Page 45 of No Man Left Behind

He didn’t remember reading too many comics as a kid, but she had him hooked on Paxi. He’d been digging through archives of her work. She was an incredibly talented artist, but his favorite part was the messages she conveyed with her work.

Peace. Cooperation. Kindness. Generosity. Compassion. Fun. Because even with the serious underlying tone of her work, it was always fun. Entertaining for kids and adults alike.

As if she’d felt him watching her, her gaze shot to him, and she grinned. She yanked out the earbuds. “Taking a break?”

He loved that she hadn’t once complained about being stuck in his office with him for hours while he worked. She’d sunk in and worked as well. He wondered if she even had a clue how much time had passed. “All done.”

Her eyebrows shot up, then she looked at her tablet, probably checking the time. “Really? I didn’t realize what time it was. How about I take you to lunch at the No Fail Diner, and then we can put in a few hours on your station?”

“I have an idea how we can spend some hours.”

Her joy-filled laughter filled the space. And his heart. Damn, he was all in with this woman.

“I bet I’ll like those ideas, and I have a few of my own. But we can save those for a reward when we’ve done some work in your space.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s have lunch first, and we’ll find out who’s available to give us a hand.”

She held up her phone. “Piper said she’s able to help, and she’s got a group chat set up. All we have to do is let them know the time.”

Man, he loved his town.

Elina packed up and put everything in the large shoulder bag she seemed to carry everywhere. Nice to have an office in her bag.

He crossed to her, and when she stood up, he pulled her in for a kiss. Of course, it went nuclear in seconds, and he had to rein himself in. He’d never put her privacy in danger or do anything to embarrass her. His office was open to the public, and several people had keys to the space. He rested his forehead on hers. “That should hold me over until it’s reward time.”

Her eyes remained closed as she smiled. “Hmm. Maybe. You sure know how to kiss, Deputy Ramirez.”

“Right back atcha, Ms. Vasquez.”

A short knock preceded Troy opening the door. He grinned when he spotted how close they were standing, but he didn’t comment on it. “Piper says we’re helping out at the station after lunch. You heading to the diner with us?”

Marcus slung his arm over Elina’s shoulders. “Sounds like a plan. Did you hear anything this morning that might help us?” He didn’t want to mention butchered animals as they were heading to lunch, but it wasn’t far from anyone’s mind, anyway.

Troy shook his head as they locked up and headed to the sidewalk. “Nothing. With the leaves starting to turn, I saw a few more tourists this morning. All families or couples. No single people. No one who smelled like smoke or gave off a creepy vibe.”

Because it couldn’t be that simple.

He kept his gaze moving as they walked the short distance to the diner. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. No feeling of being watched. No strangers paying them any attention. Or locals. With Elina’s safety threatened, he wouldn’t take much for granted, but he could eliminate almost everyone in town. Although, it had been a long-time local who’d snapped and attacked Heath’s Addison. He wouldn’t relax his guard.

Piper was already in the diner, chatting with Ginny. The four of them ordered and ate. By the time they’d finished, they had five offers of help for the afternoon.

He loved this town. He just hoped he could keep it safe. And then convince Elina to stay permanently.

Elina mulled over the similarities between Phail, Suraih, and other villages where she’d lived. People supported each other and were always ready to help with a smile.

This wasn’t a place where people kept track of favors owed each other but a system where everyone knew they were able to get help when they needed it. And they were ready to offer assistance as well.

She wondered if the people knew how incredibly lucky they were. They’d created a positive space in a town named Phail. It would be a great name for a new comic strip, and she wondered how they’d feel about starring in it. Or if she should keep her strips with theeverywherevibe. Probably. But she knew these people would be showing up in her work again and again.

Once the group reached the police station, she stopped to get a good look at the exterior. She wasn’t sure if the project she’d been working on would remain secret forever or if she’d share it with Marcus to see what he thought. Depended on a lot of factors she didn’t control but she’d make sure she was ready to go if it worked.

Rachel and Owen, the first people she’d met in town, walked up. The puppy Flups bounced as he approached, and she bent down to scratch his head. “Hi everyone.”

“Mom says we might be able to help, but I’m not big enough to use the power tools yet.”

Elina grinned. That image would make a great cartoon. “I don’t have much experience with power tools myself, but I bet we can find another way to help.”

“That’s what Mom said. If we can’t help with anything outside, we might have to take Flups home. Do you have any ideas about what we can do?”

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