The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

father answered. ‘Eddie! How’s the bambino?’
    ‘Jonny’s fine thanks. How’s
things with you, Bob? Anymore thoughts on going back to Italy?’
    ‘When Roy’s
famous and earning a packet I might retire to Italy,’
Bob replied, his tone wistful. He lowered his voice. ‘Between me, you and the
gate post, if Irene refuses to come with me, I’ll find myself a nice little
signorina to serve my needs.’
    Eddie smiled into the receiver.
‘While you’re about it, find one for me, too.’
    He heard Bob chuckle and then
reply, ‘You’ve only been married five minutes. Wait until you’ve done
twenty-five years, then you’ll know
what I mean. Right, I’d better get back to the counter before Irene comes
cracking the whip. Roy’s here now
so I’ll say arrivederci.’
    ‘Arrivederci to you too, Bob, and
thanks.’
    ‘Hi, mate. How you doin’?’ Roy
said.
    ‘Could be better, Roy.
And you?’
    ‘Pretty good, thanks.’
    ‘Mum said you had news for me?’
    ‘I do, and boy, will it put a
smile on your face.’
    ‘Great! I could do with some good
news for a change. Well, come on then, what is it?’
    ‘Meet me at seven-thirty tonight
in The Royal Oak and all will be revealed.’
    ‘Sounds mysterious. Can’t you
tell me now?’
    ‘No, Ed. This news is far too
important to tell you in a hurry. Anyway, I want to see your face when you hear
what I have to say. So does Sammy and she’ll lynch me if I tell you when she’s
not there.’
    Eddie laughed.
    ‘A word of warning,’ Roy
continued. ‘Don’t bring Angie. This news is not for her ears.’
    ‘I won’t. She’ll think I’m going
to night school anyway.’
    ‘Right then. See you later.’
    ‘Bye.’ Eddie hung up and
re-joined his mother in the parlour.
    ‘Well?’ She handed him a mug of
tea as he sank down into the comfort of his dad’s fireside chair. She adjusted
the antimacassar behind his head and smoothed his fringe from his eyes.
    He smiled. She treated him like a
little boy sometimes, but he didn’t mind.
    ‘He wouldn’t say. I’ve got to
meet him and Sammy later in the pub.’
    ‘Thought you had night-school on
Mondays?’
    ‘I’m giving it a miss tonight. Roy’s
news is more important, apparently.’
    ‘Well have your cuppa and then
you can get off home. You look tired. Are you sleeping properly?’
    ‘So, so.’ He took a sip of tea
and stared thoughtfully into the fire, wondering if he should tell her about
losing his job. He decided against it. Angie should be told first.
    ‘Are things no better between you
and Angie?’ Mum interrupted his thoughts.
    He shrugged. ‘Much the same. I’m
still sleeping on the sofa.’
    ‘If only things could have been
different,’ she said. ‘You might have been wed to young Jane Wilson now. That
girl thought the world of you.’ She took a sip of tea and continued. ‘It’s a
shame you didn’t take the engineering apprenticeship your dad had lined up for
you at Bennett’s. You’d have had a good job for the future there. You’ll never
make anything of yourself at that paint factory.’
    He raised an ironical eyebrow and
nodded. ‘You’re right. But there you go, I didn’t and I’m too old to start an
apprenticeship at nearly twenty-one. Anyway, if I had my time again I’d still
be with T he Raiders . They’re making decent money now. But
what choice was I given? You got the
girl into trouble; do the right thing and marry her. Give up the group. Get
yourself a proper job. Does it all sound familiar, Mum?’
    ‘Ed, there’s no need to take it
out on me. Your dad and I helped you as much as we could. We thought you’d be
better off working properly, not swanning around the country with the group. It
seemed the best thing all round at the time. Angie’s parents thought so, too.
You can’t just blame us.’
    ‘I’ve never blamed you and Dad.
Old Mother Turner would have had me hung drawn and quartered if I hadn’t done
the right thing by her bloody daughter.’ He grinned