Loving Miss Libby (16 page)

Forcing himself up, he climbed the stairs.

Marky waited for him at the top.  “Where’s Miss
Libby?” he asked, frowning.

“She went home,” he told him.  “Where’s Kate?”

He gestured toward her room. “I wish Miss Libby
didn’t have to go home,” Marky said.

“You and me both, son,” Dan said wearily.  “You and
me both.”

***

Libby dropped onto her couch and grabbed her head in
both hands.  She had just left Dan’s, and although she’d sensed he had
something important to talk to her about, she’d bolted. 

If he wanted to talk about what happened between
them on Saturday, the truth was, she wasn’t ready.  Prior to that kiss, she had
imagined it a hundred times.  She felt ridiculous now. realizing that as a
grown woman, she had spent time envisioning that kiss, hoping for it.  It had
happened and now she knew how wrong it had been.

She knew Dan still had feelings for Cherise.  It was
inappropriate for her to fantasize about someone else’s love interest.  She
knew for a fact that he had had Cherise watch the kids the day before.  She
also knew Dan well enough that he wouldn’t turn his children over to just any
babysitter.

He didn’t seem like the type of man who would be
involved with someone and go around kissing someone else.  But if he still had
feelings for Cherise, that’s exactly what he’d done.

 She needed time to think.  She needed distance
between herself and her neighbor.  But that was the problem with falling for
someone who lived next door.  Achieving distance was an impossibility.

***

Dan tossed and turned all night.  He prayed
constantly for his father—that he would come through the surgery.  He prayed
his mother would hold up, and that Kate wouldn’t fall apart with worry.  Marky
was little enough he didn’t understand the gravity of the surgery, but he still
prayed for his precious son.  Lastly, he prayed for Libby. 

He hadn’t dated since his wife had died three years
before.  A friend from work had tried to set him up on a date, and the woman
had actually showed up at his home, despite the fact that he had declined the
opportunity to meet her.  She had fussed over him, fretted over the kids, and
cooked him a week’s worth of meals in one evening. 

She had subsequently dropped by on several
occasions.  He hadn’t doubted her growing affection for the kids, but he hadn’t
felt anything for her.  Maybe the time hadn’t been right.  Maybe she just
wasn’t the woman for him.  Either way, it hadn’t worked out.

She’d probably been a perfectly nice person, but he
just hadn’t been interested in anyone at the point.  Until he’d caught sight of
Libby on the other side of the fence, when she’d moved in a year before, no one
had interested him.

He hadn’t even been bold enough to introduce himself
to Libby when she’d first moved in.  Even after his children had made a habit
of dropping into her backyard on an ongoing basis, he hadn’t formally
introduced himself.  Sure, he’d toss a casual wave, but that was the extent of
it.  It wasn’t until Marky had nearly knocked her unconscious a couple times
when he’d thrown or kicked balls over the fence that he’d ventured over there
to apologize. 

She had been so kind to him, assuring him she had no
problem with the kids visiting.  She’d made excuses for Marky, seeming to take
it in stride that little boys routinely lost balls in their neighbors’ yards. 
When Marky had struck her in the nose with the softball, he’d been terrified
his son might have ruined her beautiful nose, but thankfully, it was fine. 

He sighed, suspecting he’d fallen for Libby the
moment he’d set eyes on her.  But, falling for a neighbor wasn’t the best idea,
and he knew it.  If they took a stab at dating and things didn’t work out, it
could be problematic.

He had to think about the kids.  They adored Libby. 
He couldn’t risk them being harmed by a breakup.  He liked to think he was
mature enough to handle any breakup like an adult, and believed the same to be
true of Libby, but anyway you sliced it, a breakup would be awkward.

Dan rose slightly and punched his pillow.  “God, let
Thy will be done,” he prayed, and finally, finally, drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning, as Dan was about to leave to pick
up his parents for the drive to the hospital, Libby laid a gentle hand on his
arm.  “Will you call and let us know how it goes.  I know Kate is going to be
beside herself with worry.  If you call here and we don’t answer, call my cell
phone.  I may take the kids to the park.”

He nodded.  “I will.”  He hesitated, seeming about
to say something, but turned and headed for his car instead.

Libby walked into the family room and took her
customary spot in the comfortable end recliner on the sofa.  She reached for
the lever and raised the leg rest.  Tipping her head back, she began praying
for Dan’s father.  Finally, she reached for her Bible on the end table.  She’d
brought it for the comfort it always brought her during difficult times.

She began reading and after awhile, checked the
clock.  It was after nine and the children were still sleeping.  It was a
blessing.  She knew little Kate would be beside herself with worry.  Libby hoped
she would sleep through the surgery and awaken to hear her granddad was fine.

But it wasn’t to be.  As if on cue, the children
came running down the stairs.

“Have you heard anything about Grandpa?” Kate asked,
her face crunched with worry.

“It’s early yet, honey,” she told her.

“It’s early yet,” Marky repeated, yawning.

“Let’s go into the kitchen and have some cereal,”
Libby suggested.  “And then you two can get dressed and we’ll go outside and
play.”

“We need to stay inside, in case Dad calls,” Kate said.

“Honey, I told him to call here, but if we don’t
answer, to call my cell phone.  I thought we might walk to the park and maybe
have lunch at the Burger Barn later.”

Marky’s eyes widened excitedly, but Kate looked
unsure. 

“Sweetie, your granddad is going to be fine.  Here,
give me your hands.” 

Libby held both childrens’ hands and began praying. 
Kate seemed to relax before her eyes, and when Libby finished praying, Kate
nodded, as if to affirm everything was going to be all right.

“Marky, let’s eat our cereal,” Kate urged.

“So we can hurry up and get to the park?”

Kate nodded.  “Yes.”

“Yay!” he cried, and charged into the kitchen.

Later, as they walked to the park together, Libby
kept a watchful eye on Kate.  Each time she looked worried or fearful, Libby
took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Marky wasn’t himself either, seeming to pick up on
Kate’s cues, but he managed to enjoy the outing.  After thirty minutes of hard
play, he joined Libby and Kate on a bench, pink cheeked and breathing deeply.

“I love the park,” he declared.  “Especially the
slide.”

“I’ve always enjoyed the swings,” Libby said.  “How
‘bout you, Kate?”

She thought for a moment.  “I guess I like the
merry-go-round.”

“Can we go to the Burger Barn now?” Marky asked.

Libby checked her watch.  “Sure.  We can start
walking over there.”

As the group started walking along a path through
the park and to a bordering sidewalk, a frantic woman came running toward
them.  Libby read the abject terror on her face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“My … little girl,” she gasped.  “She was beside me
one second, the next, gone.”  She spun around, her whole body fused with
fright.

Libby took a hold of her arm.  “Where were you when
you saw her last?” she asked calmly.

The woman spun around.  “Uh, over there.  Near those
trees.”

Libby reached for both kids’ hands, needing to keep
them close.  “Let’s go back over there and have a look.  If we don’t find your
little girl soon, we’ll need to call the police.”

Kate caught Libby’s eye and Libby attempted to give her
a shoring smile.  She prayed they would find the missing child.  She couldn’t
bear to think she might have brought the children to the park on the very day a
child was abducted.  She couldn’t begin to imagine the damage it would do to
Kate, in particular.

“Come on,” she told the child’s mother, and began
running alongside her to the trees.  When they reached them, she spun around,
still unwilling to let go of either Kate or Marky.  They were her
responsibility.  If something happened to either one of them…

“What’s your daughter’s name?” Libby asked.

“Mindy,” the woman answered.

“Mindy!” Libby called.  “If you can hear me, you
need to come to me now!  Do you understand?”

Libby spoke with authority, hoping that if the child
was hiding or playing a prank, she would respond to an unfamiliar, but firm,
voice.

“Mindy!” she called again, and to her utter and
complete relief, a child of about nine came out from behind the truck of a
tree.

“Mindy!” her mother cried.  She ran to her daughter
and threw her arms around her, pulling her into a fierce hug.  “I thought
someone had taken you.”  She suddenly thrust her away.  “Don’t you ever scare
me like that again!” 

The woman turned to Libby.  “Thank you so much,” she
said shakily.  “If…”  She shook her head, as if the ‘what could have been’ was
too terrible to contemplate.  “Anyway, thank you.”

She turned back to her daughter and gave her a
scolding for scaring her like that.  “But you won’t take me to the movies,” the
little girl accused.

They could still hear the mother scolding her as she
led her away. 

“She shouldn’t have hidden from her mother,” Kate
said, frowning.

“You’re right,” Libby agreed.  “She shouldn’t have,
but kids sometimes make mistakes.”  She smiled.  “Promise me you’ll never do
that,” Libby added.

“I wouldn’t,” Libby assured her, but tossed a glance
at Marky.  “He might.”

Marky stomped his foot.  “I wouldn’t do that! 
Especially to Miss Libby!  She might cry, and I wouldn’t want her to cry.”

“I might,” she told him, pulling him into a hug.

“Did you see the way that lady hugged her daughter?”
Kate said in measured tones.  “It was like she thought she’d lost her forever.”

“She did think that,” Libby said. 

“Her mother hugged her tight because she loved her,”
Marky said knowingly.

Libby watched Kate for a moment.  It was apparent
she had something on her mind, but she didn’t ask what.  She didn’t want to
intrude on her private thoughts, but she just knew the little thing was
ruminating on something.

Fortunately they soon reached the Burger Barn. 
Marky was a bundle of excited energy, but Kate still seemed preoccupied.

When Libby’s cell phone rang, all three jumped in
surprise.  Kate’s hands went to her mouth, as she watched Libby pull the phone
from her purse.  She checked the screen and nodded reassuringly at Kate.

“Hello,” she said.

“Libby, it’s Dan.  Dad’s doing fine.  I would have
called sooner, but there was a delay in taking him into surgery.  But anyway,
everything went well and he’s in recovery.”

“Oh, thank God,” she breathed, as she gave Kate and Marky
the thumbs-up sign.

“Will you let the kids know, and give them both a
hug and a kiss?”

“I will,” she told him, smiling.

“I take it you’re not home right now.”

“No, we’re at the Burger Barn.  We’ve just come from
the park.”

“Thank you.  I know Kate especially needed to be
distracted from her worries.”

“Yes.”  She decided to forgo telling him they’d all
experienced a shock at the park.  It could wait until later.  And now that Kate
knew her granddad was okay, perhaps they could put that earlier shock behind
them.

“Have you already eaten?” Dan asked, drawing her
from her thoughts.

“Oh, no, we’ve just arrived.”

“Do you mind if I join you?  I didn’t eat breakfast,
and now that I know Dad is okay, my appetite is back.”

“Oh, sure, you can join us.  Would you like me to
place your order so you don’t have to wait on it?”

“No, no, that’s okay.  Lunch is on me.  We’re
celebrating.”

“Okay,” she said.

He arrived five minutes later and pulled into the
lot.  Libby and the kids had selected a table inside, since a wind had picked
up and they didn’t want to chase napkins around the parking lot.  Dan joined
them, smiling with relief.

He kissed both kids on the top of the head and
smiled at Libby.  “It’s a good day,” he said.

She nodded, sensing a load had been lifted from his
shoulders. 

“Let’s order,” he said.  “Who wants to come with
me?”