“I’ll go check on the trees now,” Ethan said, pulling on his boots and grabbing two more cookies for the road.
As Ethan headed out the door, crunching a snowflake cookie, an ominous feeling settled in his gut. He could only hope Ginger’s solution had been as magical as she’d envisioned, and that those balsams would recover in time. If not, hard times were surely ahead.
Chapter21
Ginger gazed out the cabin window, waiting anxiously for Ethan to return. When she saw him trudging through the snow toward the cabin, her heart sank. He wasn’t smiling.
She let him in, and he held out some balsam branches to her as he stomped the snow off his boots. “I brought these so you could see for yourself.”
Ginger inspected the branches, frowning. The needles did look slightly brighter, but beyond that, she saw gray spots and scaly patches on the bark that shouldn’t be there. Her heart twisted with worry as she gently ran her fingers over the dying branches.
“Did you notice this on any of the other trees?” She pointed to the scaly patch. “How many trees were affected? Did you see more of these gray spots? And the bark—were there patches that looked split?”
Ethan peered at the branch. “I… I didn’t notice any of that.”
He seemed down on himself, so Ginger put her hand on his arm. “It’s okay. You wouldn’t have noticed. I’m trained to because this is a sign of fungal disease.”
“Oh no.” Ethan looked into her eyes, and she felt a jolt. It was as if she could see clear into his soul and feel how upset he was. The sadness in his sapphire eyes nearly broke her heart.
“Don’t worry. I can fix this. And look…” She pointed to the needles. “The fertilizer concoction seems to be working. Now I just need to figure out the right treatment for the fungus. But if only I could get out there and see for myself.”
They gazed out at the winter landscape.
“There’s no way I can make it out there with this leg,” Ginger said.
“It seems like we’re so close…” Ethan said, his voice trailing off.
“But I opened my big mouth and promised the mayor a tree by Friday.”
Ethan turned from the window and looked at her. “It’s not your fault. You did the right thing. Bought us some time, anyway.”
“If only I could see the damage myself. Seeing a bigger sample would give me a better idea, but if I could just get a proper look…”
Ethan gazed at the snowy ground and shook his head. “I don’t see how. You’ll just hurt yourself worse if you try trekking through this mess.”
“It sure is messy. The only time I’ve been out is when I went to the doctor and the sleigh ride,” Ginger said.
Ethan’s face suddenly lit up. “The sled! I can bundle you up and pull you out there myself. Not as good as a sleigh ride, but it could do the trick. You might be able to get close enough, if we’re real careful.”
Ginger’s eyes shone with renewed hope. “That’s perfect! As long as we’re careful, I should be able to make it. At least I might get close enough to make a better diagnosis and figure out a plan.”
Ethan grinned, opening the hall closet and grabbing extra blankets. “All right, let’s get you loaded up! The trees need you, and it’ll be good for you to get some fresh air. Just promise you’ll tell me if you start hurting—your health comes before anything else.”
“It’s a deal.” Ginger’s heart warmed at his concern, and she was excited about getting outside and being able to inspect the trees. And something else too—the sense of teamwork and camaraderie between her and Ethan was exhilarating. Judging by the way he had suddenly shed his grumpy demeanor, she suspected Ethan might feel the same way.
Ethan helpedGinger into the sled, tucking blankets snugly around her. She was wearing a pink knit hat, and snowflakes clung to her long eyelashes. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, making her look radiant. His heart did an odd little flip at how cute she looked bundled up for their mission.
As Ethan pulled the sled through the snow, Ginger stretched out a mittened hand to catch drifting flakes. “This is the most fun I’ve had in ages!” she said. “I love being outside, don’t you?”
Ethan grinned. “I sure do.”
As Ethan pulled Ginger through the snowy woods, their conversation flowed as easily as if they were old friends.
“Smell that pine,” Ginger said, inhaling deeply. “Nothing quite like it.”
“Reminds me of being a kid,” Ethan said, “climbing trees and getting sticky with sap.”
Ginger laughed. “Like when we first shook hands?”
