Finding Libbie (7 page)

Libbie looked up with wild eyes. “No. You can’t do that. It’ll only make things worse. You don’t know how angry my mother can get. She just goes crazy.”

“Okay, okay,” Jack said softly. “Does your father feel the same way?”

Libbie sniffled and Jack pulled a few napkins out of his glove compartment and handed them to her. After wiping her tears away, she said, “I don’t think so, but it doesn’t matter what he thinks. My mom runs the house, and he never interferes. And my sister was siding with my mom, too. They were ganging up on me, like they always do.”

“I’m sorry, Libbie,” Jack said, pulling her close again and kissing the top of her head. They sat there in the dark cab with the silent night surrounding them.

“I wish we could run away,” Libbie said. “I’m so tired of them telling me what to do. I can’t live without seeing you, Jack. I just can’t.” She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. “Let’s run away. Tonight. We’d be so happy somewhere far away, together.”

“Oh, sweetie, that’s a nice dream, but we can’t run away. We have to finish school. I’m going to trade school, too, and I need to finish that if I’m ever going to earn a living.”

Libbie’s heart fell. “I thought you loved me. I thought you’d do anything to take care of me.”

Jack took her hands in his, bringing one to his lips and kissing it gently. “Baby, I do love you. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. And I would do anything to take care of you. But running away isn’t the answer. You’d miss all your friends, and your family, too. Things will work out, I promise. Your parents will come around.”

Libbie shook her head sadly. “My mother will never approve of you, Jack. And she meant it when she said I couldn’t see you anymore.”

Jack reached over and tilted Libbie’s face up to look at him. He smiled at her. “Maybe she did, but she can’t stop us from seeing each other at school, can she? And soon, we’ll both be eighteen and she won’t be able to tell you what to do. I promise you, Libbie. She can’t keep me away from you. It’ll be impossible.”

Libbie wanted to believe that was true, but she knew how stubborn her mother could be.

They sat in the truck, holding each other, until the moon rose high in the sky and the air cooled around them. Finally, Jack said, “You should go home before they notice you’re gone. You don’t want to make things worse.”

Libbie nodded halfheartedly.

“Can you sneak back in without anyone seeing you?” Jack asked.

“I’m sure my parents are in bed by now. If not, I’ll climb up the tree and onto the roof.”

“I’ll walk you back to your house and make sure you get in safely,” Jack offered.

Jack wrapped his arm around Libbie’s waist and pulled her close as they walked the short distance in the moonlight to her house. Once they were near it, he turned to her and looked down into her eyes. “I love you, Libbie. We’ll get through this. Just remember how much I love you, and you’ll be fine.”

Libbie nodded as Jack kissed her softly on the cheek. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

Libbie walked toward the dark house and opened the French door in the kitchen. Slipping inside, she turned around and saw Jack still standing in the bushes at the edge of their property. She made her way quietly up the back stairs. Everything was silent and dark up there. She took her key from her pocket, opened her bedroom door, and went inside. Then she flicked her bedroom lights twice so Jack would know that she was safely inside the house.

Libbie ran to her window and looked outside, but it was too dark to see if Jack was still there. Exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the night, she went to bed and fell asleep quickly.

As Jack lay in bed that night, he thought about the wild-eyed look on Libbie’s face when she’d told him he’d only make things worse if he spoke to her mother. He’d never seen her look anything but happy. But tonight she’d been shaking and scared as she’d cried in his arms. He’d wanted to protect her from her pain. He would have gladly taken her home to the farm if he’d thought it wouldn’t have made things worse for Libbie. But he knew he couldn’t, and it had been hard for him to watch her return to her house. He hoped she was okay.

He knew from the incident at the gas station that Libbie’s mother didn’t like him. But it seemed to him that she’d reacted too severely over them going steady. And to cause Libbie so much pain was cruel. It was difficult for him to understand a mother acting that way, since he was used to his own mother being so kind and loving.

Well, she’s going to have to get used to me, because I’m not going away.

Jack’s love for Libbie went far beyond puppy love. He knew, even now, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He was working hard at school so he could learn his trade well and earn a living to support them. He was never going to be rich; he knew that. But he could still give Libbie a good life, if she’d have him.

As Jack fell asleep, his thoughts were of Libbie and how he’d take care of her and keep her safe for the rest of her life.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Abigail didn’t leave her bed for three days after her outburst, claiming she was too distraught to get up. Gwen came over every day to care for her and to cook dinner for the family. This wasn’t the first time Libbie’s mother had taken to her bed after an outburst. It actually happened quite often, and usually after a family quarrel or upsetting news. Libbie always thought her mother did it to get attention or to sway her father to give in to whatever demands she had made. But this time, she knew it was because of her, and she felt guilty for making her mother sick. It also didn’t help that Gwen gave her reproachful looks every time their paths crossed.

Everyone tiptoed around the house so as not to disturb Abigail. On the fourth day, Abigail reappeared, looking tired but acting as if nothing had happened. This behavior had always baffled Libbie. How could her mother be so angry that she became sick and yet pretend that all was fine just a few days later? It made no sense, but she was relieved that her mother wasn’t angry with her anymore—at least for the time being.

No one questioned Libbie about her comings and goings or whether she was spending time with Jack. It was as if things had returned to normal, and she didn’t dare question it. She kept Jack’s ring out of sight, and that seemed to keep her mother pacified.

As the homecoming celebration and dance drew near, Libbie went to her father to ask if it was okay if Jack escorted her. She’d been nominated for Homecoming Queen, and Carol had been nominated as part of the court. But if Libbie couldn’t go with Jack, she’d already decided she wouldn’t go at all.

“Of course you can go with him, kitten,” Randall said, as if the incident at dinner had never occurred. “Why don’t you have Jack stop by here before the dance so we can finally meet him properly? I’m sure your mother would like to take pictures, too.”

Libbie doubted very much that her mother would want to take pictures, but she didn’t tell her dad that. “Thanks, Dad,” she told him, kissing him lightly on the cheek before leaving. Maybe he’d talked her mother into accepting Jack as her boyfriend. She hoped so. At least now she felt free to enjoy planning for homecoming and going with Jack.

Jack stood nervously outside the Wilkenses’ front door. He adjusted his tie for the tenth time, and then ran his hand down his suit jacket sleeve, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. He’d had to buy a new suit for homecoming. He’d grown over the summer, and his arms and legs were too long for the suit he’d worn the previous spring to the prom. He’d even splurged on new dress shoes. Libbie was worth it, though, and he felt proud to be escorting the new Homecoming Queen to the dance. He just had to get through meeting her parents without having a heart attack.

Taking a deep breath, Jack rang the doorbell. A moment later, a tall, slender man with dark hair and friendly brown eyes answered.

“Hello. You must be Jack.”

Jack relaxed a bit at the man’s friendly greeting. He extended his hand. “Yes, sir, I am. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wilkens.”

Randall shook his hand and moved aside to let him inside. “Come in, Jack. Libbie will be down in a moment.” He smiled. “You know how girls are, always making us men wait.”

Jack smiled back and entered the house. He glanced around as he followed Mr. Wilkens through the large entryway to the back of the house and into the family room. It was just off the large kitchen, and the French doors leading out to the backyard stood between the rooms. They had passed a formal living room on the way there.

“Please, sit down,” Mr. Wilkens said, pointing to a sofa. “Can I get you something? A Coke, maybe?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Jack sat down gingerly. He placed the box that held Libbie’s corsage on the coffee table in front of him. Mr. Wilkens sat down in a recliner opposite him and lit up a cigarette. Jack wondered if Libbie’s mother would make an appearance. He wanted her to see that he was a decent person, despite the fact that he was a farm boy from the south end of town.

“I hear you work at Rick’s Shell Station. He’s your uncle?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, sir. I work there in the summer and on weekends during school. I also help my father with his cabinet business.”

“Yes, I’ve seen your father’s work. He does a fine job.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Mr. Wilkens suddenly stood up and looked across the room. “Abbie, dear. I’m so happy you were able to come down. I hope your headache is better.”

Jack turned and saw Mrs. Wilkens standing there, staring directly at him. He quickly stood, bumping his knees into the coffee table.

“Yes, I’m feeling better,” she replied, but her eyes were locked on Jack the entire time.

“You know Jack, don’t you, dear?”

Mrs. Wilkens looked Jack up and down very slowly before replying. “Yes. Hello, Jack,” she said coolly.

Jack swallowed hard. “Good evening, Mrs. Wilkens. It’s nice to see you again.”

She only nodded and then walked past him toward her husband. Mr. Wilkens offered her a cigarette and then lit it for her. She stood there, staring at Jack with those cold, sharp eyes, occasionally puffing on her cigarette.

Jack wasn’t sure what to say. His palms were sweating, and he was growing hot in his suit. He’d known that Libbie’s mother was a formidable figure, but he hadn’t realized how absolutely scary she could be. He stood up straighter and tried to remain calm. He was at least a head taller than her, but her glacial stare made him feel two feet tall.

“Ah, there she is,” Mr. Wilkens said, smiling toward the doorway.

Jack turned and saw Libbie. All his anxiety drifted away as he gazed at her. She looked stunning in a long sapphire-blue satin dress. Her hair was pulled up with delicate wisps framing her face, and she wore white gloves that went up to her elbows. She truly looked like royalty.

“You look beautiful,” Jack said, forgetting her parents were in the room and walking over to her. He reached for her hands and held them as their eyes met. She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, kitten, you look lovely,” Mr. Wilkens said, coming over to them. He had picked up the box with the corsage in it. “I believe Jack brought this for you.”

Jack reluctantly let go of Libbie’s hands as the magic of the moment faded away. He took the box from Mr. Wilkens and opened it, showing Libbie the flowers inside—a delicate white orchid with baby’s breath tied with a sapphire-blue ribbon.

“Oh, Jack. It’s so pretty. Will you pin it on?”

Jack nodded and took the corsage out of the box. Carefully, he pinned it to her dress, all the while feeling her parents’ eyes on him.

“Look, Mother,” Libbie said excitedly. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Mrs. Wilkens snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and walked over to her daughter, a forced smile on her face. “It’s lovely, dear,” she said stiffly. “You will make a gorgeous Homecoming Queen.” She gently hugged her daughter before pulling away and standing off to the side.

Jack noticed that Libbie either chose to ignore her mother’s stiffness or she was just used to it. Maybe that was as warm as Mrs. Wilkens ever was. At least her coldness hadn’t dampened Libbie’s spirit. She was smiling brightly at Jack.

“Are you ready to go?” Jack asked.

“Yes, just let me grab my wrap.” Libbie went into the entryway where the staircase was and lifted a lace shawl off the stair rail.

“We’ll be right behind you two,” Mr. Wilkens said cheerfully. “We can’t miss our baby girl being crowned Homecoming Queen.”

Jack turned to Libbie’s father and offered his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Wilkens.”

“Nice meeting you, too, Jack. We’ll see you in a little while.”

Jack looked over at Libbie’s mother, who was glaring at him. “Nice seeing you again, Mrs. Wilkens,” he said.

She only nodded.

Jack turned, and there was Libbie, her eyes sparkling at him. He smiled and escorted her out to his truck.

Later, as the homecoming program commenced, Jack stood near the back of the high school auditorium with Larry by his side. Libbie and Carol were up on stage wearing their crowns and having their pictures taken with the entire court for the yearbook and newspaper. The whole community had turned out for the coronation, so every seat was filled. Libbie’s parents had showed up, as well as Gwen and Walter, and they were sitting at the front near the stage. Jack had met Gwen for the first time that night, and by the cold gaze in her eyes, he knew immediately that she didn’t like him any more than Libbie’s mother did.

Jack’s mother had brought Jan to watch, and they were sitting somewhere in the mass of people. Jan had been starry-eyed about Libbie being named queen, and Jack knew she hoped to one day be just like Libbie.

“You should be standing up there beside Libbie as Homecoming King,” Larry said to Jack. “You’re just as good-looking as Ron.”

Jack looked sideways at Larry. “Uh, I’m not sure if I like you thinking that I’m good-looking, but thanks.”

Larry laughed. “You know what I mean.”

“Well, you could be up there, too,” Jack said.

“Yeah, if I was rich,” Larry snorted. “They don’t vote for the poor kids.”

Jack nodded. Unfortunately, it was true. The popular kids were usually the rich kids, too.

“You and Carol are still together, though. She must have finally told her parents about you.”

“Yeah. They don’t seem to have a problem with us dating. I think they actually like me. Can you imagine that? I’ve been over there a few times for dinner,” Larry said.

“They should like you. You’re a nice guy,” Jack said.

Larry snorted. “I’m not all that nice, and you know it. But I can be polite if I have to be. You, on the other hand, are a nice guy. It’s a shame that the Ice Queen doesn’t like you.”

Jack shook his head. “I doubt she ever will. And Libbie’s sister seems to have it out for me, too. But it doesn’t matter. We’re together whether they like me or not.”

“That’s the spirit,” Larry said. He glanced up at the stage. “You sure are a lucky guy, Jack. I mean, Carol is really pretty, but no one can hold a candle to Libbie. She’s in a whole other league. All the guys are jealous of you, you know that?”

Jack turned to Larry. “Are you?”

“Nope. I’m not a sappy romantic like you. I’m never settling down and getting married. Marriage is a trap.”

Jack laughed and slapped him on the back. “Right. You just keep on saying that until the right girl comes along.”

Later that night, as Jack danced with Libbie in his arms, he knew for sure that he did believe in marriage, because for him the right girl—the only girl for him—had come along.