The girl had snatched the money, handed him the battered old tape recorder and disappeared before Jed could change his mind. Jed had then gone outside to his truck and reappeared with a selection of cassettes, which they were now playing.

‘Why did you pay all that money for this rubbish?’ Frankie asked him. She loved it really. Jed was so impulsive, and the way he was filled her with intense excitement.

‘’Cause I didn’t want you to be bored. You don’t wanna be stuck in a room all day with no music, do ya? My old tape recorder’s fucked. Dropped it on the floor, I did, and now it won’t work any more.’

Frankie smiled. Christ knows where Jed got all his money from. He had plenty and chucked it about like there was no tomorrow. ‘Do you mind if I ask you something?’

‘Ask away,’ Jed replied, grabbing her hand.

‘Where do you get all your money from? Does your dad give it to you or do you sometimes go to work?’

Jed turned the music up, took Frankie in his arms and made her dance with him. ‘I never went to school. Been working since I was eight years old. I’ll never be poor, I can turn me hand to lots of things.’

‘Like what?’

‘I sell horses, motors, caravans, diggers. You name it, I can get it and sell it. I’ll be cakeo one day, Frankie. You stick with me and you’ll be rich as well.’

Frankie tightened her grip on him. ‘What is this rubbish music? Ain’t you got any acid house?’ she asked him.

Jed tilted her chin towards his. ‘Who needs all that house music crap when you’ve got country and western? That shit’s only all right if you stick a pill down your throat, but country music is proper. You listen to the words. Every song tells a story, Frankie.’

Frankie listened and by the time Tammy Wynette had reached the chorus of ‘Stand By Your Man’, she and Jed were in bed together.

Unaware of what his daughter was up to, Eddie was on his way home. ‘I won’t be long, darling. I’ve just gotta drop Raymondo off first. I’ll be about fifteen minutes,’ he told Jess.

Jessica ended the call. Grinning, she put Eddie’s dinner in the oven. She had been doing buttons all day waiting for her husband to get home. Desperate to tell someone her news, Jessica had rang Vicki and told her. ‘Please don’t say a word to Doug. I only found out this morning and I haven’t had a chance to tell Eddie yet,’ she begged.

Vicki was thrilled for herself and her friend. She was over five months now, and it was great that she and Jess would both be mums together.