me anywhere. Northstar made the
arrangements.”
“What are they doing with the plantation?”
“One of my objectives is to make recommendations. Northstar is
looking at the potential for a rehab facility or maybe adding a facility that’s
not specifically Alzheimer’s related. I haven’t seen the place in person yet,
but it’s old, so renovating to code could be expensive. I’ll have to see.”
A task for another day. She could tackle only one thing at a
time without feeling overwhelmed. She was already bolting upright in bed hours
before the alarm rang.
“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
arrangements.”
“What are they doing with the plantation?”
“One of my objectives is to make recommendations. Northstar is
looking at the potential for a rehab facility or maybe adding a facility that’s
not specifically Alzheimer’s related. I haven’t seen the place in person yet,
but it’s old, so renovating to code could be expensive. I’ll have to see.”
A task for another day. She could tackle only one thing at a
time without feeling overwhelmed. She was already bolting upright in bed hours
before the alarm rang.
“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
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