LITMIR.BIZ

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      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.

      “We had a par course at my last property, and it was my favorite way to spend lunch breaks when I could get them,” she said to fill the quiet.

      “It’s good to get outside every once in a while.”

      “Especially during the months when it wasn’t buried under six feet of snow.”

      He laughed, such a rich sound. Was it possible even his laughter had a hint of the South, too?

      They emerged in the front lobby, walking side by side. Security served as nighttime reception and Jay told the man at the desk, “Pete’s on tonight, if you need anything.”

      Then they passed through the open doorway, where two furry golden beasts bounded at her, tails wagging, yelping and barking a friendly greeting.

      “Hello, guys,” Susanna said in her dog-friendly squeaky voice as they circled her legs, clearly wanting attention. She extended a hand, waited to see how it was received.

      The dogs shuffled nearer, half sitting, half standing, vying to get closer to her like two almost-identical twins elbowing each other out of the way. With a laugh, she knelt

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