Chapter Five

Addie sat the car seat with Grace in it down in the center of the oak kitchen table and helped the cabbie bring her bags in.

" Thanks." she said as she paid him.

" Anytime, ma'am."

Addie had just finished putting her things away, when the doorbell rang.

" Yes?" she said as she opened the door.

An average height woman with shoulder length blond hair was standing on the porch.

" Is Andy here?"

" No, he, um…went to the skate park." Addie moved out of the way. " Please, come in Ms.-"

" Mrs. Emily Brinker. You must be Adelaide, Peter's stepsister."

" Um…yes. This is Gracie." Addie said as they walked into the kitchen. " She's my half-sister."

" Of course. Adelaide, would you mind going to the park to get Andy? I'll watch Gracie until you get back. You look like you could use a break, and well, to be frank, Andy doesn't like when I go looking for him at the park."

" Um…Okay. I'll be back soon. All of Gracie's things are in my room. It's the first on the left, upstairs."

She kissed Grace on the cheek and left.

It was almost 5:30, so Addie figures she would get Peter to come along, too. The thought of being alone with his friend, Andy, didn't seem like such a hot idea. Addie couldn't fathom why she was attracted to him. With his nose length dirty blond hair, baggy jeans, and form fitting sweaters, he was every Cali girls' dream guy. Not Addie's, though. She generally went after clean-cut Nick Lachey look-alikes.

'Maybe it's the heat.' Addie thought to herself.

She was still wearing her jeans and a black turtle neck sweater. After all, it was September, and it had been very cool when she left New York.

She could see the skate park clearly now.

" Hey, good-looking."

Addie looked behind her and saw a boy with shoulder length brown hair. He had a pair of roller blades slung over his shoulder and a smirk played across his face.

" Excuse me?"

" Hasn't anyone told you how beautiful you are lately?"

" Who are you?" Addie asked as calmly as she could.

" I'm Val Horrigan. And, who are you?"

" Adelaide Smith."

" What do you say to having a date with me, Adelaide Smith?"

" Peter!"