The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (94 page)

  
‘
Calm down, Livvy, I can hear you
over the other side of the office. Now listen to me. All this shouting is not
good for your baby. Are you at home? Okay, me and Sammy will be with you
shortly. Sit on the sofa, relax, and take some deep breaths.’
 

***

‘Come on, we’ve got to go to
Livvy’s place before she miscarries that child,’ Jane ordered. ‘She was in a
state just then. You can tell me what she said on the way over there. Grab your
bag and get in my car. Go on, Sam, move yourself.’ Jane handed Sammy the car
keys, switched off the lights and pushed her out of the door.
 

  
‘So, come on, what did she say to you?’ Jane asked as they headed for Jackson’s
Heath. ‘You’re white as a sheet.’
  

  
‘She knows I spent the night with Stuart. She’ll tell Roy.
He’ll hit the roof.’

  
‘Hey, hang on. Get it into perspective. You’re not the one at fault
here.’

  
‘It doesn’t matter, Jane, he’ll never forgive me. I’ll lose him to her
again.’
   

  
‘Not if he’s got any sense,’ Jane muttered grimly. ‘Where is he
tonight?’

  
‘At the flat I presume. We didn’t actually make arrangements to meet up.
I suppose we thought it wasn’t necessary. I was going to call him later.’

  
Jane nodded. ‘I’ll stop at that phone box down the road and call Ed. He
should be home by now. He’ll know where Roy
is.’

  
‘Don’t tell him we’re going to Livvy’s. I don’t want Roy
turning up until I’ve persuaded her to keep her mouth shut. Though God knows how
I’m going to do it.’

  
Jane stopped at the phone box and jumped out of the car. She was back in
minutes and put her foot down. ‘Roy’s
at our place with Phil. Ed wondered where I was. I forgot to tell him I was
working late. I told him we’re taking some stock to the Westlow shop and he
suggested we go back for something to eat after we’ve finished.’

  
‘Oh, that’s good. Right, let’s get to Livvy’s and sort this mess
out.’

  
‘Now which road is Livvy’s? Jane asked as they drove through Jackson’s
Heath.

  
‘Second on the right.’
 

***

Sammy pressed the intercom and the
catch was released. The door to flat seven was ajar but Sammy knocked before
they entered. Livvy was in the bedroom throwing things into a suitcase. Sammy
noted her pale, tear-streaked face and shaking hands.

  
‘What are you doing?’ she asked as Jane went into the room and put her
arms around Livvy’s shoulders.

  
‘I told you I’m going back to Glasgow,’
Livvy sobbed. ‘I can’t stay here with all this mess
going on around me.’

  
‘Well whose fault is it? This mess I
mean?’ Sammy said from the doorway. She couldn’t bring herself to step into the
room where Roy had screwed the
girl.

  
‘Sammy!’ Jane warned as Livvy’s shoulders shook even more. ‘Livvy, come
and sit down and I’ll make us a nice cup of tea.’

  
Sammy walked ahead into the lounge, her stomach churning. Seeing Livvy
again with Roy’s child growing
inside her tore her to pieces and she wished with all her heart that
she
could have another baby with him.
She sank down onto the sofa before her legs gave way.

  
Livvy flopped onto a chair and folded her arms protectively over her
bump as Sammy’s eyes bore into it.

  
Jane came in with three mugs and sat down beside Sammy.

  
‘I haven’t sugared them,’ she announced, handing them round.

 
 
‘I
don’t take sugar,’ Livvy replied.

  
‘Neither do we,’ Jane said. ‘We’re sweet enough!’

  
‘That’s what Roy said, first
time he came here,’ Livvy said quietly.

  
‘Did he?’ Sammy felt sick as she pictured her man, sitting on the sofa
drinking tea, long legs stretched out in front of him. She shook her head to
clear the vision. ‘Right, we need to get a few things straight. I’m going to
ask some questions. Do me the courtesy of being absolutely truthful.’

  
Livvy nodded. ‘I’m sick and tired of lies.’

 
 
‘Well that’s something we agree
on,’ Sammy muttered. ‘On the Saturday morning, when I walked in on you and Roy
at The Grand, had he invited you over or did you go to find him of your own
accord?’

  
Livvy looked her in the eye. ‘I phoned a few hotels; he was easy enough
to track down. He wasn’t expecting me. As far as I was concerned, we had
unfinished business.’

  
‘I see, and then what happened?’

  
‘He bought me a drink, asked me to join him for a meal.’

  
‘And afterwards?’ Sammy swallowed hard.

  
‘He asked if I’d stay the night,’ Livvy replied.

  
‘Did it never occur to you to say no?’ Jane asked.

  
‘Why should it? I knew he would ask me. He can’t resist me, you see.’
She stared defiantly at Sammy.

  
Although she felt like shaking Livvy’s head off her shoulders, Sammy
kept her cool and continued. ‘I suppose he told you I was collecting him to go
to the airport the following morning?’

  
‘Of course. He suggested I run a bath while he called you to make final
arrangements, before he joined me in it.’

  
Livvy seemed to be enjoying rubbing salt in her wounds and Sammy saw
red. She stood up and paced the room. ‘Right, lady, that’s enough. Thanks for
being honest with me. Now
I’ll
be
honest with
you.
If I can forgive Roy
for everything he’s done with
you,
don’t you think that me spending one night with Stuart is small potatoes by
comparison? I told Roy earlier that
I’d slept with Stuart,’ she fibbed. ‘It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference
to how he feels about me. You can’t have him, Livvy. I’m not divorcing him and
he’s so thrilled to have another chance that he can forgive me anything.

  
‘He’s moving back home. So you can’t hold my night with Stuart over my
head, because it simply won’t wash. Stu knows I love Roy.
Deep down he also knows that he and I are just good friends.’ Sammy took a deep
breath and sat down again, looking at Jane for further inspiration.

  
‘I think you should speak to Roy
before you go rushing off to Scotland,
Livvy,’ Jane advised. ‘You can’t just up sticks and go like that. Roy
has rights to his child.’

  
Livvy jumped up and stared white-faced at them. ‘Roy Cantello’s ruined
my life. He has no rights, no rights at all. I didn’t plan to fall in love with
him, or have his baby. It just happened. If you two are back together then what
happens to
me
now?’ she directed at Sammy.

  
‘What do you mean, what happens to
you
?’
  

  
‘Sit down, Livvy,’ Jane said gently, giving Sammy a warning look. ‘What
plans did you have before you got pregnant?’
  

  
Livvy dropped back onto her chair and sighed. ‘To sing professionally. Roy
promised to help me.’

  
‘And you still could. Why not have the baby adopted and carry on with
your life?’ Sammy suggested.

  
‘Roy would never allow
that.’

  
‘Have you discussed adoption with him?’ Jane asked.

  
‘No. He wants this baby. The other night he lay with his head on my
tummy for ages, singing to it. He told it little stories and the names
we’ve chosen.’

  
Sammy smiled faintly. She could picture him doing just that. He’d done
exactly the same thing during
her
pregnancies.

  
‘What names have you chosen?’ Jane
asked.

  
‘Harley and Joshua,’ Livvy replied proudly.

  
‘Roy’s favourite bike,’
Sammy said.

  
‘And Ed’s,’ Jane smiled.
  

  
‘What bike?’ Livvy frowned.

   
‘Harley Davidson’s. The lads loved them when they were teenagers,’ Jane
replied.

  
Livvy tutted softly. ‘Trust Roy!
Fancy naming your daughter after a bike. So, what now?’

  
‘I don’t know what to suggest,’ Sammy said. ‘But I think you should stay
around until the baby arrives and then make a decision about your future. Did Roy
transfer money into your account?’

  
‘Yes, thank you. More money than I ever expected.’

  
‘We promised we’d look after you and the child. But I want my man back,
Livvy and this time I’m keeping him. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

  
‘Yes,’ Livvy nodded, ringing her hands.

  
‘Roy and I will come here together and talk to you next week. We’ll
discuss things further then.’ Sammy stood up and Jane took her cue.

  
‘Goodbye, Livvy.’ Jane patted her arm gently.
 

  
‘Bye, Jane and thank you.’

  
‘You’re welcome,’ Jane said as she and Sammy left.

  
‘Thank God that’s over,’ Sammy muttered, closing her eyes as she sank
into the passenger seat.
  

  
‘You do realise what you said to her, don’t you?’ Jane said as she switched
on the engine.

  
‘Yes.’ Sammy sighed loudly. ‘I’ve now got to face Roy
and tell him I slept with Stuart and ask him to move back in with me. Not such
a tall order, is it, Jane?’

  
‘God help you!’

***

After Sammy and Jane left, Livvy
lay on her bed, her mind going over their suggestion of adoption. If she was
honest with herself, it made a lot of sense. How the hell was she supposed to
cope on her own? Mind you, even if they were together, Roy
would be away a lot of the time anyway. She felt strangely calm about the whole
thing. It was never going to work with him. There was always the worry that
he’d go back to Sammy.
 

  
Her child needed two parents, but what if the adoptive parents were as
bad as the ones
she’d
ended up with?
The whole thing needed a lot of thinking about. Tomorrow she was having dinner
with Sean and Tina. She’d share her problems with them, see what they thought
about the adoption idea.

***

A very noisy party was in progress
at Hanover’s Lodge. Katie was
sitting on Uncle Roy’s knee, singing along with him, Dominic was hammering a
saucepan with two of his dad’s old drumsticks, Phil was banging on the kitchen
table with spoons and Eddie was leaning against the dresser, smiling.

  
Sammy grinned and stuck her fingers in her ears as she and Jane walked
in.

  
‘Hi, Phil,’ they shouted above the racket. ‘It’s good to see you again,’
Sammy added.

  
‘Auntie Sammy, Uncle Roy said you’re his special girl,’ Katie called
out.

  
‘Did he now?’ Sammy smiled at Katie.

  
Roy winked at Sammy and
putting Katie down he walked across the kitchen, slung his arm around her
shoulders and whispered, ‘I love you.’

  
He’d been drinking or smoking pot, Sammy couldn’t decide which, but he
was definitely mellow. Strike while the iron’s hot, she thought. ‘I love you
too, Roy.’ She took his hand. ‘Can
we go back to your flat? We need to talk.’

  
‘Only if you promise to stay the night,’

  
‘I will,’ she replied, feeling in his jacket pocket for his keys. ‘My
car’s at the factory, so we’ll use yours. But
I’ll
drive, you don’t look very capable.’

  
‘Whatever you say. You’re all witnesses to that.’ Roy
smiled gleefully at the others. ‘She’s promised to stay the night. Lead the
way, Sam.’

  
‘Bye, you two,’ Jane called after them and closed the door.

***

‘You’re a flighty little piece,
Katie Mellor,’ Jane said as her daughter clambered onto Phil’s knee. ‘Flirting
with Uncle Roy and now Uncle Phil.’

  
‘Uncle Phil’s got four little girls,’ Katie announced, ‘
and
he’s got twin boys,’ she directed
meaningfully at her dad.

  
‘Don’t start all that again about not being born a twin with Jess,’ he
warned.

  
‘Well Phil did it properly!’ She ducked out of the way and shot across
the kitchen as Eddie playfully tried to grab her arm.

  
‘That little monkey’s getting to be more than a handful,’ he said.

  
Jane laughed. ‘God help us! Go upstairs and get ready for your bath,
Katie. You too, Dom. Pour me a G&T, Ed while I sort them out. Did you think
to save me any supper?’

  
‘It’s in the oven. There was enough for Sam, too. ’

  
‘I’ll have Sam’s,’ Phil said. ‘You make a mean chicken curry, Ed. I
could manage another plateful.’
  

  
‘So, how’s Phil?’ Jane asked, bending to kiss his cheek.

  
‘Phil’s just fine,’ he replied, giving her a hug. ‘In fact, he’s raring
to go.’

  
‘So I heard. Have vasectomy, will travel, eh?’ she laughed.

  
‘Something like that, Jane. I need to find me a new woman and soon,
before I go crazy.’