him.”
Dayne had heard the stories. Some days even Jim couldn’t beat Justin at pool. He shrugged in Katy’s direction. “Someone has to do it.”
They moved into the great room, and not until the game was tied with two balls left apiece did Dayne smell something burning. At the same time, Katy gasped and raced back into the kitchen.
Dayne saw a ribbon of smoke drifting from the direction of the stove. “Is it on fire?”
“Not yet. Hurry, Dayne,” Katy yelled. She sounded frantic. There was the sound of her rushing around the kitchen, then the crash of something dropping.
Dayne left his cue stick balanced against the table and jogged toward her as fast as he could, the boys close behind. As they rounded the corner, Dayne saw the problem. With the flame still on high, the bottom of the frozen block of ground beef had burned to a crisp, sticking firmly to the pan.
Katy was picking up the pieces of a large glass mixing bowl as Dayne reached the stove. “I was trying to dump it in this.”
“Just a minute.” Dayne rushed toward the open cupboard, grabbed another big bowl, and tried to grab the pan handle. But it was too hot. Meanwhile, the smoke was getting thicker. “The flame’s still on.” He flipped the burner to the off position and set the bowl on the counter next to the stove. “Where’re the pot holders?”
“Right.” Katy jumped up, darted around the corner of the island, and opened the first drawer. “Watch the glass!” From the stack of hot pads, she grabbed an oven mitt and tossed it to Dayne. “Here.”
He barely caught it, slipped it over his hand, and finally removed the frying pan from the stove. The lid was still in place, though it wasn’t enough to keep smoke from curling out around the edges. Using his gloved hand, he lifted the lid and set it down.
Ricky and BJ began coughing and waving their hands, trying to clear the kitchen air.
“Stay back!” Katy ushered them into the great room. As she did, Dayne heard her slide open both patio doors.
But the fresh air didn’t come fast enough. Before Dayne could thank her, the smoke alarm went off.
The siren pulsed through the house, and the boys covered their ears. Shawn made eye contact with Dayne and said above the noise, “This happened last time Katy cooked.”
Katy put her hands on her hips and gave the boy a wry look. “Thanks, Shawn.” She turned her attention to Dayne. Her smile said she wasn’t capable of a defense. Especially over the roar of the alarm.
Dayne took the lid from the pan and tried to sweep fresh air toward the monitor. “Are you hooked up with the fire department?”
“I think so.” Katy was doing her best to fan air into the house. “What should we do?”
“Last time, Mommy called the firemen.” Ricky folded his arms in front of him. “She said you have to do it fast or they come with their sirens and everything.”
Katy dodged the broken glass and hurried to the phone at the other end of the kitchen. She opened a drawer and sifted through a stack of papers. “Ugh . . . the false alarm stuff’s supposed to be in here.”
“Is it in a folder or just loose?” Dayne moved to her side, helping look through the documents in the drawer.
“Maybe I should call Jenny. Except her cell phone’s probably off since she’s—”
She never had the chance to finish her sentence. Sirens sounded in the distance and grew closer every second.
“They’re coming!” Suddenly Dayne took stock of the situation, and he felt himself starting to laugh. The picture was hysterical. The boys covering their ears in the next room, Katy frantically looking through the drawer, and shattered glass all over the floor—while the burned block of frozen meat sat in the middle of the counter looking less like dinner all the time.
Through the front window, Dayne watched a fire engine pull into the Flanigans’ driveway.
Katy threw her hands in the air and blew a sharp breath at her bangs. “Great. Jenny’ll
Dayne had heard the stories. Some days even Jim couldn’t beat Justin at pool. He shrugged in Katy’s direction. “Someone has to do it.”
They moved into the great room, and not until the game was tied with two balls left apiece did Dayne smell something burning. At the same time, Katy gasped and raced back into the kitchen.
Dayne saw a ribbon of smoke drifting from the direction of the stove. “Is it on fire?”
“Not yet. Hurry, Dayne,” Katy yelled. She sounded frantic. There was the sound of her rushing around the kitchen, then the crash of something dropping.
Dayne left his cue stick balanced against the table and jogged toward her as fast as he could, the boys close behind. As they rounded the corner, Dayne saw the problem. With the flame still on high, the bottom of the frozen block of ground beef had burned to a crisp, sticking firmly to the pan.
Katy was picking up the pieces of a large glass mixing bowl as Dayne reached the stove. “I was trying to dump it in this.”
“Just a minute.” Dayne rushed toward the open cupboard, grabbed another big bowl, and tried to grab the pan handle. But it was too hot. Meanwhile, the smoke was getting thicker. “The flame’s still on.” He flipped the burner to the off position and set the bowl on the counter next to the stove. “Where’re the pot holders?”
“Right.” Katy jumped up, darted around the corner of the island, and opened the first drawer. “Watch the glass!” From the stack of hot pads, she grabbed an oven mitt and tossed it to Dayne. “Here.”
He barely caught it, slipped it over his hand, and finally removed the frying pan from the stove. The lid was still in place, though it wasn’t enough to keep smoke from curling out around the edges. Using his gloved hand, he lifted the lid and set it down.
Ricky and BJ began coughing and waving their hands, trying to clear the kitchen air.
“Stay back!” Katy ushered them into the great room. As she did, Dayne heard her slide open both patio doors.
But the fresh air didn’t come fast enough. Before Dayne could thank her, the smoke alarm went off.
The siren pulsed through the house, and the boys covered their ears. Shawn made eye contact with Dayne and said above the noise, “This happened last time Katy cooked.”
Katy put her hands on her hips and gave the boy a wry look. “Thanks, Shawn.” She turned her attention to Dayne. Her smile said she wasn’t capable of a defense. Especially over the roar of the alarm.
Dayne took the lid from the pan and tried to sweep fresh air toward the monitor. “Are you hooked up with the fire department?”
“I think so.” Katy was doing her best to fan air into the house. “What should we do?”
“Last time, Mommy called the firemen.” Ricky folded his arms in front of him. “She said you have to do it fast or they come with their sirens and everything.”
Katy dodged the broken glass and hurried to the phone at the other end of the kitchen. She opened a drawer and sifted through a stack of papers. “Ugh . . . the false alarm stuff’s supposed to be in here.”
“Is it in a folder or just loose?” Dayne moved to her side, helping look through the documents in the drawer.
“Maybe I should call Jenny. Except her cell phone’s probably off since she’s—”
She never had the chance to finish her sentence. Sirens sounded in the distance and grew closer every second.
“They’re coming!” Suddenly Dayne took stock of the situation, and he felt himself starting to laugh. The picture was hysterical. The boys covering their ears in the next room, Katy frantically looking through the drawer, and shattered glass all over the floor—while the burned block of frozen meat sat in the middle of the counter looking less like dinner all the time.
Through the front window, Dayne watched a fire engine pull into the Flanigans’ driveway.
Katy threw her hands in the air and blew a sharp breath at her bangs. “Great. Jenny’ll
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