The one time he’d thought he could be a better person, he’d thought he could be there for Janine the way he never had been for his family, he’d failed again. The loss of their unborn baby, another death on his conscience.
He couldn’t run from it. It was in his DNA.
A good soldier. A good leader.
A destructive family man.
One-night stands and temporary relationships with women who never knew the military side of him meant he never had to deal with complications when they ended. He’d been meticulous about keeping the two sides of his life distinct from each other.
And now here he was. Acutely aware of the woman standing stiffly beside him. A woman who had made him feel the most relaxed and comfortable that he’d been in a long, long time. That night with her he’d actually felt a carefree happiness.
But wanting something more with Elle now, as a fellow officer, would allow his personal life to bleed into his professional one, a no-go in his mind. Or at least it should have been a no-go. Yet even now, as his initial shock dulled, he couldn’t shake the possibility. As if Elle had the ability to break down whatever barriers he tried to erect between them.
He’d never felt so off-kilter. Elle had sneaked under his skin when he hadn’t noticed and all he could think of was how she’d looked in his arms, how she’d tasted when he’d kissed her, and how she’d sounded when he’d made her come apart time and again.
He was hardly surprised when Elle jumped straight in with a determinedly professional expression. And then her eyes locked with his and there was no doubting that she was as unsettled as he was. Both of them striving to remain soldier-like, both of them unable to help homing in on each other as though it was just the two of them in the whole world.
‘I understand from Major Howes that the soil on either side of the aquifer is hard and competent, so it might be possible to bridge it. However, he did mention he wanted to get advice from an aquifer specialist. I didn’t know that was you, sir.’
Fitz doubted Carl would hear anything but polite respect in her tone. But, then, Carl hadn’t got to know the major quite as intimately as he himself had.
‘Major Howes is right. It is possible to bridge some aquifers, but I’d need to study this one before I could confirm it in this case. I don’t know what the pressure is in the aquifer, and even if the soil either side is hard and competent, if it’s made up of over-consolidated silt it could wash away if we have to drive any piles into the ground.’
‘He mentioned basal uplift?’
Why wasn’t he surprised that Elle had absorbed every bit of information Carl must have given her? And, just like when they’d pulled together so harmoniously back at the bar with the young lad and his sister, Fitz found himself slipping easily back into working with her. Setting aside their unsettled history for the moment.
‘That can happen if we excavate the water and soil from on top of the aquifer—which is currently keeping it contained—and the pressure within the aquifer itself bursts, swamping this entire site. That
could also happen even if we don’t have a blow-out but simply pierce the aquifer.’
‘That sounds like a risk we don’t want.’ She frowned.
‘Only if we don’t allow for it. We can drill a series of relief wells, even back-up relief wells, and instal pumps to get some draw-down and relieve the pressure. We can also spread the footings of the buildings to avoid piles piercing the aquifer.’
‘And what if we moved the plant room altogether, how feasible is that?’
‘It depends how extensive the aquifer is. Major Howes and I have already agreed this is a priority discussion.’
‘If at all possible, I’d like to consider moving to the other side of the site, to avoid any risk of contaminating the aquifer altogether,’ Elle stated firmly. ‘In this area the population mainly use groundwater, either from foothill infiltration or from riverbed exfiltration, with little chance of rainwater recharge. And with the population in this region growing exponentially, there is increasing over-exploitation of the scarce water resources.’
He could see exactly where she was heading.
‘So you want to tap into this aquifer for the local communities. Perhaps a series of clean water wells?’
‘I’m not a ground surveyor like you are, and I certainly don’t know anything about aquifers to speak of, but I would think this offers a significant clean water supply to the community, especially when cholera and other water-borne diseases are so prevalent out here. Do you agree, Colonel?’
‘I do,’ he mused, looking over her shoulder at the basic geological plans Carl had already put together. ‘But if you’re moving across the site, it will mean redesigning your hospital layout. The main hospital itself, as damaged as it has been over the last decade, is still the best medical resource the local population have.’
The familiar citrusy scent powered into him before he realised it, tightening his chest and stealing his breath away.
‘So we need to minimise the impact on them and make as few alterations as possible. Yes, Colonel,’ Elle bit out, stiffening abruptly.
Their sudden proximity clearly affected her just as much as it did him. Fitz jerked around to Carl, as much to remind himself of his Major’s presence as anything else.
‘Any ideas, Major Howes?’
‘Working on it, sir.’ Carl stepped forward, apparently unaware of the tension Fitz felt was practically sparking between himself and Elle. ‘The plant room houses the heat, ventilation and air-conditioning units.’