The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (109 page)

‘Okay, okay, I’m going. Keep your
wig on!’ He stomped off down the hall, glowering at his mother. Jack shuffled
slowly behind him, head bent with shame.

***

‘What was all that about?’ Eddie had
let himself in at the front door while Jess was in full flow.

‘Oh, Dad, thank God you’re here.’
She burst into tears. He put his arms around her and held her close.

‘What is it, sweetheart? Are the
boys playing you up?’ Eddie led her to the sofa and sat her down. He sat beside
her, his arm around her shoulders. ‘Come on, Jess, tell your old Dad what’s
wrong. I just got back from the studio. Roy
had to dash away. He got a call from the school. Do you know what it was all
about?’

Jess nodded, sniffing. ‘Harley
fainted after a hockey game. She felt breathless and queasy, and then passed
out.’

‘Hell! Is she okay?’

‘She told the nurse she’d taken
some pills. The nurse assumed it was drugs, Ecstasy or something. I tackled
those two when I got them home thinking
they’d
know what she’d taken.’
       

‘And did they?’

‘Oh, they knew all right. She’s
only taken the bloody morning after pill!’

‘What? Why?’

‘Why do you think, Dad? She and
Jack had sex on Saturday afternoon. Here of all places. Almost under yours and Roy’s
noses!’

‘But they went out on Saturday. I
saw them go and they arrived back with Kate later. They were never on their own
for any length of time.’
   

‘They sneaked back home when you
obviously weren’t looking. To give them their due they used a condom, but it
split. Kate got the pills for Harley. Now she’s ill and the pills haven’t
worked. Jack’s frantic in case she’s pregnant. I don’t know how the hell I’m
going to tell Roy all this, or Jon
for that matter,’

‘I’ll go and see Roy,
explain it to him. You go and have a cup of tea with your Mum, tell her what’s
happened.’ He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. ‘And don’t worry, love,
hopefully Jack won’t make you a grandmother yet.’

‘Oh my God, don’t!’ Jess
exclaimed.

‘Hey,
you
should worry. What about me? Great Grandpops Mellor. Now that
would do absolutely nothing for my street cred as a rock drummer.’

***

Sammy opened the door to Eddie and
led him into the lounge where a tearful Harley lay on one of the sofas. Roy
glanced up, a look of defeat on his face.
  

‘Have a seat, Ed.’ Roy
gestured to the sofa. He poured single malts and handed one to Eddie.
      

‘Thanks. I’ve just left Jess and
the boys,’ Eddie began, sitting down next to Roy.

Roy
nodded. ‘You can tell Jack he’s off the hook. Sammy got a pregnancy testing kit
for Harley after she told us which pills she’d taken. Thankfully it was
negative. Not that it excuses her actions after we trusted her. She’s grounded
for a month and she’s banned from seeing Jack.’

‘No, Dad, you can’t do that,’
Harley wailed. ‘You can’t treat me like a kid anymore. I love Jack. I keep
telling you it wasn’t his fault. I hate you for this.’

‘Harley, for God’s sake you’re
only fifteen, so is Jack!’

‘I’m sixteen on Saturday,’ she
cried. ‘I can get married and have kids quite legally then. You don’t have a
leg to stand on, Dad. I’ll leave home if I have to!’

‘Roy
stop, you’re upsetting her,’ Sammy said. ‘Oh no, her nose is bleeding again.’
She sat beside Harley, holding a wad of tissues to her nose as blood spurted
down the front of her white T-shirt. ‘This can’t be because of those pills.
I’ve never heard of them doing this before, and just look at those bruises.
Some of them are fresh today. Call the doctor, Roy. I’m getting worried now.
She’s been pale and tired for weeks. I just put it down to her age, like you
do,’ she told Eddie, as Roy left
the room.

‘Hmm, it’s a bit of a worry,’
Eddie agreed. ‘She should definitely see someone.’

***

CHAPTER
FOUR

GLASGOW
- MARCH 2001

Livvy scanned the faces in the crowded
arrivals hall at
Glasgow
Airport
and soon spotted Sheena who was jumping
up and down and waving her arms. ‘There she is,’ she said, waving back. After
much hugging and kissing Livvy and Courtney followed Sheena to her waiting car
and lifted the luggage into the boot.

‘Thought you’d have loads more stuff than
this, a big star like you,’ Sheena teased.
   

‘I travel light whenever I can,’ Livvy
said, grinning. ‘I only wear the Dolly Parton gear on stage. I live in shorts
and T-shirts back home. Anyway, Courtney and I plan to go clothes shopping,
don’t we, honey?’

Sheena laughed as they climbed into her
Fiat Punto and headed for the
Glasgow
suburb of Dulatre. Courtney yawned
loudly from the back seat.

‘You tired, Sweetie? You can have a sleep
when we get to Sheena’s.’

‘Your rooms are ready and waiting, so you
can both have a sleep if you like,’ Sheena said. She put her foot down as they
left the city behind.

***

Livvy gazed out of the window at the lush
green fields, dotted here and there with woolly sheep and gambolling lambs.
Even in early spring
Scotland
was greener than most of
America
, and much fresher. It was good to see
familiar sights again and she felt her spirits lift. ‘Sheena, you still drive
like a mad woman.’ Her friend’s handling of the bends did not involve slowing
down in any way.

‘Och, you know me, I’m a frustrated
Formula One driver,’ Sheena giggled. ‘Oh, it’s so good to see you again, Liv.
You look really different when you’re not all dolled up on stage.’

Livvy smiled. ‘I’ve left Livvy Grant, the
singer, behind and brought Livvy McVey, housewife and mother, on vacation.’

‘You sound like Dame Edna,’ Sheena
chuckled. ‘I’ve arranged for you to see your family tomorrow afternoon. They’re
meeting at your sister Leanne’s house for tea at three.’

‘Can’t wait to meet my Grandpa,’ Courtney
said excitedly.

Livvy looked at her animated face. ‘Nor
can I, honey.’

‘Leanne told me he’s really excited,’
Sheena continued. ‘He’s been in touch with your mother’s sister and she’d like
you to contact her while you’re here.’

‘Really? Do you think there’s a chance I
might get to meet my mother?’
    

‘She’s still in
Canada
, so you’ll have to wait and see about
that. Your family don’t have a clue about your fame. Because your adoption was
private your father knew your adoptive parents were called Grant, but he’s no
idea you’re now called Olivia. He still thinks of you as Marie, the name he
gave you. It’s sad, giving a baby away and missing out on all sorts of things.
It would have finished me off if I’d had to part with my two, even though
they’re now driving me crazy with their noise and
mes
sy bedrooms.’

Livvy nodded, silently staring ahead at
the road in front.

‘What is it, Liv? You’re white as a
sheet.’

‘Tell you later,’ she muttered, inclining
her head back towards Courtney.

‘Okay.’ Sheena took a left turn into a
road of sandstone Victorian villas. ‘Here we are.’ She pulled onto the drive of
a detached house and turned round to Courtney. ‘I hope you don’t mind dogs?
We’ve two
Labradors
,
Sandy
and Fred.
 
They’re very friendly, but a bit licky and
always overpowering at the first meeting.’

Courtney’s face lit up. ‘I love dogs. I
always wanted a puppy, but our housekeeper has an allergy to fur.’

‘Housekeeper?’ Sheena raised an
eyebrow.
  

‘Yeah,’ Livvy nodded. ‘Mainly a gem, but
someti
mes
a pain in the butt!’

‘I see. Still, there's compensation in
not doing your own ironing and cleaning.’

‘Mrs Grayson doesn’t either,’ Courtney
chipped in. ‘She does the cooking and looks after me when Mom and Dad are away.
The maid cleans and irons, but she doesn’t live at the ranch with us.’

‘Bloody hell, it’s another world!’ Sheena
exclaimed. ‘And to think we used to share a manky flat and sing duets in pubs
to make ends meet before you did your disappearing act.’

The front door opened and two golden
Labradors
bundled out, tails wagging furiously. A
frenzy of barking accompanied the wags at the sight of Sheena and her
guests.
 

A tall, clean-shaven, ginger haired man
followed the dogs down the steps and he wrapped his arms around Livvy, green eyes
twinkling. ‘Well hello, hen! It’s really good to see you again, and you too,
Courtney. My goodness you’re all grown up. You were only a wee girl when we
last visited.’

‘Hi, Gerry. It’s good to see you, too.’
Livvy’s eyes filled with tears as she gazed up at Sheena’s husband, Daniel’s
best mate from college days.

‘Come away indoors,’ Sheena said. ‘Gerry
will bring the bags in.’

Livvy and Courtney followed Sheena down a
narrow hallway to the back of the house, which opened up into a comfortable
kitchen and family room. Livvy looked through the French doors that overlooked
the landscaped garden.
 

‘How lovely, just look at the colourful
crocus,’ she said to Courtney. ‘We don’t have anything so delicate as those at
home, do we?’

Courtney shook her head. She rested her
hand on Fred’s golden head as he stood beside her, tail thumping against her
legs. ‘Such pretty colours.’
 

‘I’ll show you to your rooms and then you
can freshen up before we eat. The kids will be home from school any minute,
demanding food like they’ve not been fed for years.
 
By the way, they’ve been threatened with
their lives to keep your visit a secret. Cassie’s your age, Courtney, and
Robbie’s fourteen. That wasn’t very good planning was it? Only ten months
between them!’

‘Like Nick and Jason,’ Livvy said
quietly.

‘Nick and Jason who?’

‘They’re the sons of an old friend of
mine. They were also born ten months apart.’
   

She was saved from having to answer
anymore questions about Roy Cantello’s sons as Fred and
Sandy
began a barking contest. The front door
opened and Sheena smiled.
 

‘Here they are. This is Cassie.’ She
introduced a petite, dark haired, blue-eyed girl, the image of herself. ‘And
this big fellow here is Robbie.’ A young, lanky version of Gerry grinned at
them. ‘Take Courtney to her room and we’ll follow in a minute.’

Cassie smiled at Courtney in a friendly
manner and led her away up the stairs.

***

‘What a fabulous room,’ Livvy said,
sinking into the deep cushions of a red leather sofa. She’d seen a very
jet-lagged Courtney off to bed and joined Sheena and Gerry for drinks in the
lounge. ‘It’s so cosy and warm. Not like my place, all white and open
plan.’
 

The room, with cream walls, stripped pine
floor, colourful rug and blazing coal fire was a haven of comfort. She kicked
off her shoes. Gerry handed her and Sheena a G&T each and helped himself to
a glass of whisky.

‘Cheers, girls. I know you two have a lot
to talk about. I’ll join you for this drink and then I’ll go and play on my
computer for a few hours.’

‘Thanks, Gerry.’ Sheena smiled. ‘For
being so understanding, I mean.’

‘That’s me all over,’ he said as the
phone rang. He grabbed the receiver. ‘Oh, hi there,’ he answered. ’How are you,
pal?’ He handed Livvy the phone. ‘Danny.’

Livvy assured Daniel that she and Courtney
were fine. The tone of her voice was less than friendly and she saw Sheena and
Gerry exchange looks of concern. She finished her call, hung up and downed the
last of her drink.

Gerry served up fresh G&T’s before
leaving the room.

As he closed the door behind him Livvy
felt Sheena’s eyes on her.

‘You seem troubled, Livvy. Why don’t you
tell me what’s going on between you and Dan.’

‘We’re not getting along too well,’ Livvy
admitted. She picked up her handbag from beside the sofa and took out a pale
blue envelope, which she placed on her lap.
    

‘I gathered that,’ Sheena said. ‘Is he
sulking because you’ve come to find your family?’

‘Kind of. But my birth family isn’t my
only link with
Britain
.’ She pulled a document from the
envelope and handed it to Sheena who frowned as she studied it.

‘A birth certificate?’

‘Yes,’ Livvy said. ‘My daughter’s birth
certificate.’

Sheena’s eyes registered shocked
surprise. ‘Not Courtney’s then?’

‘No, it’s Harley’s. She’s my first child,
born sixteen years ago this week. Saturday, to be precise.’

‘Well, where is she? What have you done
with her?’ Sheena was wide-eyed. ‘Why have you never mentioned her?’

‘I left her in
Cheshire
with her father and his wife. They
brought her up for me.’

‘Who
is
her father?’
 

‘Look at the name.’

‘Roy Cantello - Musician!
 
Roy Cantello?
The Raiders
Roy
Cantello?’

‘The very same,’ Livvy replied. She
passed the dog-eared colour photograph, she always carried, across to Sheena.
‘You couldn’t mistake her as being anyone else’s child, could you?’

‘God no, she’s the spit of him. Though
her face is heart-shaped like yours. Oh, Liv, she’s so beautiful. You must have
missed her like crazy. Why on earth didn’t you bring her back here to
Glasgow
when you left
Manchester
? I would have helped you look after her.
How long is it since you last saw her?’ Sheena’s questions tumbled over one
another.

‘I didn’t think I was capable of bringing
her up on my own,’ Livvy replied. ‘I thought it best that she had a stable home
and two parents. I haven’t seen her since she was five days old.’

‘That’s awful,’ Sheena gasped. ‘How on
earth did a timid mouse like
you
get
involved with the likes of Roy Cantello? I used to think he was drop-dead
gorgeous. He still is, even though he’s getting on a bit now. You hardly ever
mentioned your time in
Manchester
, is this why?’
   

‘It was too painful to talk about. I’ll
tell you what happened. Please don’t think too badly of me. I did what I
thought was the right thing at the time.’
  

Sheena refilled their glasses and sat
back on the sofa as Livvy began her tale.

‘You remember my adoptive father Joe
Grant did time for ABH against me?’

Sheena nodded.

‘When I heard he’d been released and was
looking for me I upped and left, getting the first train out of
Glasgow
. It was
Manchester
bound and I ended up at Piccadilly in
the early hours.
 
That was March 1984.
Joe’s mother had died the previous year and she left me five grand in her will.
I knew I’d be okay for a while. I sat on a station bench until it got light,
then I found myself a B&B in the city centre. Later I walked down the main
street and saw a sales assistant’s job advertised in the window of Flanagan and
Grey’s Music Store.
  

‘I spoke to Sean Grogan, a nice Irishman,
and he offered me the job in the record department. Then I got a train to
Pickford, a few miles outside
Manchester
. An estate agent took me to view a small
flat. I signed the lease, bought some furniture, moved in at the weekend and
started my new job on the Monday.’ Livvy paused for breath and she and Sheena
sipped their drinks.

‘Jon Mellor was working alongside me. He
was lovely. Chatted me up and took me under his wing. He and his half-sister
Jess had a band called
The Zoo
with their mates Nick and Jason. When he
realised I could sing, Jon invited me to a rehearsal one night at his home. Me,
being totally thick, didn’t realise until I got to the house that Eddie Mellor,
The Raiders
drummer was Jon and Jess’s dad. I also had no idea that Nick
and Jason were Roy Cantello’s sons.

‘They were all so normal and down to
earth, never bragging about their dad’s fame or wealth.
Roy
was also there that night. He and Ed
encouraged me to sing with
The Zoo
and it sounded brilliant. The boys
wanted me in but Jess wasn’t happy about it. Then a few weeks later, she and I
had words because she thought I was after Nick. She was so jealous over him. I
was upset and realised my singing with them wasn’t going to work out, which was
a shame as Roy and Ed had written a few songs with
my
voice in mind. Tell me if I’m boring you.’