The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (119 page)

  
She jumped up and slapped him across the face. ‘This is no laughing
matter. I took you back and brought up
your
child on the understanding you’d have nothing more to do with her mother.
Now she’s back and we’ve already had two arguments on the first bloody day you
see her.’

  
‘Well she’s coming here tomorrow afternoon to collect Harley. She’s
taking her to Sean and Tina’s for tea. So you’d better get your head around
that.’
 

  
The colour drained from her face as she stared at him. ‘No way! You
cancel that this minute.’

  
‘I’m sorry, Sam. I’m not prepared to do that. The situation has changed
what with Harley’s illness. She and Livvy got on really well today and it would
be cruel of me to stop them seeing one another, especially now.’

  
Tears filled Sammy’s eyes as she turned away from him.

  
‘Sammy, love, please try and understand how it is for me,’ he pleaded.
‘I’m like piggy in the bloody middle with you and Livvy.’

  
‘Well
you
try and understand
how
I
feel, Roy.
How would you like it if I arranged to meet up with Stuart Green one day?’

  
‘You know I wouldn’t, but then again, it’s hardly the same thing. You
and Stuart had a one night stand. Livvy and I produced a child. I want that
child to know her mother.’ Roy knew
Sammy had only thrown Stuart’s name into the equation to hurt him. She’d sought
solace in the arms of their old friend during his affair. The one night stand
had meant little to Sammy, but Roy
knew that Stuart Green was secretly in love with his wife and had been for
years.

  
Sammy sat down again and took Roy’s
hand. ‘I’m sorry, Roy. I over
reacted. Under the circumstances, Livvy can come to the house.’

  
‘Thanks, Sam.’ He took her in his arms and kissed her. ‘Shall we call a
truce and have an early night?’

  
‘Yeah,’ she nodded. ‘You lock up, put the alarms on. I’ll run a bath and
light some scented candles.’

  
‘I’ll bring up a bottle of chilled white and we can relax in the tub.
Oh, and by the way,’ he said with a smile, ‘your daughter’s secretly engaged to
Jack.’

***

Jon negotiated the large puddles
in the private lane leading to Hanover’s
Lodge. Guilty thoughts crowded his head, like how could he look Jess in the
eye, and what if she decides she wants to make love later? He was absolutely
spent and would find it difficult to raise anything other than a smile tonight.

  
He parked his car, took a deep breath, straightened his tie and headed
indoors. The wonderful aroma of homemade curry met him. The kitchen table was
set for two and candles and an open bottle of red wine took centre stage. Jess
had been working hard and he wasn’t even hungry after the huge meal at
lunchtime.

  
‘Jess,’ he called, looking into the lounge and finding it empty.

  
Jack popped his head around the door. ‘Hi, Dad. Mum’s nipped across to
Pops’ to borrow some rice.’
  

  
‘Okay. How was school today?’

  
‘Alright, I suppose. Bit boring. Got loads of homework.’

  
‘Poor you. Where’s Nathan?’

  
‘He’s at Faye’s.’

  
‘Thought he was still grounded ’til Saturday.’

  
‘Ah, well, he’s doing his homework at her place. Faye’s dad’s bringing
him home later.’

  
‘Fair enough.’ He lit a cigarette and poured a glass of wine. Jack
continued to stare at him. Jon could feel his face warming. Had Jack guessed
his secret? ‘Something on your mind, son?’

  
‘Yeah. Harley told me something tonight. She said Livvy Grant is her
mother and not Aunt Sammy. That Uncle Roy had an affair with Livvy years ago
and she was the result. She said to ask you if I didn’t believe her. I
do
, but why all the secrecy?’
  

  
Jon breathed a sigh of relief. ‘It
is
true. Sit down.’ He kept the details brief and Jack nodded solemnly.

  
‘Wow! I bet that caused a bit of scandal.’

  
‘It was all kept very hush, hush. But I guess these things have a habit
of coming out. Now that Livvy is here, who knows what the outcome will be.’

  
Jack looked up as Jess arrived back. ‘You’ve been ages, Mum.’

  
Jess smiled and bent to kiss Jon. ‘I’ve just been chatting to Mum and
Dad. Go and finish your homework, Jack while I have a quiet word with your
dad.’

  
‘What’s wrong?’ Jon frowned and took a really lengthy drag on his
cigarette. He could feel beads of sweat break on his forehead as he stared at
Jess. She was still as stunning as she’d always been. Slim, but curvy, long
dark hair and big blue eyes, just like Dad’s. Why the fuck had he cheated on
her? What if she found out and left him. He felt sick. He couldn’t lose Jess,
she was his life. Sheena was right. It had been fun, but a moment of madness,
and one never to be repeated.

  
‘Sammy called Mum earlier,’ Jess said as he poured her a drink and tried
to concentrate. ‘Harley’s ill.’ She told Jon what he already knew.

***

Harley stared at Mum and Dad, eyes
wide. ‘A girl at school had leukaemia,’ she wailed. ‘Her hair fell out. You
told me I was anaemic. ’

  
Dad reached for her hand. ‘You are. But the hospital just wants to do
this test to rule leukaemia out.’

 
 
‘This
girl at school, Harley, how is she now?’ Mum asked.

  
‘She’s okay. Her hair grew back. She’s been in remission for ages. She
had a bone marrow transplant. Her mum and dad had to have another baby so she
could have the transplant from the cells in its cord.’
 

  
‘Did they?’ Mum looked thoughtful. She got up to clear the breakfast
dishes then turned with an over-bright smile on her face. ‘Now just in case you
stay in hospital overnight, you’ll need to pack a small bag. It’s best to be
prepared. You’ll probably be too tired tonight after your afternoon out with
Livvy.’

  
‘Jack’s coming to see me straight after school,’ Harley said. ‘So I’ll
do it before I take a shower.’ She stood up and put her arms around Mum.
‘Thanks for letting Livvy come here later. It can’t be easy for you.’

  
‘And thank
you
, Harley, for
being mature enough to realise that it isn’t.’

  
‘I’ll be okay you know, Mum. Even if I
have
got leukemia, I’ll still be okay. I just want to feel well
again, go back to school and out for walks with Jack. All the things I like to
do, but haven’t got the energy for at the moment.’

  
Dad nodded and Harley saw him swallow hard. ‘We’ll be beside you every
step of the way, Princess. Whatever it takes, we’ll do it, won’t we, Mum?’

  
Mum said yes, but Harley saw her eyes blinking fast as she turned away.

***

‘You look shattered, Liv. Didn’t
you sleep well?’ Sheena asked as they ate breakfast in Sheena’s room.

  
‘Not really. I’ve been worrying myself sick over Harley, and then just
as I was dozing off, Danny called. I told him I’d seen Harley. That she’s ill
and I’m thinking of staying in Britain
indefinitely.’

  
‘And?’ Sheena tore the lid off a pot of strawberry yoghurt and licked it
clean.

  
‘He said - if I want to stay then Courtney has to go back home and he’ll
come and collect her.’
  

  
‘Hell, how do you feel about that?’

  
‘I’ll give Courtney a choice. I’d like her to get to know her sister.
Harley’s keen to meet Courtney, too. I don’t want Danny interfering with that.’

  
‘Did you tell Danny that Roy’s
Harley’s father.’

  
‘Umm, no. He asked, rather sarcastically, if I’d seen my ex-lover. I
told him he’d brought Harley to the hotel, but that we didn’t exchange more
than a few words. He called me a liar. I ended the call and switched my cell
phone off all night. ’ Livvy drank her coffee and changed the subject. ‘I’m
going to hire a car for later. We can have a drive to Pickford before we
collect Harley and I’ll show you where I used to live and the old haunts
The Raiders
used to play. It’ll take my
mind off meeting Sammy.’

***

Following a whistle-stop tour of
Pickford and lunch in The Black Lion, Livvy drove to Ashlea
Village and stopped outside the old
sandstone church. ‘I won’t be a moment,’ she told Sheena, who frowned as Livvy
leant into the back of the car and retrieved a bunch of white lilies from the
seat.

  
‘Why are we stopping here,’ Sheena asked. ‘I thought those flowers were
for Tina.’

  
‘Come with me,’ Livvy said, and added, ‘I got perfume for Tina.’ She led
the way to a grave near the side of the church. The marble headstone bore the
legend in gold lettering that Nicholas Roy Cantello rested there.

  
As Livvy knelt to place the lilies on the well-tended plot, tears filled
her eyes with the memory of a good-looking, fun-loving teenager who’d
befriended her and welcomed her into his band and his home, but whose
friendship she’d ultimately betrayed.
    

  
Livvy looked up as Sheena laid her hand on her shoulder. ‘Poor Nick. He
was such a great guy and I let him down.’

  
‘So did his dad,’ Sheena reminded.

  
‘This graveyard is where I told Eddie I was pregnant.’

  
‘Oh, Liv, come on, let’s get it over with,’ Sheena said gently.

  
Livvy got to her feet and they walked to the car. ‘The house is only two
minutes from here,’ she said.
 
As they
approached the entrance gates to Jasmine House, Livvy’s hands shook
uncontrollably.

  
Sheena leant across her to press the intercom. ‘Wow, this is lovely,’
she said as a disembodied female voice said, “Come in,” and the gates swung
open. They drove slowly up the long gravel driveway towards the double-fronted,
Edwardian house. ‘Just look at those daffodils.’ Either side of the drive, the
sweeping lawns were home to hundreds of nodding daffodils that created golden
pools under the willow trees.

  
‘Those security gates are a new addition,’ Livvy said, pulling up in
front of the garage block.

  
‘Sign of the times.’ Sheena clambered
out of the car. ‘This is fabulous, Livvy. It’s almost a mansion.’
 

  
‘Jasmine House is Roy and Sammy’s pride and joy,’ Livvy said. ‘It’s
amazing what skipping school, never doing your homework and always being in
trouble of one sort or another can do for you. Plus a little Rock’n’Roll thrown
in for good measure of course. Back street boy makes good.’ She locked the car.
‘It was a familiar story in those days. Now if Roy
had been a good student, like we’re always nagging our kids to be, he’d have
had none of this.’

  
Sheena chuckled. ‘You’re probably right. The Oasis brothers are from
these parts, aren’t they?’

  
Livvy nodded. ‘The Gallagher's are from Burnage, a few miles away.’ She
closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Right, I’m ready. Come on, let’s go
for it.’ She propelled Sheena up the front steps, rang the bell and stepped
back. The door was thrown open and Harley, grinning broadly, welcomed them
inside.

  
Livvy gave her a big hug then said, ‘Harley, meet my friend Sheena.
Sheena, this is my daughter.’
 

  
‘Pleased to meet you, Sheena,’ Harley said.
    

  
‘Likewise,’ Sheena replied, taking the small outstretched hand. ‘She’s
very like you,’ she said to Livvy. ‘Apart from her colouring, of course.’

  
‘
I
think she’s the image of
her father,’ Livvy said.
 

  
As if on cue, Roy strolled
into the hall. ‘Couldn’t have got away with this one, could I?’ He put an arm
around Harley’s shoulders and hugged her tightly. ‘Not that I would have wanted
to, Princess,’ he assured her as a frown crossed her face.
   

  
‘Sheena, this is Roy, Harley’s father,’ Livvy introduced them and Roy
shook Sheena’s hand.

  
‘Nice to meet you, Sheena. Come through to the lounge. Sammy’s making
tea. Harley, pop into the kitchen and give Mum a hand.’

  
‘I need the loo, and anyway, she said you had to help.’

  
‘Okay. I know my place,' Roy
said. 'Livvy, you take Sheena into the lounge.’ Livvy hesitated momentarily.
‘Go on, it’s where it always was. We’ll be two minutes.’

  
Sheena followed Livvy into the huge lounge at the rear of the house. ‘Oh
wow! Just look at that swimming pool.’ She strode towards the French doors at
the top end of the room. The pool, set just below the patio area, shimmered in
the bright spring sunshine. ‘Do you think it will be heated? It looks lovely,
but cold!’

  
‘I’m sure it will be,’ Livvy said. ‘You can’t possibly have an unheated
pool in this country. They didn’t have one last time I was here, which was
Nick’s eighteenth birthday party. They had a huge marquee in the garden with a
stage and I got up and sang with Roy and Eddie that night. It’s the only time
I’ve
ever
sung with Roy,
in fact.’ She gazed wistfully around the room with its cream walls, deep-pile,
beige carpet and large, brown leather sofas, placed either side of the marble
fireplace. ‘It’s all changed since then. Everything is new. But it’s still as
tasteful as ever.’