uneven code enforcement in the small towns scattered around the county. And the previous inspector had been a member of Kymberlie’s pack.
“Everything okay in here?” Kymberlie asked as she entered the kitchen.
Gabriel’s fists clenched. She looked so beautiful, her eyes bright with excitement about the impending reopening.
The absolute last thing he wanted was to crush her hopes. He knew how hard she’d worked to scrape up the funds to complete the renovation… and how much next week’s wedding reception booking meant to her.
But he couldn’t ignore this. Not after what had happened the last time he’d been pressured to overlook a code violation.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said, his voice slipping into his professional tone. He hated how cold it sounded, but he couldn’t help himself as the words spilled out.“This hood doesn’t have a fire suppression system. It’s ventilation-only, which violates International Fire Code, Section 609. All commercial kitchens are required to have a compliant hood and fire suppression system.”
“What?” She glared at him.“Is this some kind of sick joke, Gabriel?”
He looked away, unable to deal with the dawning horror in her expression.
“But it’s the same hood we’ve always had in this kitchen! The last inspector never said anything!” Kymberlie protested, her eyes flashing with anger and frustration.
“I can’t understand why the hell he didn’t cite you, because this hood hasneverbeen up to code!” Gabriel snapped.“The law requires a Type I hood with automatic fire suppression for the type of greasy cooking you’re doing here.”
Kymberlie flushed and looked away.“Guess the other inspector didn’t think it was such a big deal,” she muttered.
Gabriel stared at her.Fuck, this is why I always hated doing freelance inspections in small towns.
Though Granite Gap hadn’t been any different, in the end.
In any case, it wasn’t Kymberlie’s fault that the previous inspector had been fucking negligent.
Gabriel felt himself shutting down, retreating behind the professional façade that had served as his armor for years.“I’m sorry, Kymberlie, but I can’t sign off on this. Your club has failed the fire safety inspection and can’t reopen until this is fixed.”
She stared at him, the color gone from her face.“Are youkiddingme?” Her voice was edged with panic.“The Christmas Eve wedding reception isnext week!I can’t lose that booking, Gabriel.I can’t!If you shut me down again, my business won’t survive!”
His chest tightened. He wanted to take her in his arms. He wanted to fix this for her.
Maybe you could let this one thing slide, if she promises to replace the hood ASAP, a voice whispered in his head.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, hating how cold he sounded.“But I won’t compromise on safety. Not even for you.”
Kymberlie stared at him, her face now a sickly shade of greenish-white. She looked like he’d just punched her in the gut.
“So that’s it?” she asked in a monotone.“After everything… after us… you’re going to destroy everything I’ve worked for?”
Tears began flowing down her cheeks, reddening her eyes and leaving red blotches. Gabriel clenched his hands, fighting the urge to reach for her and comfort her.
This was killing him. And inside his soul, his sabertooth cat was snarling and pacing.Protect our mate!
