The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (122 page)

  
‘Jess, I don’t even want to discuss this. Don’t you think we’ve got
enough with the boys?’

  
‘But they’re growing up. I missed out on having more children because
you
had a vasectomy when they were
six-months old.’
 

  
‘Well, we didn’t want more kids. You said from the start that two was
enough. I thought we were in agreement on that score.’

  
‘I think Jess feels she missed out, Jon,’ Mum said, patting Jess’s hand.
‘I mean,
I’d
be more than happy to
help out with foster children. I miss having little ones around the
place.’
   

  
Jon looked at Dad for back-up. Dad just shrugged and topped up the
glasses. ‘It’s up to you two.’

  
‘We don’t have the room for starters,’ Jon said. ‘We struggle to make
ends meet and before you even suggest it, Jess, I will
not
accept handouts from Dad. He’s given us enough with the house,
the cars and the boys’ education. We stand on our own two feet, right?’

  
Jess nodded. ‘Money isn’t the problem,’ she began. ‘Social Services pay
weekly allowances for each child. Dad said he’d pay for an extension on the
bungalow, make it into a four-bed-roomed place. We need an extension anyway.
The boys should have their own rooms now and we could use another bathroom.’

  
Jon scraped his chair back and stood up. He could feel anger welling.
They’d all been discussing this behind his back. Well it wasn’t on. No way was
he being a foster parent. For God’s sake, the boys drove Jess mad most of the
time. She was always grumbling about one thing or another. Why the hell would
she want someone else’s ankle-biters round her feet now her own were growing
up? ‘I thought you were looking forward to spending more time with me when the
boys go off to Uni,’ he said. ‘Don’t you think we deserve some
us
time for a change?’

  
‘
Us
time! Chance’ll be a fine
thing,’ Jess said. ‘If you’re not working late, you’re gigging with one band or
another, or out for a drink with Sean. When we
do
spend time together lately you’re snappy with me, well you have
been this last week.’
 

  
‘I think you two could do with a short break,’ Dad said, passing a
cigarette to Jon. ‘Me and your mother can keep an eye on the lads. Get
something booked as soon as you can and take a bit of time out together. My
treat. An early anniversary present.’
          

  
‘Dad, that’s really kind of you,’ Jess said. ‘Thank you.’

  
‘Yeah, thanks, Dad. I’ll try and book some time off work.’

  
‘Well don’t leave it too long.
The
Raiders
are in the recording studios in a couple of months. We’re doing the
final album and a bit of promo. I’ll be away for a few weeks and Mum’ll need my
help with the kids.’

  
‘Err, I’m quite capable of looking after the boys, you know,’ Mum said.
‘I brought these two up almost single handed while you were working away for
months on end. Anyway, Kate will be around to help me.’

  
Jon sat back down. He sipped at his drink and tried to relax. A long
weekend away with Jess would be good. It was ages since they’d done that. No
kids, total bliss. She might even be up for a bit of passion. And while they
were away he would try and talk her out of this daft idea of fostering.

***

Jon was changing the window
display with Sean when Shelly called out ‘Jon, lady wants to speak to you.’ He
tutted and banged his head on a guitar as he crawled out of the narrow space.
It had better not be Jess, mithering about bloody fostering again, he thought
as he took the receiver.

  
‘Jon Mellor.’ His face broke into a broad grin. ‘Sheena. Hi. You okay?
Sounds noisy, where are you? Oh – right – I’ll call her later then. – Do you? I
miss you, too.’ He turned his back on Shelley who was staring at him curiously.
He lowered his voice. ‘Oh great - I’ll look forward to that. In spite of what
we said, I can’t stop thinking about
you
either. Yeah, okay – I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.’
  

  
Sean raised a questioning eyebrow as Jon crawled back into the window
space.

  
‘Sheena,’ Jon said. ‘Calling from the airport. She’s just seen Livvy and
her daughter off.’

  
‘And how
is
Sheena?’

  
‘Fine. She’s coming down in a couple of weeks -
if
Livvy stays.’ Jon busied himself with the display, sensing
Sean’s eyes on his back.
 

  
‘And?’

  
‘And nothing,’ Jon said. ‘Maybe I’ll take her out for a drink.’

  
‘Yeah, and the rest. Jess’ll kill you.’

  
‘It’ll just be a drink. And Jess won’t know,’ Jon shrugged as the phone
rang out again.

  
‘Your wife, Jon,’ Shelly called.

  
‘See, she’s on the case already,’ Sean laughed.

  
‘Very funny. Don’t even joke about it.’ Jon clambered out of the window
space again. ‘Jess? - I haven’t asked him yet.
 
– Okay, that sounds nice. You got any money? I’m skint until payday. Oh,
did he? Alright, but we can’t keep doing that. – I’ll meet you in Est, Est, Est
at six-thirty then.’

  
‘Problem?’ Sean asked.

  
‘No, Dad’s offered to pay for a meal for me and Jess. He’s also treating
us to a short break away – no kids. I need to book some time off. Jess was just
reminding me to check availability.’

  
‘Take whenever. No one’s got anything booked in for the next couple of
months.’

  
‘Thanks, Sean. I’ll ask Jess later if she’s sorted anything. She said
last night that she fancies Paris
or Rome.’

  
‘Very romantic.’

  
‘Yeah, let’s hope so,’ Jon sighed.

***

‘So, what’s on your mind?’ Jon
asked as Jess twiddled the stem of her wine glass while they waited for their
meal. They were in their favourite budget-priced restaurant. She’d been
unusually quiet since she sat down and had hardly looked at him, focussing
instead on a mixed-race family with a couple of tiny girls, who were seated at
an adjacent table. The youngest was chewing a breadstick and staring at Jess
with big brown eyes.
     

  
‘Err,’ she began, switching her attention to him. ‘A lady from Social
Services called this morning. There’s a meeting on Friday night, a sort of
introduction to fostering. There’s no obligation on our part, but I thought it
would be nice to go. Just to see what it entails.’
 

  
Jon spluttered into his wine glass and slammed it down. ‘No way! I told
you last night that fostering isn’t an option. Anyway, I’ve a gig in Oldham
on Friday and I can’t afford not to do it.’ He was aware of people staring as
his voice rose.
  

  
The waitress brought their starters. ‘Garlic Mushrooms?’

  
‘That’s mine,’ Jess said. ‘Thank you.’

  
‘Broccoli and Stilton soup, Sir.’

  
‘Thanks,’ Jon nodded. ‘I don’t want to talk about it anymore,’ he said
as the waitress left. He changed the subject. ‘Did you book the holiday?’

  
‘No. I’m going to Pickford for lunch with Mum tomorrow. I’ll do it then.
And if you won’t come with me on Friday then I’ll go to the meeting with Mum.’

  
Jon stared at her as she looked down at her plate. He sighed. Here
wasn’t the place to make a scene, but he was seething inside that she’d spoiled
a rare night out and hadn’t waited until they got home to talk. After a few
spoonfuls he pushed the soup away.
 

  
‘Don’t you like it?’

  
‘I’ve lost my appetite,’ he muttered as she toyed with her mushrooms. ‘I’m
not in the mood for this. Let’s get the bill and go.’

  
‘Okay.’ She shrugged and pulled on her jacket. The little girl with the
breadstick flashed them a big smile. Jon turned away and summoned the waitress,
but not before he’d seen the longing on Jess’s face as she spoke to the child.
He told the waitress they had to leave, but he would pay for the meal they’d
ordered.

  
Outside he took Jess’s arm. ‘Fancy a drink? Sean, and Ian from
Instruments, will be in The Swan.’

  
She shook her head. ‘No thanks. Apart from the fostering thing, is
everything okay between us? You’re so distant lately.’

  
He looked into her eyes, saw they lacked their usual sparkle, and felt
guilty all over again. If he agreed to this fostering malarkey she’d be smiling
and her usual self, but it wasn’t what
he
wanted. She’d have less time for him and they’d grow even further apart. ‘We’re
fine,’ he said, and bent to kiss her. ‘Get that holiday booked and I’ll show
you how okay we are. Be like the early days.’

  
She smiled. ‘We need it, don’t we? Time together, I mean. I’ll set off
for home. You follow when you’ve had a drink with the lads.’

  
He walked her to the Jeep. ‘Time together is the exact opposite of what
we’d get if we fostered,’ he said and kissed her. ‘Just think long and hard
about it, Jess.’

  
‘I will. By the way, Jack told me earlier that he and Harley are
secretly engaged, but they don’t want it to be a secret anymore.’

  
Jon smiled. ‘Bless ‘em! Puppy love. Ah well, if it’s meant to be, it’ll
last.’
 

  
‘It will,’ she said.

  
Jon waved as she pulled away. He lit a cigarette. Across the road the
lights of The Midland Hotel beckoned a friendly welcome. Drawn, he strolled
towards them and thought about his stolen hours of passion with Sheena. Livvy
should be here and settled in by now. Might as well pay her a flying
visit.
      

  
The young receptionist looked up as he strolled towards the desk. ‘Has
Mrs McVey checked in?’

  
‘Yes, Sir. Would you like me to call her room?’

  
‘Please, tell her it’s Jon Mellor.’ He fidgeted from foot to foot as the
girl picked up the phone.

  
‘Mrs McVey? I’ve got Mr Jon Mellor in reception. Okay, thank you. Room
125, Sir.’

  
‘Thanks.’ He took the lift to the first floor and tapped lightly on the
door.

  
‘Hi, you,’ Livvy greeted him. ‘This is a nice surprise. Come on in. Meet
Courtney.’

  
He stepped inside the room and a young version of Livvy, lying on her
front, chin on hands, peeled her eyes from the TV screen and smiled. ‘You
Harley’s dad?’ she asked sitting upright.

 
 
‘Er,
no, I’m Jon,’ he replied, thinking, typical woman, straight for the jugular.

  
‘This is my friend, Jon Mellor.’ Livvy introduced them. ‘Jon and I used
to work together many years ago.’

  
Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Courtney turned her attention back
to

  
‘She’s hooked on the Street, thanks to Sheena’s daughter,’ Livvy said.
‘Keeps her occupied, anyway.’

  
‘How was your flight?’ Jon asked.

  
‘Fine thanks. Would you like a drink? We can go and sit in Courtney’s
room if you want to talk. It’s through the doors off mine, but the telly’s only
tiny!’ She reached into the mini bar for two bottles of brandy and led the way.
‘Sit down.’ She gestured to the bed and he took off his jacket and threw it
over a chair. He sat down next to her. ‘What is it?’ she said, tipping the
brandy into glasses and handing him one. ‘You look troubled.’

  
He took a sip and smiled. ‘I need this.’ He told her what had gone on
between him and Jess and his feelings of guilt over Sheena, but how he didn’t
really regret what he’d done.
 

  
She nodded slowly. ‘Well, I can’t say that I blame you about the
fostering issue. Your boys are growing up and it will be nice to have time to
yourselves. But I do understand Jess’s feelings about wanting children around.
Although
I’d
quite like to have more
of my own.’

  
‘Would you?’ Jon frowned. ‘Having
our
own kids isn’t an option. There’s no way I’m having a vasectomy reversal after
so long. It’s not just the fostering thing though, it’s the fact that Jess has
gone behind my back with the whole idea. She seems to have Mum and Dad on her
side, too. Dad’s offered to pay for an extension to our house and Mum’s as keen
as Jess on the issue. I felt like an outsider in my own family yesterday.’
   

He took a swig of his drink and
continued. ‘But that’s it, isn’t it? An outsider is exactly what I am. The
“outsider” Eddie thought he’d fathered and got lumbered with for the rest of
his life. His hand’s never been out of his pocket since.’

  
Livvy’s jaw dropped and she jumped to her feet. ‘Jon, where’s the chip
on your shoulder come from? Eddie would be devastated to hear you talking like
that. As far as
he’s
concerned, you
are
his son. Your mum and dad are two of
the nicest people I’ve ever met. They’ve always loved you. You don’t know how
lucky you are. I
never
had that sort
of love until recently. Now pull yourself together before you go home. Talk to
Jess. Don’t fight with her. And don’t forget, you owe her one big-time for what
you’ve
done.’