Unexpected Love (White Oak-Mafia #2)
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Book 2 of the White Oak-Mafia Series
Unexpected Love
by
Liza O’Connor
All rights reserved
Any copying, or recording is forbidden without the written permission of the author reproduction of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, electronic except that allowed by Amazon.
In other words: if you buy this book anywhere other than Amazon, it’s a pirated copy. Please support Authors instead of Pirates.
We are much nicer.
All characters in this book come from the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names, titles or professions. They are not based on or inspired by any known individual and any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
All rights reserved
Table of Contents
A Note on Punctuation:
Blurb
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Books by Liza O’Connor
A Note on Punctuation:
Long ago when colonists of the New World got their first printing press, it was evidently a piece of crap. To make the wooden blocks fit better, the operator of the printing press decided all fragile punctuation (periods and commas) would remain within the tall dialogue tags for ease of printing. And thus began the U.S. illogical punctuation rule. Convenience ruled over logic. I understand.
What I don't understand is why, in the digital world, we cling to this archaic illogical rule instead of returning to the logical British rule that decides the location of dialogue tags by where it logically resides.
I'm happy to say, some U.S. e-publishers are returning to the British rule of logic in this matter, and so shall I. Here forth, logical dialogue punctuation will be willfully and purposefully used in my novels. It's not a mistake or ignorance on my part. It's a rebellion against illogical rules of the past. I encourage all authors and publishers to overthrow silly habits of the past.
Blurb
Tess Campbell is a mafia princess who wants nothing to do with her dangerous family. She’d rather spend her life making Grams’ forest the best state park in Iowa.
Alistair Castile, aka Steel, is a British prince, his archeological career in ruins due to his promiscuous nature. He’s hired on as forest manager of Tess’s woods and quickly falls in love with the charming young woman, so different from the socialites of his world.
Only there are several serious barriers between them: Steel’s career cannot withstand another scandal and Tess’s father will kill anyone who gets in the way of his daughter marrying a Chicago mobster.
Chapter 1
Tess Campbell hugged her grandmother as the newly appointed governor signed the document to make the two-hundred-thousand acres a state park.
“We did it!”
“With the help of God and Meg, we did,” the old woman said. “For a while, I feared all I’d done was get an innocent woman killed for trying to help us. I underestimated our family’s hunger for power and money. Thankfully, the FBI didn’t.”
The phone rang. “I’ll get it.” Tess jumped from the couch and hurried to the wall phone by the kitchen. “Hello?”
“May I speak to Tess Campbell, please?”
“This is she.”
“Tess, It’s Tom Barkman.”
The head of the Park’s Commission, now her new boss. “Mr. Barkman, I just saw the land transfer went through.”
“Yes, that was a great relief. Unfortunately, it appears we are now in lockdown and not allowed to leave. Could you do me a favor and pick up Dr. Castile from the airport at six this evening? He’s coming on British Airways from Cairo.”
“Of course. Where do you need me to take him?”
“This is a bit awkward, but he’s my first choice as forest manager for your land. I had intended to take him to my house and bring him over to you in the morning. I’ve explained the situation to him.”
“That I’ll be taking his job in five years?”
“Yes. To be honest, that was a deal breaker for most of the candidates I’ve considered. However, Steel has long-term plans in a different direction, so he’s open to a short-term offer.”
“Well, I’ll do my best to convince him to take the job.”
“Just give him the same tour you did me. And, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience, could you possibly take him to a hotel nearby?”
“We’ve plenty of room here, and this is just what we need to keep our minds on our achievements instead of the problems.”
“Ah. I imagine your family is a bit upset.”
“Well, they haven’t come by, but I expect they are as angry as I am thrilled that we saved the last forest in Iowa.”
“They wouldn’t shoot Steel, would they?” he asked.
She grimaced. “No, but I’ll do my best to ensure they don’t meet him.”
“I greatly appreciate this, Tess. I know it has to be hard for you to have someone take over a role you’ve been doing beautifully for years.”
“Well, the state requirements are very clear. I need my master’s degree in Forest Management, but I do appreciate your recognition that I can do the job.”
“I’ve never seen better trails and healthier woods in my life. I’ll be delighted when you finish your schooling and take charge.”
Tears welled and ran down her cheeks. Her father couldn’t make her cry with all his negative comments, but a few compliments from a boss she barely knew had the water faucets going full blast. She dried her face with her sleeve and changed the topic. “Will you be seeing Meg again?”
“I hope she’s far away from Iowa.”
“Why?”
“Not all the people who showed up to the press meeting were real reporters.”
Her blood chilled. “What were they?”
His voice became muffled. “No one is officially saying, but the first thing the FBI did was to secure the governor and get me and Hal out of the room. I heard one of the FBI agents get a radio call to check for a second shooter.”
God, Grams was right. Had Meg attended the meeting, she’d be dead now, allowing my father to gain control of the forest and raze it to the ground.
“What time did you say the plane is due in?” she asked.
“Six something. British Airways from Cairo. Dr. Alastair Castile.”
That gave her five hours to check out her trails. “I’ll pick him up and give him a grand tour tomorrow morning.”
She hung up and returned to her grandmother who seemed to have aged ten years in the last hour.
“Grams, you okay?”
“A little tired. I think I’ll go rest.”
At noon? “How about I fix us lunch.”
“Not hungry, dear.”
“I’m to pick up a candidate for my new boss this evening. Is it okay if he stays here?”
Grams’ eyes rounded in outrage. “You want to bring the man who’s taking your job here?”
“It’s gotta be someone. Per the state require
ments, I’m not qualified to be a forest manager.”
Grams shook her head in disgust. “Bring him if you want.” She headed toward the bedrooms.
A new worry entered her thoughts. Her grams was a devious lady. “You’ll be civil to him, won’t you? It’s not his fault.”
Grams stopped and smiled at Tess. “That depends upon whether I find him qualified for the job.”
Tess was about to mention he had a doctorate degree, but honestly, in Grams’ eyes, that would count against him.
After a quick lunch, Tess Googled her potential boss. Oddly, she couldn’t find him. The only Dr. Alastair Castile that Google could find was an archeologist who was working in the Middle East. If she had any doubt of the danger, everyone in the picture wore helmets and heavy vests. God, if not for the white peace signs painted on the vests and the lack of guns, they all looked like soldiers at war. She wasn’t even certain which one was Dr. Castile since the picture wasn’t labeled.
Certain this was not the Dr. Castile she sought, she closed down the PC and put on her boots. She needed to ensure her woods were at their best for her potential new boss’s inspection tomorrow morning.
She hoped to God he wasn’t a jerk…or a misogynist. The forestry field seemed to attract a great deal of those. Mr. Barkman was a blessed exception to the rule. And thankfully, he was the highest ranked forester in Iowa. Without him, she was pretty sure her new job would be utter hell. But Dr. Castile could still make her life a nightmare, so she really needed this dog and pony show to go well.
***
Two hours into her hike, Tess came upon a downed tree on a main trail. She spent an hour chain sawing off the major branches and then removed the smaller branches. These she dragged through the woods to a property line where she was slowly building a snag barrier to reduce the number of hunters and troublemakers sneaking onto her land. Several hours later she had six two-foot-wide major branches ready for transport but the four-foot-thick white oak trunk lying over the trail remained partially attached to its ground roots.
Not much she could do about that without her largest chainsaw and the lumber guy, Sam’s, assistance. When she took Dr. Castile for his tour tomorrow, she hoped she’d impress him with her skill at handling a chainsaw.
The time she spent cleaning up the branches and brush had seriously put her in danger of being late to pick up the good doctor. At least she had remembered to make a card with his name on it since she hadn’t a clue what he looked like. Hopefully, he was older like Mr. Barkman. Then he’d be more likely to let her do stuff his achy, old bones couldn’t.
By the time Tess climbed in the car, she was perilously late. She drove the pot-holed road as fast as she dared, but she saw no chance of making up the time.
She arrived at the airport at 6:16 p.m. “Please let the plane be late,” she said to the ceiling of her car. She wondered if God would realize she was talking to him. Since she hadn’t spoken to God since her mother died, he probably had no clue who she was.
By the time she parked her car and made it inside, it was 6:28, and according to the board, the plane had arrived at 6:02.
“Shit!’ she yelled and held up her sign with Dr. Castile’s name. She waved it about as she hurried to the luggage carousels. She rechecked the board to determine which luggage loop she needed to haunt.
She’d made it two-thirds of the way around the carousel when someone gripped her arm and turned her around. An annoyed, blond Adonis with long hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing tight jeans and a tweed jacket, glared at her. “Gads, woman! I’ve been chasing you through the whole bloody airport!”
His English accent reminded her of James Bond, but his attitude wasn’t nearly so polite.
“Shouldn’t you stand in one place and let your passenger come to you?” he demanded.
Dear God, this couldn’t be her new boss. Surely, Mr. Barkman wouldn’t send a hippie to Grams’ house. “Are you Doctor Alastair Castile?” Please say no.
He rubbed his temple. “Why else would I chase you all over the airport?” His gaze swept up and down, taking her in. “I must presume you are new to your occupation, and no one has taken the trouble to train you.”
Great, a misogynist. But he sure as hell didn’t look like a doctor. “May I see your passport please?”
“I beg your pardon?” His voice had a decided chill to it.
“To prove you really are Dr. Alastair Castile.”
“Surely, you jest.”
“You can either show me your passport or move on. You’re too young to have a doctorate, and you look more like a male model than a forest manager, so I’m thinking this is some stupid frat prank.”
Tess turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm again. When she turned, an obnoxious smirk formed on his lips as he shoved his passport under her nose.
Opening the passport, she read Dr. Alastair Bastion Castile.
God knows her, all right, and he’s clearly pissed as hell.
She grimaced and handed her potential boss back his passport, which he snatched from her hand and stuffed into the inside pocket of his jacket.
Time to grovel. “I’m sorry I was late and said several inappropriate things thus far. My only excuse is you appear younger than you obviously are.”
“May we move this along,” he snapped.
She headed to the parking lot, assuming he’d follow. A shrill, annoying whistle stopped her. She turned, and he waved her back.
“Since no one trained you on your job, allow me to do so. You carried a sign. Excellent start. However, you should have stood with the other drivers in the lobby. That is where I expected to find you. While I have never had to provide proof of identity to a driver before, if people here are prone to absconding with other people’s cars, then I cannot fault you in requesting to see my ID. Still, you should never reveal your presumption of misconduct. It is most insulting to your true passenger. Finally, once you have located and verified your passenger, do not run off at the speed of light. You should first inquire if you may carry their luggage.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. Is that what had his tree in a knot? She held out her hand for his damn luggage.
“Ask,” he chided as if speaking to a small child.
“May I take your luggage, sir?”
“No, thank you. I prefer to carry my own.”
Was he serious? Honest to God, she had a great desire to kick him in the balls and leave him lying on the floor. But Mr. Barkman said he was the best candidate for the job. So suck it up!
“Now turn around and walk to your car.”
Tess turned and growled at God, then Mr. Barkman. If he’d searched the whole world, he couldn’t have found a bigger ass than Dr. Alistair Castile.
After taking long slow steps all the way to her Volkswagen Bug, she opened the back hatch. She intended to ask him if he required her to lift his luggage into her car, but the jerk hadn’t followed her.
“Aargh!” she yelled and slammed her hatch down. If not for the horrible likelihood this bozo was going to be her boss, she would’ve driven off.
Hearing Dr. Asshole’s irate voice behind a parked truck a hundred feet away, Tess went to investigate, but remained out of sight from the jerk.
“Tom, I thought you planned to pick me up…gads. Well, look. I don’t mean to worsen your day, but the service you hired to pick me up is a bloody nightmare. They sent an untrained driver who has no clue what she’s doing, and instead of a limo, she’s got a Volkswagen Bug!... What?... It is? Bloody Hell!” He sighed. “I wished I’d had known that… I understand, but matters have gone completely pear-shaped. I just spent twenty minutes telling her in detail how to do her job as a driver.”
Tess laughed at the turn about.
“One moment.” He poked his head around the truck.
She lost her smile at once. “Just coming back to find you.”
His right eyebrow rose in challenge of her statement, and he spoke in the phone. “Shall I ring you back in a half-hour?�
�
She shook her head.
His eyes widened.
“You won’t have cell phone service in half an hour. Best shoot for an hour.”
“Tom, I will ring you in an hour,” he said and hung up the phone.
“Miss Campbell.”
“Dr. Castile.”
“I do wish you would have told me who you were. It would have saved us both a great deal of aggravation.”
“Had we begun in a less hostile manner, I would have.” She stared back at her car, wishing she could leave him. “I tend to say nothing when someone screams at me.”
“I did not scream.”
She shrugged, having no intention of arguing with him over the matter. “May I put your luggage in my car? We really need to get going. The roads are hard enough to drive at dusk.”
He sighed and rolled his carryon to her car. Without asking, she opened her trunk, placed it inside before slamming the trunk down.
“Perhaps I should drive,” he said and held out his hand for her key fob.
She laughed and shook her head. Why would she let a stranger, nevertheless one prone to the wrong side of the road, drive her car? “Sorry, I don’t want to die today.” She walked around his outstretched hand and climbed into the driver’s seat. Really, who asks to drive someone else’s car?
When he didn’t get in the passenger’s side, she opened her door and stared at him just standing by the car. “You had better not be waiting for me to open your door.”
“No… I’m just trying to decide if at this point I’m wasting my time. Maybe I should just return to the airport and get a flight home.”
She walked over to his side and opened his door. Gripping his arm, she led him to the passenger seat. He was too big for her to stuff into the car, so she spoke gently in her best coaxing-the-frightened-raccoon-out-of-the-attic voice.
“Neither of us have shown our best sides so far. So let’s start over. Welcome to Iowa, Dr. Castile. I’m Tess Campbell. Mr. Barkman was held up in Des Moines and couldn’t pick you up, so I’m taking you to my home, and tomorrow I’ll be your hiking guide around our beautiful forest.”