Someone Perfect for Mr. Moore Read online

  Someone Perfect For Mr. Moore

  By Lucy J. Whittaker

  Text copyright © 2013 Lucy J. Whittaker

  All Rights Reserved

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. All characters are fictitious, any similarities are not intentional.

  Table of Contents

  Someone Perfect For Mr. Moore

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter One

  Lucy sat down, completely exhausted. The shift had been a busy one, between multiple codes during the night and her routine patients to see, she hadn’t had time to even sit down. To make matters worse, upper management wanted to see her before she left. They wouldn’t be able to for at least twenty minutes though. She only hoped that they would be on time. All she wanted was to go home and get some much needed sleep.

  Her manager knew what they wanted, but was unable to tell her what was going on. What the hell was this all about? Her last review had been good, so why would they want to see her? She watched as the next shift left the department, talking about how busy their day would be. She rubbed her tired eyes and decided to go down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. She wanted to have a clear mind when she talked to them. The last thing she needed was to go in there groggy and not be able to answer any questions they had for her.

  She had just paid for her coffee and taken the first sip when Sherry approached her. “Good morning Lucy, everyone came in a little early today, so they are all waiting for you.” She said.

  Lucy walked with her down the hall, she ignored the curious looks that some of the passing employees gave her. She would be at the top of the rumor mills today. Wonderful, just what she needed. She was surprised when Sherry motioned for her to go into the conference room. As they walked inside it looked to Lucy like the whole board of directors was here. Oh great, she must have done something really bad for all this.

  The Chief of Staff sat at the head of the table and motioned for her to sit in the only empty chair left. The long polished table sat at least twenty people and there were another dozen or so standing around in their power suits.

  Lucy sat in her seat feeling a little overwhelmed. She only knew a few people that were here, one of them being Ted, the Chief of Staff. She looked around at the other faces a little curiously. They must be in the middle of a lawsuit. Half of the men here looked like lawyers to her; she relaxed a little at the thought. This was all routine. She had nothing to hide.

  Ted watched Lucy as she looked around the room. He was familiar with her department. He had never spoken to her; obviously there had been no need to. He had read over her file the day before. She had a spotless record and according to her manager she got along well with her coworkers. In all the years he had run facilities this had never come up before. Would she even do this for them? It would really help the hospital out if she did.

  “Lucy, I’m sure you are wondering why we have brought you here today. We have a proposition for you.” Ted said.

  Ok that got her attention. Lucy sat straighter in her chair, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. “What kind of proposition?”

  “You have been taking care of a patient since he came in, a Mr. Moore. You are aware that he doesn’t have much time left?” He waited for her nod, and noticed the small frown that formed between her brows. “Mr. Moore’s son Dean would like to hire you to come and stay with his father until his passing.”

  Lucy looked at him, truly shocked. “You’re serious?” After Ted nodded to her, she spoke again. “I don’t understand.”

  “Mr. Moore has consulted his attorney and has worked up a proposal for you and the hospital if you agree to help them. He has graciously offered a sizable donation to the hospital, along with a very generous package for you. You would stay at their home, and take care of his father for a certain number of hours per day. They already have a nurse lined up for him, but his father specifically requested that you come and stay with him.”

  Lucy smiled thinking of Stan. She had gotten close to him, something she always tried not to do. She knew it the first time she had read for him. “He is a very sweet man, but I really don’t understand this. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”

  “Maybe you should hear what they are offering before you decide. The board is here; they have already looked over the financial end of the contract and would encourage you to take it. Your job will be here when you get back. Think of it as a little time away. Their lawyer can talk to you in private; Dean is a very powerful man. Not all the details are available to us, as far as where they live, and also contact information.” He looked a little unsure when he turned towards her again, but the board was pushing him into this. He just wasn’t sure if this was all going to be as perfect as they think it will be. Sending this woman away from her home and everyone she knew. He would really be surprised if she agreed to it. “If you are willing to listen to them you can use my office.”

  Lucy looked up as two of the men at the table stood. “Miss Lintz, if you will come with us we can go over some of the details and see what you think.” A tall man with blonde hair spoke, Lucy would bet his suit didn’t come off a rack. The second man stood silently at his side, their manners and impeccable grooming screamed money.

  Lucy nodded to them and stood up; she felt a little self-conscious walking in front of them in her scrubs. She suddenly wished she could have at least showered. She walked into Ted’s office and sat down as the door closed behind them. The blonde man sat down across from her as she settled in her seat. The other man stood by the door, his face blank as he looked at her. She knew instinctively that this man was not a lawyer, so who the heck was he?

  The blonde man started to speak again. He explained the arrangement they were asking her for. She would come and stay as a guest on Dean’s estate. She would help the nurse with his father’s care, but primarily would act as a companion to him. She would have a generous income for the time she was there, and all her expenses would be taken care of. He explained that their estate was in Kentucky, no one from the hospital would know the exact location, and she was not to tell anyone where. Her family would be allowed to contact her via her private cell phone, but only during the day. She would have the freedom to explore the estate during her free time, and transportation would be provided for her if she needed to go anywhere on her time off.

  He told her they knew about her son in college, they were willing to help with his tuition if she agreed. “Miss Lintz, are you currently involved with anyone?”

  Lucy blushed when she looked at him for asking such a personal question. She shook her head no, she felt shocked. How had they found out so much about her? The university that her son was attending was quite expensive, even with the scholarships that he had received. She couldn’t afford to help him a lot. She would be a fool not to accept this, if only for the help with his schooling. She had family close by that could look after her house for her. She didn’t have any pets to worry about. At least she would have her job when she came back. This could actually be a good thing. She hadn’t been on vacation for years.

  “Could I take a look at the contract please?” She reached out to take the document that he handed to her. She looked it over. It seemed pretty straight forward. Some of the legal wording was giving her a headache, but basically if she was unable to stay, she would be able to leave without question. A sizable bonus for her and the donation to the hospital depended on her staying until Mr. Moore’s death. This could be anywhere between now and three months. Woul
d she really be able to be away that long?

  “When do you need my decision?”

  “Now.”

  Lucy gaped at him for a second. She had to make such an important decision about her future right now. She sat back in her chair. Was she dreaming all of this? Maybe she had really gone home and she was in bed right now. “Is this for real? I had a really bad night and I am totally exhausted right now. You are joking aren’t you?”

  Jason sat back in his chair and crossed his long legs. He gave her a smile, one with perfect white teeth. “I assure you Miss Lintz, this is no joke. Mr. Moore is a very wealthy man, his father is very important to him. Anything he can do to make his last days more comforting to him he will do. We have drawn up this contract so you would have a really hard time saying no.” Jason relaxed in his chair; he knew he had her now. He had been worried, but after he had told her about the help with her son’s tuition, he knew she wouldn’t say no. He had been offered a sizeable bonus for his time if she agreed; he had added the clause about her son at the last minute. His instincts had been right, if he wouldn’t have mentioned her son at all, she would have never agreed to this.

  “Can I ask you why I was chosen? Mr. Moore has had several therapists take care of him since he arrived, why am I so special?”

  Jason looked at her thoughtfully and told her the truth. “Stan told me that you were the only one that held his hand and took the time to talk to him when he was afraid. You were the first to take care of him when he came in. He told me how you stayed by him through some of his tests, you even stayed with him for his CAT scan when you didn’t have to.” He paused for a second as he watched her. “He said he wasn’t afraid to die while you were there.”

  Lucy looked up at him as she wiped her eyes. She always got emotional easily when she was tired, this was no exception. She gave him a watery smile when he smiled at her. She took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself. What a sweet man he was, if his son was anything like him, she would be happy to help them out.

  “So what do you say Miss Lintz? Do you think you can do this for us?”

  “Yes, I think so. How much time do I have?”

  “You’ll need to be ready to leave tomorrow. We will be flying out in the afternoon. Your shifts will all be covered and that should give you time to get your affairs in order. We were concerned that you had a boyfriend that would cause issues, but since you don’t. That point is moot.” He leaned over Ted’s desk and handed her a box of Kleenex. She smiled her thanks and he really looked at her for the first time. Not as a lawyer, but as a man. Her scrubs camouflaged her body, but she had really pretty eyes. She wasn’t very tall, but even tired she was noticeable. Her hair was pulled back in a clip, but it looked like it would be long and curly. Her red hair accented her bright blue eyes and pale flawless skin. He idly wondered what Dean would think of her. It had been quite a while since he had seen him around a woman. Maybe Lucy was just what Dean needed too.

  “Alright, if you are ready I will have you sign and then you can go home and get some rest. I will take care of everything here for you. I will call you in the morning to see if you need any help with anything. I can let you know what time we’ll pick you up then.” Jason watched her sign her name, she had a nice signature, the loops and the slants of the letters looked dainty.

  Once she stood up, he offered her his hand and she shook it, she had delicate hands. The nails were short and well-manicured, she stepped past him and he realized that even after a long night and a stressful morning she smelled nice. She had a pretty smile too. He had found out everything there was to know about her. He knew she wasn’t seeing anyone, but that was a key part of his questions. Her single status would make her realize she had no one here to miss.

  He glanced at Alcide as she passed through the door, and saw him checking out her ass. Shit, that’s the last thing they needed was him coming on to her. Maybe he could get Dean to tell him she was off limits or something. If she would have been interested in Alcide at all she wouldn’t have ignored him the way she did. One thing he knew about Alcide and women, if they were interested he knew right away, the others were almost always turned off. He never liked him, but he was Dean’s friend. He would make a call to Dean when she left and tell him about it.

  Jason listened to the board members tell Lucy they appreciated her helping out the hospital. He could tell them she was doing this for her son, not for them, but it didn’t matter anyway. Things were now set in motion. He told Lucy he’d call her in the morning. He gave her his card with his number on it. If she had any questions she could call, he would be available. He asked Ted if he could use his office for a few minutes after she left. He had to call Dean and tell him she said yes.

  Lucy had never been on a private plane before. She looked out her window and saw the white fluffy clouds and the blue sky. Stan slept beside her in his seat. They had talked for quite a while until she noticed he was getting tired. She gave him a pillow and put a blanket over him and encouraged him to close his eyes for a little while. She smiled when she looked at him, he was snoring softly. He had told her how glad he was that she was going to stay with him for a while. She thought about how hopeful he seemed today, compared to the last few days that she had seen him. Maybe it was the thought of seeing his son that made him feel that way.

  She glanced up and caught Alcide watching her. He kind of gave her the creeps, he was by no means ugly, but he just had a vibe about him that told her not to trust him. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes; she could easily see women falling at his feet. Jason though, he seemed really nice. He had helped her with a few loose ends, like her mail and paper. She had also talked to him about the bonus they had in her contract, she didn’t feel right about that and wanted it taken out. Also she wanted just her normal wage, but he wouldn’t budge on that one, in fact he had been adamant that part would not change. He really tried to talk her out of the bonus too, which confused her a little. Wouldn’t he want to save his boss money?

  Her sister was going to check on the house for her, water her plants, and get any mail or papers that managed to get through. She sat back and relaxed and thought about the pictures that Jason had shown her. He had a beautiful wife Rose, and they had just had a daughter that they named Lily.

  Part way through the flight she fell asleep. She had been in the middle of a long stretch of night shifts and this was prime sleeping time for her. It would take her a few days to get off the night schedule, she would probably be up later tonight, but after a day or so she would adjust.

  The plane landed at a huge airport, she could only guess as to which city they were in. Once they exited the plane they were met by a large black van. A young man got out of the back with a wheel chair to meet them. His name was Jeff and he was easy going. He joked around with her and Stan and soon had them both laughing. Lucy looked forward to working with him. The driver loaded their bags into the back and once they were all in he drove toward the gates. Jason said it was about a thirty minute drive to the estate and then they could get settled and relax the rest of the day. Dean was gone and wouldn’t be home until later. Lucy would meet him in the morning.

  The van windows were tinted and it was hard to see anything around the men sitting in front. Sometime later the driver pulled up to an elaborate iron gate, it slowly opened as a guard waved them through. Lucy could just make out the house as they came up a tree lined drive. Holy cow, when they said estate they weren’t kidding. Stan told her a little about the house as they drove up. A few staff members came out to help unload and then Lucy followed Jeff as he wheeled Stan into the house. She waved goodbye to Jason and thanked him. He told her he would see her later in the week, if she needed anything she could call him. Jason watched as Alcide followed them inside, he really hoped that Dean had said something to him. He considered hanging around until he got back, but he was anxious to see his wife and daughter. He hoped that things worked out for Stan. He really liked him. He didn’t understand why Dean never talke
d to him. He tried to keep him happy, but they never spoke.

  Chapter Two

  Lucy followed Jeff to Stan’s room, she helped get him into bed for a nap, and then she followed an older woman to her own room. She would get lost for sure in this place, she mused. Her room was at the other end of the hall from Stan’s. It was quite a ways away, but at least they were on the same floor. Stella explained that they were in different wings. The woman said her name was Stella, she said if she needed anything just to ask. She helped Lucy unpack her clothes. As she hung a few of her things in a massive walk in closet Stella asked her why she hadn’t packed anything dressier.

  “You’ll be expected to attend functions with Stan and Dean.” Stella said.

  Lucy looked at her dumbfounded. “They never said anything about that; I just expected to be with Stan all the time.”

  Stella shook her head and smiled at her. “Don’t worry dear; I’ll take care of everything. What size are you Lucy?”

  Lucy looked at her questioningly, why would she need to know that? “I am a size eight, why?” Stella just smiled at her. She patted her shoulder and told her she would come back to get her for dinner in a little while. “Try and get some rest dear.”

  Lucy opened the curtains around the big windows in her room. Well rooms, to be exact. She had a sitting room, bedroom, a large bathroom, and a walk-in closet bigger than her bedroom at home. The bed was huge and matched the dark cherry wood dressers. The walls were painted a light gray and had white accents around the ceiling and floors. She slipped her sandals off and felt the cushy dark gray carpeting beneath her bare feet. She moved her hand across the sage green bedspread, it was soft and silky, the room and its furnishings were absolutely lovely, and she’d never seen anything like them. She looked out a set of doors that led to a large balcony that overlooked the estate. She noticed a stable in the distance; she could see men working with horses. She wondered what kind of stables they were; it seemed like a really big operation. There was a huge garden that ran along the side of the house, she couldn’t wait to explore the estate, but she wouldn’t until she was invited. She went and laid down on the bed, sinking into the downy coverlet. She only intended to rest for a few minutes, but she soon fell asleep. She heard a knock on her door some time later and opened it to find Stella waiting for her.