Page 71 of Rock and a Hard Place

I’ll never find her now.”

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Libby couldn’t believe her eyes. Nestled between the massive red rocks lay an amazing amphitheater. Before her danced a sea of people. The stage lay at the bottom. Row after row of seats filled the hillside, all with a perfect view of Peter and his brothers performing center stage. She nearly burst with excitement.

Several people brushed past as they returned to their seats. An usher approached and yelled something, but Libby couldn’t hear a word over the pounding music. The woman shined a flashlight on the ticket in Libby’s hand and gestured toward the audience. Did Libby know where her seat was?

“No,” Libby yelled back, but knew her words were lost as the deafening sounds of Jamieson pumped through the speakers.

The woman read Libby’s ticket and indicated she should follow. About fifteen rows from the stage, she illuminated the ticket for Libby and pointed out the seat number. Libby pressed her way into the row, but after she bumped and jostled past several people, she gave up and stayed where she was.

At this close distance she could feel the energy glowing off Peter. She screamed inside at the thrill of being so close and knowing he wanted to find her.

Peter couldn’t see a damned thing. The intense spotlights limited his vision to about four feet past the stage. All he could do now is hope Roger would catch a glimpse of her on the monitor as she came through. He’d given up believing in the security personnel. They were more worried about kids sneaking in booze than finding a lone girl in the crowd.

They finished their first five songs. The energy in the amphitheater would have shot through the ceiling had there been one. Now that the storm had blown past, the sky shone crystal clear, and stars dotted the heavens. Peter signaled Adam to start the next number, then noticed his parents next to a waving Roger at stage right.

Peter ran to them, his heart pumping in anticipation, while Adam and Garrett vamped the opening of their nextsong.Please let this be good news.He looked hopefully at Roger, not daring to ask.

“She’s here!” Roger shouted with a grin.

“Yes!” Peter shouted.

“But we don’t know where,” he continued. “Security didn’t get her seat number and she disappeared into the audience.”

“Yeah, but she’s here!” He could dance on air.

Roger shook his head. He wasn’t having nearly as much fun as Peter.

“So how do we find her? Any bright ideas?” Roger crossed his arms over his chest.

Garrett kept vamping onstage as Adam joked with the crowd. Peter could always count on Adam in a pinch. His dad looked frustrated that Peter was delaying the show.

“Yeah, actually I do. All the ticket winners had seats from row ten to row thirty. Get a couple of spotlights and start shining them on the crowd. See if you can spot her. If you don’t find her in the next two songs, we’ll send Adam and Garrett out while I do my solo. The crowd will never expect to see them roaming the aisles. They’ve both seen Libby up close and might find her.”

Roger looked doubtful, but Peter spun away, ran across the stage, and slid into place between his brothers. Adam hit the chord and the next chart-topping song erupted from the speakers. Now that he knew Libby was inthe house, he could barely contain himself. He gave it his all. He could see the spotlights roam over the crowd, but the stage lights made it impossible for him to see anyone clearly. He wasn’t worried though. She was here and they’d find her.

Peter performed just like she remembered. His tall, lithe body moved with amazing power and grace. She’d almost forgotten his impossible good looks. Giant screens illuminated his every step. She nearly cried as she watched his familiar movements. How could she get to him? Maybe if she waited until after the concert?

The song ended and the lights softened. Garrett and Adam left the stage. A single light shone on Peter. He picked up a guitar and softly strummed. The audience cheered as they recognized the song.

He looked introspective as he spoke to the crowd. “You may have heard that I’ve been trying to find a special someone from my past.”

Her heart beat wildly. He was talking about her. She wanted to yell “I’m right here!” but the fans roared.

A huge smile covered his face. “Well, she’s here tonight.” The masses thundered their approval.

“Libby, I know you’re out there. I can feel it. Where are you?”

The sound of Peter speaking her name nearly broughther to tears. She shouted, “I’m right here!” but the deafening cheers covered her words.

Peter laughed at the crowd’s response, the sparkle in his eyes clear even from where she stood.

“I had a feeling that wasn’t going to work.” He continued to strum his guitar. “Tell you what, while I try to figure out how to find her in this huge audience, you enjoy this next song. It’s called ‘Angel Kisses,’ and I wrote it for Libby.”

As the horde of admirers delivered another deafening roar, Libby watched, transfixed. Her love for him skyrocketed as she watched. His beautiful baritone voice caressed each word. She remembered that day so long ago at Parfrey’s Glen. Goose bumps covered her arms as he sang of a tender love that no one understood, and how “angel kisses” could wash away the scars of life.

Spotlights continued to wander over the crowd, but to Libby, she and Peter stood alone among the red rocks. The thousands of onlookers evaporated into the night.

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