Page 14 of Half Baked

But I also couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she was wearing the heart necklace I’d given her for Christmas. I’d told her I was giving her my heart both literally and figuratively. The fact that she was still wearing it had filled me with more hope than I had a right to. Especially since I’d been the one to back off.

It was well past dinnertime by the time I’d filed the last bit of paperwork. Lance had stayed close to my desk for hours, and I could tell he was exhausted too.

“I say we call it a day,” I said as I turned off my computer.

“Good call,” he said. “Do you want to go by the tavern for dinner? I’m sure my mom’s heard about the shooting. She’s bound to cook something special for her favorite son.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “I can’t help it if your mother likes me better than you.”

Grinning, he held his hands out at his sides. “No complaints. It takes the pressure off me and my love life.”

Lance’s mother, who ran Lucky’s Tavern, had pretty much adopted me. Before I’d started dating Maddie, I’d spent many nights at the tavern, and she’d taken me under her wing. Before Christmas, I’d spent most of those nights with Maddie, but after…it was fair to say I still saw more of Lance’s mother than he did. And she gave me plenty of grief about Maddie too.

The lidocaine the doctor had injected had begun to wear off, and the ibuprofen I’d taken barely touched the throbbing in my arm. “I think I’m gonna take a raincheck. I’m pretty beat.”

Worry filled his eyes. “What are you gonna do for dinner?”

I noticed he didn’t ask if Maddie would be taking care of me. I suspected he knew she hadn’t left the hospital on a good note. He’d driven her to the hospital, but apparently Mallory had picked her up.

“I have some leftover meatloaf and potatoes your mom made for me a few days ago. It should still be good.”

“Suit yourself, but don’t be surprised if Mom calls to check up on you.”

I grimaced and glanced down at my phone. “I might actually answer thatcall.”

“How many times hasyourmom called?”

“Ten.”

His eyes flew wide. “Jesus, Noah. You should answer one of them and tell her you’re okay.”

“I texted that it was nothing, and whoever called her was an idiot.” I pinned him with a hard stare.

“To be fair, I didn’t call her. Neil did. But only after Maddie got upset that no one had notified her. And to be fair toMaddie, she thought you might be mortally wounded. We hadn’t gotten an update, and she was pretty freaked out.”

“And who freaked her out?” I asked, my irritation rising.

“All of us were freaked out. There was a lot of blood, and the paramedics weren’t talking.”

I groaned. “Yeah. Sorry. It’s just that my mom’s going to make a big deal out of this, the same way she does about everything, and it’s nothing.”

“Sorry. But maybe you should call her anyway. Get it over with.”

“And have her try to convince me to give up police work and move back to Memphis? I think I’ll pass.” I’d had an earful of that at Christmas, along with everything else. I stood and started to reach for my coat off the back of my chair, then remembered it was bloody and in a bag in my car along with my dress shirt. If it weren’t for the spare shirt I kept in my car, I would have been forced to go home to change before returning to the station.

Lance started to say something, then stopped. “Whatever you think is best.”

I could only imagine what Maddie would say. She’d insist I should call my mother. They were both right, but I had to psych myself up to do it. “I’ll call her tonight. After I get home.”

Lance shrugged on his jacket. “No judgment, man.”

Yeah, right.

We headed for the exit, and I was surprised to see Chief Porter still sitting at his desk.

“Noah,” the chief called out. “Come in here for a moment.”

Lance gave me a questioning look, but I waved him off. “You go on ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

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