The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (117 page)

  
‘Cool!’ Harley exclaimed.
 

  
Livvy smiled.
 
She wanted to ask Roy
about Harley’s health. Judging by the paleness of her skin and the dark smudges
beneath her eyes, her daughter wasn’t very well, and there was the matter of
the blood tests too. ‘Shall we order? The menu looks nice.’

  
‘Please,’ Harley nodded enthusiastically. ‘Do you think they’ll have
chocolate éclairs, Livvy?’

  
‘I’m sure they will,’ Livvy said, remembering back to the lewd
conversation in Flanagan and Grey’s yesterday.

  
‘I’ll have an éclair and Coke please. Where’s the ladies loo, Dad?’
Harley lowered her voice.

  
Roy shrugged and looked at
Livvy.

  
‘Go out to reception and turn right. You’ll see a little sign pointing
down one of the corridors. It’s a bit of a walk. Take care that you don’t get
lost.’

  
‘Thanks. Give me the car keys, Dad. I’ve left my phone on the dash and
I’m expecting a text from Jack. Won’t be long.’ Harley hurried across the
lounge as Livvy summoned the waitress and placed their order.

  
‘So, what do you think of our girl?’ Roy
asked proudly. ‘Stunning or what?’

  
‘She’s beautiful,’ Livvy nodded, on the verge of tears again, ‘But then,
I always knew she would be. Roy,
what’s wrong with her? Why is she so pale? She looks really ill. You told me
she’d had blood tests. Is it serious? Please be honest with me.’

  
He nodded. ‘I’ll call you tonight after she’s gone to bed. I’ll explain
everything then.’

  
She jumped up and grabbed his arm. ‘Tell me now! Why can’t you tell me
now? Why do I have to wait until tonight?’

  
‘It’s not very private in here.’ He looked around.

  
‘There’s hardly anyone about.’ She glanced at the handful of people,
tucking into afternoon tea. ‘What on earth is it? Why all the cloak and dagger
stuff?’

  
He looked at her with such a haunted expression and pulled her down on
the sofa beside him.

  
‘Roy, please. You’re scaring
me.’

  
‘There’s no easy way to say it.’ He took her hands and held them
tightly. ‘There’s a possibility Harley may have leukaemia. She’s going into
hospital on Friday for a bone-marrow test. We’ll know the results early next
week.’

  
‘No! No, Roy, surely not? Not our girl, not now.’

  
Roy’s eyes were moist. ‘Oh,
Liv, I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll call you tonight and tell you everything, how
she’s been and stuff. We haven’t told her yet. We only found out this morning.
We’ll tell her tomorrow.’
 

  
‘Oh, poor Harley. How on earth is she going to cope with that?’ He shook
his head in answer and she saw the sadness in his eyes. Thank God she was
around to support him. ‘Roy, what
you said before. Have you really missed me?’

  
He looked up. ‘More than you’ll ever know. I have a constant reminder of
you. I could never, ever forget, nor would I choose to.’

  
‘But you’re still with Sammy?’

  
‘Well yeah, of course I am. I love her, Livvy; you know that.
We’d
be together otherwise. I’m sure you
also
know that.’

  
She nodded. ‘I still love
you
,’
she said softly. ‘My life’s been in limbo since the day I gave Harley to you.
Danny’s given me six months to sort myself out or he wants a divorce.’

  
She could see the shock on Roy’s
face. ‘I thought you were happy with Danny? Does he know I’m Harley’s father?’

  
‘No. The only other person who knows is my friend Sheena.’

  
‘I see.’ He stared at her. ‘If I’m honest, Liv, I’ve been dreading this
meeting. I knew once I looked into your eyes again I’d be lost.’

  
‘And are you?’

  
‘What do you think?’ he replied. ‘Change the subject. Harley’s just
walked in and the waitress is on the way over.’

  
Harley sat back down next to Roy
and handed him his keys. ‘The ladies’ loo is lovely. Very posh with fresh
flowers and peach hand cream.’ She held her hand up to Roy’s
nose.

  
‘Smells like cat pee to me!’

  
‘Dad, you’ve got no finesse.’

  
‘That’s what your mother’s always telling me,’ he said as the waitress
left a laden trolley. ‘Sammy thinks I’m a lost cause,’ he said, lifting plates
of sandwiches and cakes onto the coffee table. ‘But you know what it’s like.
When you’ve stayed in as many hotels as the band has over the years, you become
blasé. One place is much the same as another, and I make a point of
never
using the hand cream.’

  
Livvy smiled and poured two cups of tea. He hadn’t changed. ‘Still sweet
enough, Roy or do you take sugar
these days?’

  
He shook his head, accepted his cup of tea and helped himself to a handful
of dainty smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches. ‘There’s enough to feed an
army here,’ he said, tucking in.

  
‘What’s your house like, Livvy?’ Harley asked. ‘Mum showed me the
magazine photos and it looks very nice, but you could only see bits of it.’

  
‘Well, as you saw, it’s a white painted ranch with a lot of land and a
swimming pool,’ Livvy replied. ‘We have horses too. We all ride. The ranch is
in a place called Santa Ana and
that’s in Orange County,
Los Angeles.’

  
‘Are you anywhere near Disneyworld?’

  
‘Not too far,’ Livvy told her. ‘Courtney loves to go there, but we get
to spend so little time together as a family because of work commitments. We’ve
only managed a couple of visits in the last few years.’

  
‘We’ve been to Disneyland in Florida
a few times, haven’t we?’ Harley turned to Roy.
‘But Dad works away a lot too, don’t you?’

  
‘Unfortunately, yes. But I’m home for a good few months now, barring
recording sessions and a few TV shows.’ He helped himself to a scone and spread
it liberally with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

  
‘I’ve taken six months off so I can spend time with Courtney,’ Livvy
said. ‘Would you like to see some photographs of my family and our home,
Harley?’ She smiled at Roy as he
licked his sticky fingers and stood up, brushing crumbs from his black
trousers.

  
‘Just popping to the little boys’ room,’ he said as Livvy joined Harley
on the sofa. ‘Back in two ticks to finish off what you pair don’t eat.’

***

Roy
stood by the door. Livvy and Harley made a delightful picture, sitting side by
side, heads together, shoulders touching as they studied the photographs that
Livvy had produced from her handbag.

  
He swallowed hard. In spite of the difference in their colouring, they
were so alike. Same mannerisms, identical smiles, they could have been teenage
sisters, never mind mother and daughter. Livvy was still so beautiful; she’d
hardly changed at all. He was fighting the urge to sweep her into his arms and
carry her off to her room. It was a good job Harley was with him, because Roy
knew, that in spite of his promises to Sammy, he’d probably be shagging the
arse off Livvy by now if they’d been alone.

  
He made his way to the gents’ and glanced into the lift as the doors
were closing. He frowned and stopped. Was that Jon Mellor standing to the back
of the lift? The man had his head down, so Roy
couldn’t be sure, but there was a strong resemblance. The distinctive, thick
dark curls for one. But it couldn’t have been Jon, he’d be working at this time
of day. Ah well, Roy thought, there
were plenty of curly headed men around. He must have been mistaken.

***

Harley gazed at the photographs of
her half sister, sitting astride her pony and helping her father sail his
yacht. There were pictures of the family at Disneyworld,
and of Courtney, sitting alone on the steps of the swimming pool at the ranch
in Santa Ana. ‘How old is
Courtney?’ she asked.

  
‘Fifteen in June,’ Livvy replied.

  
‘Will I be able to meet her?’

  
‘I don’t see why not. If it’s what
you
would like, I’m sure she would too.’

  
‘Is she at your home in America?’

  
‘No, honey, at the moment Courtney’s staying at my friend’s house in Scotland.’

  
‘Why did she go to Scotland
and not come here with you?’ Harley frowned.

  
Livvy told her why they’d flown to Glasgow
first. She explained about her past, her own adoption and how she had traced
her father and his family.

  
Harley sat quietly, nodding now and again. ‘They’ll be my relatives too
then. Do you think you’ll get to meet your own mother soon?’

  
‘I hope so, Harley, I really do.’

  
‘Why did you give me away? I mean, you weren’t a young teenager like
your own mum was. Why didn’t you keep me with you?’

  
Livvy sighed and took her hand. ‘I wanted you to grow up knowing your
father. I knew that if I kept you that wouldn’t have been possible. Because of
who he is, it would have created too much bad publicity for all concerned. He’d
gone back to Sammy and I felt I’d done enough damage to their marriage without
staying around to rub salt in her wounds. They’d lost Nick that same year. Your
dad and I had caused Sammy so much pain, I wanted to try and ease it a little.
Believe me, it wasn’t an easy decision, but at the time I felt it was the right
one, the only one in fact that would give
you
two parents under the same roof.’

  
Harley nodded. ‘They both love me very much.’

  
‘Oh,
very
much, Harley. I don’t think I made the wrong choice, do
you?’

  
‘No, you probably didn’t,’ Harley agreed as Roy
rejoined them, pointing at the teapot.

  
‘Shall
I
be mother this time?’

  
‘Please do,’ Livvy said, grabbing a handful of paper napkins as he
slopped tea into cups
and
saucers.

***

Jon asked at reception for
Sheena’s room number and headed for the lift. He pressed the button for the
third floor and stared at his shoes, wondering if he was making a huge mistake.
The doors slid together and the lift began to ascend. What if she refused to
see him?

  
He stood outside room 323 for what seemed like forever. He tapped the
door lightly and held his breath. Sheena opened the door a fraction. ‘Hi,’ he
said as her mouth fell open. She stepped back to let him in. His eyes searched
her face which was glowing and devoid of makeup. Her hair hung in damp tendrils
around her cheeks, her feet were bare and her pink silk robe clung to her
contours.
 

  
‘I’ve just taken a bath,’ she faltered, blushing slightly as he
continued to stare.

  
‘I gathered that,’ he said. ‘I’ve come to apologise for kissing you
without your consent.’

  
‘I see.’ She gave him a bashful smile. ‘Your apology, although not
necessary, is accepted. Err, please have a seat.’

  
‘Where?’ He glanced around the room, taking in the chair by the window
and the inviting double bed.

  
‘Anywhere you like.’
 

  
Jon removed his outer jacket and placed it over the back of the chair.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands shaking, and his head screaming that
he shouldn’t be here.

  
‘Can I get you a drink?’ Sheena opened the door to the mini bar.

  
‘Is there any brandy in there?’ If he didn’t calm his churning guts soon
he felt he might throw up.

  
Sheena emptied a miniature bottle into a glass and handed it to him. He
knocked it back in one go.

  
‘That’s better.’ He smiled and looked at her.

  
‘Would you like another?’

  
‘Better not. I had those two pints at lunchtime and I’ve got to drive
home. Don’t want to risk being over the limit.’

  
She stood in front of him, twisting the ties of her robe nervously
around her fingers. ‘Jon,’ she began, ‘Why are you
really
here?
 
Shouldn’t you be at work?’

  
‘I’ve taken time off to see you.’

  
‘Why?’

  
He shrugged helplessly. ‘Don’t know. Would you like me to go?’

  
‘No.’

  
He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers one by one. ‘If I kiss
you now will you promise not to run away again?’

  
‘There’s nowhere to run to this time.’

  
He pulled her onto his knee. She put her arms around his neck and looked
into his eyes. He kissed her, gently at first and then passionately, pulling
her ever closer. She broke away and pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders,
her trembling fingers reaching to undo the buttons on his shirt. Jon stood up,
pulled her to her feet and undid the ties of her robe. It slid silently to the
floor. She was naked underneath and he felt the blood rushing to his groin as
he took in her shapely curves, neat waist and pert breasts.

  
She helped him undress and they tumbled onto the bed. Jon blocked out a
mental picture of Jess’s trusting face and they spent the next hour, kissing,
caressing and exploring every inch of each other. When he sensed her every
nerve was at screaming point, Jon moved up the bed and slid into her. Sheena
gasped and lifted her hips to meet him. He thrust enthusiastically time and
again until her wild cries sent him crashing to his own climax. They collapsed
in a tangle of arms and legs on a bed that was now devoid of sheets and
blankets.