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
