The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (84 page)

***

With shaking hands Roy
closed the door, walked across the room and collapsed onto the bed. That final
look had contained such anger, hurt and betrayal it would remain etched in his
memory for ever.

***

The rush of adrenalin carried
Sammy down the stairs, past the receptionist and out to her car. She started up
the engine and drove to Hanover’s
Lodge on automatic pilot. Climbing out of the car she spotted Lennon cocking
his leg against Jane’s Porsche. He ran back indoors. She followed him into the
warm kitchen and surprised Eddie by collapsing into his arms.

  
He called for Jane to come quickly and she raced downstairs in her
towelling robe, freshly washed hair flapping around her face. She looked in
dismay at her friend’s pale and stricken face and led her to a chair. ‘Tea!’
she ordered Eddie. ‘Put plenty of sugar in it.’

  
‘She doesn’t take sugar,’ Eddie began.

  
‘Just do it, Ed. What is it, Sam? Has there been a plane crash?’

  
Sammy shook her head.

  
‘What then? Sammy, for God’s sake, what’s wrong?’

  
‘Roy,’ Sammy uttered in a
strangled voice.

  
‘What about him?’ Jane shook her gently. ‘What about Roy?
Has something happened to him?’

  
Sammy opened her mouth but nothing came out. She closed it, shook her
head again and burst into tears.

***

Eddie grabbed the phone and
dialled The Grand. ‘Room 125, please. Mr Cantello.’
 
His eyes opened wide as the phone was answered.
‘Livvy? It’s Eddie, is Roy
there?’
    

  
‘
He can’t talk right now
,’
Livvy sobbed down the line. ‘
Sammy just
came to the hotel and found us together.’

  
‘It’s okay you don’t need to say anymore. Tell him I’ll call back later
and he’d better have a bloody good explanation.’ Eddie hung up; looking at
Jane’s shocked face over the top of Sammy’s head.

  
‘No!’ Jane shook her head slowly in disbelief.

  
‘Yes!’ He nodded.

  
Jane blinked back tears and sat down in front of Sammy, taking her
friend’s cold hands into her own. ‘Why?’ she asked in bewilderment.

  
Sammy shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered. ‘We were so happy
yesterday. I don’t understand it. I called him after I spoke to you earlier and
asked if he’d like to stay over the weekend. He sounded odd, sort of
breathless; his voice was different. He told me he’d got cramp in his foot and
hung up quickly. Oh God,’ Sammy looked at Eddie and Jane in despair, ‘it’s just
dawned on me - he was screwing her. I wouldn’t have been any the wiser if I
hadn’t called him, would I? She’d have been long gone before I picked him up
and he would have been sharing
my
bed tonight.

  
‘I bet he’s never stopped seeing her, and after all the promises he made
me this week. I can’t believe I’ve been so bloody stupid to fall for all those
lies about loving me and not letting me down. I wouldn’t have slept with him
again if I’d known he was still shagging her. Christ, I feel dirty, used. He
told me yesterday no one could love me like he does and then he does this.’ Her
hands shook as she took the mug of sweet tea Eddie handed her. ‘The marriage is
over now, believe me.’

***

Livvy put down the phone and
looked at Roy who was lying on the bed, staring silently up at the ceiling. She
felt helpless and didn’t know what to do or say so busied herself making two
cups of coffee from the hospitality tray. She placed them on the bedside table,
lay down next to Roy and put her
arms round him.

  
‘Roy, I’m so sorry. Why did
you take all the blame? It was my fault, not yours.’

  
He looked at her and shook his head. ‘No, Liv, I asked you to stay. I
wanted
you to stay. Truth is, I needed you here.’

  
‘But Sammy said she doesn’t want to see you again and she sounded as
though she really meant it.’

  
‘She
did
mean it, believe me,’
he replied, smiling weakly. He sat up. ‘Shit, what a fucking mess
I’ve made of things!’

  
‘I shouldn’t have come here,’ Livvy said tearfully. ‘I only wanted one
more night with you. Now I’ve ruined everything for your family.’

  
‘Livvy, stop it! Think of the baby. It won’t do any good to get upset. I
could have sent you packing but I didn’t. What about you? You know I’ve been
sleeping with Sammy again. Bet you hate me for that.’

  
‘She’s your wife. You were trying to patch things up.’
   

  
He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. ‘Well that’s it, my marriage is
over. She’s made the decision for me. I’ll have to speak to Ed next time he
calls. Sam’s obviously gone to his place. He and Jane will look after her.’

  
Livvy nodded. ‘I’d better get ready to go home. I need to go to work
soon.’

  
‘Don’t leave me, Livvy, please,’ he begged. ‘I can’t bear to be on my
own today. Jon will know what’s happened and he’ll tell Sean you’re with me.’

  
‘I’ll have to get clothes from my flat,’ she replied. ‘I can’t wear that
black dress all day. I need clean underwear and my makeup and stuff.’

  
‘We’ll go shopping later and I’ll buy you some new clothes. Your things
are too small for you now anyway. Give me a bit of time to compose myself.
Breakfast will be here soon. You need to eat and look after that baby.’

  
As he spoke there was a knock on the door. Roy
let in Sharon carrying a tray.

  
‘Breakfast, Mr Cantello,’ she said as Livvy turned away from her curious
gaze.
      

  
‘Thanks, Sharon.’ Roy
handed her a five pound tip and closed the door.
  

  
‘Maybe Sammy will change her mind when she’s had time to calm down,’
Livvy said, parking herself on the bed and buttering a slice of toast. ‘I could
try talking to her; tell her it was my fault.’

  
‘It won’t do any good. She gave me one last chance and I blew it. I knew
I was skating on very thin ice when I asked you to stay.’
   

  
‘But, Roy, you
should
talk to her. Don’t you even want
to try?’

  
‘I couldn’t face it. But I guess the least I can do is call Ed, make
sure she’s alright.’

***

Jane answered Roy’s
call. ‘
You’ve
got a bloody nerve,’
she told him and handed the phone to Eddie.

  
‘Roy, I’ll go upstairs and
talk to you privately. Hang on a minute, mate. Jane, put that phone down when I
pick up in our room,’ Eddie ordered.

  
She nodded and slammed down the receiver as soon as she heard Eddie’s
voice.
     

  
Sammy drained her cup and sighed. ‘I suppose I’d better go back home and
finish getting ready.’

  
‘Don’t you want to wait and hear what Roy
has to say?’

 
 
‘No!’ Sammy shook her head. ‘I
want nothing more to do with him. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for
this. I’m totally devastated, more so than I felt the other day when I found
out she was pregnant. I honestly thought we’d turned a corner. I mean, yesterday
at Nick’s grave Roy cried and we
held each other. We had a lovely lunchtime and yet he
still
had to spend the night with her. I just don’t understand it.
She obviously means more to him than he realises.’

  
Sammy stood up to go and Jane put her arms around her and hugged her.

  
‘I’m so sorry, Sam, I really am. This is the last thing we need, today
of all days.’

  
Jon strolled into the kitchen, making them jump. ‘Hi, Sammy, you’re up
early. What’s up?’ he asked, frowning at their tearstained faces.

  
‘You tell him, Jane. I’ll go home. Jason will be up soon and he’ll
wonder where on earth I am. I’ll see you at the airport in a couple of hours.
Meet me in the arrivals hall.’

  
Sammy left as Jon poured coffee and popped a slice of bread into the toaster.

  
‘So?’ He raised an eyebrow at Jane.

  
‘Can’t you guess?’ she replied.

  
‘I’ve a pretty good idea,’ he nodded. ‘Roy and Livvy?’

  
‘Who else? She spent the night at the hotel with him. Sammy had her
suspicions, went to The Grand and caught them together first thing this
morning.’

  
‘You’re joking? Fucking hell! Oh, sorry, Mum.’

  
‘It’s all right, Jon. I feel like swearing myself.’

  
‘What the hell is he playing at? He came into work yesterday and told
Livvy he couldn’t see her on her own again. Now you tell me they spent the
night together. He’s crazy.’

  
Eddie walked into the kitchen, shaking his head.

  
‘Well?’ Jane asked.

  
‘I wash my hands of him for now. I can’t be doing with it.’
 

  
‘What did he say?’ she asked.

  
‘Just what Sammy told us. He asked Livvy to spend the night with him.
Sam called him this morning at an awkward moment, as she’d suspected, and then
she turned up at the hotel shortly afterwards. I told him Sammy doesn’t want
him back. He said he realises he’s well and truly blown it this time. Livvy’s
staying with him today and he’ll catch up with us later. Obviously he wants to
see Pat and Tim, if
they
want to see him of course.’
 

  
‘Pat won’t.’ Jane folded her arms. ‘I can tell you that now. You and Tim
can meet up with him later but don’t bring him here coz I’ll bloody kill him!’

  
Jon finished his breakfast and stood up. ‘Right, I’m off.’

  
‘Bye, Jon. Oh, will you and Jess look after the kids tonight while we
spend some time with Tim and Pat?’ Jane called as he opened the back door.

  
‘Yeah, no problem. See you later.’

***

 
Jon unlocked his car and could feel the grin
splitting his face. Fantastic, a night alone with Jess. Get Katie and Dom to
bed as early as possible, crack open a bottle of Dad’s wine, relax together and
see what happens.

***

CHAPTER
TWENTY SEVEN

Sammy, Tom and Molly were standing
in arrivals as Jane and Eddie arrived.

  
Sammy waved them over and pointed to the flight arrivals board. ‘There,
it’s landed, just.’
 

  
‘Thank God for that.’ Jane let out a huge sigh and flung her arms around
Sammy. ‘I can relax a bit now.’

  
‘They’ll be ages in baggage reclaim and customs. Shall we get a coffee
while we wait?’ Eddie suggested.

  
‘Good idea, black for me,’ Sammy replied. ‘I’m off to the ladies. Coming
with me, Jane?’

***

Molly stared after Sammy and Jane
then turned to Eddie who’d found them a table.
   

  
‘So, where is he?’ she demanded as Tom went off to order drinks.

  
‘What’s Sammy told you?’ Eddie replied cagily.

  
Molly frowned. ‘Nothing, other than that he can’t make it. What’s going
on? I’ve bitten my tongue for long enough over the mess
those two are in. Something’s very wrong. Roy’s
been looking forward to this day for ages. Sammy told me last night that she
was collecting him from the hotel, now suddenly he can’t make it? He’s seeing
that bloody girl again, isn’t he? Don’t bother to deny it, Ed. Just wait until
I get my hands on him, he’ll wish he’d never been born.’ Her voice shook and
Tom, who had returned with a tray of mugs, patted her shoulder.

  
‘Molly, love, don’t jump to conclusions. He might have been genuinely
delayed.’

  
‘How could he be? Sammy was picking him up. What could possibly delay
him? Roy wouldn’t miss this for the
world unless there was a damn good reason.’ She narrowed her eyes and turned to
Eddie. ‘Did Sammy go to the hotel for him?’
  

  
‘Yes,’ Eddie replied.

  
‘Well, where is he then?’

  
Eddie sucked in his breath. ‘He wasn’t alone.’

  
‘What?’ You mean he had
another
woman with him? How many bloody
affairs has he had?’

  
‘It wasn’t another woman, it was Livvy.’

  
Her jaw dropped. ‘So he
is
seeing her again? No wonder Sammy’s upset. Well she needs to divorce him good
and proper now.’

  
Eddie spotted Jane and Sammy and waved them over. ‘The girls are back,
change the subject.’

***

Sammy smiled warily as she sat
down and reached for a mug of coffee. No doubt her mum had pounced on Ed and
given him the third degree as soon as her back was turned. She was gratified to
see him wink reassuringly at her.

  
She glanced across to the doors, where several passengers laden with
luggage, were filtering through. ‘Do you think this lot is from Pat and Tim’s
flight?’

  
‘I wouldn’t have thought so,’ Tom said. ‘Drink your coffee and relax for
a few minutes. They’ll be here soon enough.’
   

  
Sammy sighed as she put down her mug. Feeling calmer, she tried to blank
out the caring look on Roy’s face
earlier when he’d protected Livvy from her wrath. Sammy had almost felt like
the other woman for a few minutes. It should have been
she
he was protecting, not that little bitch.
  

  
‘Let’s stand by the barrier,’ she said after another fifteen minutes had
ticked slowly by and her thoughts were turning positively murderous.

  
Standing beside the barrier, scanning every face for a familiar one, she
and Jane spotted Pat simultaneously. ‘There she is,’ they shrieked, leaping up
and down.

  
‘Bloody hell! Look at the length of Tim’s hair!’ Eddie exclaimed as Tim,
long blonde hair swept back in a ponytail, appeared.

  
‘Oh, look at the girls.’ Molly, who hadn’t seen her blonde-haired,
blue-eyed granddaughters in over two years, swept Kim and Abby into her arms.
‘How grown up you are.’
 

  
After much hugging, kissing and backslapping, Tim looked around. ‘Well,
where is he?’

  
Sammy bit her lip. ‘I’ll explain when we get home.’

  
Pat looked at her stepsister with concern. ‘Oh, Sam,’ she said, her eyes
blue brimming.

  
Sammy put on a brave smile and took Pat’s arm. ‘No tears. He’s not worth
it. Come on, let’s go home and start our new lives.’

***

Roy and Livvy left the hotel
together. She insisted on driving back to her flat for a change of clothes
before Roy took her shopping.
  

  
‘I’m taking my car home first,’ she said as they strolled through the
car park. ‘Do you want to follow me?’

  
Roy nodded. ‘You go home and
wait for me. There’s something I need to do first.’

  
She looked at him, eyes wide. ‘Are you going to go and see Sammy, after
all?’

  
‘I wouldn’t dare. After last time she’d probably finish the job off good
and proper with the scissors! I’m going to visit my folks. I need to tell them
what’s happened, before Sammy does. I’ll also tell them about you and the baby.
I owe them that much.’ Roy sighed
and continued. ‘I don’t suppose they’ll be too pleased with me. But at least it
will give them time to get used to the idea of becoming grandparents again.’

  
Livvy rested her hand on his arm. ‘Roy,
I
do
love you, I
really
do. I feel bad for taking so much away
from you.’

  
He pulled her close. ‘Livvy, I love you too, never doubt that. It’s my
own fault that I’ve lost everything. Are you quite sure you want to be stuck
with an old geezer like me for the rest of your life? You’re so beautiful you
could have anyone you want, baby or no baby.’

  
‘Roy, it’s
you
that I
want and only you. I always have done. Age doesn’t come into it. I don’t regret
our affair, and I certainly don’t regret carrying your baby. I just want to
make you happy, that’s all.’

  
He stroked her cheek. ‘I’m not an easy man to live with. I can be a real
bastard at times. I’m untidy and noisy. I get
totally paranoid and chain smoke if things aren’t going right when I’m working
on new songs.’
   

  
‘I think I can learn to live with that. You’re also very loving and kind
and I like those qualities in a man.’

  
‘Well at least we’ve got a basis to work with. I’m willing to give us a
go if you are. Sammy will throw the book at us and we’ll probably end up all
over the papers. Can you cope with it?’

  
‘Why would that happen? No one knows about us other than your close
friends and people at work.’

  
‘And the people at the hotel who saw us together last night, and today
when we go out shopping. I’m a face that people recognise, Livvy. I try to
ignore it, but it doesn’t go away. There are often reports in magazines and
papers about what Ed and I are up to. When Nick died there were reporters all
over the place, they don’t miss a bloody trick. I’m trying to protect you
here,’ he said, seeing the panic in her eyes. ‘Just keep your head down and
don’t speak to anyone you don’t know, no matter how persuasive they are.’

  
‘I’ll be fine,’ she replied reassuringly. ‘Go and see your parents now,
get that out of the way first.’ She kissed him and they went their separate
ways.

***

Roy
spotted his mother on the opposite side of

  
‘Hello, Mum,’ he called, getting out of his car. He kissed her as she
reached him.

  
‘Hello, son,’ she replied, as Monty wriggled on his back with delight by
Roy’s feet. He bent to tickle the
dog’s tummy as his mother continued, ‘I thought
you’d
be at the airport.’

  
‘Err, no, there’s been a change of plan,’ he stammered. His mother
always had the knack of making him feel like a naughty schoolboy and the frown
crossing her chubby face now meant business.

  
‘What do you mean, change of plan? What have you been up to? You’ve got
guilt oozing from every pore, I can smell it!’

  
‘There’s something I need to talk to you about,’ he replied, stomach
looping as they walked towards the front door.

  
She pursed her lips in time-honoured fashion and nodded. ‘Well, you’d better
come in then. Your dad’s out. He’s taken some rubbish to the tip. Come through
to the kitchen and I’ll put the kettle on.’

  
Roy sat on a stool at the
breakfast bar, Monty by his feet. His mother switched on the kettle and reached
into the cupboard for mugs and a jar of coffee.

  
‘Well, come on, out with it.’

  
‘I’ve got a surprise for you, Mum.’ He stared at her back, cringing as
she paused, a spoonful of coffee granules poised above a mug. ‘You’re going to
be a grandma again.’
  

  
She turned mouth agape. ‘What?’ She dropped the spoon into the mug and
smiled. ‘It’s a miracle. You never let on that Sammy had had her sterilization
reversed. Were you keeping it a secret in case it didn’t work? Oh, love, you
must be over the moon.’ She went on and on in the same vein as Roy
rolled his eyes heavenward.
 

  
It had never crossed his mind that his mother would think it was Sammy
who was pregnant. God Almighty was the woman an idiot, or was she in denial?
She knew about his affair with Livvy and his estrangement from Sammy, so why
wasn’t she putting two and two together like she usually did? Roy
took the mug of coffee she handed him and sighed.

  
‘What is it, Roy? Aren’t you
happy about the baby? It’s what you both need. It will bring you closer.’

  
He braced himself. ‘Mum, you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. Sammy
isn’t pregnant. It’s Livvy, my girlfriend. Me and Sam, well, it’s over.’

  
She sat down heavily on a stool, the colour draining from her cheeks.

  
‘Roy - no! How could you?
Sammy must be devastated.’

  
‘She doesn’t want me, Mum.’

  
‘Well can’t you talk her round? Surely you can’t be serious about Livvy?
She’s only a bit of a kid. Are you quite sure it’s your baby, Roy?’

  
‘Yes, it’s mine. I
am
serious about her. She’s
not
a bit
of a kid and Sammy won’t be talked round under
any
circumstances.’ He
wasn’t prepared to tell her of the morning’s happenings. She looked shocked
enough, without him making things worse.

  
‘So, where is this girl, then?’

  
‘She’s at her flat; I’m joining her later. I love her, Mum. I also love
Sammy and would prefer to stay married to her, but she doesn’t want to see me
again. I’m going to try and make a go of it with Livvy. She needs looking
after. She has no one to turn to except me.’

  
His mum sucked in her breath. ‘You’re a bloody fool, Roy, but you’re my
lad at the end of the day and blood’s thicker than water. God help you when
this gets out. You need to keep a low profile for a while to let the dust
settle.’

  
‘That will be impossible. We’re reforming the band. We’re hoping to put
out a new single as soon as we can and go on tour. I don’t know how Eddie and
Tim will feel about working with me at the moment though.’

  
‘You lads
always
stick
together; have done since you were kids,’ his mum replied. ‘They’ll stand by
you; mark my words. Here’s your father, you can tell him your news while I pay
a visit to the bathroom.’

  
Roy smiled as his dad
strolled into the kitchen.

  
‘Our Roy’s got something to
tell you, Bob,’ Mum called over her shoulder.
 

  
‘Oh, and what’s that?’ Roberto Cantello, dark eyes twinkling, grinned at
his only son and offered him a cigarette.

  
‘You’d better sit down, Dad.’ Roy
held out his lighter and lit up himself.

  
‘Oh, oh - sounds serious. What have you been up to now?’

  
He told his tale and Dad took the news better than Roy
thought he would.

  
‘I suppose we’d better meet this young lady. Where is she from and how
did
you
get involved with her?’

  
‘She’s from Glasgow. She was
a friend of Nick and Jason’s.’ Roy
took a lengthy drag on his cigarette as his father’s eyebrows shot up his
forehead.

  
‘She’s younger than you?’

  
‘She’s twenty two, Dad,’ Roy
replied, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks.

  
‘You lucky bugger,’ Dad said, lowering his voice. ‘The times
I’ve tried to trade your mother in for a newer model, but never for one as
young as that.’

  
‘I’m not lucky. Like Mum says, I’m a fool. I’ve lost the best wife in
the world, my eldest boy’s dead and Jason doesn’t want to know me. I’ll also
lose a fortune, because Sammy will demand half of everything.’

  
‘Well face it, Roy, you’re
not short of money and Sammy’s worked very hard keeping you on the straight and
narrow. You’d have lost every penny to drink and drugs in the past if
she
hadn’t been behind you.’