The Reckoning by Kate Allenton

leaving was her own choice. There was no way she could keep her head in the game if she had to worry about Gracie.
    Elizabeth changed out of her nightclothes, brushed her teeth, and ran a brush through her straight hair. Gracie had gone quiet on the other side of the door. No arguing, no moaning, just dead silence. Elizabeth pulled the door open and grabbed her coffee cup. She left her bedroom in search of her aggravating little sister. What she’d found in the living room made her stop dead in her tracks.
    Sitting on her couch was none other than Mike Bennett. What the hell is he doing here?
     
    ****
     
    Mike saw Elizabeth ’s expression the moment she noticed he was there. Remembering how grumpy she’d been on the phone last night, he pushed himself off the couch and walked into her kitchen. He pulled a fresh coffee cup from the cupboard and filled it with coffee, adding a splash of milk, just like he’d seen her do a thousand times. He took the old cup from her hands and handed her the fresh cup. “Good morning, Doc.”
    He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Glad you’re dressed; grab your purse and your keys.” Mike glanced at Gracie. “You too.”
    Mike turned and left the two sisters standing there. “Let’s get going; we’re burning daylight.”
    He heard the girls complaining about how demanding he was being, but he didn’t care. The quicker he got some answers, the faster he could help Elizabeth and get back to finding his sister and his dad’s killer.
    Mike walked to the SUV and pulled open the passenger doors and waited. Gracie came bouncing through the door first toward the SUV. She stopped in front of him and cupped his cheek. “Where are we going, handsome?”
    Mike grinned. Getting the answers he needed from Gracie was going to be easy. He might just have to use that if the doc wasn’t very forthcoming.
    “It’s a surprise,” Mike said, shutting the door behind her. Elizabeth stood at the door with her back toward him jiggling her key in the lock. Elizabeth ran her fingers over the groove where the knife had been jammed in her door. She shook her head and turned with a scowl on her face. His little doctor wasn’t quite the morning person.
    He wondered if the frown on her face was for him specifically or the asshole that had left the note. She strolled down the sidewalk, glancing at the daisies that lined her walkway. She got in the SUV without a fight. It was more than he could have asked for.
    “You better hope this bright idea of yours includes breakfast and more coffee. If not, I don’t want any part in it,” Elizabeth warned.
    Mike leaned in and kissed her. He couldn’t help himself. He was drawn to her with an invisible pull. She was so cute, when she was grumpy. “Not much of a morning person, are you, Doc? Well, don’t worry; we’re just going for breakfast.”
    A grin formed on her face. It seemed food and caffeine was the way to win his little doctor’s heart. He’d store that information for when he needed it. He’d called Jake and Butch last night on his way home and had filled them in on Elizabeth ’s note. With so much unknown, he wasn’t going to take any chances with her. They’d decided they’d come up with a plan to keep her safe once they had all the information from Elizabeth . So he’d planned to walk her right into the line of fire. Mike grinned as he got in the SUV and drove toward Emma’s house. These ladies wouldn’t stand a chance against his pushy, persuasive sisters.
    Elizabeth turned and pointed as they passed Main Street , where all of the cafés were. “Mike, you missed the turn.”
    Mike glanced at her before training his eyes back on the road. “Now, Doc, I promised you breakfast; I never said where we’d be eating it.”
    He watched as Gracie leaned forward and placed her hand on Elizabeth ’s shoulder. “He isn’t going to take us out in the woods and kill us, is he?”
    Elizabeth shrugged off her sister’s hand and turned