“Nothing.She’s just resting.”
Wade didn’t believe that for a minute, so he checked her vital signs.Her pulse rate was normal.She was breathing steadily.He noted that she didn’t smell like alcohol, though he detected the faint hint of cherries on her lips.
“What’s she on?”he demanded.
Wynona peered in on Mary.“She’s not on anything.She’s fine.”
“She’s not fine, Mother!She’s unresponsive.”
“You don’t have to shout.”
“Tell me what the fuck she’s on, or I’m taking her to the ER to get her stomach pumped, and you’re coming with me!”
Flinching at his furious roar, she removed a plastic container from her purse and handed it to him.Wade recognized the pills inside as a strong narcotic with a high street value.“She had really bad cramps.”
“Jesus Christ, Mom.These would put a horse out.”
“I only gave her one.”
“How much did she drink?”
“Not a drop.She doesn’t drink.”
“I’ve seen her drinking with you before.”
“No, you haven’t.She’s always sober.”
“She’s literally high as a kite right now.”
“It’s not what you think.She has a prescription in her room.I didn’t give her anything she doesn’t already take.”
Wade stomped into the house and went straight into Mary’s room.He rifled through her dresser drawers until he found a single container.She did have a prescription for painkillers.There were three pills left in the bottle.He took it outside, shaking with anger.“This prescription is for 5 milligrams.You gave her 20.”
“Well,” she said, huffing.“My mistake.”
Wade cursed some more, pacing the driveway.He shoved the bottle in his pocket.Instead of grilling his mother about her life choices, he checked on Mary again.She mumbled something about wanting to sleep.He lifted her from the passenger seat and carried her inside.She was alert enough to twine her arms around his neck and cling to him.Instead of taking her to her room, he deposited her on the couch.It would be easier to keep an eye on her out here.She didn’t release her grip on him when he set her down.
“Stay with me, Wade.Don’t let go.”
Wade disentangled her arms from his neck, which flushed with heat.Her words were soft and barely coherent, but the sensual tone was clear enough.His mother, who was standing nearby, raised an eyebrow.
“I like you,” Mary murmured.“You’re not like him.”
He hushed her gently, ignoring his mother’s knowing smirk.Mary’s chest rose and fell with even breaths.She was wearing a red dress that hugged her curves and left her pretty shoulders bare.
“You’re not like him,” she said, and fell asleep again.
Wade watched her for several moments, his chest aching.His mother walked into the kitchen, and Chico came into the living room to investigate.After he sniffed Mary’s outstretched hand, he settled in beside her and rested his head on her thigh.Wade could hear his mother in the kitchen, mixing another drink for herself.He took a deep breath before he joined her.His first instinct was to criticize her reckless and irresponsible behavior.
He curbed it.
“Was her husband abusive?”he asked.
“Aren’t they all?”Wynona replied.
Wade didn’t appreciate her flip answer, but he tried not to take it personally.It wouldn’t help to get defensive, or to argue that most men were not, in fact, abusive.An awful thought occurred to him.“Was Dad?”
She took a bracing drink before she responded.“Not in front of you or Billy, and never with a closed fist.”
