Page 57 of Cowboy Elite 2: Mike

"Whoa." He held up both hands, but he was smiling. "Easy there, darlin'. I'm on your side, remember?"

"Sorry." She lowered the pin, but her hands were shaking.

"I know." He crossed the kitchen and gently took the rolling pin from her white-knuckled grip. "But if you're gonna brain somebody, at least use cast iron. More heft."

The absurdity of the statement must have broken through her panic because she laughed, shaky and breathless, but real.

"You're ridiculous."

"So I've been told." He set the rolling pin aside and pulled her into his arms. She came willingly, pressing her face against his chest, her whole body trembling.

"I saw someone," she said into his shirt. "At the treeline. Watching the house."

"Probably one of Kenny's motion sensors. He's been installing them all morning."

"Or it was Harris. Or someone Harris called." She pulled back to look at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Mike, I don’t know if I can do this. I’m putting you all in danger because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Hey." He framed her face with both hands, made her look at him. "You didn't choose this. None of this is your fault."

"But I brought it here?—"

"No. Some asshole with a gun and no conscience brought it here. You're just trying to survive." His thumbs brushed across her cheekbones. "And we're going to make sure you do."

"You can't promise that."

"Watch me."

She searched his face like she was looking for cracks in his certainty. When she didn't find any, something in her expression shifted, softened.

"Joe and Kenny talked to Harris this morning."

Liv went rigid. "What did he say?"

"That he's just doing his job. Mike's jaw tightened. "I wanted to throw him off the property and make sure he couldn't walk straight for a week, but Joe and Kenny convinced me that would just confirm what he suspects."

"So he's still here. Still watching."

"For now. But we're watching him right back. And the second he steps out of line, he's gone."

Liv nodded slowly, processing. "Why didn't you tell me? This morning, before, you knew and you didn't tell me."

"I wanted to. But I also wanted to give you a few more hours of peace before the sky fell." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry. That was the wrong call."

"No more secrets," she said. "I can't protect myself if I don't know what I'm protecting myself from."

"Deal. No more secrets."

They stood like that for a long moment, foreheads resting together, the morning light streaming through the windows and painting everything gold.

"I saw you with Charlotte earlier," Mike said. "Teaching her pie crust."

"She's a natural. Better hands than half the culinary students I used to work with."

"She loves you, you know. Talks about you constantly. 'Miss Liv said this, Miss Liv showed me that.' You've made an impression."

Liv's eyes filled. "She gave me her special rock. For protection."

"That's—" Mike's voice went rough. "That's a big deal. Charlotte doesn't share her treasures with just anyone."