#Chapter 22: An Unlikely Deal

Renee’s POV The next morning I wake up to the blaring sound of the smoke detector going off. I shoot upright in bed and scramble to my feet. Only after I become briefly oriented do I smell something like burnt pancakes. I relax a little as I head down the stairs, tugging my bathrobe tight against me. Debbie appears from her bedroom, looking groggy with a mess of bedhead. “Mommy, what is that?” she asks rubbing her sleepy eyes. “I think Jasper is trying to make breakfast,” I tell her. She groans. “Again?” She whines. I ignore her and descend down the steps. Jasper is great at saving lives, cooking on the other hand-not so much. The smoke is thick downstairs. I cough as I enter the kitchen. “Morning,” Jasper greets as he fans the smoke detector with an oven pad. Thankfully, the alarm stops. I look at the ruined pancake that sits like a hockey puck on the stove. “What are you doing?” I ask Jasper. “Hey, that pancake had it coming,” Jasper jokes as he tries to scrape th