The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (105 page)

  
‘I do,’ he said and bent to kiss
Jane lightly on the lips.

***

Phil laughed as he overheard Abby and Katie, who were standing by the
entrance to the marquee, discussing who was the better looking of his twin
sons. His twelve-year-olds were similar, one being slightly taller. Both blonde
and blue eyed with dimples and a lop-sided grin.

  
‘I think Matt’s nicer,’ Abby
said, head on one side.

  
Katie screwed up her face. ‘No,
definitely Zak!’

  
‘Let’s see if they’d like a
glass of coke,’ Abby suggested.
 

  
‘Hello, Abby, Katie,’ Phil
greeted the pair.

  
‘Hello, Uncle Phil.’ Katie
smiled sweetly. ‘Would your boys like a glass of coke?’

  
Phil turned to his sons. ‘Do you
wanna go with the girls, get yourselves a drink?’ They nodded shyly. ‘Well, go
on then.’ He gave them a gentle push and turned to smile at Laura who was
looking amused.

  
‘They start young these days,’
Phil whispered. ‘Our girls are a different kettle of fish.’ He looked at his
daughters, who were the image of Laura, with auburn hair and green eyes.

  
‘That’s because they came along
after your initial bout of fame,’ Laura replied. ‘They haven’t been exposed to
it like Ed and Tim’s children. It goes over the tops of their heads. When they
saw you at The Apollo they couldn’t believe it was Daddy on stage and seeing
you on
Top of the Pops
finished them
off. They need time to get used to it, like
we
both do.’
   

  
‘I know, but time is something
we have plenty of now,’ he replied, taking her hand. Having Laura back by his
side was Phil’s dream come true.

  
‘We’ve all the time in the
world, Phil. I want us to get it right this time. Here co
mes
Jess with one of the twins.’ Laura greeted
the young mum with a sympathetic grin. ‘Are you okay, Jess? You look a bit
tired.’

  
Jess suppressed a yawn. ‘I’m
fine thanks, Laura. They’re getting a bit more settled as the days go by.’

  
‘It’s a long haul, but you get
there. If you need any help during the day, call me. My lot are at school.
Believe me,
I
know all there is to know about raising unexpected twins.
Isn’t that right, Phil?’

  
‘She certainly does,’ Phil said
proudly.

  
‘I just might take you up on the
offer,’ Jess said. ‘With Dad away, Mum working and Jon back to work next week,
I don’t know how I’m going to cope.’

  
‘Well now you do, and I really
mean it, Jess. I’d love to help you.’

  
‘Thanks. I’m just off to feed
Jack and settle him down in Mum and Dad’s bedroom and then I’ll come back for Nathan.
Jon’s Grandma has taken charge of him for now.’

  
‘How did your Dad get on with her earlier?’ Phil asked curiously. ‘I saw
him chatting to her and I remember there was no love lost between them.’

  
‘Actually, they’ve made peace.
I’m glad, because it puts an end to all that bitterness. All we need now is to
sort out a way for me and Jon to get married. Mum’s made enquiries and been
told Jon’s birth certificate can have an amendment inserted to state that he
was a child of the marriage, rather than that he’s Dad’s son. As soon as it’s
all sorted we’ll plan our wedding.’ Jess excused herself and took Jack indoors.

  
Laura smiled at Phil. ‘When’s
your divorce through?’

  
‘Soon, I hope, why?’

  
‘Oh nothing, I was just
wondering.’

  
‘Would you consider re-marrying
me, Laura?’ He looked into her eyes.

  
‘I might. If we get along okay
for the next few months, I just might. You’d better behave yourself though.
Cheat on me just once and it’s all off, I mean that.’
   

  
‘I wouldn’t dare,’ he said. ‘Anyway,
who wants five old geezers like us when the likes of Paul Young and Simon le
Bon are available?’

  
‘
Who’s
an old geezer?
Speak for yourself, Jackson!’
Roy
walked up behind him, carrying Harley.
‘Here’s living proof that
I’m
not past it.’

  
‘Didn’t Charlie Chaplin father a
child in his seventies?’ Laura teased.

  
‘Probably,’
Roy
agreed wryly. ‘Are you enjoying yourselves?’

  
‘Very much,’ Phil replied.
‘Katie and Abby have made off with our sons. Do you think they’ll be okay?’

  
Roy
laughed. ‘Ask me that in a couple of years
and the answer will be a definite no, but for now I don’t think you need have
any worries. Although I must say Katie’s quite a forward little hussy, much
like her mother here.’ He nodded at Jane who had appeared by his side.

  
‘Hey you!’ Jane took Harley from
him. ‘Watch your step. I was never a hussy.’

  
‘Not at first, Jane,’ he teased,
‘but you soon caught up.’

  
‘Sammy wants to give Harley her
tea and your mother’s looking for you, Roy.’

  
‘Oh God! What have I done now?’
He smiled and waved at the blue-hatted figure striding purposefully across the
lawn.
   

  
‘
Roy
, isn’t anyone going to make a speech?’ she
greeted him, bumping into Phil with her hat brim and knocking his drink flying
from his hand.

  
‘No, why? It’s not a wedding.
You don’t make speeches at christenings. Do you?’ He turned to Phil who was
picking up his empty glass.

  
‘Search me. I didn’t when ours
were christened.’

  
‘See, Mum, its not really
necessary,’
Roy
replied. ‘I never made a speech at Nick and
Jason’s christenings.’

  
‘Yes you did.’ The hat bobbed
indignantly.

  
‘Well
I
don’t remember.’
He looked blankly at her.

  
‘Oh, you’re getting old, Roy!
Your memory isn’t what it used to be.’ She turned and walked away, hat brim
quivering

  
‘For God’s sake, what’s this
obsession with my age? I’m forty-three, Ma, not eighty-three,’ he yelled after
her. ‘She’s doo-lally half the time and that bloody hat looks like a flying
saucer’s landed on her head.’

  
‘Uncle Roy, Jess wants you,’
Katie called out to him.

  
He excused himself and joined
Katie by the marquee entrance. ‘Where is she?’

  
‘In the kitchen.’ She pointed to
the house and ran back to Abby, Zak and Matt.
 

***

  
Roy
frowned as he walked into the house,
wondering why Jess was indoors. She was by the kitchen dresser, holding the
phone.

  
‘You okay, Jess?’

  
‘Close the door, quickly.’

  
He nodded, shutting it behind
him. ‘What is it, you look worried to death?’ he asked as she covered the
mouthpiece with her hands.

  
‘It’s Livvy; she wants to talk
to you.’

  
‘Shit!’ he muttered. ‘What does
she want?’

  
Jess shook her head, close to
tears. ‘She wants to know how the baby is, of course. What else can you expect,
Roy
?’

  
He puffed out his cheeks and took the phone. He sat down on a nearby chair,
his stomach lurching and hands shaking. He took a deep breath. ‘Hello, Livvy,
what can I do for you?’

  
‘
Roy
,
hi. I’m sorry to call, but I really couldn’t help myself. I got Sammy’s letter
with the photos this week. She mentioned the joint christenings were today, so
I guessed you’d all be at Eddie’s place. How’s our daughter?’

  
Roy
swallowed the lump in his throat and passed
his hand over his eyes as they filled with sudden tears. ‘She’s fine, Livvy,’
he replied. ‘She’s beautiful. Well you can see that from the photos, can’t you?
How about you? Are you okay?’ There was a silence and
Roy
could hear her
sniffing as tears
tumbled down his cheeks.

  
‘
I’m okay,
Roy
.
I’ve met up with Danny again, I told you in my letter. He’s asked me to marry
him and wants us to move to The States.’

  
Roy
felt his stomach roll at the thoughts of
another man screwing her. He took another deep breath as she continued.

  
‘
I told Danny about Harley and that’s she’s been adopted by a wealthy
couple. I didn’t tell him who, of course. I never will.’

  
‘Have you told Danny that you’ll
marry him?’ he asked, feeling sick inside.

  
‘
I said I’ll think about it. Before I give him my answer, I need to ask
you a question
.’

  
‘Ask away.’

  
‘
Are you still happy with Sammy? I mean, really happy,
Roy
?’

  
He looked down at the floor.
There was no choice here. He smiled into the receiver, swallowed hard and
bravely let go of the past. ‘Yes, Livvy,’ he said. ‘I’m very happy, very happy
indeed.’

  
There was silence for a moment.
‘
That’s all I needed to hear. It sets me
free to move on.’

  
‘I wish you all the luck in the
world,’ he replied. ‘Be happy yourself, won’t you? I’m sorry for the pain I
caused you and I can’t thank you enough for Harley. I’ll never forget you,
Livvy.’

  
‘
Look after her,
Roy
. I
certainly won’t forget
you
in a
hurry
,’ she replied, before
saying goodbye.
 

  
Roy
dashed away tears again as Jess replaced the
phone on its cradle.

  
‘Are you okay?’ She touched a
hand to his shoulder, blinking back her own tears.

  
‘Yes thanks, Jess,’ he replied.
‘Can we keep this to ourselves? For obvious reasons I don’t want Sammy to know
she called.’

  
Jess nodded. ‘Of course we can.
Was she alright?’

  
‘I guess so.’ He told her what
Livvy had said.

  
‘Well, I hope she’ll be very
happy. But somehow I think it will take her a lifetime to get over you and
you
a very long time to get over her.’

  
He nodded. ‘I really did love her you know, Jess. It wasn’t just a
fling. If she’d chosen to stay around and keep Harley, I think it’s unlikely
that I would have been able to stay with Sammy. But Sammy must never know that,
it would break her heart. My love for her is on a different level to the love I
feel for Livvy.’

  
Jess nodded. ‘I understand what
you’re saying because of my relationships with Jon and Nick. It’s funny how
things turn out. I always thought you and Sammy would be my parents-in-law one
day. Instead, my own parents will now be my in-laws and I don’t even have to
change my name. How weird is that?’

  
Roy
smiled and took Jess’s arm as they made
their way back to the party. ‘We’ve always been a bunch of weirdo’s, you ask my
Ma! Why change the habits of a lifetime? You’ve quite taken to this motherhood
lark, haven’t you, Jess? From wild rock chick to almost tame mother in less
than a year. Who’d have thought it?’

  
‘Hey, the almost tame mother bit
is just a temporary measure. You wait until we start our new band and I’m back
in my leather jeans again. I’ll show you, I’m no stay at home mum. And another
thing, you’ll
never
catch me wearing a daft hat like the one your
mother’s trying to decapitate Carl with!’

  
Roy
chuckled. ‘She’s a bloody liability with
that hat. There’ll be no Raiders left at this rate. She’s already attacked Phil
with it.

  
Sammy walked up the garden with
Jon to greet
Roy
and Jess as they strolled arm in arm, laughing. ‘Hello, you two, you
look very chummy. Everything alright?’