Chapter 5 #2
“Hey, Mallory,” Mac said when he saw her come in with Quinn. “What brings you to our home away from home for the last few months?”
“Dr. James wanted to show me the facility.”
“We’ll stay out of your way,” Quinn said.
“No problem, Doc,” Mac replied. “We’re working in the kitchen today, so you’ve got the run of the rest.” To Mallory, he added, “We’re in the home stretch, so feel free to notice what a fantastic job we’ve done.”
“Nothing wrong with his ego,” Mallory said.
“I’ve noticed that,” Quinn said.
They left Mac and the others laughing as Quinn gestured for Mallory to go ahead of him into a hallway. “These are all offices.” He pointed to several new wood doors. “Mine, the administrator and the nursing director.”
“Nice that the nursing director gets the same treatment as the medical director. You don’t see that everywhere.”
“I made sure of that. The nursing staff will be the backbone of this place.”
He took her through a large community lounge and a dining room that would allow residents to eat together. “They’ll also have the option of having meals in their rooms, if that’s what they prefer.”
Mallory took it all in. The individual patient rooms were big, spacious and well lit, many with views of the water. “Will it cost more to live on the water side of the building?”
“A little more. Most of those rooms are already spoken for.”
“This is amazing. I can’t believe something like this is happening on such a small island.”
“You can thank my sister-in-law Lizzie for making it a reality. She was so moved by the plight of Alex and Paul Martinez. They had to move their mom, who has dementia, to the mainland when they could no longer care for her at home. They own Martinez Lawn and Garden, so they’re tied to the island and couldn’t go with her.
Lizzie said no family should have to face that kind of decision.
Within a couple of days, she’d bought the old school and hired Mac to do the renovations.
He and his team have been here all winter. ”
“She gets things done, huh?”
“Sometimes I think my brother has no idea what hit him when he married her, but he’s so crazy about her that he’d give her anything she wants, including an old school that’s about to be a long-term healthcare facility.”
“That’s true love.”
“Yep.”
“When do you plan to begin recruiting for staff?”
“I hired an agency to handle that for me. I’m meeting with the recruiter at the end of the week.”
Mallory nodded in agreement. That was what she would’ve done, too.
“Our new administrator is starting next week. She’s responsible for hiring the support staff. My brother and Lizzie have given me complete autonomy over the medical side of the house, including hiring the nursing director.”
“That’s great. That’s how it should be.”
He smiled then, and Mallory was struck dumb. His smile revealed deep grooves in his cheeks that couldn’t really be called dimples but were sexy as hell nonetheless. Not to mention the way the smile lit up his golden-brown eyes. “Earth to Mallory?”
She realized she was staring at him and flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry. What did you say?”
“Do you know anyone who might be interested in a management-level nursing position, overseeing a staff of about twenty nurses?”
“I, um… After running an ER with ninety nurses and other support staff, I could do that job with one hand tied behind my back and my eyes closed.”
“Or maybe you could do it with both hands and your eyes open?”
A joke. He’d made a joke. She laughed. “I could do that, too.”
“So you want the job?”
“You know nothing about me! You haven’t checked my references or my experience or… anything!”
“I saw you in action that day on the road. I already know you’ve got the chops, and you ran an ER at a top hospital in Providence.”
“A job I recently lost.”
“Not because you weren’t good at it, but because they couldn’t afford you anymore. Right?”
“Right.”
He shrugged. “I’d consider myself fortunate to have a nurse with your experience on our team if you’re interested in the job.”
Mallory took a deep breath. Her head was spinning. A job offer had been the last thing she’d expected when she came with him to see the facility. “I… Um… I’m committed to work for Mason on the rescue for the summer.”
Quinn opened the door to his office, which already looked fairly lived-in, with piles of folders and papers on the desk.
He reached for a piece of paper on the desktop and handed it to her.
“That’s fine. We’re not due to open until October.
If you’d be willing to consult on the hiring of the nursing team over the summer, you could officially start after Labor Day. ”
Mallory perused the job description and the salary range, which was close to what she’d been making in Providence. “Would you mind if I took a little time to think about it? My plan was to spend the summer here and reevaluate in the fall.”
“Of course. Take a few days, but if you’re interested, I’d like to have you at the meeting with the recruiter, if at all possible.”
“How about I commit to the meeting for now, and let you know about the job itself later?”
“I can live with that. If you give me your number, I’ll let you know when the meeting is.”
Mallory recited her phone number and watched as he punched it into his phone.
“I sent you a text so you’ll have mine.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
He gave her a questioning look. “I feel like I’ve shocked you speechless with my offer.”
“A little,” she said with a laugh. “And that’s not easy to do. It’s more that I wasn’t expecting it than anything else. Did you plan this whole thing? To lure me out here and wow me with the awesomeness of the place and then offer me a job you hoped I couldn’t refuse?”
“That would be awfully premeditated on my part.”
Oh my God, she thought. He is adorable when he pours on the charm. “Ah-ha! I knew it. And I walked right into your trap.”
His face lifted in a half smile that was no less dazzling than the full one. “Hopefully, you’ll decide my trap is actually a good career move.”
“I’m honored that you offered it to me. Please don’t think I’m not. It’s just that I’m in this weird transition right now, and I want to be sure I’m making the right decision, not the most convenient one.”
“Fair enough.” He stared at her with an intense gaze that made her feel like he could see right through her. “Could I ask you something else?”
“Sure.”
“Will you have dinner with me later?”
For a second, Mallory’s brain went completely blank. He was asking her out? After offering her a job? “I…”
“It’s a simple yes or no question.”
Mallory studied him for a second, but his expression gave nothing away. “Is it? Is it simple?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I guess we’ll find out.”
“You offered me a job.”
“So I did.”
“And now you’re asking me out?”
“It seems that I am. Yes.”
“I’m confused.”
“Which part is confusing?”
“You asking me out after offering me a job in which you would be my boss if I were to accept the position.”
“I’d prefer to think we’d be colleagues rather than boss-employee. Besides, I’m not proposing marriage here. Just dinner. For now.”
“Why?”
His brows furrowed. “Now I’m confused.”
“Why do you want to have dinner with me?”
“We’re both new to the island, and I thought it would be nice to get to know each other better. Also, I’m sure my brother and sister-in-law are getting tired of having me underfoot all the time. I need to make some friends of my own. Are those good reasons?”
“Those are good reasons.”
“So you’ll have dinner with me?”
“I’ll have dinner with you.”
“Excellent,” he said with the half smile that did wondrous things to his face. “Seven thirty good for you?”
“That works. Where would you like to meet?”
“I’ll pick you up. Where’s your new place?”
She gave him the Ocean Road address of Janey’s house, which she should probably think of as hers now.
“Can I give you a ride home?”
“I’ll ride the bike. It’s a nice day. But thanks for the offer.”
“Let me help you get the bike out of the truck.”
They walked together toward the main entrance, and Mallory stuck her head into the kitchen to say good-bye to her brother and cousins.
“Have a good one,” Mac called.
“You, too.”
“That’s my brother,” she said to Quinn. “And my cousins. It still feels weird to say those words. I’d never had brothers or cousins or a sister before last year.”
“That has to be surreal.”
“It is, but it’s also amazing. That guy in there…” In a conspiratorial whisper, she said, “He’s my brother.”
Quinn laughed. “You look like a little kid on Christmas morning when you talk about him.”
“That’s how I’ve felt since I met them all. Like every day is Christmas, and anything is possible.”
“Must be nice to feel that way,” he said wistfully. Reaching into the bed of his truck, he retrieved her bike.
Mallory enjoyed watching his muscles flex under the weight of the bike. “Thank you. For the tour, the job offer and the dinner invitation. This morning turned out quite differently than expected.”
“When every day’s like Christmas, you never know what’ll happen.”
“Very true. I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, you will.”
As Mallory pedaled the bike down the dirt lane that led to the main road, she felt him watching her go.
She would admit to being extremely curious about him and wondered if he’d share more about himself at dinner.
Mallory couldn’t wait to find out. The Summer of Mallory was already turning out to be much more interesting than expected.