Page 21 of Sweet Christmas Comeback
"That's a good problem to have," Jade replied, carefully piping snowflake patterns onto the mitten cookies. She paused to admire her work—the new oven's consistent temperature meant every cookie was perfectly golden, and her decorating skills were improving with each batch.
The bell above the door chimed, and Jade looked up with a smile, expecting another customer. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Cecily Glick, whose expression was considerably grimmer than it had been during her previous visit.
"Miss Bennett," Cecily said, her voice carrying the particular chill that could freeze hot coffee mid-sip. "We need to talk."
Behind her stood a man Jade didn't recognize—middle-aged, wearing a navy blue jacket with an official-looking badge. Her stomach immediately dropped.
"This is Inspector Morrison from the county building department," Cecily announced with obvious satisfaction. "It has come to my attention that this establishment has been conducting electrical work without proper permits or licensed supervision."
Jade's hands stilled on the piping bag. "I beg your pardon?"
"The display case lighting," Cecily continued, her gray eyes sharp with triumph. "Witness accounts indicate that significant electrical modifications were made to this building without proper authorization. Such work requires permits, inspections, and certification by a licensed electrician."
Inspector Morrison stepped forward, pulling out a clipboard and pen. "Ma'am, I'll need to see documentation for any electrical work performed in the last thirty days. Permits, contractor licenses, inspection certificates."
"I..." Jade's mind raced. The lighting repair had been such a simple fix in her mind—replacing old fluorescent tubes with new LED panels. She'd never considered that it might require official paperwork.
"There was no major electrical work," she said carefully. "We just replaced some light fixtures."
"Replacing commercial electrical fixtures without proper permits is a serious violation," Inspector Morrison said, his tone matter-of-fact rather than accusatory. "It's a safety issue. Improper wiring can cause fires, electrocution, even building damage."
Cecily's smile was sharp enough to cut glass. "I'm afraid the penalties for such violations are quite severe. Immediate closure until all work is properly inspected and certified."
"Closure?" Jade felt the blood drain from her face. "You can't close the bakery. We have orders to fill, the Tree Lighting ceremony is in five days?—"
"Safety regulations don't observe holidays," Cecily replied with false sympathy. "Though I suppose this could have been avoided if proper procedures had been followed in the first place."
Mabel had been listening to this exchange with growing alarm, her face pale beneath her flour-dusted apron. "Surely there's some way to work this out? The lighting works perfectly. There haven't been any problems."
"The issue isn't whether it works," Inspector Morrison explained gently. "It's whether it was installed to code. Without proper inspection, we can't guarantee public safety."
Jade felt the walls closing in around her. All their progress—the increased sales, the festival preparations, the hope that had been building over the past few days—all of it threatened by a bureaucratic requirement she hadn't even known existed.
The bell above the door chimed again, and Mayor Clark Whitcomb burst in with his usual dramatic flair. "Jade! Mabel! Just the people I wanted to—" He stopped short, taking in the grim faces and official clipboard. "What's going on here?"
"Official business," Cecily said smoothly. "Building code violations that require immediate attention."
Mayor Clark's jovial expression faded as he processed the situation. His eyes moved from the inspector to Cecily to Jade's stricken face, and Jade could practically see him calculating the implications.
Ida and Ruth stood at the pastry case, pretending to focus on their selections while clearly listening to every word of the unfolding drama.
"Inspector Morrison," the mayor said carefully. "What exactly are we dealing with here?"
"Unpermitted electrical work," the inspector replied. "Standard procedure is immediate closure until proper inspections can be completed and any violations corrected."
"I see." Mayor Clark was quiet for a moment, his politician’s brain clearly working overtime. "And how long would such a process typically take?"
"Depends on the scope of the work and the inspector’s schedule. Could be anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks."
Jade’s heart sank. A couple of weeks would take them well past the Tree Lighting ceremony, past any chance of salvaging the bakery’s reputation or finances.
"However," Mayor Clark said, shifting into the persuasive tone that had won him three consecutive elections, "perhaps there’s room for a temporary arrangement."
Cecily’s eyes narrowed. "And what exactly would that entail?"
"As you know, the Tree Lighting ceremony is this weekend,” Clark said smoothly. "It’s our biggest tourist event of the year. Sugar Pine Sweets is central to the festivities. Closing them now would damage not only their business, but the town’s reputation."
The inspector shifted. "I understand the timing is inconvenient, but safety regulations?—"
