The Time of Her Life (6 page)

“Well, you’ve got time,” Karan said generously. “Brooke won’t
graduate until next year. I’d be surprised if she didn’t decide to settle near
you.”

“If the acquisition goes as planned, I’ll know whether or not I
want to buy something. If Brooke likes it in Charlotte, we’ll set up a new home
base.”

“And you can get a life again. You don’t want to spend the rest
of your life alone, do you?”

“No, please.” She exhaled a long breath. “Not the dating
speech. I’m too fragile for that right now.”

“No mercy. You’re too young to wait around until Brooke or
Brandon make you a grandmother. You need to get out and have some fun. I realize
it’s been a while for you, but there’s more to life than just working and taking
care of everyone. I know you had all your plans laid out, but things have
changed. You need a new plan.”

Susanna had always been the focused one, the one who’d known
what she wanted. Karan was worried. And right. Susanna did need to figure out
how to move on with her life.

And she would. But until the kids were on their own, finances
took precedence. Meeting her family’s needs was top priority, which meant she
had to do everything in her power to insure that Northstar acquired The Arbors.
And that meant when she wasn’t in the facility learning how to be a property
administrator, she was at home boning up on Alzheimer’s care.

Was she hiding from moving on with life? Probably. Did Karan
know she was hiding? Probably.

But there were only so many hours in the day. “I’ll figure
things out, Karan. One step at a time, and you’ll help me. Just like you always
do.”

CHAPTER FOUR

J
AY
HAD
VISITED
THE
COTTAGE
every night
since Susanna had arrived a week ago. First night he’d helped her unpack her
suitcases and shown her around. Second night had been a blown electrical
breaker. Third night was a problem with the washing machine, which hadn’t been
used since Walter’s niece had needed a place to stay during a divorce.

Repairs were the nature of old houses, and old houses were
Jay’s life. While the facility and guest cottage didn’t come close to touching
the age of the main house, they weren’t new by anyone’s estimation. In fact,
when he figured out where he wanted to put down roots, he’d build a brand-new
place so he wouldn’t have to worry about anything going wrong for a while. And
when something eventually needed repairing, he could to run to any Home Depot to
pick up standard-size parts. Better yet, he’d call a repairman.

But that sweet plan was still months away. With any luck he’d
fix everything that needed fixing before signing the final papers, so Susanna
could get a few repair-free months. Then the grief would belong to
Northstar.

The dogs had accompanied Jay on each of his visits, and tonight
was no different. They ran beside the golf cart as he steered into the yard then
they bolted for the door.

Jay whistled, but the dogs ignored him, nails clattering on the
wood as they clambered up the porch steps. Following, he found the door ajar and
hoped Susanna had left it open; otherwise, he’d be back again tomorrow night to
replace the lock.

“Butters, Gatsby,” he called through the doorway, hoping the
beasts hadn’t trashed the place.

That familiar high-pitched greeting from the back of the house
sparked another round of barking. Jay stood in the threshold, undecided about
whether to wait for an invitation. He didn’t want to be as rude as his dogs, so
he remained outside, listening to the commotion within.

Butters and Gatsby liked Susanna. Jay wouldn’t admit this
aloud, but he could tell everything he needed to know about a person from his
dogs. They were the best yardstick. Might sound crazy but he’d learned the trick
while trailing his great-grandfather to the barns when this place had still
incorporated a farm.

“Animals will tell you what’s going on in
a person’s heart,”
Great-Granddad had said. He’d been gesturing to
the goats and herd dogs, but he’d meant all the animals on the farm.
“If they shy away, you’ll do well to shy away,
too.”

Wisdom or wives’ tale, Jay couldn’t say, but the advice had
stuck and hadn’t yet failed in all these years.

“Lose anyone?” Susanna’s voice brimmed with laughter as she
appeared with the dogs flanking her, their shaggy tails wagging close to lamps
and knickknacks.

She’d already changed from her work clothes into jeans and a
pullover sweater that outlined her trim curves.

“Boys,” Jay said, and both dogs finally decided to show some
manners by obeying the command. “Sorry about that.”

“Not a problem. They’re such sweethearts. I invited them to
visit any time they like. And I promised some treats as soon as I shop.”
Reaching down to ruffle Gatsby’s chest, she displayed a wedge of creamy skin
when her sweater rode up on her waist. “Sorry, boys. I’ve got grocery shopping
on my to-do list, but I can’t seem to get there.” She glanced at Jay. “What do
they like if and when I do actually make it to a store?”

It was such an innocent glance to accompany an innocent
question. She was being nice, he knew, but when he met her gaze, her eyes so
blue they looked almost purple, her one nice gesture drove home how closely
their lives had become entwined in the short time since her arrival.

He wondered what she’d been eating if she hadn’t shopped. Liz,
the dietary manager, had been sending lunches to Susanna’s office, but that
couldn’t be all Susanna was eating, could it?

“Dog bones if they’re eating like dogs. Chicken and steak when
they’re not.”

She smiled in that quick way of hers, as if she was just
looking for reasons to smile. “They’re in luck, then. Dog bones will go on the
grocery list, and I cook chicken and steak.”

“If you spoil them, you’ll never get rid of them. Consider
yourself warned.”

“They’re welcome here anytime.”

The greedy beggars could spot a sucker a mile away. They
crowded around her legs until she felt obligated to pet them and make those
squeaky cooing sounds again. Jay took the opportunity to shoot off a text to
Pete, who was duty manager tonight.

“So how are you settling in?” Jay asked when she finally
realized the dogs would vie for her undivided attention all day if she let them.
“Place working out? It’s small.”

“It is,” she agreed, “but it couldn’t be more perfect.”

That smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth as she
surveyed the room, looking pleased. “Just me here.”

“Saw the pictures of your kids all over the place. Will they be
coming to visit?”

She nodded, her features softening with a mother’s expression,
all fond memories and love. “Hopefully Thanksgiving. My son plays baseball, so
his schedule can be tricky with practice and ball camps.”

There was a lot of longing in that statement, which said
something about how much she cared. Something reassuring, which calmed a bit of
the guilt that still crept up when he least expected it. And when he did.

Was he being selfish to want the kind of life that made him
sound like Susanna did, a life where he had something more to look forward to
than home repairs, the never-ending needs of the facility and dementia? Was that
really too much to ask? He still lived in the house he’d been born in. He’d put
in his time.

“I know you haven’t asked for my advice, Susanna, but I’m going
to give it, anyway. Make a point to get off the property. There’s a lot going on
in town, and it’s good to get away. The Arbors has a way of commandeering time.
We call it Standard Arbor Time and it’s nonstop, around the clock.”

“I think I’ve seen a glimpse of that this week.” She sounded
charmed by the idea.

Jay supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, with the way she worked
from sunup to sundown. But something told him busy was exactly the way she
wanted to be right now. Funny how life had them in exactly the opposite places.
She’d reared her family and wanted to be busy. He wanted to get busy rearing a
family and filling his days with something other than dementia care.

He wondered how long ago her husband had died. Had his death
been unexpected? Jay didn’t ask. Her personal life was none of his business even
if there had been some tactful way to ask about a dead spouse. There wasn’t.

Leaning against the arch separating living room from dining
room, she folded her arms over her chest. “Amber mentioned a mall by the
racetrack. And I read about a historic plantation I’d like to visit that’s not
far from here.”

“That’s a start.” And then they were staring at each other
across the expanse of newly polished floors and overly friendly dogs. He might
have kept standing and staring except Butters sidled toward the wall shelves,
knocking some sense into Jay.

“The golf cart?” he prompted, forcing himself to stop enjoying
the view. “It’s easy to operate, but you need to know about the battery. Chester
will keep his eye on it. You let him know when it needs to be fueled.”

“I can park it near the maintenance and engineering shed where
you keep yours?”

He nodded.

“Please show me whatever you think I need to know. I didn’t
mean to keep you. You were kind to offer your help.”

Pushing away from the wall, she breezed past him with that same
breathless energy and graceful motion he noticed every time he looked at her.
She headed outside and he moved to follow, but the dogs cut him off, nearly
knocking him over in their haste to trail her. Sorry beasts.

Jay headed after them, making sure he didn’t pay attention to
the gentle sway of Susanna’s hips as she took the stairs with light steps or to
the dark curls bouncing on her shoulders. She chatted the whole way as if she
didn’t want to hear any more silence between them, either.

“I understand from Gerald that your grandmother is responsible
for building the main facility. What about this cottage? There are so many
antiques.”

“This place was my mother’s.” Her hideaway from the world.

“She collected antiques?”

“Sort of. Stuff she picked up here and there. My place is
filled to the brim. She has a collection of mantels. You’ll have to see them one
day.”

Had he just invited Susanna to his place?

There was a hitch in her step as she slanted a curious gaze his
way. “Mantels? As in fireplaces?”

“You got it. I’ve got mantels without fireplaces attached to
them. She turned one into a bed frame. She was crazy for them. Doors and
windows, too. Used to drag the family to pick through old buildings while most
folks were doing yardwork or watching Saturday morning cartoons.”

“The mantel in my living room?”

“From a pre-Civil War cypress cottage near the coast. Took her
a while to bring that one back to its original finish. It had taken a beating
from being so close to the salt water.”

Susanna stepped up her pace again. “Humph. How imaginative. I
would never have thought of anything so creative.”

“She was that.” Before Alzheimer’s claimed her, and all he had
left of his loving, laughing and infinitely creative mother was a bunch of
mantels, doorknobs and windowsills.

“I for one am very grateful,” Susanna said graciously. “Did she
use this as the guest cottage?”

“Sometimes. When we had guests who didn’t want to stay in the
house with us. She had some cousins who used to visit from Ireland. They were
older and with my brother and I tearing around like wild boys... Well, let’s say
they enjoyed a place where they could go for some quiet. My mother, too. She
used the cottage for work. She liked to leave the house and have a place where
she could concentrate without too many distractions.”

“Work?” Susanna’s interest piqued visibly. “Your mother didn’t
work at The Arbors?”

“Everyone in my family worked at The Arbors.” Past tense.
Wasn’t anyone left but him. Except for Drew, who didn’t count, but Jay wouldn’t
dwell on something he couldn’t change. And he couldn’t change his brother. “My
mother was a writer, too. Whenever she was on deadline, she liked to wrap her
head around her work. Used to tell my brother and me not to show up unless we
were bleeding.”

Susanna went to the passenger side of the golf cart. “I’ve said
the same to my kids.”

Jay would take her word for it, since he hadn’t gotten to that
part of his life
yet.
“Ever drive one of these
before?”

Susanna shook her head, more glossy waves tumbling around her
neck and shoulders in a display that was so feminine, so at odds with her
ultra-businesslike appearance.

But not right now. Not when she was casually dressed, all tiny
and curvy and tucking her waves behind her ears as she leaned eagerly toward the
controls for instruction.

Circling the golf cart, he hopped in and explained the basics.
He showed her how to disconnect the battery when she parked the vehicle then
took her for a spin to the access road, with the dogs trotting beside him as
they always did.

Then they swapped seats and she took him for a spin, starting
off tentatively but increasing speed as she gained confidence.

“Not so close, Butters,” she shrieked while making a turn.
“They won’t get too close and get hurt?”

“Not a chance. They keep up with me all the time. Have since
they were pups. And if they don’t get out of the way of a moving vehicle they
deserve what they get.”

He had to work to keep a straight face as he enjoyed her
horrified expression. “They’ll move if you get too close.”

“Keep your distance, Butters. I’m serious.”

“That your mom voice?”

She scowled at him, and he lost the battle with a smile.

“So what did your mother write?” she asked after another lap
around the cottage.

“Fiction. Literary stuff for magazines. Short stories mostly.
Had a few anthology collections published.”

Slowing as she cornered the house yet again, she paid close
attention to the dogs as she parked. “How interesting. I bet she got lots of
inspiration from around here. From what I’ve seen so far, this place is another
world.”

“Oh, it’s that. No question.”

She chuckled, taking the opportunity to ruffle Butters’s neck
when he nuzzled up to her. “Keep out from under the tires. Promise me.”

The dog was so greedy for attention he would have promised to
live forever. Jay escorted Susanna back to the porch before heading out with his
dogs again, but she stopped short and said, “Where on earth did that come
from?”

Taking the stairs with light steps, she made an attractive
display as she leaned over the big basket propped in a rocking chair. Even in
profile, he could see her expression soften as she inspected the gifts.

Perfect timing, Pete.

“Guess I should have had it waiting when you got here a week
ago,” he admitted. “But I didn’t think about it until you said you hadn’t made
it to the grocery. Welcome to The Arbors.”

“Oh, Jay, how kind. Thank you so much. This couldn’t be more
perfect.” She looked as if she was going to pick up the basket, so Jay skipped
up a few steps and took it from her.

“Tell me where.”

She held the door as he stepped through, or tried to, since the
dogs bullied their way in first. “Kitchen, please.”

He scowled at Gatsby, who headed straight for the sofa. “Don’t
even think about it.”

For once the dog obeyed.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I won’t even have to fight my kids
for the chocolate. That’ll be something new.”