Libby's Fireman by Tracey Steinbach Page A

visits too. Mac loved kids. He and his wife had been
trying for a while to have some of their own, but so far, nothing.
Jack felt for the guy.
    Jack and Hank quickly finished setting the
snacks out, and went to meet the kids and their teacher. “Hi kids!
Welcome! I’m Jack, and this is Hank.” They led the kids through the
station, Jack and Hank taking turns explaining things and fielding
questions.
    One of the little girls caught Jack’s eye
while he was explaining about the fireman’s pole. She had a look of
intense concentration on her face, and he wondered what she was
thinking. Looking away from the child, he saw one of the chaperones
smile at him—and their eyes locked. Pretty lady, he thought. She’s one of the moms, Jack. Dad is probably at work. He
broke the eye contact and led the way to the kitchen and
snacks.
    A tug at his shirt had Jack looking down.
The same little girl that had been staring at the pole with such
concentration was trying to get his attention. He crouched down in
front of her. “What is it, sweetie?”
    “Where is the bathroom? I have to go.”
    Jack noticed her dancing foot-to-foot, and
straightened. “I’ll show you, but we need your mommy or the
teacher.”
    The little girl turned to say ‘Mommy’ just
loud enough that the woman Jack had been admiring earlier turned in
their direction. She hurried over. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
    Jack grinned. “Nothing bad, I promise. Your
little angel here just asked for a bathroom, and I didn’t want to
just disappear with her.”
    The mom looked relieved, then smiled. “Thank
you. If you just point me in the right direction, I’ll take
her.”
    Jack pointed down the hallway. “First door
on your left.”
     
    * * * *
     
    A half hour later, the kids were all loaded
on the school bus and the station was quiet again. In a fire
station, quiet is a good thing—unless you have a group of
kindergarteners hanging around.

Chapter One
     
    Jack was driving home when the call came
over the CB. Six year old female child stuck in a tree on the
fifteen hundred block of Walnut Street. He flipped the switch
on the dash of the pickup truck and did a U-turn in the middle of
the street.
    If there was one thing Jack couldn’t resist,
it was kids. He didn’t have any of his own, mostly due to the fact
that he’d never found a woman that he cared for enough to marry,
but he volunteered every year to help with Toys For Tots, took part
in every Poker Run for the local children’s hospital, and donated
half his income tax check to Make a Wish. He even took his niece
and nephew for a week at the end of summer. They went to amusement
parks, the zoo and the beach. His sister always gave him hell for
spoiling them when he brought the kids home, but she still sent
them every summer. They went home with bags of school supplies and
new clothes for school. He didn’t mind. It wasn’t as if he had
anyone else to spend the money on, and it helped the family.
    Jack sped down the street, turning onto
Walnut. He saw a police car already parked out front with his
lights flashing. Jack pulled up behind him and jumped out of the
truck. “Where is she?” he asked the cop. The cop pointed toward the
back yard, and Jack took off at a jog.
    When he rounded the house, Jack stopped dead
in his tracks. Sitting there, about ten feet up in the air, was a
little girl in a tree. She had a huge grin on her dirty face and
what looked to be a Barbie doll in her hand. Jack had been
expecting to find a scared little girl, crying for her mommy. He
shook his head and grinned when the little girl waved at him. He
waved back and started for the tree. “Hi. I’m Jack. What’s your
name, honey?” Jack asked, looking up at her.
    “Libby,” she answered. “Are you a
fireman?”
    Jack nodded. “I am.
You met me the other day, when you came to see the fire station.
Whatcha doin’ up there, Libby?” Jack had his hands braced on his
hips while his mind raced through possible