The Reckoning Read Online Free PDF Page A

the window to find Abby and Emma standing at his door, both trying to give him their own version of a scowl. Mike had no idea what came over him. Sure he knew Elizabeth was a friend of his sisters, hell even the sexual chemistry between him and Elizabeth was off the charts and warranted further investigation. Why he told her his problems though, he didn’t have a clue.
    Claire stood on her porch talking to a man in scrubs, similar to the ones he had seen Elizabeth wear before. The old man glanced toward the truck and grinned before walking to his little red sports car and driving away.
    Elizabeth turned in her seat, watching the car speed down Claire’s drive. “What in the world was he doing here?”
    Mike shrugged. “I’m not even sure who the old guy was, but I’m sure Claire will know.” Mike pushed his door open.
    “Are you going to make her sit out here all day?” Emma scolded.
    Mike turned toward Elizabeth and rolled his eyes, bringing a renewed smile to the doctor’s lips. Elizabeth shook her head.
    Elizabeth pushed her door open, stepped out, and turned toward his sisters. “It’s nice to see you two again, even better that you aren’t in a hospital bed.”
    The girls’ cheeks turned red, and they each took one of her arms and steered her into the house. “We’re glad you came.” Emma said. “We had a bet going, and it’s that much sweeter since the guys lost.” Abby added as they steered her toward the porch.
    ****
    Elizabeth chucked, but on the inside, she was still thinking about what Mike had said. She wondered what she’d be able to do to help in finding his long-lost sister. She wasn’t a detective, she didn’t have contacts, but the one thing she did have was her dad. She made a mental note to ask her dad when she spoke to him later. Not only was she going to ask him for help, but she needed to give him a report on the garage incident. She didn’t keep anything from her father, unlike her younger sister; definitely the more rebellious of her siblings. Elizabeth stopped on the porch in front of Claire and pointed down the drive. “What was Dr. Jennings doing here?”
    Claire wrapped her hand around Elizabeth ’s elbow and steered her into the house. “He was just checking to make sure I had everything I needed for the benefit. Wasn’t that nice of him?”
    “How is he involved?”
    “He’s been involved every year since I started throwing the benefit. We’ve always had a liaison from the hospital. He’s one of the nicer ones I’ve dealt with.”
    Elizabeth doubted it was coincidence. The doctor had known where she was going. She had told him when he’d asked her to dinner. What had he been doing, checking to see if she’d told him the truth?
    All thoughts of the doctor vanished when she walked into the mansion and felt her mouth fall open. Like most of the people in town, she’d always wondered what the inside of the place looked like. Marble floors and cherry wood covered the entire place.
    “It’s more beautiful than I imagined.” Elizabeth turned around looking up at the high vaulted ceilings in awe.
    “I couldn’t believe it either.” Claire said guiding her toward the stairs. “I couldn’t believe it when Butch bought it for us. Did you know he proposed to me here?”
    Butch cleared his throat from the entrance to what she expected was the kitchen. “That’s not true, angel. I proposed at Emma’s café.”
    Claire’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “That proposal was just for show. You did the real one here.”
    When Elizabeth had taken the tour, she realized a person could get lost in the house. It was beautiful, and the kicker was that, no matter how happy Claire was with her new house, her eyes lit up even more when she looked at Butch. It gave hope to women everywhere that one day they could have that type of happiness too. It was evident that Butch loved Claire just as much. His eyes were the windows to his sole.  
    Mike splayed his palm on