Page 35 of No Man Left Behind

“Too long. And it only works if we have the person’s DNA on file.”

“So, unless he’s been arrested before, you won’t be able to identify him?”

Marcus nodded and brushed his fingers over her jaw. “But when we catch him, it’s good evidence. We’ll be able to match it to him.”

“Do you really think this person is someone to be worried about? What if everyone is overreacting?”

“Better to overreact to nothing than miss something because we didn’t react. We’ve had plenty of incidents in the past couple of years that have taught us all the power of being aware and trusting our guts.”

“But—”

He cut off her words with a soft kiss. “Stop worrying. We’re not wasting our time. We’re going to stay aware and find out if anyone is following you.”

“And if there isn’t?”

“That’s good news for everyone.”

Elina blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll probably panic every time you’re out there because of me.”

“Not because of you. Because of some asshole. This is my job, and I’m good at it. We’re going to figure it out. Trust me.”

That made her smile. “That part’s easy. Okay.” Then she hugged him and let his strength seep into her.

“Ready for some good news?”

She whipped her head up to see his eyes twinkling. “You got the keys?”

He reached into his pocket and held up a set of keys with a huge grin. “Want to do some demo?”

“I’d love to.”

When she headed for the door, he tugged her back. “Maybe not in a pretty dress that shows off your legs and makes me think all kinds of thoughts that have nothing to do with renovating an old building.”

She laughed as she looked down. None of her dresses were in the least bit revealing. This one swung around her knees, and the soft colors always made her smile. “I guess flip-flops aren’t the best footwear for a construction site.”

“Sean won’t let anyone on site without work boots. Let me know your size, and I’ll text him to see which of the women might have an extra pair for you.”

Everything about this town made her smile. The people often reminded her of the villagers in Suraih. Always willing to share, and to help each other out.

After she changed into jeans and a t-shirt, they headed to the station with Jim and Carl. On the way, more town members joined them. There were at least a dozen more waiting on the lawn in front of the new station. Marcus stuck close to her side, and she knew he watched their surroundings as closely as she did. The creepy feeling didn’t return.

Piper had set up an area with extra work boots and gloves for those who didn’t own any because they didn’t want to turn away anyone who wanted to help. Elina found a pair of Kimi’s boots that fit.

Once everyone was outfitted, Marcus opened up the door and led everyone into the largest room. He, Sean, and Aisling Gallagher from Midnight Lake pulled out some blueprints and notebooks. Sean whistled loudly. “We’ve got everyone divided into teams with different jobs to do. If you’re not sure, ask. We don’t want you toppling the building by removing the wrong wall. But first, I think Marcus needs to take a sledgehammer to this wall. If anyone wants to say farewell to the cows and chickens on the wallpaper, it’s too late now.”

Marcus grinned. He wore jeans and a t-shirt instead of his uniform, so Elina enjoyed watching the play of muscles through his arms and shoulders as he hefted the tool. The man was delicious.

Watching him smash the wall while the crowd cheered, Elina realized she’d fallen completely in love with this steady man who took care of everyone around him. He was the best man she knew.

Her heart pounded against her ribs as she cheered the drywall chunks falling from the wall. Had she imagined the creepy feeling because her heart had been in a panic about being in love?

Silly heart. The warmth filling her wasn’t scary at all. She didn’t have to fear giving her heart away because Marcus would take excellent care of it.

With a grin, Marcus saluted the crowd. “Thanks for coming, everyone. Let’s get started.”

His eyes locked on hers with the last phrase. She was all for that. She wanted to get started with the building. But more, she wanted to get started exploring the love filling her up.

And she had a really good idea how to do that. After the crowds were gone.

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