Mariah held herself rigidly in control, Ruby and Gem each resting against one leg. Pearl and Sterling curled up together on a seat beside her. Johanna couldn’t help but wonder how well the pack would adjust to being separated.
She checked the large digital clock above the door. The red numbers blinked nearly ten o’clock while the pilot kept busy with some paperwork outside beneath a Texas flag flapping lazily in the soft breeze. She bit back anger. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and frustrated from bracing herself to appear blasé in front of Stone.
Only to have him freakin’ stand her up.
She was mad. Steaming mad. And completely confused. If he was playing mind games with her, that was one thing. But to involve his grandmother? That was plain wrong, and not like him.
Shuffling a seat to move closer to Mariah, Johanna put a reassuring hand on the woman’s arm. “You don’t have to do this, Mrs. McNair. The dogs can stay with you. They can stay here now and even if the time comes...” She swallowed back a lump of emotion. “Even if the time comes when you’re not here. This is their home.”
Mariah patted Johanna’s hand. “It’s okay, really. I love them enough to do what’s best for them. I’ll be in and out of the hospital quite often, and they deserve attention.”
“Everyone here will take care of them.” She held on tighter to this strong, brilliant woman who was already showing signs of fading away. She had new gaunt angles and a darkness around her eyes that showed her exhaustion in spite of keeping up appearances of normalcy with a red denim dress and boots. “You must realize that.”
“I do, but I need to know they’re settled permanently, for my own peace of mind.” Mariah stroked the scruffy little terrier, adjusting the dog’s bejeweled collar. “They deserve to be a part of a family and not just a task for the staff, or an obligation for a relative who doesn’t really want them.”
“They could be a comfort to you. Even if you kept one of them, like Pearl or Sterling, maybe...”
Mariah’s touch skimmed from pup to pup until she’d petted all four. “I couldn’t choose. It would be like playing favorites with my children or grandchildren.”
There was an undeniable truth in her words and a selflessness that made Johanna ache all over again at the thought of losing her. “I wish there were more people like you in the world.”
“You’re dear to say that.” She cradled Johanna’s face in her hands. “And I wish you could be my granddaughter.”
There it was. Out there. The unacknowledged big pink elephant that had sat in the middle of every one of their conversations for the past seven months. Mariah had never once interfered or questioned her decision to break it off with Stone.
If only there’d been some other way.
Johanna leaned in and hugged Mariah, whispering in her ear, “I’m so sorry I can’t make that come true for you. I would have liked very much to have you as part of my family.”
Mariah squeezed her once before easing away and thumbing a lone tear from the corner of her eye. “I just want you to be happy.”
“My job makes me happy.” True, but she’d once dreamed of much more. “If it weren’t for your scholarship, I never could have afforded the training. I know I’ve thanked you before, but I can never thank you enough.”
“Ah, dear.” Mariah brushed back a loose strand from Johanna’s braid. “This isn’t goodbye. Even worst-case scenario, I’ll be around for months, and you’re only going to be gone a week. I intend to fight hard to be around as long as I can.”
“I know.” Johanna fidgeted with the horseshoe necklace. “I just want to be sure all the important things are said.”
“Of course, but I don’t want us to use our time on morbid thoughts or gloominess.” Mariah smoothed her denim dress and sat straighter. “Stone in particular has had enough disappointment from the people he loves.”
Johanna looked into the woman’s deep blue eyes and read her in an instant. “You’re sending him away this week so he won’t be here as you start your treatments.”
“Just until I get settled into a routine.”
The closeness of the moment, the importance of this time, emboldened her. “What if he wants to be around to support you?”
“My choices trump anyone else’s right now,” Mariah said with a steely strength that had made her a businesswoman of national stature. “Keep Stone busy and take care of placing my dogs. Enjoy the time away from the ranch. You work too hard, and if I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that we shouldn’t waste a day.”
Mariah eased the lecture with another squeeze of her hand, which Johanna quickly returned.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good enough, and for goodness’ sake, quit calling me Mrs. McNair or ma’am. If you can’t call me Gran, then call me Mariah.” She sighed, before shoving slowly to her feet. “Now how about we track down my tardy grandson so you can start your journey?”
“I’m sure he’s on his way...Mariah.” Johanna glanced at the wall clock again. This wasn’t like him. Could something have happened?
Johanna’s cell phone chimed from her purse, playing a vintage Willie Nelson love song. She glanced at Mariah, a blush stinging her cheeks faster than the fierce Texas sun. Damn it, why hadn’t she changed her Stone ringtone? She should have swapped her ringtone to some broken heart, broken truck country song. There were sure plenty to pick from. She fished out her cell, fumbling with the on button before putting it to her ear. “Where are you?”
“I’m at the office downtown.” Stone’s bass rumbled over her ears sending a fresh shiver of awareness down her spine. “A few unavoidable emergencies came up with work. I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to leave.”
Not a chance in hell was he getting off that easy, but she didn’t intend to chew him out with his grandmother listening. She would go straight to the Diamonds in the Rough headquarters and haul him out with both hands, if need be. Not that she intended to give him any warning. “Sure, thanks for calling.”
She disconnected and turned to Mariah. “He’s fine, just delayed downtown at the Fort Worth office. He wants me to swing by with the dogs, and we’ll leave from there. Would you like to help me load the dogs in the car?”
“Of course.” Mariah brightened at the task. “But please, take my limo. I’ll have the airport security run me back to the house.”