Catherine Mann - A Diamond In The Rough

“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.”

Johanna started to argue, but then the notion of rolling up to Diamonds in the Rough, Incorporated in the middle of downtown Fort Worth, dogs in tow, sounded like one hell of an entrance.

Her Texas temper fired up and ready, she was through letting Stone McNair walk all over her emotions.

Four

Stone hated like hell being late for anything, but crisis after crisis had cropped up at the office even though he’d come in at five in the morning to prep for his weeklong departure.

Parked at his desk in front of the computer, he finished with the last details, clearing his calendar and rescheduling as much as he could for teleconferences from the road. He loved his grandmother, but she had to know the CEO of Diamonds in the Rough couldn’t just check out for a week without major prep. That was the primary reason for her test, right? For him to prove he was best suited to run the company.

She couldn’t have chosen a worse time.

Their CFO had gone into premature labor and had been placed on bed rest. His personal assistant was stuck in an airport in North Dakota. Their showroom was still under repairs from tornado damage and the construction crew’s foreman had gone on strike.

And his grandmother was dying of cancer.

His hands clenched over the keyboard. For her, he’d put together detailed plans for taking Diamonds in the Rough to an international level, to expand the company as a tribute to his grandparents who’d been there for him over the years. Yet now she might not even live long enough to see that dream come to fruition. It cut him to the core to think he’d somehow let her down, but he must have since she felt she needed to concoct tests for him to prove himself.

His eyes slid to the wood drafting table littered with new designs, most of them done by Amie, but a few of his own were scattered through the mix. He sketched late at night, after hours, to ease the tension of the corporate rat race, more so since his breakup with Johanna. His pieces incorporated a larger emphasis on metal work and carvings than Amie’s. He still included signature company jewels inlaid into the buckles, bolos and even a few larger necklaces. Each piece also carried the expected Western aura.

Amie was the true artist in the family, but his pieces usually landed well, too. Johanna had always encouraged him to design more....

He scratched his head and leaned back, desk chair squeaking in protest. What had he been thinking, climbing through her window last night like some out-of-control teenager? Except...he had been out of control, jealous over seeing her with his cousin. He hadn’t thought. He’d simply acted. That kiss had left him with a need for her that clawed like metal shards scraping his insides raw. Even hearing her voice on the phone forty-five minutes ago had increased the ache of wanting her in his bed again.

A quick buzz from the temp serving as a stand-in personal assistant gave him only a second’s warning before his door flung open to reveal Johanna, fire spitting from her eyes. “You missed your flight.”

God, she was sexy all riled up.

“I called you.” He creaked his chair back even further, taking in the sight of her in white jeans and layered yellow tank tops. “And it’s a private plane. My private plane, for that matter. There’s no way to miss a flight that’s waiting for me to give the go-ahead for takeoff.”

Speaking of taking off... What he wouldn’t give right now to peel away those tanks of hers, one at a time, with his teeth. He’d left her place last night to give himself space to regain control. Instead, their time apart had only taken his need to another level.

“Would have been nice to know you had other plans for your day before I reached the landing strip. I could have worked, too, or slept in. Or...” She held up her hand, four leashes in her fist. “I could have let the dogs play and run around in the yard longer.”

She dropped the leashes and the four-pup pack stampeded into his office. Stone barely had time to bark, “Heel, damn it!” before Gem launched into his lap, the full force of the yellow lab almost tipping his chair over. Stone regained his balance then knelt to greet the dogs. Ruby, Sterling and Pearl licked over his face with slobbery wet tongues. He liked animals—clearly, since he’d grown up on a ranch—but these guys in full force were a little much, even for him.

Barks and yips continued until Johanna dipped into sight again, regaining control of the pooches one at time until all four mutts sat in a perfect line. Which only proved she could have controlled them right away. She’d let them overrun him on purpose.

Wincing, he stood, swiping an arm across his face. He shrugged off his suit jacket. Thank goodness he hadn’t bothered with a tie today.

He draped his jacket over the back of his leather chair. “My apologies for inconveniencing you. Even if my grandmother questions my ability to run the company, I do still have obligations here that needed to be taken care of before I could leave.”