"There’s an old aluminum plant in Grant, a small town about ten miles away. It’s been there for over one hundred years and we believe they used this land as a waste dumping site over a half century ago. We don’t have any hard evidence, just local lore, and secondhand stories. Nothing obvious shows up on the soil tests but it’s the only thing that makes sense. For a long time, we ignored it while we focused on other areas. But I'm determined to make this one work. I’ll eventually figure out a way to make it respond."
"It could be a combination of things, rather than just one issue," Frankie offered, her mind switching into work mode as she ran through the list of typical suspects that harmed a forest. "Maybe forever chemicals or some other imbalance."
“I've thought the same thing. Minimal pollution levels came up in the testing, but that wouldn’t cause this type of damage. It has to be something deeper."
"Hmmmmm…" Frankie chewed on her lower lip. "If it were pests or disease, it would have spread. I'm assuming it hasn't done that?" She glanced at John who gave her a nod.
"Nothing I've found so far."
"Do you have a map?" she asked as an idea sprung to life.
His chin nudged toward the dash. "In the glove compartment. What are you thinking?"
Frankie retrieved the map and unfolded it as much as possible in the truck’s cabin. "Let’s see…five miles northwest of your cabin," she mumbled out loud. "Okay. That puts it here." She tapped the spot with her finger, then traced the several creeks that ran through the area. One in particular caught her attention, and she followed it upstream to a small town several miles west of Long Lake. "Huh."
"What?" John's gaze ping ponged between her and the road. "What are you thinking?"
"This stream runs right through the section, and just upstream is Grant. Is the steel plant near the water by any chance?”
A strong brow arched over John’s eye. "Yes, it’s right on the stream. But they test the water regularly."
She held up a finger. "They test itnow, but what about fifty years, or even one hundred years ago? I studied a spot near Liverpool in uni that had a similar scenario. Individual testing was always negative. But when we put everything together, it became clear that a combination of factors drove the decline, many of which had happened almost a century before.” Frankiecarefully refolded the map until it was one large rectangle on her lap. "It's just a theory. I haven't even seen the area yet. But it may be something for you to research."
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.” The corner of John's mouth tilted up, giving her an excellent view of that sexy groove in his cheek.
Frankie’s gaze lingered on his arms as he turned onto another dirt path. It was fascinating the way the muscles and tendons bulged, working in tandem as he maneuvered the truck through the ruts and rocks.
Her eyes drifted to his hands, noting the way his weathered and scarred fingers grasped the steering wheel. They were strong, most likely capable of successfully wielding an ax, among other things, with the backs lightly dusted with the same dark brown hair that moved up his arms.
I bet they'd feel heavenly moving over my body.
Heat exploded in her cheeks. She was a respected environmentalist in her field, for cripes sake, working in her element. This was a work trip, not a holiday. And yet here she was lusting after the man who’d graciously agreed to help her, spending her precious time fantasizing about a fling. This was not why she flew all the way to Wisconsin.
Remember that, Frankie. Stay focused on the work!
She gave herself a resolute nod, focusing on the mission at hand.
"What was that for?"
Frankie blinked. "I beg your pardon."
"You keep doing that—nodding, squeezing your eyes together, or making weird faces. What was that one for?" John threw her a curious glance.
"I'm just reminding myself to stay on track here," Frankie answered honestly. She had accepted long ago that she was the world’s worst liar. It was too easy to get caught in a web of liesthat were impossible to remember from one moment to the next. But this was close enough to the truth without revealing too much. John did not need to know how much he affected her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw him look at her again. "Why would you need to remind yourself of that? You've been gung-ho about getting my help from the moment I met you."
"Oh, you know..." Frankie flailed her hands in front of her face, her mind scrambling to find an answer.
Way to look like an idiot. He's not going to think you're crazy at allllll.
"Sometimes a person can get distracted by things. And I find this…" She swiped her hands toward the windshield in her best game show hostess imitation. "Incredibly distracting."
"Mmmhmm." A cute tilt was played at the corner of his mouth and his sapphire eyes twinkled. Gah! The man was infuriatingly gorgeous.
"We're here," he announced as he put the truck in park. "Wait there. The ground is pretty slick, and I want to make sure you have good footing before we get started."
"Okay." Frankie watched as he sauntered around the front of the truck and opened her door. He held a hand out to her, gazing at her expectantly, and her pulse picked up a beat or twenty. At this point, she was starting to wonder if she was having heart palpitations.
