Dean nodded. “Yeah, we heard about Gracie.”
His mother stepped to his side. “I’d very much like to meet the woman my son is wil ing to take a bul et for.”
Oh, hel . “Mom, I’m not sure—”
“I want to meet her.”
Wade had heard that tone before. There’d be no changing his mother’s mind. He sighed and caved. “Come on then.” Wade went to the other end of the emergency room where Gracie lay in a bed, eyes closed. She looked so pale, too pale. Wade moved up beside the bed and pushed a lock of hair off her forehead. Her eyes shot open. She smiled, then glanced around him, and the smile was quickly replaced by confusion.
Wade leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “How are you, baby?”
“I’m fine. My chest stings a little, and my head hurts from the chloroform, but knowing it’s final y over . . . it’s such a relief, Wade.”
Wade bit back a curse. “I didn’t realize he’d used chloroform. The son of a bitch could’ve kil ed you if he’d used too much.”
She nodded. “The doctor wasn’t real pleased either.” Her gaze darted back and forth among the mass of people positioned around her bed.
“Um, did you want to introduce me, Wade?”
No, he didn’t. He’d much rather have Gracie al to himself. He had things to say, and they wouldn’t wait. Wade moved a foot to the left, letting his mother come up to Gracie’s side. “Gracie, this is my mom. Mom, Gracie Baron.”
Gracie smiled and sat up straighter. “Hel o, Mrs. Harrison. It’s nice to meet you. Wel , the circumstances are unfortunate, of course.”
Wade’s mother frowned in concern. “You’ve had a rather rough go of it lately, I hear.”
Gracie winced. “Yeah, it’s been a little crazy. If not for Wade and Jonas, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” Gracie’s eyes, stil swol en from crying, looked up at him with love. At least that’s what it seemed like to Wade. Maybe he was deluding himself. Damn, he needed to get her alone and find out.
His mother smiled up at him, pride clearly visible. “My son sure knows how to keep things from getting too dul .”
“I’m sorry he was shot. It’s my fault. It never should have come to that.”
“From what Jonas told me, you were an innocent in al this.”
“I just wish it hadn’t ended the way it did.”
His mother patted Gracie on the hand. “Seems to me, it ended just right. You’re both safe, and the bad guy is behind bars.”
Gracie sighed and relaxed against the mattress. “Yes, it’s over. Thank goodness for that.”
“Hey, mind if I intrude?”
Wade looked up to see Detective Henderson at the foot of Gracie’s bed. He looked tired and in bad need of a vacation. “What’s up, detective?”
“I thought you two might want to know Lusk confessed to everything. The man spil ed his guts.”
“Good,” Wade growled. Saves me the trouble of killing him.
“And there’s also this.” He came toward Gracie and handed her a plastic evidence bag, a piece of paper inside. Gracie took it, her brows scrunched together. “Do you recognize it?” the detective asked.
She shook her head. “It looks like a raffle ticket, but I don’t remember fil ing it out.”
The detective shoved his hands in the pockets of his navy slacks. “Lusk had it in his pocket. We found it when we searched him. He went bal istic when the officer took it from him. According to Lusk, you fil ed that out at Charlie’s Market. He said you intended it for him.” The detective shrugged. “Of course, he’s off his rocker, but at least now we know how he obtained your e-mail addy and mailing address.”
“And my middle name. There was a space for it, and I’d simply fil ed it in.” Gracie said, staring at the slip of paper. “Oh, God, I remember now. The raffle was to win an e-book reading device. I can’t believe he’s had it this whole time.”
Wade took the bag and looked its contents over. The paper was so badly wrinkled, it was hard to make out the words. Hel , it looked ten years old, rather than a couple months. “The first contact,” Wade mused aloud, as he handed the baggy back to the detective. “He must have seen this as a sort of love note.”
Henderson nodded. “He said as much when we talked to him. He’s certifiable.”