Then before she could do something stupid like blurt out how hot he was, she turned and fled the room.
Macca watched as the tiny woman practically ran out the door. He yawned and glanced at his watch. He’d found the quickest flight he could from Bozeman to Brisbane, and then he’d had to wait at the airport for several hours for a flight up to Proserpine.
His family had owned properties and businesses in this area for years. But it wasn’t until his father took over that their wealth really grew. The old man was intelligent, ruthless. He was also one of the worst human beings Macca had ever met.
And that was saying something.
At least he’d always had his mother to ground him in reality. She’d been a flight attendant when she’d met his father. She’d migrated from the States to Australia, not realizing the hell she was coming into.
Thankfully, she’d managed to divorce his ass when Macca was seventeen and had moved them back to the States. He’d returned a few times to see Nan, but mostly they met in Hawaii where she owned a condo.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were ill, Nan?” he asked.
No answer.
“You could have told me you had cancer. I would have come.”
Nothing.
A tear slipped down his face.
He slid into the seat next to the bed, his legs no longer able to hold him up. He slid his larger hand over hers. Her skin was wrinkled and delicate, like tissue paper. He remembered all the times he would escape to Nan’s house when his parents were fighting. How she’d always greeted him with homemade chocolate chip cookies and strawberry milk. She’d keep him occupied, playing board games and telling him stories.
Even though he hadn’t known she was ill, he couldn’t help but feel like he should have been here for her. He closed his eyes for a moment. He was used to going long hours without sleep, but he’d just come off a hard assignment and then hopped straight a
way on a plane. And seeing her like this, his once vibrant and lovely grandmother lying here, looking so frail and old. . .
It tore at him. Ate away at his composure. He felt the tears well and had to take a moment to blink them back.
“Mr. McKenzie? You wanted to see me?”
He glanced over as a kind-looking older woman stepped into the room. Ah, the little pixie from earlier must have found whoever was in charge of his grandmother’s care. He felt guilty for how sharp he’d been with her. He wasn’t normally like that. He loved women. Of all ages. And there was something about the little pixie that tugged at him, but he didn’t have the time to work out what it was. His emotions were on a razor’s edge. He pushed all thoughts of her out of his mind as he stood and shook the other woman’s hand.
* * *
Macca stepped out into the parking lot of the hospice care feeling like he’d gone a few rounds with Corbin in the ring. Only all the battering was on the inside.
Nan was dying.
Nothing could be done. When his father called to tell him that she was in hospice care, he’d been caught totally by surprise. She hadn’t even told him she was ill. Why would she keep that from him? He paused to take a deep breath. Didn’t she know he’d want to be here for her?
Fuck. Shit.
His phone rang and he glanced down at it, letting it go to voicemail when he saw it was the old man. He knew he’d have to go see that bastard at some stage. But not now. Not while he was so. . .
Raw.
He took in a shuddering breath. He had to steel his defenses before dealing with his father. And that wasn’t happening tonight. All he wanted to do right now was go home to Nan’s place, help himself to some of her bourbon and sleep.
He headed towards his rental, feeling a little woozy. Shit. He probably shouldn’t be driving right now. But a taxi to Nan’s would cost a fortune. Looked like it was a motel for tonight. Tomorrow morning, he could visit Nan then head out to her place.
For some reason an image of the slightly-built female from earlier entered his mind. Maybe tomorrow he could apologize again and show her he wasn’t a complete jerk.
2
Where was the pearl necklace? She’d found the matching bracelet and earrings, but the necklace was nowhere to be found. She searched through the jewelry boxes. Penny had five of them. To say she loved jewelry was an understatement.
Gigi would clean up the mess before she left. She bit her lip as she checked the time, or maybe not if she didn’t get a hurry on. She half-crawled under the dresser, wondering if the necklace had fallen under there. But she couldn’t see anything.