The Time of Her Life Read Online Free Page A

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 waved him off with a graceful motion. “Thanks, Jay, but I
take care of me.”
    There 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