Praise for Amy Andrews:
âA spectacular set of stories by Ms Andrews, the ITALIAN SURGEON TO DAD! duet book features tales of Italian men who know how to leave a lasting impression in the imaginations of readers who love the romance genre.â
âCataromance.com on ITALIAN SURGEON TO DAD! duet
âWhether Amy Andrews is an auto-buy for you, or a new-to-you author, this book is definitely worth reading.â
âPink Heart Society Book Reviews on A MOTHER FOR MATILDA
Amy also won a RB*Y
(Romantic Book of the Year) Award in 2010 for A DOCTOR, A NURSE, A CHRISTMAS BABY!
Dear Reader
Ever since the Sydney Harbour Hospital series hit the shelves readers have been asking for Finn and Evieâs story. And I canât blame them, because I have to admit to more than a passing fascination myself as I wrote their sub-plot in Mia and Lucaâs story. But I just kept thinking: Thereâs no way Finn can be redeemedâitâll never be done. I pity the one they ask to do that.
And then they asked me to do it ⦠gulp!
But in all honesty I was ecstatic to be chosen, because Iâd already written a prequel for Finn and Evie quite a few months priorâtheir very first meetingâso Iâve been invested in their HEA for a while and I do so like a challenge â¦
But how do you redeem a man whoâs as emotionally shut down as Finn? Evieâs been trying for years to reach him with no success. Well, it wasnât easy. I had to strip him right back and throw a huge curve ball at him, and then have the one person heâs always counted on subconsciously to be there, despite his perennial bad mood, walk away.
Yep, Finn was a tough oneâbut Evie was tougher. She refused to take his scraps, demanding all of Finn. Demanding the fairytale. Refusing anything less.
And she got it too.
I hope you enjoy their journey to Happy-Ever-After-land.
Amy
EVIE LOCKHEART BELTED hard on the door, uncaring if the whole building heard her. Loud rock music bled out from around the frame so she knew he wasnât asleep. âOpen up now, Finn Kennedy,â she yelled, âor so help me Iâm going to kick this fancy penthouse door right in!â
She glared at the stubbornly closed object. It had been two weeks since heâd been discharged from hospital after the less than stellar success of his second operation. Two weeks since heâd said, Get out. I donât want you in my life. Two weeks of phoning and texting and having one-sided conversations through his door.
And it was enough.
She was sick of Finn shutting her outâshutting the world out.
And if she didnât love him so much sheâd just walk away and leave him to rot in the cloud of misery and denial he liked to call home.
But memories of the infection heâd picked up after his first operation and the state heâd got himself into as heâd tried to self-treat were never far from her mind and she was determined to check on him whether the stubborn fool wanted her to or not.
She was about to bash on the door again when the lift behind her dinged and Gladys stepped out. Sheâd never been happier to see Finnâs cleaner in her life.
âGladys, I need Finnâs key.â
The older womanâs brow crinkled in concern as she searched through her bag. âIs he all right? Is he sick again?â
âNo,â Evie dismissed. Gladys had found Finn collapsed on the floor overwhelmed by his infection and still hadnât quite got over the shock. âHeâs probably fine but Iâd like to see it with my own two eyes.â Then Iâm going to wring his neck.
Gladys stopped her frantic search. âHe was fine yesterday,â she hedged.
Evie had to stop herself from knocking the dear sweet little old lady, who also happened to clean her apartment along with many others at Kirribilli Views, to the ground and forcibly searching her bag.
âHe told you not to give me the key, didnât he?â
Gladys looked embarrassed. âIâm sorry, Evie. But he was very firm about it.â
Evie suppressed a scream but she stood her ground and held out her hand. âGladys, Iâm begging you, one woman to another, I need to see him. I need the key.â
Gladys pursed her lips. âYou love him?â
Evie wasnât surprised that Gladys was in the gossip loop, given how long rumours about she and Finn had been floating around Sydney Harbour Hospital and how many of its staff lived at Kirribilli Views. She nodded, depending on the incurably romantic streak she knew beat inside the old cleanerâs chest.
âYes.â Although God knew why. The man was impossible to love!
Gladys put her hand in her bag and pulled out a set of keys. âHe needs someone to love him,â she said, holding them out.
âHe needs a damn good spanking,â Evie muttered, taking the keys.
Gladys grinned. âThat too.â
âThanks,â Evie said.
âIâll leave his apartment till last today,â the elderly woman said, and turned back towards the lift.