‘Up here,’ Johnny yelled.
‘She seems absolutely fine,’ the paramedic assured them after checking the baby over. ‘But we’ll take mum and baby in, just to be on the safe side.’
Johnny nodded and ran his hands over his face. He stepped back and watched as they helped Angel into a chair and strapped her in.
‘I’m so sorry, darlin’,’ he murmured.
‘It’s not your fault,’ she whispered, tears streaking her face as the baby was at last placed in her arms. ‘Look, Ryan,’ she gasped as the paramedics carried her and her child out onto the landing. ‘She’s smiling. And she’s got a dimple in the same place as yours!’
Johnny started to follow, but stopped when he realised that Ruth was right behind him.
‘Where the fuck d’ya think you’re going?’ he demanded.
‘To the hospital with my daughter,’ she told him, raising her chin defiantly.
‘NO!’ Angel cried. ‘I don’t want her anywhere near me or my baby. Don’t let her come, Daddy – please.’
‘You heard her,’ Johnny growled, shoving Ruth back into the bedroom.
‘Johnny, don’t go,’ Ruth begged, rushing after him and clutching at his arm as he made to follow the group down the stairs. ‘We need to talk about this.’
‘Get your fucking hands off me,’ he snarled. He flashed her a warning glare filled with hatred and disgust.
‘Johnnnyyy!’ she wailed, sinking to her knees. ‘Don’t leave me . . .’
EPILOGUE
Zeta smiled when she opened the door and saw Johnny on the step.
‘Angel’s in the back room with the kids,’ she said as she stepped back to let him in. ‘Ryan’s poncing about in the bathroom – as usual. I’ll give him a shout.’
‘Cheers,’ Johnny said, heading up the hall.
‘Dad, look!’ Angel cried when he walked into the living room. ‘Heaven’s standing up all on her own.’
Johnny smiled and squatted down to watch as his granddaughter teetered in the middle of the room. Heaven saw him and gave him a two-toothed dimply grin, and Johnny instinctively held out his hands when she lurched towards him. She managed to stay on her feet and took a couple of tiny stumbling steps into his arms.
‘Clever girl,’ he said softly, sweeping her up and kissing her. He beamed with pure joy.
‘Ryan!’ Angel yelled. ‘She took her first steps!’
‘Aw, and I missed it,’ Ryan groaned, rushing down the stairs.
‘Look at me,’ said his little brother Luke as he stood up and took a couple of staggering steps before falling onto his bottom.
‘Stop showing off,’ Cherise scolded, clucking her tongue at him like a little mother hen.
Angel smiled and gave the girl’s cheek a gentle pinch. Then, sniffing her fingers, she said, ‘Ooh, that smells nice. What is it?’
‘Just cocoa butter,’ Cherise said before going back to her book.
‘Fancy a brew, Johnny?’ Zeta popped her head through the door.
‘Not really got time,’ he told her. ‘I’ve come to take Ryan out. And the rest of you can come, an’ all, if you hurry up and get your coats on.’
‘Oh, I’m not really dressed for going out.’ Zeta self-consciously touched her hair.
‘Don’t be daft,’ Angel said, smiling at her. ‘You look lovely. Doesn’t she, Ryan?’
‘Gorgeous,’ he agreed, kissing his mum on the cheek as he went out into the hall to get his jacket. ‘Where we going, JC?’
‘It’s a surprise,’ Johnny told him, winking at Angel. ‘Come on, you lot – hurry up.’
When they were all ready, Angel carried Heaven out and put her into her seat in the back of Ryan’s Mondeo. Cherise sat beside the giggling tot and made sure that her straps were secure, before turning and doing the same for her little brother.
Zeta blew them a kiss before climbing into the back of Johnny’s BMW. A couple of the neighbours who were standing on their steps waved as the car passed, and Zeta waved back. It still felt weird to be acknowledged after years of being avoided like the plague, but a whole lot of things had changed in the months since Gary had disappeared after a night out on the lash, only to turn up dead the next morning with his face in a pool of slime down by the canal. The kids had never been happier, and neither had Zeta. And it had been fantastic to have Ryan move back home with his lovely wife and baby. Although there had been a little period of sadness after the DNA test had come back negative. Zeta had been truly shocked by that, because she’d been positive that Johnny was Ryan’s father. But while any other man would have been furious at having been put through such an ordeal, Johnny had said that he would be there for Ryan regardless.
Johnny had turned onto Lisa’s road by now.
‘Won’t be a sec,’ he said, pulling up outside her house.
Lisa was upstairs when he let himself in. ‘Aren’t you ready yet?’ he yelled up the stairs. ‘Everyone’s waiting.’
‘All right, all right, no need to shout,’ Lisa yelled back. She dashed out of the bedroom and clumped down the stairs. ‘Just had to change.’
‘Why? What was wrong with what you had on?’ Johnny asked, kissing her when she reached the bottom.
‘I looked fat,’ she complained, stroking her bump. ‘Junior’s getting a bit too big for my liking. I’m going to have to go on a serious diet.’
‘Don’t you dare,’ Johnny warned. He copped a quick feel of her boobs. ‘I like you like this.’
‘Yeah, well make the most of these babies while you can.’ Lisa laughed. ‘’Cos they’re gone when this one pops out and I hit the gym.’
‘Shut up and get in the car,’ Johnny ordered, slapping her on the bum as she passed him.
‘All right, Zeet?’ Lisa said as she hopped into the front seat. ‘How’s the course going?’
‘Great.’ Zeta smiled. ‘I passed my first two modules, so now I’ve just got to get through the next eight and I’ll be flying.’
‘Good for you, girl.’ Lisa winked at her.
Ryan followed as Johnny set off again, but when they had driven around almost every back street in Hulme, only to end up on City Road just over the other side of the park, he said, ‘What’s he doing? Doesn’t he know where he’s going?’
‘Oh, he knows,’ Angel said, smiling secretively.
Johnny pulled up suddenly, and Ryan had to brake hard to avoid slamming into the back of him.
‘Come on, kids,’ Angel said as she unbuckled her seat belt.
‘Are we there?’ Ryan asked, frowning.
Angel just smiled again and got out to join her dad, Lisa and Zeta, who were already out of their car and waiting on the corner.
‘What’s going on?’ Ryan asked. ‘I thought we were going to Pizza Hut or something.’
‘Come with me,’ Johnny said, putting an arm around his shoulder and walking him around the corner. He stopped a few feet down and turned Ryan around.
Ryan was confused, wondering why Johnny had brought him here when they were supposed to be going out. But then his gaze landed on the sign that had been erected above the old garage on the opposite side, and his jaw dropped.
CONROY & SON AUTOS
‘For real?’ he gasped.
‘For real.’ Johnny squeezed his shoulder. ‘I got the lease last week. We open in the morning.’
‘But . . .’
‘Just shut up and enjoy it,’ Johnny told him. Then, leaning closer, he whispered, ‘And keep your fingers crossed that Lisa has a girl, ’cos it’ll cost us a bleedin’ fortune if we have to get the bloke out to paint an extra “s” on.’
‘Oi, I heard that,’ said Lisa.
‘We were talking about you, not to you.’ Johnny chuckled. ‘And this is man stuff, so keep your nose out.’
Table of Contents
Also by Mandasue Heller
About the Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Part 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Part 2
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Lost Angel Page 36