Part 40 (1/2)

pleased him to have it jingling in his pocket.

He hadn't grown up as poor as Johnno and Brian, but he'd been a long way

from knowing the comforts of Stevie's childhood.

Now they were on their way to Texas. Another festival in a year crammed

with them. He didn't mind really. After that, it would be another

performance in another city. They were all blurring together, the

months, the stages. Yet he didn't want it to stop. When it did, he was

desperately afraid he would sink back to obscurity.

He knew that when the summer was well and truly over, they would head to

California, to Hollywood. For a few weeks, they would live among the

movie stars. And for a few weeks, he thought with twinges of guilt and

pleasure, he would be close to Bev. The only person P.M. loved more

than Brian was Brian's wife.

EMmA SET UP THE LETMRED BLOCKS. She was very proud of the fact that she

was learning to read and spell, and was determined to teach Darren.

”E-M-M-A,” she said, tapping each block in turn. ”Emma. Say'Emma.”$

”Ma!” Laughing, Darren pushed the blocks into a jumbled pile. ”Ma Ma.”

”Em-ma.” But she leaned over to kiss him. ”Here's an easy one.”

She set up two blocks. ”D-A. Dad.”

”Dad. Dad, Dad, Dad!” Delighted with himself, Darren climbed onto his

st.u.r.dy legs to race to the doorway and look for Brian.

”No, Dad's not there now, but Mum's in the kitchen. We're having a big

party tonight, to celebrate the new alb.u.m being finished. We'll be

going home to England soon.”

She was looking forward to it, though she liked the house in America

just as much as the castle outside of London. For more than a year she