and chatty, or was Susanna sampling real Southern hospitality? She didn’t want to cut off the conversation rudely, but she needed to let the owner know she was here, so she didn’t appear late.
When she opened her mouth to prompt Amber, a man suddenly appeared with an older gentleman in step behind him.
“Mr. C., Mr. Higgins. Guess who’s here?” Amber announced.
“I see.” The younger of the two gentlemen inclined his head to acknowledge the receptionist. Then his gaze fixed on Susanna as he strode toward her, all broad shoulders and quick energy. His smile was wide and fast. “Jay Canady, Ms. Adams. Welcome to The Arbors. Walter Higgins, our CFO.”
For a moment, Susanna stared. That voice. Deep-throated, like honey melted in whiskey, not a drawl, but soft, stretching vowels that made every syllable distinctive. It took another moment to realize he was waiting for a reply. She’d stopped breathing. Literally.
What on earth was wrong with her?
“A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen,” she managed. Then she was shaking hands and making more chitchat while distracting herself with memory associations so she wouldn’t forget names.
Walter Higgins, dapper elderly chap with a bow tie. CFO, my old job.
Jay Canady, aka Mr. C. The man who wants to sell off this gorgeous facility.
Not that she would need a memory prompt to remember him.
Susanna had reviewed the man’s biographical data. Although she knew he was thirty-two years old and the third generation to run this facility, Jay Canady wasn’t what she’d expected.
He was all chiseled lines and ruthless masculinity. Neatly trimmed blond hair contrasted sun-scorched skin that suggested he spent time outdoors, a fact reinforced by his toned physique. And his eyes were the greenest green she’d ever seen.
Susanna wasn’t sure what she expected a man who ran a memory-care facility to look like, but she hadn’t expected hints of David Beckham and Eomer from The Lord of the Rings.
“Northstar promised to send us the perfect property director, and here you are,” Jay said.
“Perfect for The Arbors, anyway,” she said quickly. “I can’t imagine any place lovelier. The drive from the gate was breathtaking.”
“You should see the arbors in spring bloom,” Walter said.
“She will,” Jay said. “But not until spring. Now let’s get you settled before the parade begins. Everyone wants to meet you. I’ll take you to your new office so you can settle in before I give you the dime tour.”
The dime tour? How charming. With a polite hand on her elbow, Jay whisked her from the lobby and down a corridor of administrative offices.
“Welcome to The Arbors, Ms. Adams,” Walter said about halfway down the hall. “Say the word when you’re ready to tour the financial offices. We run a tight ship. You’ll be pleased.”
“I’m sure I will, Walter. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“The same.” If Walter had been wearing a hat, he would have tipped it. He was such a dashing gentleman.
“I understand Walter’s been an employee since the beginning,” she said after he vanished into an office, leaving her alone with Jay.
“Before, actually. My grandmother hired him before she ever broke ground on this place.”
“That continuity of staff says a lot about your facility. It’s not common nowadays.”
“Has plusses. Minuses, too. Our out-of-house tax attorney was around since the start, too, but he didn’t trust computers, so he wrote everything by hand.”
“That must have presented some challenges,” she said diplomatically.
Jay pulled a face. “He finally retired. We hired a new firm that conducts twenty-first-century business. But I suspect Northstar will reassign those out-of-house duties.”
She liked that he put business practices immediately on the table. “Once we start going through everything, I’ll be able to tell you for certain. One of our partners is Rockport Investment Banking. I think you’ll approve their caliber of service.”
Jay didn’t reply before they reached the office at the end of the hall labeled with a simple gold plate: Administrator.
Pushing the door wide, he allowed her to precede him.
The office must have cornered the building because two walls were nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows. The view beyond only proved The Arbors was heaven on earth. Beyond the manicured slope of lawn stretched a lake, calmly reflecting the arbors that circled the far end and the towering forest that hid most of the main house from sight.
She recognized pines and fir but there were other trees in glorious autumn bloom, bright splashes of color that hinted at how spectacular this view would be a little further into the season when the leaves really started to change.
“What are those red trees?” she asked. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“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
