The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (125 page)

  
‘But I thought you loved me.’

  
‘I do. You know I do, but I also love Sam.’ He stood up and paced the
room. ‘I can’t believe this is happening again. If Harley wasn’t ill you’d just
be paying a visit and then going home, wouldn’t you?’ He stopped pacing and
frowned. ‘Or did you have a hidden agenda?’

  
Livvy felt her cheeks warming. ‘I guess I thought I’d see how things
went between me and Harley and us two and take it from there,’ she
admitted.
 

  
‘So, you were hoping to split me and Sammy up again, is that it?’

  
‘Well if things were right between you and Sammy you wouldn’t have made
love to me, would you? You told me you were desperate for me.’

  
‘I was – I am. Shit! I’m going, Liv. I don’t want to fight with you.
Please think about the egg thing. We should all pull together and do everything
we can to save Harley’s life.’
 

  
With that he was gone and she’d lain around feeling desolate. She
couldn’t donate an egg if she was pregnant herself, but how the hell was she
going to explain that to Roy? He’d
go absolutely mental. She groaned and curled herself into a tight ball.

   
Tina had dropped Courtney off an hour ago after taking Harley home; she
was in her room, reading. Danny had called from Heathrow, while waiting for his
shuttle to Manchester, and asked
her to book a table in the restaurant for dinner tonight. The last thing she
felt like doing was playing happy families. She got off the bed and popped her
head around Courtney’s door. ‘I’m taking a shower. Dad wants us to eat
downstairs later.’

  
‘Do we have to? I’m stuffed from tea at Tina’s and I was planning to
show Dad all the photos Harley lent me. They’re of her as a baby and while
she’s growing up. There’s loads of her with her dad. He’s really nice, Mom, no
wonder you fancied him!’
    

  
Livvy turned away and almost choked on the sob in her throat. She hadn’t
the heart to tell Courtney that photographs of Harley and Roy would be the last
thing her father would want to look at tonight.

  
‘By the way, Mom, I’m going to Harley’s tomorrow to meet Jack and I can
stay the night as well.’
 

  
‘Has she asked permission?’ Livvy frowned.

  
‘Yeah, Roy came in as me and
Tina were leaving. He said it was okay and they’ll come and pick me up at eleven.
They can meet Dad then, can’t they?’

  
Livvy drew a sharp breath. How uncomplicated it all was when you were
Courtney’s age. Still, Roy and Danny meeting was inevitable and their
daughters’ presence would help. ‘If it’s alright with Roy
and Sammy then you can go.’

  
‘Oh great, thanks, Mom. I don’t ever want to go home. I love it here.
Harley said Jack’s brother Nathan is coming to tea tomorrow because he wants to
meet me. He looks really nice on the photos, just like Jack but with longer
hair.’

  
Livvy’s heart sank even further. Jon had admitted his son Nathan was a
handful. ‘I thought Nathan already had a girlfriend?’

  
‘Yeah, he does. But I can still have him as a friend, can’t I?’

  
‘I suppose so.’ Livvy sighed and shut herself in the bathroom.

***

Daniel hailed a taxi and clambered
in. ‘Midland Hotel, please.’ He sat back in his seat, looking out at the
darkening streets. First time he’d been to Manchester.
Pity it wasn’t a holiday. He’d love to explore some of the narrow streets and
the Victorian buildings, and take Courtney to one of the theatres. He wondered
what sort of reception awaited him. Unsurprisingly, Livvy had been curt when he
spoke to her earlier.

  
He was looking forward to seeing Courtney again. He’d really missed her
warm smile and bright chatter. The ranch was too quiet with only the
housekeeper for company. Deep down, he knew Courtney’s place was with her
mother, after all, he was home so infrequently and it wasn’t fair to leave her
alone with Mrs Grayson. His daughter had been lonely for too long. The
excitement in her voice last night as she’d described her time with her sister
had brought a smile to his face.

  
He wished he’d been firmer years ago and insisted that Livvy have
another child. It was too late now and if she wasn’t coming back to him, well -
he had other plans. He’d spent the weekend with his PA Jodie who loved him and
was prepared to wait until he’d sorted out his problems. He kind of loved Jodie
too. She’d shown him more affection in a few short months than Livvy had in
over fifteen years of marriage. Jodie had told him she wanted to have kids with
him. He wasn’t about to start messing her
around and making her wait for ages while Livvy decided what
she
wanted to do. This trip was all
about make or break. If Livvy wanted to stay in England
then so be it, but if he set up home in LA with Jodie, he hoped his daughter
would join them at a later date.
 

  
‘Here you go, mate. Midland.’
 

  
The taxi driver broke his thoughts. Daniel paid the fare, took a deep
breath and walked into the hotel.

***

Livvy twiddled with the stem of
her wine glass and looked across the table at Daniel and Courtney who were
chatting animatedly. He’d hardly spoken to her and had ignored her apart from a
brief hug and a peck on the cheek. She wished she hadn’t agreed to dine in the
restaurant tonight. It was busy; she was conscious of the curious stares from
nearby diners and guessed she’d been recognized. Her head was still reeling
from Roy’s earlier rejection and
his suggestion of egg donation.

  
‘Dan, if you and Courtney have finished, would you mind if we go
upstairs?’ She indicated sideways with her head at two young men who were
staring open-mouthed at her.

  
‘Of course,’ Daniel nodded. ‘I didn’t think. Haven’t you brought any
disguises with you?’

  
Courtney grinned. ‘She’s got that dreadful curly red wig and her Dame
Edna glasses.’

  
‘Has she?’ Daniel smiled. ‘I think she’d get
more
attention wearing those. Come on then, let’s go up.’

  
Back in the suite, Livvy sat on the bed and, without waiting to be
asked, Daniel sat beside her.
 

  
‘I want to show you something, Dad,’ Courtney said. She went to her room
to get Harley’s photo album.

  
‘What have we here?’ Daniel patted the bed next to him and Courtney
flopped down.

  
‘Photos of my sister and Roy
and Sammy,’ she announced.

  
Livvy felt Daniel stiffen. ‘I really don’t think Dad wants to see those
tonight, Courtney,’ she began.

  
‘It’s fine,’ Daniel replied. ‘Might as well get it over with, eh?’

  
‘If you say so,’ Livvy said, looking at the first page of photographs.
She felt her eyes fill as she gazed at a smiling Roy
holding Harley as a tiny baby, Sammy standing beside him, her arm possessively
around his waist. She swallowed hard, it was a lovely family photo but that should
have been her. Even in his forties Roy
had looked so youthful and could easily have passed for a much younger man. She
took a deep breath. Courtney chattered on and on, explaining who was who until
Livvy could stand it no longer. She excused herself, made her way to the
bathroom and stood swaying in front of the mirror. She gripped the washbasin.
The wine had made her light-headed. She shouldn’t have drunk any at all, just
in case she was pregnant, but she’d needed a bit of Dutch courage to face Danny
and was bracing herself for the interrogation she knew she would get when
Courtney went to bed. She splashed her face with cold water and patted her
cheeks dry with a soft towel.

  
Back in the bedroom Courtney was regaling her father with tales of tea
at Tina’s and Harley’s and how Harley had a J tattooed on her thigh. Livvy
stopped her mid-sentence. ‘I think we’ve had enough for tonight, Courtney.
Dad’s tired. You can catch up with him in the morning.’

  
‘But I’m going to Harley’s in the morning, Mom. Roy’s
coming to pick me up. I’m staying over, remember?’
  

  
Livvy could feel Daniel’s eyes searching her face. He must have a
million and one questions to ask and she certainly had a few for him. ‘We’ll
breakfast in here and you can spend a couple of hours together before you go
out. Bed now, please.’

  
Courtney nodded and picked up the album. She kissed them goodnight and
disappeared into her room.

  
Livvy poured Danny a brandy. ‘Here, you probably need it after all
that.’

  
He nodded and knocked it back. ‘She’s very lively tonight. It’s like
someone’s plugged her in and we can’t find the off switch. She seems very taken
with Harley.’

  
‘She is,’ Livvy replied. ‘They get on so well. ‘

  
‘You’d better sit down now and tell me everything, including how you
managed to get involved with Roy Cantello in the first place. Also, I’d like to
know why you never trusted me enough to tell me that he was your daughter’s
father. That’s the bit I have a major problem with, Livvy. And then you’d
better tell me what’s going on now, because I have a feeling he’s back in your
life again, and I’ll have another brandy while I’m at it.’

  
Livvy poured him another drink and began her tale, which, with Daniel
continually interrupting, took them into the early hours.

  
When she’d finished he looked into her eyes and said, ‘Now correct me if
I’m wrong here, but are you and Roy
lovers again? And I’ll have the truth this time, Olivia. I think I deserve it,
don’t you?’

  
Livvy stared at him for a long moment. ‘I’ll tell you the truth, but
only if you’re prepared to be truthful with me about what
you’ve
been up to, and for how long.’

  
‘I will be. Are you and Roy lovers?’ he repeated.

  
‘Yes,’ she admitted.

  
He drew in his breath and got to his feet. ‘How many times?’

  
‘Oh, for God’s sake, does it matter?’

  
‘To me it does.’

  
‘Once, that’s all.’

  
‘When?’

  
‘Bloody Hell, Dan. Do you want a blow by blow account? Why do you want
to know that?
  

  
‘When?’ he demanded, his face white and his fists clenched.
 

  
‘Monday night,’ she replied. ‘Satisfied now?’

  
‘And where was Courtney?’

  
Livvy felt her cheeks flaming. ‘Asleep in her room.’

  
Daniel grabbed her arms and brought his face close to hers.
 
She could smell the brandy on his breath and
turned her head away. ‘You screwed your lover while our daughter was in the
next room.’ He shook her roughly. ‘You’re an unfit mother, Olivia. That’s all
the proof I need to get a divorce and custody of Courtney and if need be I’ll
take you to every court in the land to get it. I’m taking her home with me as
soon as I can organize a flight.’ He pushed her away and helped himself to
another brandy.

  
‘You can’t take her home.’ She ran across the room and beat him on the
back. ‘You’ve been having an affair. I can divorce
you
for adultery.’

  
‘Just try it. You’ve no proof of that at all.’ He turned, a smug
expression on his face.
   

   
She lashed out at him and knocked his drink flying. ‘You absolute
bastard, I hate you.’ Then she remembered that Sheena had been here with her
when the woman had answered her call. ‘You promised to be honest with me if I
was honest with you,’ she yelled. ‘And I
do
have proof. Sheena was here that night. You spoke to her, remember? She’ll help
me. And you can’t take Courtney home. I want her here with
me
. Harley may need a bone-marrow transplant. Courtney might be her
only chance of a match.’
   

  
‘No way! You’re not messing around with
my
kid,’ Daniel yelled back.
  

  
‘But you can’t deny Harley a chance of being well again. What sort of a
man are you? I should never have married you,’ Livvy screamed at him.

  
The adjoining doors slid open and Courtney stood blinking in the
half-light. ‘Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you both yelling?’ She went to Livvy
who put her arms around her.

  
‘Courtney, Dad wants to take you home,’ Livvy sobbed.

  
‘No. I’m not going back to America,’
Courtney shouted at her father. ‘I’m staying here with Mom and Harley. You
can’t make me, Dad. My new grandparents are coming on Saturday. We’re a proper
family now. I’m not going back to stay with just you and Mrs Grayson. You
should be here to help support Mom through all this.’
 

  
‘Back to bed, Courtney,’ Daniel ordered. ‘This is between me and your
mother. You’re too young to have an opinion on what’s right or wrong.’

  
‘I am not!’ Courtney yelled. ‘I love my Mom and my sister. I love you
too, Dad, but if I have to choose between you, then Mom and Harley win. I am
not
coming home with you so you better
get used to the idea.’

  
Daniel glared furiously at Courtney. ‘You do
not
speak to me like that. Now go to bed.’