Page 22 of No Man Left Behind

An enclosed front porch graced the two-story building. The building was old but appeared to be in good shape. Inside the porch, a sign had slipped to tilt at an angle.Book Store. “This is going to be your police station? It’s a friendly building.”

He grinned at her. “Friendly? I like that, but I have a couple of more practical reasons. It’s got lots of space for what I need. It’s right in the park, in the middle of the town, so it’s close to everything. And my house is a short trek through the woods behind it.”

She wondered what his house would be like. Definitely neat and organized, but she wondered what colors he chose and what art decorated his space. He’d had nothing on the walls in his office, not even a picture of his team. How had he chosen to decorate his bedroom? What would his most private space reflect?

Elina grabbed her imagination and forced it under control. One kiss that had melted her brain and made her body sing didn’t mean they were getting naked together anytime soon.

Although she wouldn’t object to it.

Focus, Elina. On the building in front of you. Not on the man.

It took a deep breath, but she managed to reel herself in. “This sounds perfect.”

She turned her attention from the building to him and found heat in his eyes that matched the desire skittering through her. Even though she wanted to jump into the nearest private room with him, she knew she wasn’t ready for that. With the way she’d grown up and spent many of her years, her romantic encounters had been few and far between. Not one of them had generated such delicious heat in her body. Or her heart.

Marcus closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, the heat was banked, replaced by amusement. “Okay. Let’s focus on the building and getting to know each other better. That sound good to you?”

“It sounds perfect.”

The amusement brightened. “Every time you sayperfect, my mind goes in a direction not safe for work or public viewing. I never knew I had a thing for that word, but hearing you say it sends my imagination soaring.”

He shook his head with a chuckle. “But that’s jumping way ahead. I know we’re not there yet, and I’m not screwing this up by rushing into things too quickly.”

He blew out a breath, then pulled a keyring out of his pocket. “Let’s check out the building and be responsible adults.”

She loved this teasing side of him and loved the way he spoke so openly and honestly about the attraction simmering between them. She shouldn’t be surprised. Like his call sign, Arrow had always been straightforward and honest, no matter the situation. Marcus wasn’t the type to deceive or play games. She could trust him, and that was a heady thing.

They followed a stone path to the back. There weren’t any flowers, but there were plenty of trees and bushes. It was a pretty space and wouldn’t take much to make it shine. “If you wanted some pops of color, you could add some pots of flowers like the businesses on Phail Way. Or even add some bushes that flower in different seasons.”

He stopped and looked over the lawn. “I hadn’t even thought about the outside, but you’re right. It wouldn’t take much. And having pots that match the rest of the town is a great idea. Piper got everyone on board with that, and it makes a difference.”

Elina nodded. “The town has a put-together look that is very enticing from a visitor’s point of view. Your police station could be the same. Friendly, and maybe a little quirky.”

“Quirky? For a police station?”

She laughed. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been calling it Phail Jail in your head?”

It took less than a second for the rhyme to have Marcus groaning. “Oh, hell no. A police station has to have at least some dignity.”

“In a town named Phail? I think the name is inevitable.”

Marcus cursed. “Let’s hope not.”

She didn’t reply to that. There was no way this town was going to let him escape the name. If it hadn’t already occurred to Piper, it would.

Still grumbling about the name, Marcus reached the back stoop, and unlocked the door. He opened it and stepped back for Elina to enter first.

The space led directly into a kitchen with cabinets that screamed they’d been installed in the seventies. Wallpaper showcasing hens and chicks covered the back wall. A contrasting border with cows ran along the upper edge of the cabinets. “Wow.”

Marcus laughed. “I always think I’m prepared because I’ve seen it before, but it slams into me every time.”

“Did the bookstore owners have a thing for farms?”

He grinned. “It appears so, but I think Edie and Jane were more about showing female power than farms.”

She shook her head as she studied the room. “I’m thinking they must have been vegan?”

He nodded. “They said no one could eat meat with all those cows and chicks watching.”

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