Unexpected Love (White Oak-Mafia #2) (11 page)

“Until a month ago, we had a really good bear catcher. But Bob refused to take John with him anymore to catch bears, so Dad fired him. That pissed off our other worker, and he quit, too.”

“I thought you said the employees were let go due to the economy,” Grams challenged.

“Well, it was, really. Dad would have never fired Bob if we were still getting requests to capture bears. Twenty thousand a bear is good money.”

“Certainly is, and for it I expected experienced bear catchers.”

Steve’s eyes rounded. “Please don’t tell my dad I told you John wasn’t experienced. He did go with Bob five times before Bob declared him more trouble than the bears.”

That caused both Tess and her grams to laugh.

“Does that mean you won’t tell? John’s first born, so he gets by with all sorts of stuff, but Dad makes me walk the straight and narrow.”

“I won’t be calling your parents at all,” Grams assured him. “However, if that damn fool doesn’t manage to tranq Grumpy soon, the truck is going to roll.” She then smiled. “You were very wise to get out of the vehicle.”

Steve sighed. “I’ll probably get a beatin’ for it, but at least I’ll be alive to get it.”

Tess had heard enough. “Listen, if you need to run away when you turn sixteen, come back here and I’ll hire you in the summer to work as a ranger and give you room and board so you can finish school in peace.”

“School…I’d like to go back to school.”

Tess turned to him. “Your parents took you out of school?”

His eyes rounded like white saucers. “Of course, I attend school. I just meant school here sounded cool.”

Tess knew he’d just lied to her, but she let it slide…for the moment. She didn’t want to make the poor kid’s life harder than it apparently was.

“What work at the sanctuary do you normally do?” she asked.

“I give tours on the weekend and make sure none of the little kids squeeze through the fences. Our bears are pretty tame, but the tourist platform is about fifteen feet high. If a kid slipped through, he might be hurt in the fall, and the bears might think him new food and give him a taste.”

Grams snorted. “I expect that is true. Couldn’t you just put chicken wire on the wood fence?”

Steve smiled. “That’s a good idea. Okay if I claim it as mine? It might impress Dad enough to let me go back to sch—”

The boy clamped his hand over his mouth.

Grams sighed heavily. “If it has any chance of getting you back in school, I gladly give you ownership of my suggestion.”

“So what do you do during the weekdays?” Tess asked.

“Feed the bears. That’s kind of scary work. Dwayne, that was our bear feeder, never let me follow him into the bear pen, but he’d let me watch him from the platform. It looked kind of fun from up there, but the bears don’t stay back when I yell at them, so half the time they pull the bag of food from my arms before I can pour it into the pans.” He sighed. “Then I get yelled at for wasting feed.”

“There should be a test before people can become parents,” Grams muttered.

“I didn’t say my parents were bad. I didn’t. I would never say that,” the boy declared in a high-pitch panic.

“Calm down. I don’t plan to talk to your parents at all. Looks like Son Number One managed to either kill or tranq Grumpy. You best be returning to the truck before he leaves without you.”

Steve chuckled. “He can’t. I found his keys here in the back seat.” He held out his hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

“Same here,” Grams assured him and patted his hand.

Tess gave him a solid handshake. “Don’t forget my offer when you turn sixteen.”

He chewed his bottom lip. “Please don’t call Child Services about me. They never help, but the last time they came and questioned my parents, I couldn’t sit for a month.”

Tess met his stare. “I won’t. If they failed you once, they’ll do it again. Just remember my offer.”

Steve smiled and ran from the Rover to his side of the truck.

A moment later, the truck roared to life and lurched forward.

Grams sighed. “I was thinking I’d wasted my money on this foolishness, but if that boy takes up your offer, assuming he can survive to turn sixteen, then it was money well spent.”

Tess carefully turned the Rover on the barely two-lane road and headed home. “I’m going to research to see if something more can be done before Steve turns sixteen…but carefully. I will not be the trigger that kills the poor boy.”

When they returned to the house, Steel wasn’t there. As dusk set in, Tess decided he needed help. She gathered up her emergency pack, lights, flares, and a portable carrier that would enable her to transport an unconscious body along the trail.

“He probably just lost track of time,” Grams said.

“I hope that’s all it is,” she replied.

Grams gripped her hand. “If you need me to call rescue, send a flare. I’ll be awake to see it, I promise.”

Given how tired her grams looked, she knew that was a hard promise for her to make, but she also knew she could take it to the bank.

She kissed her grams on her forehead and hurried out.

Tess ran full speed toward the mounds, not because she believed Steel was hurt, but because Grams wouldn’t rest until they were home.

There was no moon tonight, so dusk gave way to pitch blackness. Fortunately, her flashlight had a bright and wide beam, enabling her to continue her run.

As she came around a curve, her light revealed a large dark mass on the side of the trail. Her panicked mind had yet to identify it, when Steel spoke.

“When I get back to the cabin, I’m going through every damn pocket on my vest, my hip belt, and my backpack. I’ve been sitting in the dark, feeling about for my flashlight for what seems to be an eternity.” He then stood and hugged her. “I am very glad to see you.”

She shined the light in his face.

“Okay, I’m blind now,” he complained.

Tess chuckled. “Sorry, I just needed to make sure you didn’t have a head injury.”

“Because I stupidly forgot to locate my flashlight
before
it turned dark?”

“That, and the fact it appears you did locate it since it’s in the pile of items at your feet.”

He looked down and picked up the flashlight. After staring at it, he closed his eyes and frisked the large metal box. “Damn it! I thought it was the lunch box.”

“It does vaguely resemble one, only it’s a bit heavier since the casing holds two long-life batteries inside. It also has a metal handle. Still, the round flashbulb area should have been a giveaway.”

“I never got to it. I groped a metal box and declared it lunch.”

Tess laughed heartily at his admission and, a moment later, he joined in.

She helped him put all the items into his backpack and vest.

“When is the sanctuary coming for Grumpy?” he asked, shining his light about.

“Came and gone…with Grumpy, thank God.”

“Then why do you seem to be in a panic?” he asked.

“Grams…she’s really tired, but she won’t close her eyes and rest until we get back. She’s watching for a flare in case we need rescued.”

He stopped shining his light into the woods and assisted her. She was going to chide him for putting items into the wrong pockets, but this was his vest now. He’d need to figure out his own system.

He finally noticed the poles jutting from her back, possibly because she’d almost clocked him with the roller ends.

“What the hell is that?”

She stood. “Can you run in the dark?”

“With a light, yes.”

“Then let’s run,” she said and took off.

She didn’t need to turn around and verify he was there. His poorly placed tools clanked and complained so loudly that he sounded like a donkey loaded with skillets.

When they entered the house, Tess said between gasps, “We’re…home…safe…and sound.”

“Then I’ll rest some,” Grams muttered and closed her eyes.

Not wanting to disturb her grams, she headed straight to Steel’s room and dropped her backpack and poles to the floor.

Once he entered, she rolled open the poles exposing the fabric carrier. “You asked about the poles. In case you were unable to walk, I could pull you back with this.”

He studied it. “Which explains the big rubber wheels. How does a person not slide off?”

“Get on, and I’ll show you.”

He looked like he was going to refuse, then sighed and lay down. Only he put his head down by the wheels.

Tess burst into laughter.

“What?” he demanded.

She shook her head, unable to talk yet. Every time she tried, her laughter would intensify again. Finally, she pantomimed that his head was the tip of her finger and then bounced it on the wood surface of the bed stand. Then she motioned for him to turn around.

“Oh,” he muttered and laughed at himself.

Now that he was properly aligned, she tightened a shoulder harness on him then adjusted the support straps so they gripped the pins drilled into the top of the poles. She located the Velcro strap sewn on the backside of the fabric mid-way down, pulled it around the polls, and secured it tightly at his waist.

“The shoulder harness keeps you from sliding down and the belt keeps you from falling off.”

She moved to his head, turned with her back to him, knelt down, lifted the poles to her shoulders, latched them to her harness with more Velcro straps, and stood. She then rolled him about his room.

“I would have said it was impossible for you to carry me anywhere.”

“Well, it is a bit more challenging going uphill over rocks or pulling you through wet marshland, but for you, I’d do it.”

She then knelt down and released him.

“This is very clever. Where’d you get it?”

“Grams and I designed and made it.”

Steel sat beside on the bed. “I’m impressed.”

“When you get a moment of spare time, I’ll show you some additional stuff you need to know, but we’ll need to be on actual trails for that lesson.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Don’t you want to work on your mounds?”

He expressed his frustration with a heavy sigh. “Tom has forbidden me from further digging until we get the carbon dating results back. So until the GPR equipment is purchased and two strong backs are employed, I’m just being tortured up there.” He looked at her. “Although I did make a lot of notes of things we have to do, which I’m hoping you can turn into a plan.”

She stood and offered her hand to help him up. He took it, but she knew he didn’t need her assistance to stand. Maybe he just wanted to hold her hand. And while she liked the physical contact, she knew they shouldn’t have enjoyed it so much because they had to keep matters platonic.

Tess and Steel returned to the kitchen where she worked on converting Steel’s scribbles into a proper plan while he cooked dinner. She had grave doubts the food would be edible, but he was the first man she had ever known who wished to cook, so she had to let him try. If it was truly wretched, she’d cook Grams something else.

He’d just declared his masterpiece almost done when the phone rang. Tess grabbed the phone before it rang again, hoping the first ring hadn’t woken her grams.

“Tess Campbell,” she said.

“Tess, Tom Barkman. Is Steel available?”

She chuckled and covered the mouthpiece to reply. “He’s cooking dinner.”

“I know how he gets about that. So will you tell him once he’s finished his masterpiece that the lab prioritized his project, and they say the soil tube had dates from 14,000 BC to 500 BC.”

Tess smiled at that news. “That’s wonderful.”

“Better yet, the bone fragment is from a human foot dated around 8000 BC.  This site is going to be changing what we know of Paleo-Indians. Tell him I’ll be bringing a ground-penetrating radar device, electrical resistance meters, and two magnetometers, plus four strong men from the Harper Ferry site.”

“Are you sure they won’t sabotage things?” she asked.

“I hope my judgment of the people who work for me is better than that, but it’s a reasonable concern. This site will undoubtedly lessen the interest in Harper Ferry. I believe the four I have chosen will prefer working with Steel than their current boss, and I think he’ll like them as well. If it works out that way, I’ll authorize the move and hire some less expensive men for the other site.”

“Sorry for questioning you. It’s a great solution.”

“After the draft plan you threw together in four hours, you may question anything I do. The governor agreed it was the best first-year plan he’d ever seen.”

“You did tell him it was just a draft, didn’t you?”

“No…the governor doesn’t like drafts. I told him we’d make improvements to it as we flushed out the details in the later time frames.”

Tess chuckled. “That was brilliant.”

He sighed heavily. “Well, phrasing things appropriately for the audience at hand is a major part of my job.”

Tess sensed it wasn’t a part he was proud of. “That’s a really important skill you have. And I’m very glad you have it because you are a great head of parks.”

“You might want to wait until you hear the favor I’m going to ask you to do.”

“No, I’ll stand behind that statement. What can I do for you?”

“I need you to help Steel make a plan as good as yours for the archeological dig. I can tell you right now he’ll probably give you a notebook of illegible script and think that’s sufficient, but that’s not going to fly with the governor after he’s seen yours. You need to dig into details and flush it out.”

“Not a problem. We started on it today.”

“And how is it coming along?”

She could hear the worry in his voice. “I’m learning a great deal about how to do an archeological dig. Maybe I’ll go for a double major.”

“Dinner is served,” Steel declared and placed three plates of food on the kitchen counter. He hurried to Helen. “May I assist you to the kitchen?

Helen shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

He knelt beside her. “I could bring you your food on a tray.”

She patted his hand. “You are a good man, Steel. I’m glad you’re here.”

He rose and looked to Tess.

Tess smiled his way and motioned for him to come to her. When he did, she handed him the phone. “Tom wishes to talk to you.”

After checking on her Grams, who insisted she needed more sleep and would eat later, Tess sat down at the counter and eyed the grilled bass on her plate. It smelled delicious. Beside it was a small serving of black beans and something that looked like salsa with avocado slivers on top.

Through her food examination, she listened to Steel give their boss the good news that the damn bear was gone and they had been working on a detailed plan while he cooked.

He fell silent for a minute and then burst out with a loud ‘Yes!’ and slammed his hand on the wall. She smiled, knowing Mr. Barkman had just told him about the carbon dating.

“We’ve hit the damn mother lode!” He then repeated the news to her, not realizing she already knew.

“Tess has to be cleared to be on site now. Otherwise, you’ll never get the detail you need for the plan.” After a short pause, he smiled and nodded at her.

“This is the best news you could possibly give me. Thank you, Tom. I didn’t expect to get those carbon datings for months. You’re a fucking miracle worker.”

Tess glanced at her grams. She couldn’t have possibly slept through Steel’s loud celebration. She worried about his use of the f-word. Grams didn’t like the word, and the last time her uncle had used it at the cabin, he got a pitcher of cold well-water over his head.

Either Grams didn’t mind it when spoken in a beautiful British accent, or she was just thrilled that site was not only authentic, but the only one of its kind. Or she was dead. Tess abandoned her food and ran to her Grams’ side. While her eyes were closed, a faint smile on her lips and slow steady movements of her chest told her Grams remained with them.

Since Steel continued his conversation with Tom, Tess returned to the tantalizing dinner before her. It smelled delicious. She teased out a small bit of white flesh and sat it on her tongue, ready to spit it in her napkin if necessary.

Instead, the flavors tantalized her taste buds. She stood at once and carried her plate to Grams. “You’ve got to taste this.”

Grams’ eyes fluttered open. Then she shook her head.

“I’m not asking you to eat.” She’d read on the Internet that when a body was dying, it no longer wanted food.

“I just want you to put a bite in your mouth. Steel cooked it, and it’s fabulous. You have to taste it.”

Grams eyed her with caution, evidently thinking this to be a trick.

“Grams, this could be the best thing you ever taste in your life.”

“All right,” she said, skepticism audible in her voice.

Tess tugged out a tiny bit of the grilled bass and held the fork out.

Grams took the small bit into her mouth. Her eyes rounded a moment later. Her hand took possession of the fork, and she took another bite. Then she tasted a small bite of the beans.

“Oh, my!”

“Are they not good?” Tess whispered.

Her grams lifted a large forkful to Tess’s mouth.

Tess laughed and then opened her mouth, expecting not-fully-cooked beans. While Tess groaned with pleasure, Grams tasted the stuff that looked like salsa and leaned back and closed her eyes. Her smile of pure bliss said it all.

Tess tasted it and then added a bit of bass to her fork. She groaned from the pleasure bouncing about her mouth.

In the background, she heard Steel tell Tom he had to get off the phone. “My diners are groaning.” He came over and knelt beside Tess. “I hope those are good groans and not a need to have your stomachs pumped.”

Grams patted his arm. “You constantly amaze me. I’m so glad you came here.”

His blue eyes sparkled as his hand gently covered Grams. “Best thing that’s happened in my life.”

Tess smiled at him, overwhelmed with love and admiration. He wasn’t just better than any man she’d ever met; he was better than she conceived any man could be. Had she written the specs for the perfect man, he wouldn’t be this fabulous. She had a great desire to blurt out a marriage proposal, but thankfully got control of herself.

The barriers between them were still there, and under no circumstances would she risk Steel’s life or career.

He chucked her chin. “You okay?”

“I’m thrilled about the site. Your meal is the finest food I’ve ever tasted. And we’ve even gotten rid of Grumpy. This day is without question the best day of my life.”

He hugged her. “Mine, too.” He released her and leaned over and kissed Gram’s cheek. “And I couldn’t have better friends to share it with.”

When Grams fell asleep, they moved back to the dining table and ate while they worked on the archeological plan.

Steel finished his dinner ten minutes before Tess and spent the time explaining what they might find and what each possibility would require.

Tess now understood why creating a project plan was so difficult for him. Every find could alter all future plans depending on its importance.

An hour into the possible avenues, she smiled. “I see how we can create a plan.”

He sighed. “I’m all ears.”

“We need to move up a level. The initial plan is how we determine and prioritize our presently unknown finds. The second main action is about how we open our work to the public. And that we can provide detail because the problems will be tied in with the state park in general.”

Steel frowned. “You want to let visitors wander about my archeological sites?”

“No! But is there any reason why they cannot watch from a platform a safe distance away and listen to audio telling them what they are watching and about the Paleo-Indians who once lived here? We could even provide white boards presenting close-ups of finds thus far.”

Steel leaned back in his chair. “I was going to say that they’d find it very dull watching, but with audio and other visuals, we might be able to open up the site, assuming we can secure it.”

“We’ll need to have the archeological site fully fenced in
before
we have access roads into these woods, which I have planned for next spring. Securing it should be first on our timeline.”

“I wasn’t planning anything like this…but you’re right. It’s a state park. We can’t drag our feet opening it to the public. You and I’ll go out tomorrow and review the area and see the best way to protect the site from scavengers.”

“We’ll want to ensure we have the proper postings so we can legally prosecute anyone who attempts to trespass.”

“And the best outdoor security cams.”

She typed in these items into the detail section. Each one would get its own project plan timeline.

As they continued brainstorming, Tess glanced at her plans for bringing in a marketing expert to develop quality advertising. “We should have the producers know about our intentions to allow visitors to see a real archeological dig. They’ll want to include that as soon as they can.”

“Just don’t let them over-promise it,” Steel warned.

Tess made a note. I’ll be sure they know not to promise the public more than we can deliver. If they expect a real Paleo Indian to rise from the ground and shake their hand, they are going to be disappointed.” She glanced at her watch and frowned. “Whoa! We need to sleep. It’s already past three AM.”

“Well, I’ll sleep like a baby now. You not only solved how we can present a plan, but it’s a plan I can actually use.”

***

Steel went to his room amazed at how everything had turned around for him. Yet, there was a price for all his good luck. Tess Campbell was the first and probably only woman he’d ever had intense feelings for, but he had to keep matters platonic.

If he took the relationship further, he could destroy everything and possibly lose his life. But God, he never wanted anything more than to celebrate their success by making passionate love to her.

Instead, they had spent the night working on the project plan, something he’d always considered a waste of time until Tess had found a way to make it work.

Thank God, she’d forgiven him for being such an ass when he mistook her for a driver. No way he could manage this without her. He closed his eyes and had almost fallen asleep when he recalled something he’d pushed from his consciousness.

Tess would be leaving for college in a few months.

She couldn’t. He needed her here.

Unable to sleep, he called Tom…who had been asleep but proved remarkably good-natured about being awaken.

“Are you two still working out the plan? I don’t require it by tomorrow, you know,” Tom teased.

“No, but I’m optimistic we’ll have a plan I can actually use in short time. Tess is amazing.”

“She has a gift,” Tom agreed.

“Yeah, well half of this great partnership we have intends to leave for college in two months.” Steel expected him to curse or throw something.

“A month and a half, I believe,” he replied.

“Tom…you haven’t seen the plan she’s creating. I can’t hire a replacement for her. I guarantee you there is no one capable of getting this done except for Tess.”

Tom sighed heavily. “I’m hoping she’ll come to that conclusion and postpone her degree. However, my hands are tied by the terms of the land donation. It clearly states she’ll be allowed to attend college until she obtains her degree, and then she becomes the forest manager for the park for as long as she wishes to keep the job.”

“Wow…I’m amazed you agreed to allow some unknown young woman with a guaranteed job for life join your staff.”

“Well, fortunately, the woman donating the land had me meet Tess and tour the woods before I saw the details of the document. It was actually prudent. If I were to leave for any reason, I guarantee my replacement would want to place his best guy in charge of this state park.”