He just laughs, his voice trailing off as he disappears through the front door. I shake my head, still grinning, then turn back to Sutton. She’s at the back of her truck again, rifling through a box of tools and equipment. The woman’s always moving, always working.
“You’ve got a really great kid,” she says without looking up. “He’s so smart—he reminds me a lot of me at that age. Questioning things that most people wouldn’t, thinking outside of the box.”
I laugh, glancing back toward the house.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I pause for a second, then add, “He’s really taken to you. I appreciate you letting him tag along.”
She shrugs, pulling out a clipboard and flipping through some papers. “He’s a big help. Sharp as a tack, too. Not many kids his age would be interested in this kind of work.”
“Guess he gets that from me,” I say, grinning.
She snorts softly but doesn’t argue, which I’ll take as a win. I step closer, tucking my hands into my pockets.
Sutton told me earlier that she can’t get distracted and that she’s here to work, which I understand. She has a lot riding on her shoulders. I haven’t been the nicest to her since she got back, and I think I have a way to extend an olive branch. Telling someone you’re sorry is only one step; changed behavior is a second. I need to show her that I’m here to help and that we make a better team than anything.
“Actually, speaking of work—I wanted to show you something.”
She glances up, one brow raised. “Oh?”
“I’ve been putting together some notes,” I explain, pulling my phone out of my back pocket. “I made a Google Drive folder with all the research I’ve done on the herds around here. Symptoms, ranches affected, timelines—you name it. I was using it for myself, but I figure it might help you piece things together, too. I know you’re really good at your job, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some information you might not have thought about or, this way, you’re saving time by not having to look up or ask the same things I’ve already worked through.”
Her expression shifts. She closes the clipboard and leans back against the truck, crossing her arms. Here’s the moment of truth. She’s always been little miss independent, and I’m not sure if she’ll accept my help.
“Um, thanks, Wade. Most folks wouldn’t go to that kind of trouble.”
I shrug, scrolling through my phone to pull up the folder.
“I’m not most folks.” I glance up and catch the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips before she masks it. “Here,” I say, holding the phone out to her. “One thing I noticed—some of the ranches that reported issues started using a new fertilizer on their fields this season. I’m wondering if there’s a connection.”
I watch to gauge her reaction. She scrunches her nose as if she’s thinking hard about the information.
She takes the phone, her eyes narrowing as she scans the data. “A new fertilizer?”
“Yeah. Some of the bigger suppliers have been pushing it hard, claiming it boosts pasture growth faster. Caleb had mentioned that a salesman had come through and I’d forgotten that. I started digging into it a little more. I didn’t think much of it at first, but the timing lines up. The symptoms started showing up not long after the fertilizer was applied.”
She nods slowly, scrolling through the notes. “That’s a good lead. Fertilizers can be tricky—if there’s a contaminant or it’s notapplied correctly, it could cause issues in the herd. I took soil samples from all the ranches. I’ll cross-check the ingredient list and test that specifically.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.” I watch her as she focuses on the screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. “There’s something else, too,” I add. “I’ve been hearing about some ranches reporting water contamination. It’s not widespread, but it’s enough to make me wonder if there’s a bigger problem here.”
Sutton looks up sharply. “Dad mentioned runoff from a development corporation. Why didn’t you mention it sooner?”
“Didn’t think it was connected,” I admit. “But now, with everything else going on, it’s starting to feel like more than just bad luck.”
She hands my phone back, her expression thoughtful. “I’ll need to look into that. If there’s an environmental factor, it could explain a lot.”
I nod, tucking the phone back into my pocket. “Let me know if you need any more details. I’ll keep digging, too.”
She gives me a small smile. “You’re not bad at this, Wade. I appreciate you sharing it with me. Do you think you could text me that link?”
I chuckle. “I’m just trying to keep my herd alive. Give me your number, and I’ll send it to you. I’m sure Caleb has some info to share, too.”
I can share the link with her and get her phone number at the same time, win-win here.
She laughs softly, and the sound catches me off guard. It’s rare to hear her laugh, and I find myself wanting to hear it again.
“Thanks, Wade. I really appreciate it. This will help me to solve this a lot faster. There’s a lot riding on figuring it out.”
“Yeah, fighting you on any of it only hurts the ranch in the long run. I think we could make a pretty great team.”
