The Body Thief (23 page)

Sam sighed. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard
it all before. “It’s not just kids I want, Mom. I want the whole
package—the perfect fantasy. A husband I adore and who thinks just
as highly of me. A kid or two. The big backyard and the white
picket fence.”

She reached over and took her mother’s hand.
“I want what you and Dad had. I know I was too young to know him.
Hell, I don’t even remember him, but I’ve heard so many stories
about him from you and Alistair as well as a few from Ava and
Jessie. I’ve watched the family movies over and over again. They
were taken before I was born and yet I can’t help feeling the love
and respect that you had for each other and I yearn to have the
same. I don’t want to settle for anything less.”

Enid squeezed Sam’s hand. The faint pressure
brought tears to Sam’s eyes. Her mom had been a strong and vibrant
woman until the onset of this insidious disease.

“And so you shouldn’t, Sammie. Hold out for
your prince charming. It’s a long time married to the wrong man. A
lot of my friends have lived to regret their hasty decisions.”

Sam nodded. She also had friends who’d
married way too young. Many were her age and already on their
second time around. She didn’t want to be one of those women. She
had too much respect for the institution of marriage and all that
it represented to commit herself to someone for life without
thinking it through from all angles.

“Would you like a drink of water, Mom?” she
asked and received a grateful nod.

“That would be lovely, Sammie. Thank
you.”

Sam stood and filled a glass with water from
a jug that stood near the armchair where her mom reclined. She
handed it to her mother and waited for her to drink.

“Thank you, honey,” her mom said when she
finished and handed her back the glass. “I was a little thirsty.
That water tasted good.”

“You let me know if you want some more,
Mom,” Sam murmured.

“I will, darling. I will.” Sam returned to
her seat.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“What question was that, Mom?”

“I asked if you’d met anyone special on that
dating site. I mean, it’s a little unconventional and it certainly
isn’t the way we did things when I was young, but if that’s how
people meet each other these days, then I guess it’s all
right.”

Sam laughed. She bent down and picked up her
handbag from where she’d stowed it under her chair and pulled out
her iPad. Logging onto the dating website, she turned the screen
around so that her mother could see it.

“Take a look at some of the people who set
up profiles on these sites. Read their bios. Some of them are bound
to give you a laugh.”

Her mother reached for the iPad and began to
scroll through the pages. Every now and then, she’d let out a
chuckle. Once or twice, she laughed.

“Oh, this one is downright desperate!” She
smiled. “Why on earth would anyone go out with someone like
that?”

Sam grinned. “I guess you have to give them
points for trying. You never know… They say there’s someone out
there for everyone, don’t they?”

Her mom’s attention remained on the screen
and she didn’t answer. A few moments later, she said, “That’s a
nice photo of you, Sammie.”

Sam blushed. Her mom had obviously found
Sam’s profile page. Knowing that her mom wouldn’t stop at the
photo, heat crept further across her face. She pulled out her phone
and busied herself by pretending to read through emails.

Her mom eventually broke the silence. “It
reads well, Sammie, although I didn’t know you like watching black
and white movies. Still, your bio’s appealing and you look fabulous
in that photo. If I were a man looking for love, I’d snap you up
right away!”

Sam burst out laughing and her mom joined
her. It felt so good to share such a simple thing with the woman
she loved more than anyone else in the world. She thought of Rohan
and wished for a moment he were there. He’d spoken to her about his
parents and siblings and she could tell from the love and quiet
pride in his voice how much they meant to him.

Family was important to him. It was just
another thing she liked about him. He was a man with many admirable
qualities, not the least being the way he made her feel. On
impulse, she opened her mouth and found herself talking about
him.

“It’s funny you say that, Mom. I’m thinking
about taking that profile down.”

“Why, Sammie? It’s lovely and I’ve
reconciled to the fact young people do things differently these
days. I guess with all this technology at your fingertips, you
might as well put it to good use. You won’t be the only person to
find the love of their life on the Internet.”

“Well, actually, I think I might have found
him the good old-fashioned way.”

“What do you mean?”

“My prince charming.”

The surprise that flooded her mother’s
beloved face was almost comical. “Samantha Grace Wolfe! How could
you have kept something so momentous from me! We’ve been sitting
here for at least three hours and you haven’t breathed a word!
Shame on you!”

Sam laughed and her mom joined in. “I want
to hear all the details,” Enid begged.

Now that she’d opened that Pandora’s box,
Sam wasn’t sure what to say. Since she’d spent the night at Rohan’s
house they’d barely seen each other. He was busy with the
investigation and she was also doing long hours at work. Between
the two of them, they’d only had time to make the occasional phone
call and most of those had been late at night.

Sam thought of the call they’d shared the
night before and blushed. It wasn’t exactly phone sex, but it had
sure sent the heat rushing through her veins. Her mother’s eyes
narrowed and a smile played around her lips.

“Sammie… Talk to me,” she said sternly, mock
warning in her voice.

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled. “His
name is Rohan Coleridge. He’s a detective, stationed in the
city.”

Her mother’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “A
detective? How did you meet?”

“I’ve known him since I was in college. He
used to date my roommate.”

“Oh, wow! That’s interesting! All that time
and you never thought about hooking up.”

“It was…complicated.”

“And now it’s not?”

She shrugged. “Something like that. Let’s
just say, we sorted out our differences.”

“Well, I’m glad, Sammie. Is he nice?”

“Yes, Mom. He’s very nice.”

“When do I get to meet him?”

“Mom! We’ve only just started going out!
We’re not exactly up to the ‘meeting the parents’ stage.”

“But you’ve known him for a decade.”

“Yes, but… As I said, back then it was
complicated.”

“Are his parents still alive?”

“Yes, they live at Cronulla. His mom’s been
sick with a prolonged bout of the flu, but otherwise I understand
they’re reasonably healthy.”

“That’s good. Does he have any
siblings?”

“Yes, a lot. Four brothers and three
sisters. I’m not sure where they all live, but Rohan’s the only one
in Sydney.”

“
Mm
, I’m glad he has family. Family’s
important. Life can throw you curve balls when you least expect it.
Having family around is one of the things that can see you through
to the other side. Nobody knows you like your family and you can’t
rely on anyone like you can on them.”

“If you’re close,” Sam added.

Her mother frowned. “Is he not close to his
family?”

“I’m not sure, Mom. I guess so. He speaks
about them with fondness. That’s how I know he cares.”

“You said he’s a detective. That’s a very
challenging job. Long hours and very little gratitude from those
they serve and protect. I think life’s tougher on police officers
than most.”

“Yes, more often than not, it’s a thankless
job. You couldn’t pay me enough to be one.”

Enid smiled. “And this is coming from you—a
person who spends their days examining corpses.”

“Mom! I love my job! It’s very intriguing
and rewarding and—”

“Hey, I’m glad you feel that way,” her mom
said holding up her hands in a sign of surrender. “All I meant was,
some people would find your job as undesirable as you find that of
a police officer.”

“You’re right. We’re all different. I guess
that’s what makes things interesting.”

A comfortable silence fell between them. Sam
returned to her emails.

“So, is he good-looking, this detective of
yours?”

Sam blushed. “He’s not
mine
, Mom!
We’re dating; taking it slowly; seeing where it might lead.” She
paused and then added, “But yes, he’s definitely been blessed in
the looks department. He reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of Dad.
Blond and blue-eyed with a broad chest and shoulders.”

Enid’s expression turned serious. “Do you
think that might be why you’re attracted to him? Because he looks
like your dad?”

Sam contemplated the question. Until now,
she hadn’t given it any thought. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s not good to go looking for a
substitute father figure, especially one you never knew. Nobody can
live up to the ideals of a ghost.”

Sam was shaking her head even before her mom
had finished. “No, Rohan’s definitely not that. He has coloring
like Dad’s, but that’s where the similarities end.”

“How old is he?”

“The same age as me.”

Her mother nodded and her expression
relaxed. “Good. I’m glad he’s young. If you’d told me his was
fifty, I’d have been concerned.”

Sam smiled and reassured her mother once
again. “I’m okay about growing up without a father, Mom. I am. Some
people would be bitter and twisted about the fact they never knew
their dad, but I’m not one of them and I’m not looking for someone
to replace him.” She shrugged and then continued. “Dad was a heavy
smoker. He died of lung cancer years before his time. It happens.
I’m a doctor. I understand these things.”

A sad smile tugged at Sam’s lips. “I’m not
saying I haven’t wished that things were different or that I don’t
hate that he died so young, but I’m not hung up about it and I’m
not going around trolling for men who remind me of him. Okay?”

She looked up at her mom and her throat
tightened when she saw the tears that filled her mother’s eyes.

“Okay,” Enid whispered in a choked
voice.

Sam fished around inside her bra for a
tissue and handed it over. “Don’t cry, Mom.”

Enid accepted the tissue gratefully and
dabbed at the moisture in her eyes.

Sam grimaced. “I’m supposed to be here
cheering you up and keeping your mind off things and here I am,
making you cry. What kind of dialysis buddy am I?”

Her mom reached over and patted her hand.
“You’re the best dialysis buddy anyone could hope for.”

Sam laughed. “Don’t let Ava or Jessie hear
you say that, or even Alistair! They’ll never sit with you
again!”

Her mom’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “How
do you know I don’t tell them the very same thing when they sit in
that chair?”

“Mom!” Sam gasped in mock outrage. “You’ve
wounded me to the quick!” Despite her attempt to keep a stern
expression on her face, her laughter spilled over.

Enid chuckled, unperturbed. “I’m sure you’ll
get over it, Sammie. Maybe your detective can help.”

The sly look in her mother’s eyes sent heat
once again rushing to Sam’s face, but she closed her mouth and
refused to reply. A nurse appeared before them.

“All finished, Enid. Give me a moment and
I’ll get you unhooked and then you’ll be free to go.”

“Finished already? Wow, the time went so
quickly! How about that, Sammie? Maybe you really
are
the
best dialysis buddy!” Her mom winked and Sam couldn’t help but
grin. She was filled with gratitude that once again, her mother had
been able to maintain her sense of humor. Until a donor kidney was
found, the dialysis sessions would remain a regular part of her
mother’s life.

The need to attend upon the clinic three
times a week had severely curtailed her mother’s activities. Once
upon a time, before the word dialysis was part of her everyday
vocabulary, Enid Wolfe had been a very active woman. In her younger
years, she’d raised four children on her own with only a nurse’s
wage. In later years, she’d been involved in so many different
charity projects, Sam used to wonder how her mom managed to spend
any time at home.

Since she’d been told she could no longer
survive without dialysis, Sam couldn’t help but wonder if sometimes
it got her mother down. Pleased that she’d been able to take her
mother’s mind off her troubles, even for a little while, Sam leaned
over and pressed a kiss against her mother’s soft cheek.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, Sammie. You’re a good
daughter and I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day
to spend some time with me. I wasn’t lying when I said the time’s
gone by more quickly today. I enjoyed our chat and I’m so pleased
to hear you’ve found someone special. I can’t wait to meet
him.”

“You will, Mom. I promise. Soon. I just
don’t want to rush things.”

“I understand, honey and thank you again for
sitting with me.”

“It’s fine, Mom. I love spending time with
you. Besides, walking from work up to the hospital gets me out in
the sunshine. Most days, it’s only during my commute that I even
know what the weather’s like!” She grinned and her mom grinned
back.

A rush of tenderness and gratitude flooded
through her. Neither of them knew how many more hours they had left
to spend together. Sam intended to make every one of them
memorable.

“I have to get back to work, Mom, but I’ll
make sure the nurse has arranged for the patient transport to take
you back home,” she promised.

“All right, honey. I’ll see you soon.”

Sam leaned over and kissed her mom again.
Collecting her handbag from beneath her chair, she turned and
quietly left the room.