Unexpected Love (White Oak-Mafia #2)

by Liza O'Connor

  She ignored him and ran out the door with the carrier. Steel cursed softly, grabbed his backpack, and followed.

  The sun had barely risen. Running full speed, he couldn’t catch up with her. Certain Helen lay somewhere on the side of the trail, he slowed so he wouldn’t pass her body.

  After walking a half mile without finding her, he became convinced Helen must have collapsed at the very first of the woods, so he turned around and headed in the direction of the cabin.

  Tess just wasn’t thinking straight. Poor girl was devastated.

  And needed him.

  He gave up his search for Helen and turned around. He ran full speed in the direction Tess had gone. He needed to be with her. She was the one who was hurting now.

  He found Tess at the village site kneeling on the grass. Impossible as it seemed, Helen had somehow managed to walk halfway up the steep hill before giving up.

  Tess’s eyes filled with relief on sight of him.

  “She’s still alive, but unconscious. I’ve put her on the carrier. Will you help me carry her horizontally?”

  He nodded and took hold of one end as she took the other. Together they carried Helen the remaining hundred yards and placed her between the two mounds.

  Tess knelt behind Helen’s head. Her hand gently rubbed Grams’ forehead. “You made it to the mounds, Grams. You’ve achieved your last objective.” Tess burst into tears as her body shook with grief. Steel dropped to his knees behind her and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her tight to his chest.

  When his knees began to ache, he was tempted to stand, but then he heard the faint sound of Indian drums and chants. He thought it was only his imagination until Tess cocked her head as well.

  “Do you hear that?” she whispered.

  He nodded, and they both stood. She turned about, trying to find the direction of the chants. They seemed to be coming out of the ground covering the mounds.

  As he stared at the apparent source of the sounds, the ghostly image of an old Indian wearing black bear fur rose from the bear mound and floated to Helen. He squatted down and placed a green stone on her forehead, painted her face with blue dye, and then stared up to the skies. His voice grew louder, almost like a plea to the Gods, then after a moment of silence he began a chant. While she couldn’t understand his words, Tess was certain he was wishing her a good future life.

  When the soft spoken, almost musical chanting stopped, the man disappeared, as did the paint upon Gram’s face. The green stone, however, remained.

  Tess touched Helen’s neck, then her wrist. “Gram’s is gone.” She turned and faced him. “You won’t believe what I thought I saw.”

  “A Paleo-Indian in a bear skin placed a green stone on Helen’s forehead and gave her some sort of last rites.”

  Tess smiled through her tears and nodded. Steel pulled her into his arms, trying to make sense of what had happened. He never believed in ghosts or spirits. The dead were dead and gone. There were no mummy curses.

  Now, he wasn’t so sure. For Tess and him to see the same thing was inexplicable.

  Tess stroked his chest. “We can take her home now. She wouldn’t want to mess up your archeological site.”

  He kissed her hair. God he loved her. Even in grief, she still thought of him and his site.

  Tess lifted the green stone from her Grams’ forehead and slipped it into her pocket. They slowly carried Helen down the hill. When they were almost home, Tess asked him to stop. “Can we say we found her here?” She pointed to a place beneath a large, old white oak.

  He stared at the bed of leaves beneath the tree. To be honest, it did look as if someone had been here. “You okay?” he asked.

  She looked up at him. “Oddly, I am. I don’t think she’s left me.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Tess smiled. “I think she got the job she wanted.”

  He tilted his head, still not understanding. Then he remembered Helen’s letter. “As your guardian angel?”

  Tess’s smile widened as she nodded.

  He approached her, offered his hand, and when she took it, he pulled her into his arms. He’d never believed in guardian angels either, but after what happened on the mound, he was keeping an open mind. “Well, you couldn’t get a better one.”

  “No, we couldn’t.”

  God, she was even willing to share her guardian angel with him. He pressed his lips to her temple and held her tight.

  ***

  Tess relaxed and enjoyed this moment of comfort. She had feared Steel wouldn’t believe Grams was still with them, but evidently, seeing a ghost at the mounds giving Grams her funeral rituals had left his mind open to the possibility.

  Still it wasn’t until Tess had noticed this disturbed bed of leaves so close to the cabin that she realized Grams was still looking out for them. No one would believe a dying woman could have walked half the distance she’d done on her own. And while she may have made this bed before she walked all the way to the village, Tess wouldn’t have noticed it had a voice in her head not said, “Here” when they reached this spot.

  “Should we move her onto the leaves?”

  Steel paused, then nodded. “For a moment, so there’s trace DNA on the leaves and sticks, if anyone checks.”

  Tess looked up at him. “They can get trace DNA off a leaf?”

  “Trace DNA can exist on anything. I’ve no idea how easy it would be to extract from a bed of leaves, so let’s just play it safe and place her here for a bit. Then we can carry her inside. You wouldn’t leave her out here.”

  She appreciated how well he already understood her. “No, I would bring her home.”

  After a few minutes, they lifted her onto the carrier and took her back to the house.

  They carried Grams to her bed and settled her on top of the cover. Then Tess called the county sheriff. “Sheriff Cobbs, this is Tess Campbell. My great grandmother was recently diagnosed with liver cancer.”

  “I’m very sorry to hear that,” Cobbs replied.

  “Yes, well she um…had a good life and wished to have a good death, so sometime this morning or last night, she left the house and went into her woods and consumed a bottle of painkillers.”

  Tess unexpectedly burst into tears. She thought she could make this call and remain strong.

  “I’ll be there in a half-hour. Don’t touch anything until then.”

  “I’m sorry. We brought her in. I couldn’t leave her outside.”

  “I see. Well, don’t do anything else.”

  “Okay.”

  The moment Tess hung up the phone, Steel pulled her into his arms and led her to the couch. She remained in his arms until the light flashed, alerting them of a visitor upstairs.

  “You want me to go?” he asked.

  “No, I’m okay. Someone gave me a half-hour of good hugging.”

  He smiled and followed her upstairs.

  The sheriff turned out to be older than he’d sounded on the phone. He looked eighty, at least. As his eyes scanned the cabin kitchen, she sensed a bit of outrage.

  “Did you know my Grams?” she asked.

  Instead of answering her, he eyed Steel. “And you are?”

  “Alastair Castile. I’m the new forest manager. Helen graciously offered me a room here.”

  If the furrows of his brow were any indication, the sheriff didn’t like that answer at all.

  Tess led him down into the main house. He stopped the moment they entered the living room. “Whoa. How long has this been here?”

  “I’m not sure. None of the family knew about it except for Jonas…and he evidently didn’t feel compelled to share that with my father.”

  “And where is the body?” Sheriff Cobbs asked.

  Tess led him back to Grams’ room. He inspected her hands closely, then her arms and neck. When he pried Grams’ eyes open, Tess had to run from the room.

  Steel followed her and held her to him as they waited on the couch.

  A half-hour later,
the sheriff entered the living room. “May I see where you found her?”

  Tess and Steel took him to the spot near the cabin.

  The sheriff questioned them on how they had moved Grams. Tess explained the carrier to him. He bagged the pill container. “Did you touch this?”

  Tess grimaced and nodded.

  “Why?”

  “I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted it away from her.”

  He sighed heavily and nodded. “If it’s any consolation, this looks to have been a gentle death.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Steel stroked her back.

  “So you picked her up and moved her onto this carrier,” Sheriff Cobbs said. “Which direction was her head?”

  They both pointed south.

  He stood and followed them back to the house where he asked to see the carrier.

  Tess brought it out, and he inspected it thoroughly. “Never seen one like this before. For rough terrain, it could be useful.”

  “Grams and I designed and made it.”

  “Really? So you two were close?”

  She nodded. “As close as two people can be.”

  “And yet she never told you she planned to do this?”

  Tess rubbed her runny nose and met his intense eyes. “She told me last week she had cancer and she wanted a better death than fate had planned for her. She wanted to die in her woods. I just didn’t know she planned to do it today.”

  “Sure you didn’t help her?”

  Tess stared at him a long moment. “I’m sorry. I got the impression you knew her.”

  “A little.”

  “Grams loved me with all her heart. She would never involve me in something that could get me into trouble with the law. She was here in that chair when I went to sleep last night.”

  “And what time was that?”

  “A little after three.”

  “In the morning?” His eyes widened as if challenging her claim.

  Steel replied at once. “We were brainstorming on the plan for this park.”

  The sheriff eyed him. “So you were awake at three as well?”

  “Yes. We went to our rooms around 3:15 I think. I couldn’t sleep, so I called Tom Barkman around four and talked to him about hiring issues.”

  “The head of Parks?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wouldn’t he be asleep at four in the morning?”

  “Yes, but he was good-natured about my call, and we talked for almost an hour. Then I finally got to sleep, and what seemed like a few seconds later, Tess woke me and said Helen was missing.”

  “It was around eight-thirty. I’d overslept,” Tess said.

  Steel met the Sheriff’s hard gaze. “I began my own search, beginning with Helen’s room where I found a note for Tess.”

  “You found a note?” the sheriff repeated.

  They both nodded.

  He rubbed his temple. “May I see it?”

  Tess rose and retrieved it. However, she stopped and held it to her chest. “There’s some personal stuff in here that could cause serious trouble if my father heard about it. Can I just read the parts about her dying?”

  His jaw tensed, and his eyes flashed in anger as he approached her. “I’m sorry, but I have to read the whole thing. But I assure you I would never assist your father in any way.”

  Trusting the anger in his eyes, she handed over the letter.

  He read it several times, then walked down the hall and entered Helen’s room.

  Tess stared at Steel, hoping he could make sense of the sheriff’s behavior but he only shrugged.

  Sheriff Cobbs returned from the room a half-hour later. “I’ll have to keep this letter.”

  “No!” Tess yelled.

  He held up his hand. “Trust me. The feds are going to be all over this.” He glanced at Steel. “And if that accent is just a put-on and you’re actually from Chicago, you better fess up now.”

  Steel’s eyebrows rose. “Would my British passport and work visa give you some peace of mind?”

  “It would greatly.”

  The moment Steel left the room, Tess spoke. “You are way off course about Steel. He’s in no way connected to the mafia.”

  “Then what is he connected to?” Sheriff Cobbs demanded.

  “That is his private business and nothing to do with Grams’ death.”

  Steel returned and handed him his passport. “Feel free to check me out with Secret Service. While technically I believe they were required to post someone to me when I arrived, I’ve never been aware of anyone, so I’m thinking they’ve better things to do. However, they should be able to verify who I am.”

  Sheriff Cobb’s forehead wrinkled. “Who exactly are you?”

  “I am the forest manager of these fabulous woods until Tess gets her degree.”

  Sheriff Cobbs sighed heavily and glared at him. “I’ll find out.”

  Steel shrugged. “They shouldn’t disclose my private information to anyone, so I’ll be disappointed if they do.”

  Cobbs placed the letter in his vest.

  Tess frowned at him. “That letter can’t get to my father.”

  His eyes softened. “I know, which is why I’m removing it from the house. I believe this was a suicide, and if your boyfriend here proves to be clean, then I’ll sign off on that. However, if this young man is truly not someone of your father’s choosing, then having him live here in this house with you is putting his life in grave danger.”

  “I know. I plan to let the other rangers live here, too, so he won’t stand out. And I don’t plan for my father to ever know about this section of the house.”

  “And the only person who knew about this was Jonas?” Sheriff Cobbs asked.

  She bit her bottom lip. “He kept it a secret for Grams. If he’s still alive, I’m hoping he’ll do the same for me.”

  “He’d sell you out in a second. But your father had him killed, so your secret is safe for now. You do realize without Helen’s protection that your father will try to pull you back into the family.”

  “He can try, but Grams has freed me from his control. I own this house now, the woods are a state park in perpetuity, and my job and salary are guaranteed as long as I want. I am done with my family. The only decent one of them is now my guardian angel.”

  That made the sheriff smile. He was no doubt laughing at her.

  “You picked a damn fine one,” he stated and readjusted his cowboy hat. “We’ll need to get her body to Dubuque.

  “I’ll call Rescue. I’m sure they’ll do it. They loved Grams.”

  “She was special. I saw that the first time we met.” He then eyed Steel. “Would you like to show me out?”

  Tess looked up. “You can’t talk upstairs. My father has the cabin bugged.”

  “I’m relieved you realize that. For the time being, this area appears to be bug-free.”

  She stood and approached. “How do you know?”

  He pulled a small black box from his shirt pocket. “This detects hidden cameras and mics.”

  “Is this something I can buy?” she asked.

  “Easy to find on the Internet.” He paused. “But there are a few sites selling crap. Take this one.”

  “Did it pick up the one in the living room upstairs?”

  He nodded.

  Tess smiled at him and wrapped her fingers around the small three-inch-long box. “Thank you.”

  “Okay if we use your carrier to get Helen’s body upstairs for the helicopter?”

  “Of course,” she said. “I’ll secure her.” Once she had Grams safely strapped in, and had kissed her goodbye, Tess let Steel and the Sheriff take Grams upstairs while she called for helicopter transport.

  Denny answered the phone on the first ring. “Rescue.”

  “Denny, Grams died last night, and I need you to take her body to the funeral home.”

  “No way! What happened?” Denny asked.

  She tried her hardest not to cry, but failed miserably.
Still, she managed to share Gram’s death between sniffles.

  “I’m so sorry, Tess. I’ll come get her right away,” Denny promised.

  Tess hung up and collapsed to the floor. How would she survive without the only person who had truly loved her?

  She watched the helicopter soar over the trees and her house. Poor Steel, being out there had to bring back horrible memories for him. She pushed herself up and headed upstairs to assist, but by the time she arrived, the helicopter was lifting in the air, the sheriff’s pickup truck was gone, and Steel was locking the cabin door.

  ***

  They remained quiet until they arrived downstairs.

  Tess gripped Steel’s hand. “Sorry I didn’t make it up there to help. Were you okay?”

  “I was fine. The pilot helped me get her in the helicopter, and off they went.”

  “Where did Sheriff Cobbs run off to?”

  “He got a call that sent him off like a bat out of hell.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t go up right away. You must have been traumatized by the helicopter.”

  Steel led her to the couch, then sat beside her. “Actually, all these helicopters are desensitizing me. I didn’t break a sweat this time.” With a gentle tug, he pulled her to his chest.

  After a sniff, she replied. “I can’t claim the same for me. I don’t understand why I burst into tears every time I have to tell someone Grams is dead. It’s not like she’s gone. She’s just a spirit now.”

  He pressed his lips to her temple. “It’s probably because she won’t be able to share in the cooking anymore.”

  She chuckled. “True, but last night I discovered my forest manager is a five-star cook.”

  “Before you plan for me to cook all the meals, you need to know you’ve tasted my entire repertoire.”

  She pushed off his chest and stared at him. “Seriously? You can only cook three dishes?”

  “That’s it.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  Steel leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. This was not a particularly proud moment in his past. “When I was about eighteen, I wanted to impress an older woman. So I paid our cook to teach me how to make one meal. It took me two months to learn how to prepare it.”

  She returned to his chest and squeezed him tight. “Did the woman enjoy her food?”