The Time of Her Life (3 page)

“Around here we call them flaming trees.”

“They’re gorgeous.” She wanted to take cell phone photos to
send to her family and friends. “Tell me I’ll be able to work in here and not
stare out these windows all day.”

Jay smiled and seemed to like her response. Good. She needed to
get off to a good start with this man.

“I’m sure the view will inspire you to do remarkable work,” he
said. “It’s tradition. One that needs to continue.”

There was a warning in that sweet whiskey voice. Cocking a hip
against the desk, she met his gaze. “Concerns?”

“Just want to make sure we’re on the same page. I’ve been
dealing with the suits and attorneys. They’re all quick to promise they can take
The Arbors to the next level. I want that, but not at the expense of my
residents or staff. The quality of care is what makes us unique. You’ll be in
charge of making sure everyone’s taken care of. Thought I should put that up
front so you know what I expect.”

Hmm. Demanding, bossy even, but Susanna appreciated the
honesty. Her own boss, Gerald Mayne, had warned her she’d have a tough job
reassuring Jay that Northstar would continue the quality of service his family
had established as a private facility. Jay took seriously his responsibility to
those who relied upon him, which made her wonder why he was selling The Arbors
at all. Gerald hadn’t shared that information.

“That’s what I want, too, Jay.” Susanna meant it. “We’ve got
six months together, and I intend to make this transition smooth and positive.
That starts with understanding what you do around here. Then we can figure out
how to implement policies and procedures to get The Arbors on board as a
Northstar property. How does that sound?”

“Like we’re on the same page.”

Susanna certainly hoped so, because absolutely everything
important in her life rode on these next six months.

On her success.

CHAPTER TWO

J
AY
HEADED
TOWARD
the maintenance and
engineering building to retrieve another radio—he’d given his to
Susanna—pondering their first meeting. Unfortunately, leaving the administrative
offices forced him into the front lobby, where Amber lay in wait.

“Thank you so much, Mr. C.” Her tone bore up her sour
expression. “I guess you needed an engraved invitation to meet the new
administrator. She must think I’m a total idiot.”

“What are you talking about? You made her feel right at home.
That’s what I pay you to do.”

“I was covering for you, and you left me hanging.”

“Why didn’t you page me, then?”

“You were standing twenty feet away in the bushes. Did you
really want the radio to go off where she could—”

“Since when do you use the radio?”

“Oh, right. Like I’m supposed to send a text message in front
of
my new boss.
”

Jay chuckled. Amber had practically been reared at The Arbors
because her mother had worked here for years. She was comfortable in a way even
the longest hires weren’t. She’d volunteered for school service hours, had been
a part-time transportation aide during high school. Understandably, she was
worried about all the changes.

He tried to soothe her ruffled feathers. “You bought me a few
minutes to get the lay of the land. I thank you for that.”

She gave an exasperated huff and spun around in her chair,
dismissing him. He smiled and continued on his way, hoping the new administrator
had come prepared to deal with this crew.

Circling the building, he headed toward the north end of the
property and the maintenance buildings tucked away there, concealed by the trees
and the slope.

Jay found Chester in the garage. A middle-aged African-American
man with more and more gray in his hair each passing year, the maintenance and
engineering supervisor was the calm in the middle of any storm. Jay couldn’t
remember the man so much as raise his voice in his twelve years on the
payroll.

“Need another radio, Chester.”

“You got it, Mr. C.” He disappeared through a doorway, where
all electronics were locked in the climate-controlled office.

When he returned, Jay asked, “Everything okay? You get an ETA
on the mower yet?”

Chester nodded. “The repair shop promised I can pick it up by
Friday. Don’t fret. Worst case is it rains, and I get the crew out with push
mowers.”

“The crew won’t like that.”

A slow smile spread over Chester’s face. “You know it.”

And that was that. Jay appreciated a supervisor who was a man
of few words.

Arriving at the main building, he bypassed the front entrance
and a second helping of Amber’s verbal abuse and made for the employee exit at
the north wing. As he rounded the corner, Jay realized he’d made a tactical
error.

The
new
administrator’s office.

He paraded in the middle of that view Susanna had been so
excited about.

And there she was, showcased in the window. She’d removed her
jacket, and the slip of a blouse she wore outlined her delicate curves with some
silky fabric that looked soft to the touch.

Ironically, she stood in the same place he’d always stood, in a
similar pose even. Hands wrapped around a coffee mug, trying to absorb the peace
of the grounds when life inside The Arbors spun at tornado velocity.

He wondered what she was looking for and wondered why he
wondered.

But he’d stepped right into it, so to speak, and there was
nothing to do but keep moving. Susanna startled when she saw him—an unexpected
intruder mere feet beyond the glass. Then her face lit with a surprised
smile.

He waved.

She waved back.

God, he was such an idiot. This shortcut needed to be deleted
from his repertoire. The walk past the window took forever, but he finally
reached the north exit. Entering the code on the keypad with impatient thrusts,
he tried to shake off annoyance at his stupidity.

What if Susanna felt rushed because he’d practically shown up
in her office? And what had she been sipping in that mug? Had she ventured down
to Dietary for some coffee?

Without knocking, Jay shoved open the door to Walter’s office
and plunked down in the chair in front of the desk.

“What’s up?” Walter glanced away from the computer screen.

“She drove in from Raleigh this morning. I should have at least
offered her coffee.”

“Her, as in Ms. Adams?”

“Know anyone else who drove in from Raleigh today?”

Walter raked a tight gaze over Jay. “I can have Chester set up
a card table for you. That can be your new work space.”

“I won’t need it, thank you. I’m not planning on working
anymore. Just transitioning.”

Walter arched a white eyebrow. “You think so?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Your mouth to God’s ear, boy. And you might do well to ask for
a little assistance from your mother, father and grandmother while you’re at it.
God rest their souls.”

Jay should have known Walter would drag in divine intervention.
And to his surprise the divine did intervene—when the radio crackled at his
waist, saving him from continuing this stupid conversation.

“I’m ready for a tour whenever you are, Jay,” Susanna said
through the speaker.

“On my way.” He headed out of Walter’s office without a
backward glance.

Susanna had barely opened his former office door before the
apology poured out of his mouth.

“That shortcut won’t be a problem. Employees only use that exit
to the parking lot on the other side of the building.”

He hoped she didn’t think he was spying on her.

She chuckled good-naturedly. “No worries. Amber mentioned
shortcuts this morning.”

He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but he did notice she’d
covered up that silky blouse with her jacket again.

“Probably a good thing you showed up when you did. It’s too
easy to get distracted by that view. You did say you managed to get work done in
here, right?”

“You will. When no one’s distracting you.” Like he had.

Glancing at the mug sitting on the shelf beside the
watercooler, he said, “I’m glad someone thought to take care of you. I could
have offered you a cup of coffee after your drive.”

She waved him off with a graceful motion. “Thanks, Jay, but I
take care of me.”

There was
something
in that
statement. Jay had no clue what, but he wondered. “You travel with coffee?”

Her soft laugh swallowed up the air between them. Or maybe it
was the fluid display she made as she leaned over to reach inside her laptop
case to produce a small foil package. “VIA. Instant Starbucks coffee for people
on the go. Your water dispenser provides hot water. You can drink this cold,
though, too.”

“It’s your water dispenser now. I’d like to say you can get a
decent cup of coffee around here, but I’d be lying. I budget for the good stuff,
but when it’s brewed in big quantities... Keep a supply of those on hand.”

She dropped the package back into her case. “Appreciate the
heads-up.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Her smile flashed wide and bright, and he noticed again how
attractive she was.
Not
what he needed to be
noticing.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” He grabbed the door for the
lady and motioned her through, forcing himself
not
to notice how attractive she was from behind, too.

He kept his gaze leveled at the back of her head—where it
belonged—not noticing the way her shiny dark hair caught the light, bouncing
around her shoulders with her every step.

Excitement must be getting the better of him, because the plans
he’d been making for eight months were coming together in the very feminine form
of this new administrator.

* * *

S
USANNA
’
S
TOUR
BEGAN
with the entry code to the secure doors off the
front lobby—lockdown, as the wings of patient rooms were known—and hadn’t slowed
the whirlwind pace in the hours since. She tried to tamp down her nerves, which
hummed at full volume, as she absorbed everything at once.

Gerald had led her to expect a top-notch facility, and The
Arbors appeared to be that. At a glance, the staff seemed professional and
friendly, residents well-groomed and active.

Jay was a charming host as he directed her through the facility
and instructed her on a floor plan that served both utilitarian and aesthetic
purposes. Four wings branched off from the lobby and two centrally located
elevators.

The elevators were large enough to accommodate wheelchairs,
walkers and gurneys, providing the only access to the upper floors besides
locked emergency stairs at the end of each wing.

“We’ll assign you codes to get through the outer exits, too,”
he said. “They can be handy when traffic backs up.”

“Which happens quite a bit, I imagine.”

He appeared to consider that, tipping his head to one side so
that strands of blond hair slipped over his brow. “Actually, not too much unless
we call 9-1-1. Then we reserve the south elevator until emergency arrives. The
residents don’t do a lot of traveling between floors unless they’re going to the
third floor for therapy, so that helps.”

Pausing with his hand poised over the keypad, he glanced at her
and added, “I provided Gerald with our policy and procedure manual. Have you had
a chance to look at it yet?”

“Cover to cover.”

His smile came fast, a smile that nearly blinded her with
approval. “Good.”

This man wanted the arrangement to work as much as she did,
Susanna realized. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did. And the awareness
both surprised and reassured her. With Jay’s assistance, this transition should
go smoothly.

She hoped. The first step began with Susanna convincing Jay to
go through with acquisition.

But he wanted to be convinced...and that realization made her
feel much better. “Reviewing schedules and staffing budgets is different from
seeing the result of a well-staffed facility in action,” she said as they exited
the elevator.

“It takes adequate staff to provide adequate care. It’s
criminal what some facilities get away with.”

He came to a sharp stop outside the elevator and thrust the
hair off his forehead with an absent gesture. “You do not want to get me started
on my opinion of federal regulations.”

“Noted.” Obviously a hot spot.

“Here at The Arbors, we have a shift R.N. who manages the LPNs,
the licensed practical nurses, on every floor and deals with the physician who
makes rounds each day. Yes, I said
physician,
not
nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.”

He was clearly proud, and as Susanna’s expertise was in the
facility finances, she knew the budget and what that service could cost. One of
the areas she would be looking at to bring the budget variances in line with
Northstar’s specifications.

She kept that to herself since they were off to such a
promising start. There would be plenty of time to address the differences
between corporate and private management.

Entering the first-floor nursing center, she paid careful
attention to the designations of the staff who ran in and out of rooms. LPNs
were responsible for dispensing medication. Certified nursing assistants, known
as CNAs, helped with patient care while the patient care technicians, or PCTs,
handled hygiene and grooming.

Dieticians worked in top-notch kitchen facilities and their
assistants transported meals to restorative dining areas for residents who were
unable to feed themselves. Housekeepers. Maintenance and engineering staff. Each
nurses’ station serviced two wings, not only as home base for the caregivers but
a gathering area for many residents.

“No, no, Mrs. Highsmith, you can’t go to your room right now,”
an LPN said as she stopped a tiny woman in a wheelchair and deftly brought her
around to face the nurses’ station. “Stay here and keep me company while I fill
out these charts, all right?”

Susanna didn’t catch Mrs. Highsmith’s response before Jay
whisked her along yet another hallway. The only downside to the facility setup
was that with every wing laid out in the same way and decorated to convey a
homey ambiance, she couldn’t quite pinpoint where she was.

“I will eventually gain my sense of direction around here,
won’t I?” she asked Jay.

He laughed with his rich warm voice that managed to be the only
sound she heard over the noise of a busy floor. “Just watch the room numbers
until you get the hang of the place.”

“Not that he’s the best judge.” The somber male voice came from
behind them.

She and Jay stopped and turned to find Walter exiting a
conference room.

“The boy’s been working this property since he was gurgling and
cooing to entertain the residents.”

“Thank you, Walter,” Jay said dryly.

Susanna bit back a laugh, not sure what amused her more, the
thought of Jay as a
boy
or a green-eyed baby.

“The residents loved you then and they love you now.” Walter
held up a hand and whispered conspiratorially, “Everyone loves him around here.
You’ve got big boots to fill.”

Another warning, but before Susanna could respond, Jay said,
“Everyone can’t wait to see the last of me.”

“You wish.”

Jay scowled so hard Susanna refrained from comment. Judging
from what she’d seen so far, she’d have to side with Walter. She made another
mental note but didn’t get a chance to worry about potential staff resistance as
Jay hurried her away. She met everyone on shift until she practically vibrated
from information overload.

When her phone rang, Susanna seized the opportunity. “My
daughter,” she told Jay. “I need to take this.”