Page 9 of Rock and a Hard Place

“I’d like someone who is interested in me and not all the other crazy parts that come with success,” he said.

“I’m looking for a beautiful girl who loves to party.” Garrett looked at her pointedly.

The camera refocused on Andrea with a blush on her cheeks and fanning her face with her note cards. “There you have it, girls. Now you know what it takes to attract one of these charming young men. Thank you for your time, guys, and have a great concert tonight. It’s sold out, but I’m one of the lucky ones who hold a backstage pass.” She looked at Garrett with silent meaning.

Peter was happy to see the interview end before Garrett embarrassed them all. As he followed his brothers offstage, he thought of Libby. He bet she would never act like the reporter. Libby seemed interested in him and not everything else that came with being in a band. He wouldn’t mind running into her again and finding out for sure.

3

Afew days later, Libby sat on a giant outcropping of rock at Parfrey’s Glen that extended out over the rushing creek. The warm September breeze blew gently through the trees and swept a leaf into the water below. Her eyes followed it, and as it floated along, she pondered the events of the past week. Miss Orman had tried to cheer her up after Libby couldn’t support her story about Peter. It all seemed unreal. If she hadn’t experienced it herself, she wouldn’t believe it, either. Famous people didn’t just appear out of nowhere, especially not in Rockville.

But Peter had appeared. And she had spent time with him. He was beautiful and perfect, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so happy. The best part was that he didn’t know about her life or that she lived with her crazy aunt Marge. Peter didn’t know that her dad’s grief was so strong, he’d brought Libby to Wisconsin and left her at hissister-in-law’s house before driving off into the depths of depression.

The noise of wind rushing through the trees increased. It sounded like the roar of the nearby highway. Libby lay on the large stone slab, her back warmed by the sun-heated rock. She gazed at the movement of the tree branches overhead as they bent and swayed in the wind. The leaves were a patchwork of green, yellow, and orange. Fall had created a beautiful scene. Her thoughts returned to Peter and how wonderful her life would be if he were in it.

A shadow moved over her and blocked the sun. She jerked onto her elbows to discover the intrusion. People rarely came to this part of the preserve.

“Are you cutting class?” Peter stood before her, a broad smile on his face and the familiar hair falling in his eyes.

“Oh my God!” Libby popped up from her spot. “What are you doing here?”

She never thought she’d see him again. Hoped, yes, but not in her wildest dreams did she believe it could happen. She stared, her mouth agape.

His T-shirt hugged him snug across the chest and shoulders, revealing strong arms. His jeans hung low, his thumbs looped in the top of his pockets. She looked at his handsome face. His eyes sparkled with mischief as the breeze tossed his hair.

“Mom really likes this spot, and now so do I.” He grinned and a gorgeous dimple appeared. “We’re headingup to Minneapolis for some taping.”

“Guess it’s my lucky day,” she bubbled.

“Guess so.” With a devilish grin, he raised an eyebrow. Her stomach did a flip. “How much time do you have?” She got up and wiped her dusty hands on her jeans, then slid them into her back pockets. She stood a few feet away, not sure what to do.

“As long as we want,” Peter answered. She beamed.

“Well, an hour, at the most,” he corrected, another cute smirk in the corner of his mouth.

“We better not waste time then.” They faced each other, a momentary pause and an instant of awkwardness. Libby refused to let this opportunity pass. She broke the silence. “Have you seen the rock formations at the back of the glen?”

“No, but I’d love to.”

“It’s this way.” She tilted her head toward the trail and fought the urge to squeal with joy.

They followed the path through the rocky ravine, the walls progressively greener with rich moss. Every so often, water trickled down the sides, flowing into the stream they walked along. Peter moved next to her, and she tried not to look at him too often.

“You never answered my question,” Peter said, stepping over a sharp rock.

“What was that?” Libby glanced up.

“Are you cutting school? It’s a Wednesday afternoon,and where I come from, we go to school on Wednesdays.”

“No, it’s teacher in-service. We get a Wednesday afternoon off once a month so the teachers can meet and talk about how horrible today’s youth are.”

“You must be at the top of their list.” He grinned and held his hand out to help her over the large rocks.

“You have no idea.” She placed her hand in his, reveling at his warmth in the cool ravine.

Gravel crunched beneath their feet as they made their way along the crooked path. Occasionally, he bumped her shoulder playfully, as if he wanted to make sure she was still there. Something about him fit. He didn’t ask too many questions or judge the things she told him. It had been a long time since someone had accepted her, and the normalcy of it lifted a weight off her heart.

“Tell me again why your family comes here?” She wanted him to say it was so he could see her and then promise they would be here every day.

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