Page 72 of Rock and a Hard Place

Oblivious to her surroundings, Libby was surprised when halfway through the song someone tapped her on the arm. A young guy wearing a baseball hat and hoodie peered at her.

“Libby?”

He knew her name? She looked closer at his face. “Adam?!”

She couldn’t believe it. He’d changed so much when she saw him up close.He stood taller and looked older. He responded with his familiar adorable grin. Perhaps he hadn’t changed much after all.

He took her by the arm and pulled her toward the aisle, where he waved to a couple of techies. “Clear the way, boys.”

“So, you’re Libby?” one asked.

She nodded, embarrassed at the attention. The tech guys led a path through the fans who stood in the aisle. Adam took Libby by the arm and guided her as they approached the stage.

Suddenly, a wave of fear struck her. The moment was here. Her reunion with Peter was about to happen in front of this mass of fans. As they walked down the final steps, she glanced up and saw the image of her and Adam appear on the giant screens. A camera followed their progress toward the stage. The crowd caught on. She was the girl in the pictures. After all the promotion and news of Peter’s “search for Libby,” his fans knew she and Peter were about to be reunited and they would all enjoy front-row tickets. Before, her pulse simply raced; now it beat a staccato rhythm faster than a snare drum.

The tech guys pulled out a set of steps from under the stage and hoisted her up. She glanced back at Adam, scared.

“It’s okay,” he said, a relaxed, happy expression on his face.

She climbed the last stairs alone. Excited. And terrified. She stepped onto the stage. Peter stood at the otherend, singing with his heart and soul.

Then he looked across the stage and saw her. He stopped singing and froze. Emotion clouded his eyes. He seemed to move in slow motion as he pushed his guitar so it hung behind his back. He walked toward her. The spectators erupted in cheers.

Libby’s legs felt weak. She feared she might faint.

He searched her face as he came closer. Anguish filled his eyes. She could see all the pain and heartbreak they both had suffered. He rushed to her.

Her surroundings forgotten, she ran into his arms, oblivious to the roar of the audience, the lights, and the cameras. He pulled her into a tight embrace and swung her in the air. Finally. Her world felt whole again.

He held her as if he would never let her go, and she wasn’t sure she would let him. He moved with her and rocked her to the beat of the backup music. She remembered his strong, solid body and reveled in the joy of feeling it once again.

Their eyes locked and spoke of love and longing. The past hadn’t changed. They were back in Wisconsin alone at Parfrey’s Glen. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

He held her face and kissed her in front of all those people and with the concert at a standstill. He kissed her for the long months they’d been apart and the promise of a future together.

26

Peter wouldn’t let her out of his sight. Her heart and soul overflowed with love after all these months of separation and misunderstandings. Suddenly, she turned into a VIP on the Jamieson tour. Everyone knew her name and was happy to see her. The biggest surprise was Peter’s mother. After being introduced, Karen Jamieson welcomed Libby with open arms and hugged her close. “We’re so glad you’re here.”

Security brought DarLynn backstage. The parking attendant eventually believed their story about Libby being “the girl,” and he got DarLynn inside to see the concert. Together, they left Red Rocks in the Jamieson tour bus.

Libby had never seen anything so fancy in her life and stared in awe. Plush carpet covered the floors. The back of the bus featured a large-screen TV and comfy seating for a small crowd. Guitars were secured to the walls as décor and for easy access. The rolling reunion bus took them to an upscale hotel in downtown Denver. Jamieson occupied the entire executive floor. Peter’s parents were super generous and gave a suite to her and DarLynn.

Libby and Peter curled up together on a couch and talked late into the night. “I’ve missed you desperately,” Peter whispered into her hair and she tried not to cry with relief. They couldn’t stop touching, kissing, and gazing into each other’s eyes. It was almost as if they’d never been apart.

Shedredged up all that happened to her from the drug bust, the horrors of the group home, and her eventual escape. Peter relived the experience with her as she recalled the painful memories. But all that was in her past. Snuggled into Peter’s side, she shared stories about the kind people of Pebble Creek who gave her a chance. How Jerrold helped her navigate the legal system, and assisted with her plans for college in the fall.

DarLynn stayed up late, keeping an eye on them from afar, but eventually climbed into her plush king bed. She left the door open to the sitting area to remind them of her presence, but Libby and Peter didn’t care.

Peter told Libby about their new album and that most of the songs were about her. He said that he planned to buy his own place. “I love my family, but I needed more independence and time away from their constant intrusion.” He even convinced his parents to agree on a second tour bus so they all could enjoy more privacy. Late in the night, they finally fell asleep in a tangle of limbs on the sofa.

Morning arrived too early with the sound of DarLynn filling the whirlpool tub. Libby woke and smiled into the comfort of Peter’s arms, unwilling to leave his side. A loud knock and the sound of the suite door opening forced them upright.

“Good morning,” Peter’s mother sang brightly.

Peter groaned. “Mom, this is child abuse. I should haveyou arrested for waking us up so early.” He tossed a throw pillow at her.

“Doesn’t look like you two got much sleep.” She gave them a pointed look, bustled into the room, and returned the pillow to the sofa. “You kids don’t need to use up all your words the first day.”

---