The Time of Her Life (4 page)

“Radio me when you’re ready for the north wing,” Jay said.

Susanna made her escape with a smile and the phone cradled
against her ear. “Hang on, Brooke.” She used her passcode for the first time to
exit the secured area.

“Hey, pretty,” she said, making her way toward her office.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“I’m dying here, Mom.” Brooke sounded peeved. “You never texted
me to let you know you’d made it to Charlotte.”

And Brooke wasn’t the only one, Susanna realized. Everyone
would want to know she’d arrived safely. One text and Brooke could have passed
along the news, so no one would have had to worry. Said a lot about Susanna’s
anxiety level.

“I’m so, so sorry. The drive was fine, but I hit the ground
running as soon as I got here and haven’t stopped since. Touring the place and
meeting everyone.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll use that excuse the next time you blast me
for forgetting to let you know I made it back to school.”

“I was so worked up about getting here I wasn’t thinking. No
excuses. I should have texted.”

“You admit you were wrong.” But she didn’t give Susanna a
chance to respond before asking, “Is everything going okay? Do you like North
Carolina?”

Brooke was eager to know if
she
would like their new home base. Susanna launched into an excited account of The
Arbors, from the view in her office to the whirlwind tour of the facility. “I
haven’t seen where I’ll be living yet, but if it looks anything like everything
else around here, the cottage will be amazing. It’s another world.”

Brooke laughed. “Must be. You sound like you’re gonna
hyperventilate.”

“I can’t believe I’m in North Carolina.”

“This will be great, Mom. Just relax and give it a chance.”

That
made Susanna smile. Brooke
would be mortified to realize she was already mimicking her mother. But Susanna
did appreciate the reassurance. Brooke understood the enormity of this move.
“You’re right, pretty. You’re absolutely right.”

“Um, yeah.”

Susanna laughed, welcomed the sound of her beautiful daughter’s
voice. With adrenaline pumping so hard and steadily through the morning, simply
talking to Brooke felt like the first spec of normalcy. For this moment, Susanna
was mom again, grounded, not a woman on her own in a strange new world.

“I couldn’t wait any longer to know if you were still alive, so
I had to call. But I’ve got to get into class. I sit in the front row, and
guaranteed someone’s lurking my seat now. I’d hate to break up the Rat Pack so
early in the semester.”

Susanna gripped the phone tightly, not ready to end the call, a
lifeline to everything she loved. But as a mom with an empty nest, she got to
catch up with her kids, not cling.

Brooke’s Rat Pack was important. They were a group of students
who’d started interdisciplinary studies together, women and men ranging in ages
from Brooke at twenty to Annie, who was well into her seventies. Susanna liked
that her daughter connected with people from varying levels of life experience
rather than limiting herself to the party set.

“Go get your seat, pretty. All’s well in Charlotte. I’ll send a
text to let everyone know, and we can talk more later.”

“Sounds good. You won’t forget?”

“I won’t forget. Promise.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re alive. Love ya.”

“Love you, too. Have a good day.”

Susanna paused at a window, holding the phone and staring out
at the sunlit lake, managing the sense of loss, so magnified by nerves. The life
she loved wasn’t over, just changing. She and Brooke were exploring new
territory in their relationship, and this move only underscored that change.

Susanna needed to let go of the childhood mother/daughter
relationship with all the parenting and rebellious overtones. Brooke didn’t need
much parenting anymore. Just some guidance and advice when she asked. A sounding
board when she needed to talk and sort things out in her head.

Instead of longing for what had passed, Susanna needed to be
excited about their new relationship. Her daughter was growing into an amazing
young woman.

Could Susanna possibly be any more blessed?

That answer was no, and she shouldn’t let fear of change or
anxiety about all the things riding on this job overshadow her appreciation of
the moment. Those moments shouldn’t ever be taken for granted.

Finances had been unbelievably tight since Skip had died. She’d
managed to keep the family going on one salary by putting his life insurance
policy to good use with the house and some mutual funds. But the expenses had
grown along with the kids.

Between Brandon’s ball tournaments and training camps and
Brooke’s art history internships both in and out of the country, travel expenses
alone were breathtaking. Then there were the cars. Insuring two under-twenty-one
drivers—especially when one was male—
still
was
challenging.

But college had worked out better than Susanna could ever have
hoped. Both kids were high achievers. Without their scholarships, they would
have had to rely on the prepaid educations she and Skip had purchased years
before. There would have been no selling the house because the kids wouldn’t
have been able to afford housing even if they’d stayed in New York.

No, Susanna had absolutely nothing to complain about, and maybe
the tide was finally turning. She’d been in survival mode since Skip had died,
grasping every single second with her kids and continually putting one foot in
front of the other.

For the first time in so long, Susanna could almost see a
glimmer of light at the end of what had been an endless tunnel. They were alive
and healthy, and they were within driving distance again. This promotion to
property administrator gave her a chance to improve the quality of life for all
of them.

If everything went as planned.

CHAPTER THREE

J
AY
SPUN
AROUND
WHEN
he heard shuffling footsteps. Sure enough, Walter
bore down on him with a curious expression.

“What are you doing in the bushes— Oh, I see,” he said in his
deaf-old-man voice that carried halfway down the hall.

There was no missing the view from this prime spot behind a
majestic palm in the dayroom entrance. Susanna stood beside the CareTracker, a
touch-screen computer that protruded from the wall. Kimberly, the shift R.N.,
appeared to be explaining how to work the charting system.

“One might think you don’t trust the new administrator,” Walter
said.

“I don’t know her, so how can I trust her?”

“Think spying is the way to go, do you?”

“You sound like Amber. I am not spying.” Jay spent his every
waking moment with Walter and everyone else around here. How could they possibly
think he was doing anything but hiding from them? Jay grabbed precious seconds
alone with both hands and would continue to do so for six more months. Then he
wouldn’t have to hide again.

“Have some faith, Walter. Why would I need to spy on Susanna?
Look at her handling Kimberly. Professional. Friendly. Pleasant smile. Great
legs.”

Great legs?

Jay tried again. “At least she won’t scare the residents. I
think we should at least give her a chance, don’t you?”

“You want me to lurk in the bushes, too?”

“Just taking a minute to catch my breath.”

“And enjoy the view.” An accusation.

Jay couldn’t exactly deny it now, could he? “Don’t give away
all my good hiding places.”

That got a reaction. Walter rolled his gaze heavenward, no
doubt sending up a prayer to Gran for divine intervention. “You need to get a
life, boy.”

“Um, yeah. That’s kind of the point of selling this place.” Jay
stepped from behind the palm and headed down the hallway, dodging the lecture he
sensed forthcoming.

Walter would not piss in Jay’s cereal today. Not when his plan
was getting underway. He’d gotten Susanna settled in the cottage last night, and
had arrived to find that she’d preceded him onto the property this morning.
Imagine that. There was hope this plan might actually work, and he didn’t want
to jinx anything by listening to Walter’s negativity.

* * *

S
USANNA
’
S
SECOND
DAY
WAS
all about understanding routines at The Arbors. She got to work before the third
shift ended, before the morning routines got into full swing when the residents
awoke. Touring the first-floor halls, where residents required hospital-type
care in the nursing center, she chatted with staff who were closing out the
shift with quiet efficiency.

Her day was off to a more relaxed, albeit earlier, start today,
for which she was grateful. She needed to get her feet under her as an
administrator, and starting the day on her own, without Jay running
interference, did much to soothe her nerves.

She discussed individual cases with the LPNs, tried to commit
resident names to memory and found that someone very generously put scrapbooking
skills to good use. Personalized collages of biographical data, hobbies and a
photo hung beside each door. She’d noticed them yesterday, but took the time
today to appreciate the effective genius of the collages. Putting faces to names
made the learning curve so much simpler.

Mrs. Donaire had been a professor in France.

Mrs. Highsmith had eight children, eighteen grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Munsell had an obsession with Elvis.

The collages would provide easy topics to chat with the
residents about to help Susanna get to know everyone.

“Kimberly, who’s responsible for those biographical collages?”
Susanna asked the head R.N. during a pause in the explanation how to chart
patient information on the computerized system.

The Arbors used cutting-edge medical charting technology, which
meant all resident contact was documented so all caregivers accessed only
current information.

“Tessa, the activity director,” Kimberly said. “Did you meet
her yesterday?”

Susanna nodded. “Amber looks a lot like her.”

“Except for that pretty dark hair. Amber gets that from her
daddy.” Kimberly smiled. “The residents make those collages with Tessa’s help.
It’s one of the ongoing activities around here—getting to know me.”

“I noticed that on the activities calendar and assumed it was
some sort of meet and greet,” Susanna said. “So, so clever.”

“Tessa would appreciate knowing you think so. Mr. C. gave her
all kinds of grief for putting nail holes in the walls when she hung up those
frames.”

Susanna glanced at the frame beside Mr. Butterfield’s door. The
man was a retired career naval officer. His work appeared to have had something
to do with submarines. “I suppose we have to make sacrifices for a greater
good.”

“Better not let Chester hear you say that,” a familiar voice
said from a distance.

The sound of that voice brought Susanna up quickly, a flutter
of breath in her throat as she found Jay looking morning fresh, cheeks pink from
a recent shave and hair damp.

“Good morning,” he said with a throaty edge to his voice, a
rough-silk sound, as if he wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Good morning.” All her predawn calm evaporated beneath a rush
of adrenaline, so intense it surprised her.

“Only one person around here cared about those holes, Mr. C.”
Kimberly rolled her eyes. “You know those collages are excellent memory
prompts.”

“Only for the folks who can remember their names.”

Susanna stared. Joking about memory problems in a memory-care
facility? That was about the last thing she expected.

Kimberly waved him off with a laughing “Pshaw.”

Susanna listened curiously, knowing Gerald, or any VIP from
Northstar, would likely faint on the spot if they’d overheard this particular
exchange. Corporate professionalism being what it was, anything that wasn’t
politically correct was taboo.

“I didn’t realize the collages were memory prompts,” she said
mildly.

Jay nodded. “To be fair, every effort to build memory helps,
and the volunteers find them especially useful while they’re getting to know
their way around.”

“New administrators, too,” she admitted.

“Guess they’re worth all the holes, then.”

He didn’t look convinced, but politely acquiesced for her
benefit. Susanna wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She felt somehow robbed of
her words, as if she couldn’t think clearly.

“No holes for the birthdays and death notices posted in the
front lobby.” She filled the sudden awkward silence with a completely irrelevant
observation.

“True,” Jay agreed, leveling a gaze her way, somehow the green
of his eyes all the more vibrant for his freshly scrubbed appearance. “That
information is handy. Not only to engage the residents who can remember those
sorts of details but to remind the staff and volunteers.”

“Tessa briefs everyone in the mornings on special events,”
Kimberly explained. “We provide balloons, and Liz serves cake at lunch so it’s a
big party.”

“What a wonderful way to help the residents celebrate and feel
special.” Susanna knew that keeping the residents engaged was a full-time job
and an essential part of healthy senior living. “Tessa’s also responsible for
decorating around here?”

Jay nodded.

“I have to admit I couldn’t imagine anyone outdoing the
activity director at my last facility. But I’m impressed.”

Every foyer leading to a separate wing had been decked out with
decorations to recreate Hawaiian beach scenes—palm trees and bright umbrellas
and lawn chairs. A section near the first-floor activities area had been
cordoned off and filled with sand while the wall was covered in a
floor-to-ceiling digital image of a Pacific coastline.

“This is such a tough time of year to make exciting,” Susanna
said. “Summer’s over. Labor Day is over. In New York, we can play up autumn, but
here in Charlotte it seems a bit early.”

Kimberly brushed her fingers across the touch-screen display.
“We won’t be in full leaf change for another month. It’s something to see if you
haven’t already.”

“I think I’m in for quite a treat,” she agreed, then thanked
Kimberly for taking the time to walk her through the CareCharter program and
found herself alone with Jay.

“You got off to an early start today,” he said.

“Lots to accomplish.”

He nodded. “If you don’t mind, I need coffee. Walk with me to
Dietary and tell me how your first night went.”

“Phone calls to let everyone know that I made it to Charlotte
safely.” Phone calls to Brooke and Brandon before she’d passed out face-first on
the big four-poster bed in the guest cottage. “Then I spent some time with the
personnel files, refreshing myself on the staff. I’ve been through them before,
but it was nice to put faces with the names.”

Jay beelined for the industrial coffee brewer in the kitchen
and offered her a cup, which she accepted gratefully.

“Doesn’t sound as if you did much settling in.” He dispensed a
cup for himself.

“I’ll have time to get organized this weekend.”

He took a long swallow and grimaced. “See what I mean?”

She met his gaze over the rim of the mug. “Not quite VIA, but
not too bad.”

“That’s kind.” He swallowed another sip. “But it’s leaded, and
that’s what’s important.”

Susanna chuckled. “Oh, I remember what I wanted to ask you,
Jay. You have a lot of family members on staff. I’m curious. Is this a Southern
thing or a private-facility thing?”

It certainly wasn’t a corporate thing when the legal department
had clear-cut guidelines about what constituted conflict of interest.

Jay paused with the cup to his mouth. “I’ll go with the private
facility. We’ve established The Arbors as a great place to work. Our five family
members span three generations and four departments. Different last names.”

“Wow. And no conflict of interest?”

“None. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. Lots of loyalty with
the families.” He raised his cup in a salute. “But Northstar can conduct new
hires how they see fit. My staff will be grandfathered in.”

No, Jay definitely wasn’t pulling any punches. Susanna inclined
her head and sipped to avoid a reply, not wanting to engage in controversy so
early on her second day.

Gerald had explained how rigid Jay had been regarding The
Arbors’ employees. After the acquisition, there would have to be substantial
cause and a fair bit of documentation to terminate any of the staff. She hoped
he was right about the loyalty.

“The fact you have employees on staff for decades says a lot
about the facility you run.”

“Something good, I hope.”

“Yes.” That was entirely honest. Northstar very much
appreciated hardworking employees and worked equally hard to keep them. Susanna
was a perfect example. She’d been with the company almost twenty years.

Jay seemed to appreciate the praise and smiled, which melted
the hard lines of his face. Susanna was struck by how accessible he was. She’d
only known him two days and it was so easy to talk with him. Personable. That’s
exactly what he was, which was probably why everyone around here liked him so
much.

She did have big shoes to fill. Jay’s leadership was what set
the tone for the staff, and here she was a first-time property administrator—a
world of difference from a man who’d grown up learning to meet the needs of The
Arbors.

Northstar had placed their trust in her abilities by offering
her this position, but she also knew that their faith had been encouraged by her
boss, Gerald, who was also a friend. Still, everyone seemed to be interested in
making a good first impression, and as the day progressed, Susanna found herself
far too busy to do anything but learn her way around.

It wasn’t until the sun had set and second shift had served
dinner that Susanna was ready to call it a day.

“I thought of something I wanted to ask you before I leave,
Jay,” Susanna said, after retrieving her laptop case from her office and bidding
Walter goodbye. “Do you park in the employee lot? I haven’t noticed an assigned
administrator space, and I don’t want to inadvertently commandeer anyone’s spot
in the employee lot.”

Jay had dispensed with his jacket sometime between lunch in the
second-floor dining hall and the intake meeting in the conference room. Now he
loosened his tie with a few quick tugs, lending him a more casual
appearance.

“I don’t drive my car. I usually walk or take a golf cart.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Gerald mentioned that you lived in the
main house. I didn’t realize it was so close.”

“Just over the rise from the guest cottage.”

A new neighbor for her new home, which was charming, although
she hadn’t actually seen it in the light of day yet. But by moonlight and the
paling sky of predawn, her new home couldn’t have been more perfect.

Susanna had only seen one photo of the main house in the
property portfolio, and it appeared to be from another era. Even the sliver of
roofline she could see peeking above the trees from her office brought to mind
Gone with the Wind.

“You take the road?” she asked.

“There’s a path through the arbors. It’s a hike on foot but not
bad with a golf cart. We should probably get you fixed up with one, too. They’re
handy for getting around here even if you drive in. Just park nearest the
employee entrance you use. It’s first come, first served around here.”

“Okay, thanks.” They left the administrative corridor and
headed to the lobby, and silence fell between them. Suddenly Susanna was all too
aware of how Jay unbuttoned his collar and breathed as if this were his first
unconstrained breath all day.