The Network Beneath #970621

The deeper you look, the more you find.
Dr. Katherine Park only trusts what she can measure. A brilliant geologist with a sardonic wit and a guarded heart, she’s come to Ironwood to map the most complex geothermal system in the country. She doesn’t have time for local politics, small-town charm, or the man who seems to understand the mountains better than any of her sensors. She’s been betrayed before, and she won’t let anyone get close enough to steal her data—or her heart.
Gabe Turning Hawk knows the mountains breathe. As a hydrologist for the Shoshone Tribe, he listens to the water the way his ancestors taught him—with respect and caution. He knows the Absaroka is a place of power, and he’s determined to protect it from those who only see it as a resource to be exploited. He doesn’t expect the analytical, distant professor from Colorado to be the person who finally sees him for who he truly is.
When a geothermal energy company threatens to sever the connections that hold the valley together, Kate and Gabe must join forces. In the rugged wilderness of the Wind River and the halls of academia, they find a chemistry that is as powerful as the thermal springs they map. But in a world where data can be stolen and water can take everything, the hardest part is learning when to let go—and when to hold on.
The Network Beneath is the eleventh novel in the Ironwood Rescue series—a mature, intelligent contemporary romance featuring academic rivalry, indigenous expertise, and a slow-burn connection built on trust and discovery.