Free Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten Page A

the only phone in the house, in the dining room, to answer it.
    “Hey, Libbie. What’s up? I was just thinking about you,” Jack said, sounding happy.
    His sweet voice made her tears begin to flow again. She didn’t want to lose Jack. She just couldn’t. “Something’s happened. My mom and I had a terrible fight. I need to see you.”
    “Are you okay?” Jack asked, his voice filled with concern.
    “Yes. But I have to see you. Please come, Jack. Park down at Carol’s house and I’ll meet you there. You can’t come to my house. Hurry. Please.” She began sobbing again.
    “I’ll be right there,” Jack told her. “I’ll hurry.”
    Libbie hung up the phone and grabbed a handful of tissues to wipe away her tears. Finally, when she felt calmer, she changed into an old pair of jeans and a sweater, then went to her door and quietly locked it. She crossed her room, opened her bedroom window, and climbed out onto the slanted roof. There was a tree that grew close to the house, and she carefully climbed onto the thickest branch and made her way down the tree to the ground. She’d done this many times before, when she’d wanted to sneak out to a party with Bill, and she’d never been caught. Hopefully she wouldn’t be caught tonight, or it would make her situation even worse.
    Carol lived two houses away, so Libbie headed to the bushes that separated their house from the neighbor’s and walked through them, so her parents or sister wouldn’t see her. The sun was just setting, so no one noticed her as she made her way to Carol’s house. She waited beside a large oak tree until she heard the rumble of Jack’s truck come down the road. Just as it came into view, she ran out and he stopped.
    Libbie climbed up into the cab and reached for Jack. Tears fell down her cheeks and onto his shirt as he held her tight.
    “What happened, Libbie?” Jack pulled away and looked down into her eyes. He wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the side of his thumb.
    “My mother saw your ring,” Libbie said between sobs. “She was livid. She . . . she said I couldn’t see you anymore.” Libbie broke down again, and Jack pulled her close.
    “Shh. It’s okay, Libbie. Everything will be fine.” Jack turned off the truck lights so no one would see them there and held Libbie as she cried. “I’m sorry your mother was upset about us going steady. Maybe if I talk to her it’ll be okay. She’ll see that I’m not all that bad.”
    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