Read Online Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton - Free Book Online

could
get to them when they were at Parfrey’s Glen. Just two people
hanging out.
    “ I thought everyone on the
planet knew us,” Adam piped in from the couch, as he clicked
through the camera’s stored photos.
    Peter turned and fixed his little brother
with a stare.
    “ Peter, it’s pouring rain
out there. If this girl has any sense, she won’t be standing in
this deluge waiting for you, and if she is, well that’s another
issue,” his dad said.
    Peter turned to his mother. “Mom, please, ya
gotta help me out here.”
    “ You know, Jett,” his
mother’s voice held that soothing, ‘I’m gonna get my way’ tone.
“We’ve always encouraged the boys to have lives outside of their
music. This is another chance for that.”
    “ I was talking about
playing soccer, not chasing girls.”
    “ If it’s so important to
him, why not let him spend some time with this girl? He’s
seventeen. If I recall correctly, you spent a lot of time with
girls at that age.”
    Peter’s eyes darted from one parent to the
other as if watching a tennis match. He didn’t dare say a word to
distract them.
    “ Well.” His dad
wavered.
    Peter held his breath. His mom was good. She
knew how to handle the man.
    “ What could it hurt? We’ll
fit everything in. We always do,” she added.
    “ Alright, but no more than
an hour. I’m not sitting around in the rain waiting for Romeo
here.”
    “ We’ll go grab a quick
lunch while Peter checks to see if . . .” she turned to Peter,
“What is her name?”
    “ Libby.”
    “ Yes, that’s right, Libby.
Well grab lunch while Peter checks to see if Libby is
there.”
    His father grunted his assent.
    “ Thank you.” Peter mouthed
to his mom.
    She responded with a smile and a pat on his
arm.
    “ Score,” he said under his
breath, pumping his fist.
     
     

Chapter 7
     
    The instant the door opened
Peter flew out of the bus ignoring the steady rain that soaked the
area. His footsteps sank into the soggy grass as he ran across the
clearing and past the large oak where he first met Libby. He made
his way down the muddy path leading him closer to the stream. The
slick ground slowed his progress. Please
let her be here .
    The rain came down in a constant stream,
muffling sounds in the glen. Peter rounded a bend and spotted
Libby. He paused and smiled. She grinned back. Then he laughed. She
stood in the center of the large rock that hung over the stream.
She wore a dark green windbreaker and jeans. One hand was tucked
into her coat pocket, the other held a huge blue and white faded
umbrella. Its enormity dwarfed her. She looked like a cute little
gnome who’d been left out in the rain.
    Peter closed the distance in seconds.
“You’re here!”
    “ So are you.” She grinned,
her hair damp. Peter noticed several gaping holes in the umbrella,
causing a constant flow of water onto her.
    “ I was so worried you
wouldn’t be here, with the rain and all. Have you been waiting
long?” He wanted to reach out and hug her, but didn’t quite know
how to make it happen.
    “ No, not long at all.” A
shiver racked her body.
    “ Liar, your lips are
turning blue.” Peter’s eyes settled on her trembling
mouth.
    “ You’re getting soaked,
come stand under the umbrella.” She lifted it enough to clear his
height. In the process of tipping the umbrella a sheet of cold
water swooshed off the back and splashed their legs as it hit the
rock.
    “ Oops, sorry,” she said
with a giggle.
    Peter crowded close under the umbrella. He
gazed down at her smiling face. Rain drops clung to her
eyelashes.
    “ What do you say we go
somewhere we won’t get pummeled by rain?” He took the umbrella from
Libby and wrapped his arm around her. She felt small, delicate and
very wet. They moved off the rock and climbed to an area near the
wall. Trees reached over the glen, blocking some of the rain, the
constant downfall now sounded like a pitter patter.
    Peter reached for her hand and held the
oversized umbrella