The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (75 page)

  
Roy
looked at her face and could see
the grief and pain bottled up. If he could take it from her and bear it himself
he would. No matter what promises he’d made to Livvy last night, never again
would he go alone to see her. Any further contact could be made by telephone or
at Flanagan and Grey’s. Sammy and Jason must be his priority now or he’d lose
them for good. His earlier promise, to look after Livvy and the child
financially, still stood, but Sammy needed him and he needed her. He kissed her
and pulled her down on top of him.

  
‘I won’t ever leave you
or cheat on you again.
You
wanted the break from
me,
remember.
You made me feel like I couldn’t do anything right around you, even though I
tried so hard to make amends. I don’t want to be in this hotel room, Sam; I
hate it. I don’t want to live in that lonely flat, nice though it is. I want to
be in
our
home with you. I want to be in our room and our bed. But until
you feel ready to have me back, I haven’t got a choice, have I?’

  
She looked down at him
and he almost expected her to say, “Come home” but she kissed him instead. ‘Win
back my trust,
Roy
. You can do it if you really try.’
 

  
He rolled her onto her
back touching and kissing with such frenzy that she cried out for him.

 
They lay in one another’s
arms for what seemed like hours afterwards. He leant up on one elbow and looked
at her. ‘I love you so much. I don’t deserve you, I know that, but believe me,
Sam; no one could ever love you more than I do. I’ll never hurt you again, I
promise.’

  
Her eyes filled with
tears. ‘
Roy
, there’s never been anyone else
for me; you’re all I’ve ever wanted.’

  
‘I know,’ he replied,
wiping her eyes with a napkin from the sandwich tray.

  
She struggled into a
sitting position. ‘I’d better go back to work. Jane will wonder where I’ve got
to. Look at the state of my skirt, it’s all creased. I should have taken it
off.’

  
‘Well I was going to do
that, but you didn’t give me the chance. You kept saying “I want you now, Roy!”
And who am I to argue?’

   
She sat on the edge of
the bed, her hands over her eyes, shoulders shaking.

  
'Sammy, love, why are you
crying again? What have I done now?’

  
‘I’m not crying,’ she
said, shaking with laughter. ‘You’d try the patience of a saint, Roy Cantello!
How anybody else would want to put up with you, I just don’t know. What on
earth will the girls on reception think when I walk through there looking like
this?’

  
‘Oh sod them. Come and
have a shower with me. If you hang your skirt up in the bathroom, the creases
should fall out with the steam.’

  
‘How do
you
know
that?’ she asked.
Roy
had never been in the least bit do
mes
ticated all his life.

  
‘It was a lazy trick we
learnt on the road. If we hung our stage suits up in the bathroom while we had
baths or showers we hardly ever needed to press them.’ He picked up the phone
and dialled for an outside line.

  
‘Who are you calling?’
Sammy asked, putting her skirt on a hanger. She retrieved her silk top and
underwear from the floor.

  
‘Jane,’ he replied. ‘Hi,
it’s
Roy
. Sam’s gonna be a bit late getting
back to work.’

  
‘
Okay,
’ Jane replied. ‘
Is
everything alright
?’

  
‘Fine thanks; she just
needs a bit more time. I expect she’ll explain later. Bye.’ Next he called
Eddie. ‘Ed, can we cancel the swimming?’

  
‘Yes sure. Are you okay?’

  
‘Couldn’t be better.
 
I’m just spending a bit more time with Sammy.
I’ll see you later after you collect the kids from school’.

  
‘
Roy
, you didn’t need to cancel your
swimming,’ Sammy protested as he hung up.

  
‘I wanted to. Truth is,
Sammy, I don’t want this lunchtime to end. I hate the thoughts of you going
home later and out with Stuart.’

  
She sighed. ‘Would it
make you feel better if I cancelled? I can call Stuart from here.’

  
‘No, that would make me
feel worse,’ he replied.

  
‘Well what’s it to be
then?’ She looked at his doleful face.

  
‘Oh hell, what rights do I
have to tell you what to do anymore
after my performance? Of course you must go out for dinner with him, he’s
my
friend too. He’s hardly going to make off with my wife, is he?’

  
‘No. Now are we having
that shower or what? I
do
have a business to run.’
 

***

By the time
Roy
walked Sammy through reception and out to her car, her clothes
were fairly wrinkle free, but her immaculate hairstyle and carefully applied
makeup were no more. He slung his arm affectionately across her shoulders and
winked at Sharon and Avril on the desk as Sammy nodded and said goodbye.

  
Roy
watched Sammy drive away, his
heart pounding. He trusted her implicitly, but was still concerned about her
going out with Stuart Green. He remembered the way Stu used to look at her when
they were younger, always with a hunger in his eyes.

  
He glanced at his watch
as he went back to his suite. There was half an hour to kill before Ed would be
home from collecting the kids. He picked up his Fender and began to strum
softly, humming the chorus of
My Special Girl
.

***

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR

‘Do you feel better now that
Roy
knows about the baby?’ Jon asked
Livvy who was filing records on the shelves wearing a dreamy expression.

  
‘Much better. At least I
know now where I stand. He told me he wouldn’t divorce Sammy, but once the
baby’s here I know he’ll change his mind. He’ll want to be with us, be a proper
family.’ She walked over to a customer and asked if she could help.

  
Jon glanced at Sean who
shrugged. ‘That’s all she’s gone on about while you’ve been out. How much
Roy
loves her and what he’s gonna do.’

  
‘Shit!’ Jon said. ‘He’s
trying hard to put things right with Sam. Should I call Dad? Tell him what
she’s been saying then he can warn
Roy
?’

  
‘Wait until she’s
finished serving and I’ll send her out for lunch. By the way, your Aunt Sally
rang. She’d like Cathy’s phone number, if you have it.’
 

  
‘Not on me. I’ll get it
off Dad.’

***

‘Hi, you.’ Jess grinned into the receiver. Her dad was upstairs,
looking for Jon’s godmother’s phone number

  
‘
Hi, yourself
,’ Jon replied. ‘
Will
you be okay on your own while Dad goes swimming
?’

  
‘He’s not going.
Roy
cancelled. Right, Dad’s here now.
Any chance we can see Jason tonight?’

  
‘
Yeah, that would be nice. We’ll have a drink with him. I’ll call him
when he gets in from college. Bye, Jess.’

  
‘Why does Sally want
Cathy’s number, Jon?’ Eddie asked curiously after he’d given it to Jon.

   
‘
Grandma wants to see her before she goes home.’

  
‘Oh I see.’

  
‘
I believe the swimming’s off?
’

 
‘Yeah,
Roy
’s spending time with Sam.’

  
‘
Listen, Dad, Livvy’s got hold of the wrong end of the stick where
Roy
’s
concerned. She says he’ll want to marry her when the baby arrives. Warn him
that his problems are far from over. He shouldn’t have spent last night with
her, that wasn’t fair. Now she’s reading all sorts into it. She may well tell
Sammy he slept with her again.’

  
‘Bloody hell,’ Eddie said
wearily. ‘Leave it with me.’

   
‘Problems, Dad?’ Jess
handed him a coffee. He sat down at the kitchen table and lit a cigarette.

  
‘It’s this bloody Livvy
affair.’ He told her what Jon had said. ‘
Roy
’s a fool, he really is. If Sammy
finds out about last night she’ll be after his wedding tackle with those
scissors faster than you can say Jack Robinson, I can tell you.’

***

Sally stared at the telephone for ages after Jon returned her
call. Dare she contact Cathy, or would she be opening up a can of worms? She
looked at the photograph in her hand. She’d been carrying it around all day in
her pocket, checking it in different lights and from all sorts of angles. No
matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t change the image of Richard’s face. Jon
was his double. There was no doubt in her mind that Richard was Jon’s father.
Sally wondered if Angie had realised whose baby she was carrying, plumping for
Eddie as a safer bet because Richard had been engaged to someone else.

  
Angie would have been
terrified of their parents finding out, Sally thought. Her sister, younger by
ten years, had rebelled against the strict upbringing they’d had. Once Angie
set her sights on Eddie Mellor, she’d thrown caution to the wind.
  

  
Sally had warned her she
was playing with fire and would end up in trouble one day. The problem now was
who
exactly had got her into trouble? Judging from the photo evidence, it was
Richard. Sally had to find out the truth. She’d keep it to herself, but she
needed to know for her own peace of mind or it would eat away at her. She
quickly dialled Cathy’s number before she changed her mind.

***

Jane was finishing her lunchtime sandwich as Sammy crept into
their shared office.

  
‘Bloody hell, you look
like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards!’

  
‘Blame it on the
strawberries,’ Sammy said.

  
‘Strawberries?’

  
‘Never mind, you don’t
want to know.’

  
‘Well where you and Roy
are concerned, I’ve a good imagination.’ Jane raised an amused eyebrow as Sammy
blushed. ‘So, apart from –
strawberries,
what else did you do?’

  
‘We talked about his
plans for Livvy and the baby. He’s promised financial support and said that’s
it, for now anyway. Hopefully he won’t need to see her again. He doesn’t really
have any reason to. He can do everything through our solicitor. I must remind
him of that.’

  
‘What about when the
baby’s born, will he want to see it?’

  
‘I asked him and he said
he’ll cross that bridge when he co
mes
to it.’

  
Jane nodded. ‘Are you
bothered by that? That he may want to be a father to it, I mean?’

  
‘Of course I am. She’ll
always have a hold over him and it freaks me out.’
  
 

  
‘You’ll have to see what
happens over the next few weeks.’

  
‘That’s all I can do,
Jane. How did Jon get on with Angie’s family last night?’

  
‘Very well, apparently;
Mrs Turner invited him to visit her in
Hastings
and she’s extended the invite to Jess
as well.’

  
‘That’s thoughtful of
her,’ Sammy replied. ‘Is the plaster off Jess’s wrist now?’

  
‘Yes, Ed took her to the
hospital this morning. He called me a few minutes ago after he took Jess and
Jon out to lunch. I spoke to Jess too and she told me they’re planning to see
Jason tonight.’
 

  
‘That’ll do Jason the
world of good,’ Sammy said.

  
‘It’ll do those two good
to get out of the house, too. They’re spending far too much time cooped up in
Jess’s room.’

  
‘Is that a problem?’
Sammy said as a look of concern crossed Jane’s face.

  
‘Not really, but there
was something about them last night that I just can’t put my finger on. I could
have sworn they’d been kissing. Properly I mean, not their usual pecks on the
cheek. And another thing, Jess smelt very strongly of Jon’s cologne.’
   

  
Sammy’s eyes widened.
‘Surely you’re not suggesting something’s going on between them? They’re
brother and sister, for God’s sake.’

  
‘Oh but they’re not,’
Jane said.

  
‘Shit! Of course they’re
not.’ Sammy clapped her hand to her mouth. ‘I forget someti
mes
. Well they’ve been brought up as
brother and sister anyway. They wouldn’t do anything, would they?’

  
‘They’ve become very
close since Nick’s death. Too close for comfort
I
think. Jon will do anything for her. He dries her hair, helps her
to dress and carries her up and down the stairs.
 
There’s always been an attraction between
them. But I sense an intimacy that wasn’t there before.
I’ve
noticed it, but I don’t think Ed has. I’m not sure how to
handle it, Sam. I can’t say anything to them, because what if I’m wrong and
it’s my over active imagination?’

  
‘You’re usually very
astute, Jane, not much passes
you
by. I’d keep on observing for now and
if you feel there’s cause for concern, say something to Eddie. Don’t leave it
until it’s too late.’

  
Jane nodded. ‘Don’t we
have some bloody awkward problems? We should have married someone spotty and
dull from school, like Doug Murray or Tommy Green. Then we’d have had dull and
spotty kids too.’

  
Sammy chuckled. ‘Yeah,
but just think how boring life would have been. At least we’ve seen the world
and had fun with Roy and Ed. It's been a good life, most of the time anyway.’

***

Sally pulled up outside the large detached house on an exclusive,
tree lined road in Westlow. She got out of her car and admired the attractive
Tudor style frontage. She strolled up a drive flanked by well stocked gardens
and rang the door bell. A loud barking erupted from within making her jump. A
female voice called out for quiet. There was scuffling and whimpering and then
the door opened.

  
‘Hello, Cathy,’ Sally
began nervously.
  

  
‘Sally.’ Cathy held out
her arms. ‘How lovely to see you again, please come in. I’ll let Ben out. I’ve
put him in the kitchen, but he’ll scratch the door to bits if he’s shut in for
much longer.’ She opened the door and the owner of the bark, a red brindle
Boxer, shot into the hall, clattering on the parquet flooring. He leapt up and
down like a mad thing as Cathy tried to grab his collar.

  
‘He’s a complete loony
I’m afraid,’ Cathy said. ‘Behave yourself, Ben, for God’s sake!’ The over
excited dog ignored her commands. ‘He’ll settle down in a minute or two. We
always have this performance when we have visitors. Carl got him to keep me
company when he’s away. He’s a sweetheart, really.’

  
Sally laughed as she
tried to pat Ben’s head. He squirmed and wriggled with delight, his stumpy tail
wagging frantically.
 

  
‘I’ll put him in the
garden for a while. Go on, Ben, find the squirrel.’ Cathy pushed him out and
closed the back door. ‘Carl’s in
London
, and his mum, who lives with us,
is asleep upstairs, so we’ve got some peace.’

  
‘I’m surprised anyone can
sleep through that dog barking,’ Sally laughed, following Cathy into the
stylish kitchen.

  
‘She’ll have taken her
hearing aid out,’ Cathy said.
   

  
‘So, what’s Carl been up
to since
The Raiders
disbanded?’

  
‘He’s a session pianist.
Works with everyone you can think of, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, you name them
and he’s probably played on their albums at some time or other. He misses the
lads though and he’s looking forward to the band re-forming.’

  
Cathy picked up a tray.
‘I’m all organised, see. Come on through to the lounge and get comfortable. You
said you had something to ask me and I’m intrigued.’

  
The lounge overlooked the
large rear garden and Cathy invited Sally to sit on one of the two cream sofas
placed either side of a marble fireplace.

  
Sally gazed in awe around
the tastefully furnished room, taking in the deep pile beige carpet and blue
washed Chinese rug. She thought about the damp and squalid flat, with its
threadbare carpets and hand me down furniture, that Eddie, Angie and their baby
had been forced to live in. This house was a million miles away from those days
and made Sally realise just what a lot her sister had missed out on. ‘You have
a beautiful home, Cathy.’

  
‘Thank you,’ Cathy
replied, pouring coffee into china mugs. She handed one to Sally. ‘It’s all
down to Carl’s hard work.’

  
‘And no doubt your good
taste in furnishings.’ Sally smiled at the poised and elegant woman who was
fashionably clad in black linen trousers and a cream silk shirt. Her well cut,
light brown hair fell neatly to her shoulders. There was a time when Cathy had
been the plain girl, always in Angie’s shadow. How things change, Sally
thought.

  
She delved into her
pocket and took out the photograph. She held it out to Cathy who smiled as she
took it and looked at her late friend, Richard Price and the young Jonathon.
She looked enquiringly at Sally.

 
 
‘I had a visitor last night,’ Sally told her.

  
‘Who?’

  
‘My nephew, Jonathon.’

  
‘Oh, I see. I saw him
recently at Nick’s memorial service.’

  
Sally nodded. ‘I hadn’t
seen him for years. My dad died recently and Mum thought Jon should know.’

  
‘I’m sorry to hear that,
Sally,’ Cathy said.