at his uncle’s gas station. He’s going to school to become a mechanic.”
“Not much money in that,” Gwen sneered.
“And such a dirty job,” Abigail said, sipping her tea.
Randall winked at Libbie. “Well, we do need good mechanics to keep our cars running properly, don’t we?”
Libbie smiled at her dad. At least someone in her family was on her side.
Later that evening, Libbie had come downstairs for a drink before bed when she overheard her parents talking in the living room.
“I can’t stand the thought of our Libbie dating that dirty gas station boy,” Abigail said. “What if it becomes serious? What if she ends up married to him?”
“Now, Abbie, don’t get yourself worked up. She’s only seventeen. I’m sure by this time next year, Libbie will have moved on to some nice young man. You really shouldn’t get upset over it.”
Libbie stood there in the hall, fuming. How dare her mother talk about Jack that way? She didn’t know him. She heard the clinking of ice cubes in a glass, and she knew her mother was on her third or fourth gin and tonic.
“I don’t know, Rand. You haven’t seen them together like I have. I think there’s more to it than Libbie is letting on.”
“Oh, Abbie, you always get yourself into a fret over these things. Believe me, it will all work out in the end.”
She heard the sound on the television being turned up, and Libbie knew that was her dad’s way of ending the conversation. She slipped into the kitchen for her drink and then quietly headed upstairs again.
They were wrong. She cared more for Jack than for any boy she’d ever dated before. She might be only seventeen, but she knew how she felt. And there was nothing they could do to get between her and Jack.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Is that really what she said?” Larry asked Jack a few days later. They’d taken the rowboat out onto the small lake that bordered the farm’s back forty acres and were fishing.
Jack nodded. “I guess she’s afraid Libbie and I might get serious.”
Larry snorted. “Might get serious? Man, you’re already there. I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Libbie. And I can’t blame you. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s nice, too. Obviously, she didn’t get her personality from her mother.”
“What about you and Carol? Have you met her parents yet?”
“Yeah, but by accident. We were heading back to my car after walking through the park downtown and there they were. I was holding Carol’s hand, and she dropped it like it was a hot potato. Then she introduced me as a friend from school.”
“Ouch. What happened?”
“Oh, they were very polite and then left. But I could see in their eyes that they weren’t happy. I wasn’t all that pleased, either, with the way Carol acted like I was nothing.”
“Yeah, but you’re still seeing her, aren’t you?”
Larry grinned. “Yeah. I can’t help it. She’s cute.”
Jack laughed.
“But it’s not like you and Libbie, you know? I mean, I’m sure Carol will dump me as soon as school starts, and I don’t really care if she does. But you and Libbie, you two really care about each other. It’s going to be a rough ride for you with that family of hers.”
“I know. But Libbie is worth it,” Jack said.
“I sure hope so, Jack. I sure hope so.”
It was late July when Jack invited Libbie out to the farm to go horseback riding and have supper. She was excited to go but nervous, too. What if Jack’s parents didn’t like her? Or thought she was a snob, like her mother? She wasn’t sure what to wear, either. Jeans or a dress? It seemed rude to underdress, but if they went riding, then she couldn’t wear a dress. She’d never been more nervous about meeting anyone in her life.
Jack solved the problem for her. “Wear jeans to go riding in and bring something to change into afterward.” Libbie was relieved. She had thought of bringing a change of clothes, but then wondered if she’d seem too
“Not much money in that,” Gwen sneered.
“And such a dirty job,” Abigail said, sipping her tea.
Randall winked at Libbie. “Well, we do need good mechanics to keep our cars running properly, don’t we?”
Libbie smiled at her dad. At least someone in her family was on her side.
Later that evening, Libbie had come downstairs for a drink before bed when she overheard her parents talking in the living room.
“I can’t stand the thought of our Libbie dating that dirty gas station boy,” Abigail said. “What if it becomes serious? What if she ends up married to him?”
“Now, Abbie, don’t get yourself worked up. She’s only seventeen. I’m sure by this time next year, Libbie will have moved on to some nice young man. You really shouldn’t get upset over it.”
Libbie stood there in the hall, fuming. How dare her mother talk about Jack that way? She didn’t know him. She heard the clinking of ice cubes in a glass, and she knew her mother was on her third or fourth gin and tonic.
“I don’t know, Rand. You haven’t seen them together like I have. I think there’s more to it than Libbie is letting on.”
“Oh, Abbie, you always get yourself into a fret over these things. Believe me, it will all work out in the end.”
She heard the sound on the television being turned up, and Libbie knew that was her dad’s way of ending the conversation. She slipped into the kitchen for her drink and then quietly headed upstairs again.
They were wrong. She cared more for Jack than for any boy she’d ever dated before. She might be only seventeen, but she knew how she felt. And there was nothing they could do to get between her and Jack.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Is that really what she said?” Larry asked Jack a few days later. They’d taken the rowboat out onto the small lake that bordered the farm’s back forty acres and were fishing.
Jack nodded. “I guess she’s afraid Libbie and I might get serious.”
Larry snorted. “Might get serious? Man, you’re already there. I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Libbie. And I can’t blame you. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s nice, too. Obviously, she didn’t get her personality from her mother.”
“What about you and Carol? Have you met her parents yet?”
“Yeah, but by accident. We were heading back to my car after walking through the park downtown and there they were. I was holding Carol’s hand, and she dropped it like it was a hot potato. Then she introduced me as a friend from school.”
“Ouch. What happened?”
“Oh, they were very polite and then left. But I could see in their eyes that they weren’t happy. I wasn’t all that pleased, either, with the way Carol acted like I was nothing.”
“Yeah, but you’re still seeing her, aren’t you?”
Larry grinned. “Yeah. I can’t help it. She’s cute.”
Jack laughed.
“But it’s not like you and Libbie, you know? I mean, I’m sure Carol will dump me as soon as school starts, and I don’t really care if she does. But you and Libbie, you two really care about each other. It’s going to be a rough ride for you with that family of hers.”
“I know. But Libbie is worth it,” Jack said.
“I sure hope so, Jack. I sure hope so.”
It was late July when Jack invited Libbie out to the farm to go horseback riding and have supper. She was excited to go but nervous, too. What if Jack’s parents didn’t like her? Or thought she was a snob, like her mother? She wasn’t sure what to wear, either. Jeans or a dress? It seemed rude to underdress, but if they went riding, then she couldn’t wear a dress. She’d never been more nervous about meeting anyone in her life.
Jack solved the problem for her. “Wear jeans to go riding in and bring something to change into afterward.” Libbie was relieved. She had thought of bringing a change of clothes, but then wondered if she’d seem too
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