Before he could kiss her, she said. “We really should start getting ready. Our first appointment is in an hour. I’ll shower first, then you can have the bathroom.”
“You know we could save time if we took a shower together.” He said, then added, “Only to make sure we’re on time.” She shot him a dirty look.
“Nice try, but I think I’ll just shower by myself. Thanks for the offer though.”
“It’s always open, any time you want, just say the word. You know how much I care about the environment and that’s a good way to save water.” He said, watching her walk out of the room.
Chapter 7
Feeling on more solid ground now that she’d voiced her concerns, Elizabeth took a shower then got ready for another long day. As she was getting dressed, she could hear Donovan singing in the shower and had to laugh, she’d never had a boyfriend who sang in the shower. Then realized that she’d thought of him as her boyfriend, which was not a good sign if she was going to stick to her promise.
When she came out to the living room, Donovan was on the phone with Charles and he didn’t sound happy. He hung up by the time she’d refilled her coffee cup and joined him on the couch. He had one of the maps spread out on the coffee table and had been marking the places they had been yesterday.
“That doesn’t sound like good news.” She said.
“No, Charles has dug and dug, still nothing incriminating on anyone from Pleasant Valley. I guess it was too much to expect that it would be that easy. But he has paid for your solar panel maintenance so we can follow that money. In the meantime, he’s going to do some more digging.”
“I think following the money is going to be our best hope. If it was me I’d hide that money were no one could find it. We have to keep in mind that it’s beginning to look like there is more than one person involved. One person alone couldn’t pull all of this off.”
“I think it might be time to start making a list of anyone who might be a suspect. It might be a long list, but at least it’s some place to start.”
“Good idea, but that’s going to have to wait, we’ve got appointments all morning. We should be done by noon.” She said, gathering her things and heading for the door.
“I’m right behind you, I just need to grab my coat.”
They spent the rest of the morning visiting more of the affected people, Donovan was once again upset by the end of the morning, but instead of making it about himself he turned his anger toward the guilty people. Even more determined to find them and make sure they were punished for all the grief they’d caused.
“We’ve got our samples, now all we need to do is get them shipped.” Elizabeth said, trying to break the silence in the truck as they drove away from the last house.
“I know it may seem paranoid, but I’ll like to drive over to Eagle and mail these from their post office. It’s only a few miles away and the drive is nice, it might be good to think of something else for a while. There’s a great little restaurant in town that serves the best steaks, we could have a late lunch.”
“I’m in, but let’s take your car and I’d love to change my clothes. I know it’s wrong but I always feel dirty after one of those meetings, like some of the pollution has gotten on me.”
“Sounds good, I should call Daphne and give her an update. I’ll do that while you change, although if you need some help I’d be more than happy to help.” He said with a wicked grin.
“I think I can manage myself.” She said, getting out of the truck since they’d arrived at her house.
They were back on the road in less than a half an hour, both bundled up against the cold and snow that had come in that morning. As they drove, Elizabeth realized just how beautiful the mountains were no matter the season.
“It really is beautiful.” She said, watching as the snow turned the world into a beautiful perfect white. “Donovan, even if we figure out where the waste is, how are we going to find it though all this snow?”
“I’ve been thinking about that too, but it’s still early in the season, this will mostly melt once the sun comes out again. That’s why we have to make snow at the resort, if we didn’t we wouldn’t be able to open until the middle of November.”
“But finding it doesn’t make it gone.”
“No, but maybe we’ll be able to do something to contain it, plus there won’t be any runoff once winter really sets in. That’s another reason I wanted readings before winter.”
“That makes sense, this mountain environment is different for me. I’ve never lived anywhere with cold and snow.”
“How did you end up here then?” He asked, only now realizing how little he knew about her.
“My parents moved here first, they have a place up on Meadows Creek, it’s only a few acres, but they have horses and a couple of cows. It shocked me when they told me what they were going to do, but once I saw the place I fell in love. They’ve adjusted well and seem really happy.”
“So, then you decided to move here too.”
“Yeah, I was looking for someplace to call home. It gets old not having a place that belongs only to you and Pleasant Valley seemed perfect. I had planned to take some time off and enjoy myself, learn to ski and to ride, but then....” She stopped embarrassed to tell him how she’d gotten involved in the water pollution.
“You found a cause that needed you.” He finished for her. “But how did you find out about the pollution?”
“That’s kind of embarrassing. I was eavesdropping on a conversation when I was in the library. I got caught, but it wasn’t long before I was roped in as council for the affected people. It’s what I do, how could I resist.” She said, with a shrug of her shoulders.
“After what I’ve seen over the last few days, I don’t think anyone would have been able to stay out of it.” He said, taking her hand.
They arrived in Eagle just as the snow stopped, Elizabeth was shocked to find that the sun had come out almost as soon as the last flake had fallen. The world was now a shocking crystal white so blinding she had to put on sunglasses.
Donovan laughed when she got out of the car and looked around herself in amazement. “Snowing one minute and the sun’s out the next. How do you ever get used to this?”
“You learn to love it. It’s what living in the mountains is all about, extremes.”
After they saw the water samples safely on their way, they found the little restaurant Donovan had been bragging about. It was located right in the center of town in one of the old homes that had been built during the silver rush, each room had been turned into a little dining area.
When they walked through the door, a wonderful smell greeted her, a combination of fresh bread and cooking meat. She usually didn’t eat red meat, it wasn’t that she didn’t like it but her diet in the Amazon had been restricted to what was available and beef was never on the menu. Once she’d gotten home, she found herself eating much as she had in the Amazon, but today she would have a steak.
It was clear that Donovan was well known to the owners of the restaurant, who greeted him warmly and seated them right by the fireplace, which felt good after the chill outside. They weren’t offered menus, instead Donovan ordered for both of them, something a man had never done for her before. It was both terribly romantic and slightly discerning, especially because he got her order exactly right.
When their food arrived, the smell made her mouth water, the steak looked picture perfect sitting right next to a big baked potato swimming in butter. “I’m going to gain five pounds if I eat all of this.” She said, cutting into her steak.
“Don’t worry we can work those calories off later, I’d be happy to help.”
She was about to reply, but instead she put the bite of steak she’d just cut into her mouth. It melted like butter and tasted like no other steak she’d ever eaten. The only sound she was capable of making was a satisfied groan.
“That’s the best steak I’ve ever eaten. What did they do to it? I don’t remember steak tast
ing like that.”
Donovan just laughed and ate a big bite of his own steak, chewed it and swallowed, a look of pure pleasure on his face. “They do a wonderful job of cooking the steak, but the reason it tastes so good is that this is Terrell Beef, born and raised not far from here.”
“Why does it taste so much better?”
“Well, we don’t use any antibiotics or steroids on our cattle and they spend most of their lives either protected from the winter or up in the mountains eating grass.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat any other kind of beef.” She said.
They ate in silence for a while, but once she’d satisfied her hunger and most of her plate was empty, she finally engaged Donovan in conversation. She was interested in the ranch and how raising cattle was accomplished, Donovan was happy to share his knowledge with her, even suggesting that she join them in the spring when they moved the cattle to the higher elevations.
It was a pleasant meal and the glow from good food and good conversation stayed with them until they got back to Elizabeth’s house. But as soon as they walked in, reality came crashing back.
“It’s time we tried to figure out where that pollution is coming from, I’ll get the maps.” Donovan said, disappearing into the back of the house.
He returned just a few minutes later, his arms full of maps and papers, she rushed over to help him. “I brought them all, since I wasn’t sure which we would need. But I think we should start with the map of town, plot the contaminated wells and then work our way up with the drainage maps.”
“Then once we narrow it down, we’ll use the topographical maps to locate possible places the waste could be buried.”
“Exactly, now where can we hang all these up?”
“Let’s move the couch, we can use that wall. I’m not expecting any visitors, but if someone does come by they won’t be able to see it from the door.”
“Okay, sounds good. How about some coffee, I could use a hit of caffeine, this is going to be tedious and I’m sleepy from all that food at lunch.”
“I’ll go make it, I have the perfect beans. Spending all those years in South America has made be a bit of coffee snob.” She said, heading to the kitchen and her coffee press. Donovan was about to get a taste of real coffee, but she owed him for the steak this afternoon so it was only fair.
When she returned a few minutes later with two very small cups of coffee, Donovan raised his eyebrows then watched as she drank the entire cup in one swallow. He followed suit a look of distaste on his face, but that was quickly replaced with one of enjoyment.
“I’ve never been a fan of espresso, but that was really good.” He said, handing the cup back to her.
“That’s not espresso, it’s some of the best coffee you can find in Peru, brewed in the native way. But, be warned it packs a bit of punch if you’re not used to it.”
“Yeah, I think I can already feel it coursing through my veins. Let’s get to work.” He said, with a big grin.
They worked for hours, charting the pollution then painstakingly tracing the water in the wells into the high peaks of the mountains. Several times, they found themselves lost in the twisting path of water drainage, then they would have to stop and start over again. Finally, just as the sun was setting, they managed to reduce their search area to fifty square miles, high in the mountains.
In relief they both flopped down on the couch, exhausted and their heads aching. “I think it’s time for a little break, maybe some food. It can’t be good that we drank four cups of coffee this afternoon.” Elizabeth said.
“That sounds like a good idea. I could use a break, the thought of looking at another map makes my head hurt. How about a fire? It’s going to get cold tonight, it’s always colder when the sky is clear.”
“I don’t know how much wood there is in the house, but there’s a whole pile out back, I just had it delivered. I’ll find us something to eat, something healthy.”
“If you insist, but nothing too crazy. I don’t do tofu or any of that weird stuff.”
“Don’t worry, I was thinking about a big salad. You do eat vegetables don’t you?”
“Yes, I eat vegetables.” He said, sticking his tongue out at her as he put his coat and gloves on. After they’d eaten a simple dinner of salad and rolls in front of the fire, Elizabeth was feeling full and sleepy. Donovan was sprawled on the couch with Elizabeth sitting on the floor in front of him. He’d pulled the pins from her hair and was absent mindedly playing with it, running his fingers through the soft curls, making her even sleepier.
It was nice to sit here in silence with someone for a change, her life had been empty until Donovan came into it. She had friends and her family, but somehow this was different, she felt complete when she was with Donovan, like nothing could touch her.
Donovan was thinking those same thoughts as he played with her hair. With Elizabeth he could relax like he could only do with his family. There was nothing about her that made him feel like he needed to be on his guard like he did so many times when he was with other women. It was refreshing to realize that she didn’t expect anything from him, his wealth seemed to mean nothing to her, unlike every other woman he’d dated.
They all started out the same way, saying that they didn’t care a bit about how many billions he was worth, but slowly they would begin demanding more and more from him. Their requests covered the entire spectrum of greed, from the woman who wanted him to pay her spa bill, which wasn’t a small thing, to the one who thought he should give her the down payment on a house.
The only thing Elizabeth wanted from him, was honesty and he’d given that to her. Rousting himself from his thoughts, he reminded her that they still had work to do. The next step would be the hardest of them all, reading topographical maps was a talent that he didn’t have, but hopefully Elizabeth would have the skills.
As they worked the map section by section, Donovan began to get a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. The area they were working with was around the mines, specifically the first mine the family had owned. It was the largest, but also the highest on the mountain. It made him sick to think that someone had polluted the very area he’d worked so hard to clean up.
When they were finished, he was certain that the mine was the location of the pollution. It had to be the mine, he knew that area like the back of his hand. It was rugged and difficult to access, but because of the cleanup, they’d built a decent road up there and kept it well maintained. Finally, as Elizabeth stepped back from the map, he shared his suspicions with him.
“I think it’s in the mines. It’s the only place in that area that would work, I think.” He said, sinking onto the couch and putting his head in his hands. “I can’t believe it. There’s a road up there, but the only access is through the resort.”
“Are you sure? It’s not like someone could bring a big load of toxic waste thought the resort and no one would notice. Surely Dustin would have known if nothing else.” She said, sitting down next to him on the couch.
“No, they couldn’t. In fact you have to have a security code to get through the gate. I’ve got to call Dustin and then we need to go up there.” He said, jumping to his feet.
Elizabeth pulled him back down on the couch. “Wait, calling Dustin is fine, but I don’t know about running up there. What do you plan to do once you’re there? I think we should wait until we know who’s to blame. If we show them our hand now, we might never catch them.”
“It’s just so frustrating, especially now that I know that the stuff is sitting in the mine, leaking death. We’ve put so much into that clean up, things that could make a difference to the world. Now all that might be ruined but someone’s greed.”
Elizabeth’s heart went out to Donovan, there wasn’t much she could say to take away the hurt he was feeling. It was a devastating blow to his work, she’d seen some of the things they were using to clean up the area. They put millions into the ground in the form of genetically engineered
plants and trees, which from what she’d read were showing amazing results.
“I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves again. We don’t know for sure that the waste is in the mine. Let’s call it a night, we’re both tired. Tomorrow we can regroup and decide what our next step is.”
“I guess you’re right. It’s been a long day, maybe things won’t look so bad in the morning.” He said, pulling her up from the couch.
She expected him to make a joke about which bed they were sleeping in, but was disappointed when he didn’t. He simply took her hand and walked her to her bedroom door. He placed a gently kiss on her lips, then turned to go to his room. He looked so sad, she just couldn’t bear to send him to bed alone. Telling herself that she was doing it for him, but knowing deep down that she wanted him with her, she called his name just as he opened his door.
Crossing the hall, she took him by the hand and led him back to her room, but he pulled back before they could enter the room. “Elizabeth, are you sure this is what you want?”
“Donovan, one thing you need to learn about me is that I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.” She said, unbuttoning his shirt and planting a kiss on his chest, then stripping off his shirt and dropping it on the floor.
Chapter 8
She pulled him into the room, then retraced her steps and shut the door. He was facing the bed, his back to her when she turned from shutting the door, she walked around him trailing her fingers across his broad back. She was pleased to see goosebumps spring up on his skin and the quick intake of breath as those same hands found his nipples and gently squeezed.
He sucked in his breath and reached for her, but she pulled away and knelt down on the floor and removed his shoes. As she rose from the floor, their eyes met, his full of questions, her full of desire. Elizabeth nodded her head slightly, telling him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He reached for her and she went willing into his arms, then his mouth was on hers, both demanding and generous.
Make Me Whole (Brothers From Money #3) Page 8
