The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (39 page)

***

  
Jane smiled at Eddie, gazing deep into his eyes. ‘I love you more today
than I ever did, if that’s possible.’
 

  
‘And I love you, too,’ he said, unbuttoning her top.
  

  
‘Do you think the kids will come back down?’ She yanked his T-shirt off
and ran her hands over his chest.
            

  
‘I doubt it. Jon and Jason were knackered and Jess and Nick have other
things in mind.' He pulled the cushions off the sofa, threw them onto the rug
and lowered her onto them.
  

  
She cocked an ear. ‘They’re still using the bathroom. I can hear water
running.’

  
Footsteps sounded over head, doors slamming, then silence.
 

  
Eddie smiled. ‘Do you think that’s it?’ He kissed her deeply.

  
‘What was that?’ She sat upright at the sound of feet on the stairs and
pulled her top back on.

  
Eddie rolled his eyes as Roy
called out, ‘Only me. Sammy’s forgotten her glass of water.
   

  
Jane stifled a giggle. ‘No peace for the wicked.’

  
They heard Roy running back
up the stairs. Eddie pulled her down again.

  
She unzipped his jeans and pushed them down. There came another bang
from upstairs.

  
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Eddie said at the sound of peeing, a loud fart and
then another door shutting.

  
‘Roy,’ they said, laughing
together.

 
 
‘Push the sofa across the door,
just in case,’ Jane suggested. ‘Then I can relax properly.’
 

  
He leapt up and shoved the heavy sofa across the room. ‘That okay for
you?’ He dropped back down beside her. ‘Now get your clothes off, woman.’ He
gazed at her in the light from the flickering gas fire. ‘You’re still so
beautiful,’ he whispered and bent to kiss her again. ‘It seems only yesterday
that we were shagging on this very rug. I can even remember the red top you
were wearing, with those little buttons all down the front.’ He circled her
nipples with his fingertips and traced them with his tongue.

  
She shivered and smiled. ‘You used to like me wearing that top, if I
remember rightly.’

  
‘Because it was so easy to take off,’ he said, raining kisses down her
front. He moved slowly down her body, kissing, stroking and searching her with
his tongue. She moaned as he teased her almost to the brink, and reached to
pull him up beside her, wanting to savour the moment for later. He was hard and
he moaned as she took him in her mouth.

  
‘Oh yes, baby, that’s wonderful,’ he gasped and fell back onto the rug,
eyes closed as she worked her magic. 'Jane, stop,' he whispered after a few
minutes and pulled her up beside him. He kissed her and flipped her onto her back,
pushing into her. She wrapped her legs around him as he thrust time and again.

  
In all the years they’d been together he’d never failed to please and
tonight was no exception. She felt waves of orgasmic pleasure and cried his
name. His breathing deepened as his pace quickened and, as always, he told her
he loved her as he came. He collapsed on top and nuzzled her neck.

  
‘We’ve still got it, babe,’ he whispered, ‘you and I, and it just gets
better.’

  
She smiled, tears filling her eyes.
    

  
‘What’s the matter?’ He touched her wet cheek.
        

  
‘I just love you so much, that’s all.’

  
‘Women!’ he said. ‘Especially mine.’
    

***

  
The house was slowly emptied of its contents. A dealer offered Eddie a
job lot price for the bigger items. Another dealer, who dealt solely in
bric-a-brac and smaller pieces of furniture, was glad to take the rest.

  
The remainder of Aunt Celia’s belongings were packed into the cars. A
large box of newspaper cuttings and records of
The Raiders that
Celia had collected was handed to Jess. Jane had
her own collection of Raiders memorabilia at home.

  
Helen and Ronnie popped in early morning to say goodbye on their way to
the station and Jon told Helen he would call her that evening.

  
‘Maybe we could meet up somewhere later, depending on what time we get
home,’ he suggested.

  
‘That would be lovely. I’ll look forward to it.’ Helen kissed him
goodbye and he stood on the doorstep waving until she and Ronnie turned the
corner.

  
Eddie watched as a For Sale board was erected in the front garden. He
put his arm around Jane’s shoulders and gave her a hug. ‘End of an era,’ he
said as she reached up and kissed him. ‘I feel quite sad really. I’ll give it
six months and if there’s no interest then I’ll have a re-think about what to
do. Maybe we could have it refurbished and keep it. After all, it’s a good
investment.’

  
Jane nodded. ‘Right, have we got everything?’ She took a last look
around.

  
‘Well if we haven’t, it’ll have to stay down here, the Jeep’s loaded to
the gills.’
 

  
‘Oh, Jess, grab that black bin bag over there,’ Jane said. ‘I almost
forgot it.’

  
Jess picked up the bag, peered inside and wrinkled her nose. ‘Surely
this should have gone to the tip with the rest of the rubbish.’
  

  
‘No it shouldn’t, your mother wants to keep it,’ Eddie said.

  
‘God, why? It’s minging.’

  
‘It’s sentimental to her, that’s why.’

  
‘Yuck. How the hell can you get sentimental over a smelly old rug?’

  
‘It’s our love rug,’ he said, looking at Jane’s blushing face.

  
‘Love rug? Oh - I see. Was that during the riots? Well, if you were
stuck indoors, I suppose you had to have something to do. I’ll sling it in the
back of the Jeep, shall I?’

  
‘If you can find the room. I’m going to give it to the dog to lie on in
the porch,’ Jane said.

  
‘Hey, Jane, you can always bring it out and put it in front of your own
fireplace when you fancy a session,’ Roy
teased.
                        

  
‘Jane’s already got a nice furry rug in front of her fire, Dad,’ Nick
smirked, winking at Jess. ‘Isn’t that right, Jess?’

  
‘Nick, stop giving our secrets away,’ Jess said as her dad laughed.
   

  
‘Come on, let’s go home before this conversation takes a turn for the
downright smutty,’ he said. ‘Meet you at Watford Gap for coffee. Drive carefully
and thanks very much for all your help.’

  
‘It’s been fun, roughing it for a while without any mod cons,’ Sammy
said.

  
‘And
I’ve
met Helen, who’s a
bit of alright if you ask me,’ Jon added with a lustful grin.
    

  
‘And Jason’s met Ronnie. Haven’t you, love?’ Sammy said, squeezing his
arm.

  
‘Mum, for God’s sake, we’re just friends. Don’t go reading anything into
it,’ Jason replied. ‘Anyway, she’s not my type.’

  
‘And what exactly
is
your type, Jase?’ Nick teased. ‘You’ve never
been out with any birds. So how do you know what type yours is if you don’t try
a few for size?’

  
‘Leave me alone, Nick,’ Jason snapped and climbed into the back of the
BMW.

  
‘Oooh, sorry for breathing,’ Nick retorted as Sammy raised her eyebrows.
‘Trouble with you, Jase is that you spend far too much time with that poncey
Jules instead of going on the pull.’

  
‘That’s enough, Nick. Jules is a really nice boy and he’s a good friend
to Jason,’ Sammy said. ‘Now get in the car and leave him alone.’

  
‘You started it, Sam, by mentioning Ronnie,’ Roy
said. ‘You know how bloody touchy Jason is about girls. Right, let’s get a move
on, or we’ll never get home today.’

***

CHAPTER
FIVE

  
‘Dominic, take Lennon down the lane, there’s a good lad,’ Enid
called up the stairs.

  
‘Do I have to?’ Dominic called back. ‘I want to finish reading my book
before it gets dark.’ Maurice Zendak’s monsters were scary enough in the
daylight; Dominic wouldn’t dare read about them at bedtime. ‘Why can’t Katie
take him?’ he said, running downstairs. ‘I did it this morning.’

  
‘Katie’s not here, she’s playing at Lucy’s. Come on, love, Mum and Dad
will be home soon. I haven’t time to take him myself. I need to nip across to
our house to switch the heating on and your Grandpa’s still bowling with
Tom.’
                             

  
Dominic sighed, called Lennon to heel and stomped out of the kitchen. Enid
smiled and went back to putting the finishing touches to the evening meal. She
was a plain cook, but justifiably proud of the chicken casserole simmering in
the oven.
 

  
She checked her watch, placed a large pan of broccoli on the hob and
wiped her hands on her apron. Ten minutes at the most, she thought. Eddie didn’t
like his veg mushy, preferring it something foreign sounding, al-dente, was
it?
 

  
She bent to lift a latticed topped pie from the oven. It was done to
perfection - golden brown on top, the delicate fragrance of cinnamon blending
with the apples. She ran her hand across her face. That oven was blooming hot.
A newspaper lay on the table and she picked it up and fanned herself.
   

  
Dominic and Lennon trailed back into the kitchen. Enid
gave the young lad a glass of orange juice and a chocolate biscuit.

  
‘Did you enjoy the walk after all that moaning?’
   

  
‘Yeah. I was looking for conkers and acorns.’ He reached for a second
biscuit. ‘But I couldn’t find any.’

  
‘Just the one,’ she said, gently pushing his hand away. ‘We don’t want
to spoil your dinner. And it’s the wrong time of year for conkers and acorns,
love. You’ll have to wait until autumn.’ She gave Lennon a Bonio and
absentmindedly patted his head. ‘You’re a bit grubby, Dom. Wash your hands and
face when you’ve finished your snack. Mum and Dad won’t be long now. Mum said
about two hours when she phoned from the services.’

  
‘Is Katie coming back for dinner, Gran?’
   

  
‘No, Lucy’s mum will bring her home later. Ah, here’s Grandpa.’

  
Ben strolled into the kitchen and dropped his bowling bag in the middle
of the floor. He tweaked Dominic’s ear and planted a kiss on Enid’s
cheek. ‘Hello, love. Are they not back?’
  

  
‘Not yet, but they won’t be long. Get yourself washed and changed and
then we’ll all eat together here. I’ve cooked enough casserole to feed an army,
so I hope they’re hungry. Take your bowling balls with you before somebody
trips over them. Dominic, you can help me set the table.’

***

  
Ben went next door to his barn conversion bungalow, Lennon on his heels.
Eddie and Jane had presented him and Enid with the keys on its completion and
they’d moved in five years ago. He picked up a stick and chucked it for the
dog. Lennon carried the muddy stick inside and dropped it on the kitchen floor.

  
‘You’ll get me shot if Enid
sees that on her clean tiles,’ Ben said. ‘Now stay there while I get myself
ready.’ Lennon settled down on an old blanket Enid
kept for him by the wood-burning stove and placed his head on his paws. He
closed his eyes and began to snore.
   

  
Ben took a quick shower, pulled on a clean shirt and his comfy slacks.
He lit a cigarette and stood out on the patio at the back of the bungalow,
enjoying the cool air. He wasn’t allowed to smoke indoors anymore. Enid
thought she was the bee’s knees with her new home and after years of living on
a noisy estate, he was inclined to agree with her. Thanks to his son-in-law’s
generosity, Ben was enjoying the luxury of early retirement. He stubbed his
cigarette out on the wall, put the butt in the dustbin and went back inside.
‘Come on, Lennon, lad, let’s go and get some grub.’ The dog wagged his tail,
jumped up, retrieved his stick and followed Ben across the communal garden.

  
‘Any beer in that fridge?’ Ben asked as he walked into the kitchen. It
was thirsty work playing bowls and all he’d had this afternoon had been a cup
of tea. Right now he could murder a pint or two down the local, but he wouldn’t
dare suggest it without Eddie being around to back him up.

  
Enid had worked hard in the
kitchen all afternoon and she’d no doubt begrudge him going alone to the pub.
If he wasn’t careful she’d be finding him jobs to do when all he wanted was to
relax.

  
‘Have you ever known Ed not have beer in his fridge?’ Enid
said, draining broccoli over the sink. She tipped it into a serving dish and
popped it in the oven.

  
‘Don’t suppose I have.’ Ben scratched his chin.

  
‘Well then, why ask daft questions?’
       

  
He winked at Dominic, who was grinning behind Gran’s back, and helped
himself to a can. ‘Why can’t women answer a question with just a simple yes or
no, Dom? It would make life much easier.’

  
Lennon whimpered and wagged his tail. ‘Hey up, old lad, what’s the
matter?’ Ben patted the dog’s head and scratched his silky ears.

  
Lennon ran to the door, barking excitedly.

  
‘Are they here? Let him out, Dom.’

  
There wasn’t a car in sight and indeed it was several minutes before the
Jeep bumped up the private lane. But Lennon, with that sixth sense that dogs
possess, stood quivering on the doorstep. His beloved mistress was on her way
home.

***

  
Eddie leapt from the Jeep to help Jane down. The dog shot towards them,
barking and wagging frantically, knocking him sideways.

  
‘Christ, Lennon, be careful.’ Eddie picked himself up from the floor. He
brushed grass and twigs from his jeans, laughing at the over excited animal.
Mental as anything, he thought. Lennon only had eyes for Jane; his devotion was
total. Even Dominic couldn’t get a look in as his mum fussed over her pet,
sending him crazy.

  
Lennon had been Eddie’s last-year-but-one’s birthday gift for Jane.
She’d longed for a dog, dropping hints as her birthday approached. The look on
her face, when he placed the cream, eight-week-old puppy in her arms, was one
he would treasure always. Tears had tumbled down her cheeks as she announced
she’d name him in memory of John Lennon.
 

  
She told Eddie he was the best present ever and had come at just the
right time. She was feeling broody again. He’d smiled, offering up a silent
prayer of thanks for small puppies and vasectomies!

  
‘Have you missed Mummy, sweetheart?’ Jane cooed. ‘Oh, I’ve missed you
too, my darling boy.’
   

  
Jess clambered out of the Jeep, eyebrows raised in amusement at the
scene. ‘Show him what you’ve brought him back then.’ She tossed the black bin
liner onto the grass.

  
‘What is it?’ Dominic asked excitedly. ‘It looks like a very big
present.’

  
‘It’s nothing really, Dom, just something for him to lie on in the
porch.’ Jane emptied the rug out and gave it a shake. The brown furry pile was
so moth-eaten, the shaking made little difference, but Lennon dragged the rug
from her hands and carried it off across the lawn. He dropped it under a tree
and lay down with a sigh. He placed his head on his front paws his expression
one of bliss.

  
Eddie nudged Jane and whispered, ‘He must be able to smell your body
scent from the other night. No wonder he looks so contented.’

  
‘Ed!’ She blushed as her mother called from the doorstep.

  
‘Hurry up and come indoors; your dinner’s ready and waiting.’

  
‘Won’t be a minute, Mum,’ Jane called back.

  
‘Why did you bring Lennon an old rug, Mum?’ Dominic asked. ‘He’s got
blankets in his basket to lie on.’
 

  
‘Ah, but, Dom, it’s not just any old rug, is it, Mum?’ Jess teased and
gave her little brother a hug.

 
 
Dad
dug her playfully in the ribs before she could say anything else. ‘Stop it,
you, or I won’t give you your inheritance.’
          

  
‘You’d better,’ Jess said, grinning. He’d told her yesterday that she
and Jon were each to have ten thousand pounds from Aunt Celia’s estate. Katie
and Dominic would receive the same amount, to be held in trust until they were
eighteen. Jess pulled her holdall from the back of the Jeep, calling over her
shoulder as she went indoors, ‘You and Jon can unload the instruments and amps,
Dad.’

  
‘Oh, thanks very much, Jess. Come on, Jon. Let’s get this lot up to the
music room and then we can relax after dinner. I won’t feel like carting amps
around if Gran’s done one of her specials.’

***

  
Jess sat at her dressing table and brushed her hair, deep in thought. On
the journey home she’d told Mum and Dad that she and Nick were planning to live
together when she got her money. They’d said that was fine, as long as it was
okay with Roy and Sammy. Nick was supposed to be telling them on the way home,
which was why she and Nick had travelled separately. Jon had been a bit cool
with her after Mum and Dad had given their permission. He’d almost ignored her
when they’d stopped at the services and had been really snappy with Nick. It bothered
her. She and Jon had always been close, but since she’d been dating Nick he’d
been really odd. He’d never objected to any of her earlier boyfriends and Nick
was his best mate, so she didn’t understand why he wasn’t thrilled for them.

***

  
Jon carried the largest of the amps upstairs to the music room. He’d
been in a sunny mood for most of the day, which had as much to do with meeting
Helen as receiving his inheritance. There’d been many girlfriends in the past,
but never anything serious. Spending time with Helen this week had taken his
mind off Jess, that is, until Jess told Mum and Dad that she and Nick were
planning on moving in together and a rush of jealousy had overwhelmed him, yet
again. He sensed he’d upset Jess by turning his back on her for most of the
journey home.
   

  
‘Oh well,’ Jon muttered as he nipped back downstairs for his holdall.
‘What Jess wants, Jess will get.’ He dashed back upstairs and dropped the bag
on the bedroom floor. He kicked the door shut, delved into the front pocket of
the bag and pulled out a silver frame. He stared at the photograph, taken at
his christening, and looked curiously at Angie. Mum had handed the photo to him
this morning, urging him to keep it out of Dad’s sight.

  
He studied the pretty girl who’d died so young. She was smiling proudly
at the tiny baby in her arms. Even Dad, who had his arm draped around her
shoulders, appeared to be smiling. Alright, it was a bit forced, but a smile,
nonetheless.

  
‘What on earth did you do that makes him hate you so much he won’t even
talk about you?’ he muttered. He slipped the photograph into the bedside
drawers. He’d show it to Jess later, see if she had any thoughts on the
subject.

***

  
Jane breathed in the delicious culinary smells in the warm kitchen. Dominic
hopped from foot to foot in front of her and she bent to give him a hug. ‘There
we are, now I can get near you with Lennon out of the way.’

  
‘Have you brought
me
a
present?’ he asked hopefully.

  
‘Of course I have, sunshine.’ She handed him a paper bag.
 

  
He looked inside and grinned. ‘A boat, oh thanks, Mum.’

  
Jane smiled and kissed him. She’d rushed out that morning to look for
gifts for him and Katie, but a collection of seaside bits and pieces was all
she’d had time to grab. The Brighton rock would no doubt
ruin their teeth and Lennon would probably pop the beach balls within the day,
but Dominic could sail the little wooden yacht in his bath.
  

***

  
‘Let’s get cracking on that dinner.’ Eddie strolled into the kitchen,
smacking his lips. ‘I’m starving. Have you made us one of your specials, Enid?’
  

  
‘One of your favourites, Ed,’ she replied, squeezing his arm.
   

  
Eddie smiled. Enid’s cooking
evoked memories of his mother’s kitchen and his happy childhood, so whatever
she’d made would be a treat. Whenever she baked a steak and kidney pie for Ben,
she always made one for him, too. Her pastry was light as a feather and melted
in the mouth, with gravy so rich, you could stand your fork up in it, bliss.
Although he prided himself on being a reasonable cook, he hadn’t mastered the
art of pastry making and Jane had long given up trying. But between his
mother-in-law and himself he was well fed and contented with his lot.

***

  
‘This looks and smells wonderful.’ Eddie helped himself to vegetables.

  
‘Have you decided what to do with Celia’s place, Ed?’ Ben asked, pouring
wine for everyone.