The Body Thief (33 page)

Alistair’s trial had yet to begin and with
it, more hardship for them would follow. Rohan could only imagine
the media circus the trial would cause. Not to mention the
devastation if a guilty verdict were handed down. The Wolfe family
would need all the support they could get over the coming
months.

“You’ve had a hard time of it lately,” Enid
said softly, as if reading his mind. “Almost as hard as me. I know
you’re feeling bad about the arrest, but I don’t want you to feel
that way. Alistair made his own choices; you did what you had to
do.”

Rohan sucked in a breath and then eased it
out on a sigh. He nodded, acknowledging her generosity of spirit.
She patted his hand in comfort and he was grateful for it. Silence
fell between them. After a while, she broke it.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you,” Enid
said softly, her gaze intent on his.

Once again, Rohan tensed and then a moment
later, let it go.
What did it matter if Enid suspected she
carried his father’s kidney?
Rohan knew the truth.

Samantha had come and told him about her
mother receiving the call long before his dad’s organs had been
recovered. He couldn’t possibly be the donor. He’d heard from
police sources that there had also been two motor vehicle
fatalities the night Enid had received her transplant. One was a
twenty-three-year-old triathlete; the other, a thirty-six-year-old
father of two. It wasn’t possible to find out the truth about the
donor and he didn’t want to and if it made Enid feel better that
there was a possibility she might have received the gift of life
from his dad, who was he to argue?

As if able to read his thoughts, Enid
squeezed his hand again. “I’m so sorry for the loss of your father.
Nothing can replace our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us,
but I promise you this. As long as you continue to love my
daughter, with all your heart and soul, you’ll be a son to me.”

Tears appeared in Enid’s eyes and Rohan felt
them, too. He swallowed a lump and tried to speak around the
emotion that clogged his throat. It had been a month since his dad
had passed, but he still missed him every day. He thought briefly
of the other two people who had died that day and said a silent
prayer for their families.

“You’re a remarkable woman, Enid Wolfe. I’m
so very proud to know you.”

“You’re a special man, Rohan Coleridge, from
a very special family. Take care of my daughter. Love her with all
your heart. Protect her and keep her safe from harm, even in times
of doubt. She loves you with everything that she is and she
deserves to have you in her life. Make her happy, make her sad.
Show her how to live.”

Rohan nodded and for a moment he was beyond
words. “I will.”

The rest of the party sped by in a blur.
Rohan was introduced to Samantha’s sisters. Though the girls were
polite, he couldn’t fail to note their reserve and he understood
it. He could only hope over time, they’d come to forgive him for
his part in their brother’s downfall. The girls’ boyfriends were
also dutifully introduced, but Rohan paid them little heed. As the
night wore on, his hand returned to his pocket over and over
again.

He’d bought the ring a fortnight earlier and
had been trying to find the right time. But was there any such
thing as the right time to ask the love of your life to marry you?
He was beginning to wonder. He wandered out onto the balcony to
clear his head. A few moments later, he heard the sound of the
sliding door opening behind him.

“There you are!” Samantha laughed, appearing
by his side. She linked her arm with his. “I’ve been looking for
you everywhere!”

Rohan smiled and pulled her close. “I
thought I’d step outside and catch a breath of air. It’s a
beautiful night.”

Samantha nodded. She leaned over the balcony
and breathed in deeply of the fresh spring air. “You’re right. It
is beautiful. I love this time of year.”

Lights from the surrounding houses and
apartment buildings twinkled gently in the night. A soft breeze
brought with it the smell of frangipani or something equally sweet
and pungent. Once again, Rohan felt in his pocket and his heart
picked up its pace. Feeling his way, he opened the box and took
hold of the ring. Now was as good a time as any. In fact, now was
perfect.

Taking her hands in his, he took a deep
breath and then dropped to one knee. Samantha stared at him in
surprise, her eyes going wide.

“I love you more each day and I yearn to
make you mine. Samantha Wolfe, will you do me the honor of becoming
my wife?”

The words fell out in a rush, not at all in
the way he’d planned. For half a second, she looked almost stunned
and then her face broke into a wide smile. She laughed and hollered
and cried out with joy.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, waiting for her
to say the word.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she cried and tears ran
down her cheeks.

Rohan came to his feet and took her left
hand and slipped the one-carat diamond ring onto her finger. She
gasped and cried and stared at it, turning it every which way in
the light. At last, she threw her arms around him and kissed him
like forever was in her sights.

Together, they looked up at the starry sky.
Rohan’s heart filled with love and hope for their future.

I do hope you have enjoyed reading Samantha
and Rohan’s story. If you’ve enjoyed this story, please feel free
to leave a review for The Body Thief at Goodreads and your favorite
digital retailer. Every review is very much appreciated.

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christaylorauthor.com.au

The
Baby Snatchers
is the next book in the Sydney Harbour
Hospital Series. Here’s a sneak peek:

Between heaven and hell…

Georgina Whitely loves her job as a midwife
at the prestigious Sydney Harbour Hospital. The joy and excitement
of helping to deliver babies never fails to bring a smile to her
face. But the job is not without its challenges…

Ward Seven is where pregnant, drug and
alcohol addicted women go to have their babies. It’s Georgie’s job
to not only manage the births, but also to manage the addictions.
It breaks her heart to watch tiny newborns suffer from the harsh
effects of drug withdrawal. And then there’s the stress of dealing
with their mothers.

But, despite the emotional and physical
upheavals a day on Ward Seven can bring, Georgie relishes the
challenges. The new mothers look up to her and respect her; they
want to keep her close. But babies are dying on Ward Seven and
nobody can figure out why.

Detective Sergeant Cameron Dawson has spent a
decade putting his troubled childhood behind him. Just when he
thinks his life is back on track, his sixteen-year-old sister,
Cynthia, arrives on the scene. Not only has she run away from home,
she’s also just given birth at the Sydney Harbour Hospital. When
Cameron arrives at Ward Seven, the midwife who introduces herself
as Georgie Whitely, informs him Cynthia’s baby has died.

Shocked and saddened, Cameron does his best
to help his sister through her grief. Within a fortnight, he hears
of another infant death on the same ward. The hospital staff say
the deaths are sudden and unexplainable, but Cameron isn’t so sure.
And what in the world do they have to do with Georgie Whitely…?

The
Baby Snatchers
will be released on 28 February, 2016 and
is
AVAILABLE NOW
for pre-order.

As usual, no book comes into being without a
lot of help and support by my friends and family. A world of thanks
must go to my wonderful editor, Pat Thomas. Thank you for
everything that you do to make my stories even more amazing than I
could ever dare to dream. To Detective Superintendent Michael
Kilfoyle (ret) of the Australian Federal Police and to Scott Pearce
of the New South Wales Department of Forensic Medicine, thank you
for lending my story credibility. Any mistakes are wholly my
own.

To Grady and all of the staff at
damonza.com, thank you for yet another fantastic cover. To my
sister, Nicole Guihot and to my friend, Ally Thomson, thank you for
your excellent editorial comments, proof reading skills and
suggestions. I hope you like the final result.

To Amy Atwell and her dedicated staff at
Author EMS who are so much more than book formatters. Amy, once
again, thank you for your magic.

To the fantastic writer organizations such
as Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers of America and
Romance Writers of New Zealand for all the help, support and
encouragement they offer new and aspiring writers, including
me.

To my readers, thank you for your support
and love for my stories. Your encouragement and enjoyment make this
journey all worthwhile.

And lastly, to my friends and family,
especially my husband and children. Thank you for putting up with
late dinners and even later conversations as I’ve emerged day after
day from the sometimes scary but always enthralling world I’ve
created on my computer.

Chris Taylor grew up on a farm in north-west
New South Wales, Australia. She always had a thirst for stories and
recalls writing her first book at the ripe old age of eight. Always
a lover of romance and happily-ever-afters, a career in criminal
law sparked her interest in intrigue and suspense. For Chris to be
able to combine romance with suspense in her books is a dream come
true.

Chris is married to Linden and is the mother
of five children. If not behind her computer, you can find her
doing the school run, taxiing children to swimming lessons,
football, ballet and cricket. In her spare time, Chris loves to
read her favorite authors who include Richard North Patterson,
Sandra Brown, Kathleen E Woodiwiss and Jude Devereaux.

You can find out more about Chris and
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http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au

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