was something in that statement. Jay had no clue what, but he wondered. “You travel with coffee?”
Her soft laugh swallowed up the air between them. Or maybe it was the fluid display she made as she leaned over to reach inside her laptop case to produce a small foil package. “VIA. Instant Starbucks coffee for people on the go. Your water dispenser provides hot water. You can drink this cold, though, too.”
“It’s your water dispenser now. I’d like to say you can get a decent cup of coffee around here, but I’d be lying. I budget for the good stuff, but when it’s brewed in big quantities... Keep a supply of those on hand.”
She dropped the package back into her case. “Appreciate the heads-up.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Her smile flashed wide and bright, and he noticed again how attractive she was. Not what he needed to be noticing.
“Let’s get this show on the road.” He grabbed the door for the lady and motioned her through, forcing himself not to notice how attractive she was from behind, too.
He kept his gaze leveled at the back of her head—where it belonged—not noticing the way her shiny dark hair caught the light, bouncing around her shoulders with her every step.
Excitement must be getting the better of him, because the plans he’d been making for eight months were coming together in the very feminine form of this new administrator.
* * *
SUSANNA’S TOUR BEGAN with the entry code to the secure doors off the front lobby—lockdown, as the wings of patient rooms were known—and hadn’t slowed the whirlwind pace in the hours since. She tried to tamp down her nerves, which hummed at full volume, as she absorbed everything at once.
Gerald had led her to expect a top-notch facility, and The Arbors appeared to be that. At a glance, the staff seemed professional and friendly, residents well-groomed and active.
Jay was a charming host as he directed her through the facility and instructed her on a floor plan that served both utilitarian and aesthetic purposes. Four wings branched off from the lobby and two centrally located elevators.
The elevators were large enough to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and gurneys, providing the only access to the upper floors besides locked emergency stairs at the end of each wing.
“We’ll assign you codes to get through the outer exits, too,” he said. “They can be handy when traffic backs up.”
“Which happens quite a bit, I imagine.”
He appeared to consider that, tipping his head to one side so that strands of blond hair slipped over his brow. “Actually, not too much unless we call 9-1-1. Then we reserve the south elevator until emergency arrives. The residents don’t do a lot of traveling between floors unless they’re going to the third floor for therapy, so that helps.”
Pausing with his hand poised over the keypad, he glanced at her and added, “I provided Gerald with our policy and procedure manual. Have you had a chance to look at it yet?”
“Cover to cover.”
His smile came fast, a smile that nearly blinded her with approval. “Good.”
This man wanted the arrangement to work as much as she did, Susanna realized. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did. And the awareness both surprised and reassured her. With Jay’s assistance, this transition should go smoothly.
She hoped. The first step began with Susanna convincing Jay to go through with acquisition.
But he wanted to be convinced...and that realization made her feel much better. “Reviewing schedules and staffing budgets is different from seeing the result of a well-staffed facility in action,” she said as they exited the elevator.
“It takes adequate staff to provide adequate care. It’s criminal what some facilities get away with.”
He came to a sharp stop outside the elevator and thrust the hair off his forehead with an absent gesture. “You do not want to get me started on my opinion of federal regulations.”
“Noted.” Obviously a hot spot.
“Here at The Arbors, we have a shift R.N. who manages the LPNs, the licensed practical nurses, on every floor and deals with the physician who makes rounds each day. Yes, I said physician, not nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.”
He was clearly proud, and as Susanna’s expertise was in the facility finances, she knew the budget and what that service could cost. One of the areas she would be looking at to bring the budget variances in line with Northstar’s specifications.
She kept that to herself since they were off to such a promising start. There would be plenty of time to address the differences between corporate and private management.
Entering the first-floor nursing center, she paid careful attention to the designations of the staff who ran in and out of rooms. LPNs were responsible for dispensing medication. Certified nursing assistants, known as CNAs, helped with patient care while the patient care technicians, or PCTs, handled hygiene and grooming.
Dieticians worked in top-notch kitchen facilities and their assistants transported meals to restorative dining areas for residents who were unable to feed themselves. Housekeepers. Maintenance and engineering staff. Each nurses’ station serviced two wings, not only as home base for the caregivers but a gathering area for many residents.
“No, no, Mrs. Highsmith, you can’t go to your room right now,” an LPN said as she stopped a tiny woman in a wheelchair and deftly brought her around to face the nurses’ station. “Stay here and keep me company while I fill out these charts, all right?”
Susanna didn’t catch Mrs. Highsmith’s response before Jay whisked her along yet another hallway. The only downside to the facility setup was that with every wing laid out in the same way and decorated to convey a homey ambiance, she couldn’t quite pinpoint where she was.
“I will eventually gain my sense of direction around here, won’t I?” she asked Jay.
He laughed with his rich warm voice that managed to be the only sound she heard over the noise of a busy floor. “Just watch the room numbers until you get the hang of the place.”
“Not that he’s the best judge.” The somber male voice came from behind them.
She and Jay stopped and turned to find Walter exiting a conference room.
“The boy’s been working this property since he was gurgling and cooing to entertain the residents.”
“Thank you, Walter,” Jay said dryly.
Susanna bit back a laugh, not sure what amused her more, the thought of Jay as a boy or a green-eyed baby.
“The residents loved you then and they love you now.” Walter held up a hand and whispered conspiratorially, “Everyone loves him around here. You’ve got big boots to fill.”
Another warning, but before Susanna could respond, Jay said, “Everyone can’t wait to see the last of me.”
“You
