The Body Thief by Chris Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

wood into
the wheelbarrow, Rohan moved to pick up the handles. His dad beat
him to it.
    “I’ll do that, Dad. It’s way too heavy for
you.”
    “It’s all right, son. I’m as strong as an
ox.” Bill took a moment to set the wheelbarrow down and flexed his
muscles. His long-sleeved flannel shirt rode high, exposing a
generous belly that hung over the top of his jeans.
    “Of course you are,” Rohan agreed, “but
you’re not as young as you used to be. There’s no harm in taking it
a little easy, especially since I’m here and can do it for
you.”
    “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” his dad
muttered and stepped out of the way. Rohan took his father’s place
in front of the wheelbarrow and pushed it to the back door. Without
being asked, he began unloading it, stacking the wood in a neat
pile against the side of the house.
    “I’m worried about your mother,” Bill said,
taking Rohan by surprise.
    “Why is that?”
    “Her blood pressure’s a little higher than
her doctor wants it to be and she’s got that awful cough. She’s had
it a couple months. If anyone needs to take it easy, it’s her.
Every time I turn around, she’s heading out the door. Between the
charity projects she’s involved in, the bingo and her lawn bowls,
she hardly draws breath.”
    “Do you want me to talk to her?”
    “Would you?” Bill asked with a grateful
expression on his face. “She’ll listen to you. Whenever I say
anything, she just accuses me of interfering and fussing over her
too much.”
    Rohan chuckled. “Well, Dad, I have to agree
with her there. You do tend to hover.”
    Bill had the grace to blush. “It’s only
because I care about her, son. She has a few years on me. I don’t
want her leaving before me.”
    Rohan’s smile faded and a rush of emotion
tightened his chest. He loved his parents and knew they had
something rare and special. Nearly forty years they’d been together
and they loved each other now, as much as they had when they’d
married. He couldn’t help but hope he’d find a woman whose heart
would remain so true.
    “I’m sure Mom’s not planning to die anytime
soon, Dad. She’s almost as fit as me. Is she still jogging around
the esplanade every day?”
    “Yes, of course she is. I’d never hear the
end of it if she wasn’t well enough to do that! She says it’s the
highlight of her day. Watching the freighters way out in the ocean
and the people milling around on the shore… Depending on the
season, sometimes she’s even spotted a pod of dolphins.”
    “See, there you go! Does that sound like
someone heading toward their grave?” Though Rohan spoke lightly, he
couldn’t help but notice his father’s expression remained
troubled.
    “Wintertime is hard on old folks,” Bill
murmured. “The cold seeps into our bones. We get aches and pains
that we don’t even notice in the summer. This cough your mother has
just doesn’t seem to want to go away.”
    “When was the last visit to her doctor?”
    “Earlier in the month. She was so
breathless, I insisted she go and see him.”
    “What did he say?”
    “He said she had a bout of bronchitis and
gave her a prescription for some antibiotics. She finished the
course a week ago, but the cough hasn’t eased.”
    “Perhaps you ought to take her back? Or
phone for a repeat of the medication?”
    “Yeah, I guess so. I just can’t help feeling
there’s more to it. You know what I mean?”
    Rohan stared at his dad and his gut slowly
filled with dread. “What are you saying, Dad?”
    His father held his gaze for a long moment
and then lowered it and picked up a log. “Nothing, son. Forget I
said anything. I’m sure you’re right. Your mom’s as fit as a
fiddle. She’ll probably outlive me.”
    Before Rohan could respond, Bill turned away
and added the split wood to the stacked pile. Wiping his hands on
his jeans, he pulled open the back door. “Let’s wash up for dinner
and then go and enjoy your mother’s pie.”
    Rohan