Hometown Promise

by Merrillee Whren

  “Yeah, Juliane’s worried that she might gain a pound.”

  Even though Juliane laughed as if Elise’s teasing didn’t bother her, Lukas didn’t miss the little hint of venom in the look she shot Elise. “I’ll put some in a baggie for you to take home. All of us can’t be skinny like some people I know.”

  “Sounds great. I love chocolate-chip cookies.” Lukas took a bite and ruminated about the sibling rivalry that was obviously going on here. Being an only child, he couldn’t relate. And he certainly didn’t understand why Juliane would feel self-conscious about her weight. Lukas liked looking at Juliane’s feminine curves rather than Elise’s slim model-like figure. But then he shouldn’t be thinking about Juliane’s curves anyway.

  Trying to focus his attention elsewhere, he picked up the list Juliane and he had compiled. “We’ve got a great lineup here. Anything else you ladies want to add?”

  Shaking her head, Juliane looked at him over the top of her mug. “I think we’ve got all the entertainment we need.”

  While they munched on the cookies and drank the hot chocolate, they hashed out the details for the entertainment, even calling Jasper, who agreed to do his impressions. They finalized their list and decided on the order of the program.

  Juliane plunked her mug on the table. “How do we pick the couples for the game?”

  Lukas finished off the last of his cookie. “Maybe we should have the people who are willing to be contestants sign up when they buy their ticket for the banquet.”

  “That’s an excellent idea. I’ll put that information in the announcement for the church bulletin.” Juliane wrote something on her tablet. “I’ll make a note to myself so I’ll remember.”

  “Great.” Lukas grabbed another cookie, thinking he’d better be getting home, though he wasn’t in any hurry to do so. “Is there anything else we need to do?”

  “Yeah, we need to come up with the questions for the game.” Juliane folded the top sheet of the legal pad back as she started a new sheet. “We can make a list of questions, then put them on note cards for the moderator.”

  “Who are you going to get as the moderator?” Elise wadded up her napkin and tossed it on the table.

  “Why don’t you do it, Lukas?” Juliane looked at him.

  Lukas shook his head. “They might get tired of looking at my face if I sing and moderate, too.”

  Elise gathered the empty mugs. “I’m going to clean up. You two can battle this out.”

  After Elise left the room, Lukas turned to Juliane. “You should find someone else.”

  “What if I can’t find someone?”

  “Then I’ll do it.” He pointed at her. “But I’ll know if you don’t try very hard.”

  Laying her head back against the couch, Juliane laughed. “You are too funny. Of course I’ll try, but everyone may turn me down.”

  “That’s what I mean. Don’t take no for an answer.”

  “Okay, I’ll make a list of people I can ask.”

  “You are good with the lists.”

  “They keep me organized.” She laughed again.

  He liked hearing her laughter. He liked watching her make lists. He liked seeing her smile. He was certainly messed up—maybe in a good way—unlike the years when he’d been drinking. Why after only a couple of weeks was this woman, who could tell everyone about his disreputable past, the one woman he couldn’t get off his mind?

  He absolutely had to leave. There was no excuse to hang around. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. “I’d better head home.”

  Juliane hopped up from the couch. “I’ll get your coat.”

  “Thanks.” He hated that she seemed so eager for him to go. Obviously the time they’d shared tonight meant nothing more to her than doing the job her cousin requested. He should just be thankful she wasn’t shunning him instead of wishing she could be more than a friend.

  When she returned with his coat, the phone rang. “Do you need to get that?”

  She shook her head. “Elise will do it.”

  Lukas put on his coat and picked up the bag of cookies. “I wanted to say goodbye to Elise and thank her for the cookies. Do you suppose she’s off the phone?”

  “One way to find out.”

  Before Juliane reached the kitchen door, Elise came charging into the living room. “That was Mom on the phone. She said their power is out and wanted to know whether we had any.”

  Juliane frowned. “Did she say why they lost their power?”

  “The blizzard.”

  “Blizzard? I thought we were only getting a little snow. When did the forecasters say we were going to have a blizzard?”

  Elise shrugged. “I don’t know, but Mom says they’ve closed some roads because of blowing snow. And the National Guard is getting the nurses for the night shift at the hospital because the roads are impassable in the outlying areas.”

  “What about other parts of town?” Swallowing a lump in his throat, Lukas thought about his grandfather.

  “Are you thinking about Ferd?” Juliane asked.

  Lukas nodded. “Do you suppose he’s lost his power?”

  “I’m pretty sure his area of town is on the same grid we are. Mom and Dad live a mile from town, so they are more susceptible to power outages.” Juliane placed a hand on his arm. “If you call, do you think he’ll still be awake?”

  Her touch momentarily froze his brain. Regaining his senses, he knew it was only a comforting gesture, but just the fact that she’d chosen to touch him brightened his thoughts. “I’m worried that he won’t hear the phone when I call, because he takes his hearing aids out when he goes to bed.”

  “That could be a problem.”

  “I know.” Lukas sighed. “If his power is out, that means he doesn’t have any heat.”

  “Oh, dear. I didn’t think of that.” Juliane bit her lower lip.

  Lukas pulled his BlackBerry from his pocket. “I’ll give him a call and hope he answers.”

  “While you do that, I’m going to see about this blizzard.” Juliane headed for the front door. “We were so busy working on the banquet stuff that I forgot all about the weather.”

  “Me, too. I didn’t know it was supposed to get this bad.” Elise followed Juliane to the door.

  When Juliane opened the door, a big gust of wind blew snow from the porch onto the living-room floor. She immediately slammed the door shut and turned to Lukas. “You should see the snowdrifts! You can’t even see your car in the driveway.”

  “It’s hard to believe we were so involved in planning for the banquet that we didn’t hear the wind howling out there.” Elise pushed the drape aside and looked out the window.

  Lukas finished his call and shoved his BlackBerry into his pants pocket. “Everything’s okay. He was still awake and watching one of his shows.”

  “That’s good news.” Juliane tried to wipe up the snow with the napkins that had been on the coffee table.

  “So it’s bad out there?” Lukas zipped up his coat.

  “See for yourself,” Juliane said.

  Lukas opened the door a few inches. He stuck his head out and looked at the drifts that had formed around his car, making it look like a giant marshmallow. Drifts covered the porch. He closed the door and turned around. Rubbing the back of his neck, he narrowed his gaze as he looked at Juliane. “Do you guys have a snow shovel?”

  “Yeah, it’s in the garage.” Juliane pointed toward the back of the house.

  “I only live a couple of miles away. If you get me that shovel, I should be able to dig my car out and get home. I’d feel better if I was home and close to Grandpa in case we all lose power.”

  “Sure. Let me grab my coat, and I’ll get it for you.” Juliane started toward the back door.

  “You guys are crazy. Even if Lukas does dig his car out, he won’t be able to see to drive home. Take another look out that window.” Elise stepped over to the door. “Or better yet, go out to the street and take a look.”

  “Elise,
if he wants to dig his car out, let him. He’s concerned about Ferd.”

  Elise flung her arms into the air. “Okay. But I still think there’s no digging out of this mess.”

  Again Lukas took in the sisters’ conversation. Although he was disappointed that Juliane was so eager to send him on his way, he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable with him here. At the same time, he felt caught in the middle of their disagreement and worried about his grandfather’s safety. “At least let me try.”

  “Follow me, and I’ll get that shovel.” Juliane headed toward the kitchen.

  His spirits sank, but he charged after her. Even though he knew deep inside that she was still keeping him at a distance, he’d foolishly hoped the times they’d spent together lately had changed her opinion of him. He’d told himself her touch had meant nothing significant, so this episode should convince him that his first instincts were correct. She’d rather not have him around. When was he going to get the message?

  When Juliane opened the back door a gust of wind threatened to blow it shut. Lukas reached over her head and held it open.

  She glanced up at him. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  One word of gratitude from her took his breath away. She had him swirling in the wind like the snow. Forcing his mind to think about the task at hand, he helped her open the door to the garage. She flipped the switch just inside the door. The lone lightbulb in the middle of the ceiling cast a dull yellowish light in the single-car garage that housed Juliane’s little blue subcompact.

  “The snow shovel is right over there.” She pointed to the far wall. “Do you see it?”

  “Yeah.” He walked over and took it off the hook.

  “I wish we had more than one. Then I could help you.”

  “That’s okay. No sense in anyone else going out in this storm.” Lukas put on his gloves, pulled up the coat collar around his neck and picked up the shovel. “I’m ready to tackle that mountain of snow.”

  “Let me know if you need anything.” She scurried back into the house.

  Lukas trudged out into the storm, thinking that what he needed was Juliane’s acceptance. Would that ever happen? Even though she seemed to understand the struggles he’d been through and seemed to believe he’d changed, for some reason she kept him at arm’s length. Was it still his past or something else?

  He scooped his way to his car, his mind filled with thoughts of Juliane. With each shovelful of snow, he thought of one more reason he should bury his interest in her. Why did he keep punishing himself by trying to figure out what made her tick?

  Despite the cold, he was working up a sweat under his coat, but his feet were freezing. He sure could use a good pair of boots. The wind howled around him, and the blowing snow stung his face and eyes. Straightening, he arched his back to get rid of the kinks caused by the constant bending.

  When he turned to look back at the garage, he could barely see the path he’d shoveled. The snow was coming down so hard visibility was limited, and the wind was drifting the snow back across the path. Was he fighting a losing battle—with the snow and with his efforts to keep from falling for Juliane?

  Chapter Eight

  The wind continued to howl, and Juliane kept looking out the front window as Lukas battled against the blowing snow. The front porch light barely illuminated the area enough to see him. He appeared to be a dark figure all but lost in a cloud of white. She didn’t want to admit that Elise was right, but she didn’t have a choice.

  Juliane turned from the window and stared at her sister. “I can’t let him keep shoveling that snow. He’s going to freeze.”

  “Finally, you’re convinced that this is a losing battle.” Elise grabbed hold of Juliane’s arm. “Lukas is stuck here. He’s going to have to spend the night.”

  That’s what I was afraid of. Thankfully she hadn’t let the phrase slip out of her mouth. She didn’t want Elise to know what she was feeling. Not even for an instant did she want Elise to think she had an interest in Lukas, other than keeping the poor man from freezing to death, because she didn’t. Anyway, now that Elise had met Lukas, she’d clearly see that the man was out of Juliane’s league, and hopefully the teasing would stop.

  Juliane glanced at the door. “I guess I’ll have to go out and get him.”

  “And apologize for letting him go out in that storm.”

  “He insisted. He’s a grown-up. I never forced him to go.”

  Elise gave her an annoyed look. “Really, Juliane, did you think he was going to invite himself to stay?”

  “Well—”

  “Quit trying to make excuses.”

  “I have to get my coat first.”

  “Then go get it.”

  Juliane left before she said something she would regret. As she retrieved her coat, she couldn’t believe they’d been so wrapped up in their planning that they hadn’t noticed the wind howling outside. Lukas could have left earlier, but now it was too late. He was never going to dig himself out tonight.

  Juliane managed to smile as she returned to the living room. She tried to ignore Elise’s smug expression as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

  Juliane cupped her hands around her mouth. “Lukas! Lukas, quit shoveling and come into the house.” The wind blew the words right out of her mouth and left her gasping for breath. She called his name again, but he still kept shoveling. With the wind howling, he probably couldn’t hear. She had to go out to him.

  Pulling the hood on her coat tight around her neck and face, she trudged through the snowbank. She kept her head down in order to keep the wind-driven snow from pelting her face. As she came up behind him, she called his name again. He jerked around, startling her and nearly causing her to lose her footing in the slippery snow. She grabbed hold of his arm to steady herself, and he held her up.

  When she looked into his eyes, she swallowed hard while her pulse raced. She almost slipped again. “You’ve got to come in. You’re going to freeze out here.”

  “But I’ll never get home if I do.” He pointed to the driveway between his car and the garage. “The snow is already covering what I’ve shoveled.”

  Juliane nodded. “That’s my whole point. You’ll never dig your car out until it quits snowing and blowing. I know you’re worried about your grandpa, but please come into the house.”

  Lucas looked ready to argue, but finally nodded his agreement. “What do you want me to do with the shovel?”

  “Just put it on the porch.” Understanding Lukas’s frustration, Juliane turned toward the house and trudged back through the snow.

  Without another word Lukas followed. She knew she had to apologize, and she didn’t want to do it in front of Elise.

  When they reached the porch, she turned. “Lukas, I’m sorry I ever let you come out here. I should have invited you to stay from the beginning.”

  “All that work for nothing.” He looked back at the driveway and shook his head. “I’ll have to do it all over again in the morning.”

  She grimaced. “I’m so, so sorry. You won’t have to do this again. I’ll have Dad send over the guy who plows out his driveway. He’ll get you out.”

  “I don’t know how with my car still sitting there.” Lukas smiled wryly. “And you don’t have to keep apologizing. You didn’t force me to try to dig out my car. I’ll have to pray that Grandpa doesn’t lose his power.”

  “I’ll pray, too, but I feel terrible that you’ve been working out here for nothing.” With Lukas’s smile making her heart lighter, she opened the door, then turned back to him. “Don’t worry about wiping your feet.”

  “I’m not sure I can even feel my feet.” He slipped out of his shoes as soon as he stepped inside.

  “Well, if it isn’t the Abominable Snowman.” Elise carried a dustpan and broom. “I’ll sweep up the snow. You guys get out of your coats.”

  “Do I look that bad?” Lukas chuckled.

  “Not bad, just snowy.”

  “Let
’s go into the kitchen. We can take off our coats and brush all the snow off in there.” Juliane hated that she was jealous of the way Elise could joke around with Lukas. She knew she didn’t have any business feeling that way for so many reasons—the most important being that she was determined to have no personal interest in him.

  When they reached the kitchen, Juliane took off her coat and shook it, creating a mini snowstorm. She glanced over at Lukas, who was doing the same. His dark hair dampened by the snow, he looked more handsome than ever. Her heart melted into a puddle like the snow on her kitchen floor.

  Some of the unmelted flakes in his hair sparkled in the light from the florescent fixture over the stove. Tempted to reach up and brush them away, Juliane swallowed hard. She turned away to keep from acting on the impulse.

  She didn’t want to like this man. The idea of falling for him scared her silly. She wasn’t sure she wanted him under her roof for the night, especially with Elise, even if her sister was acting as a buffer. Having him here would only add to her confusion, but she didn’t have a choice.

  Trying to put her thoughts on a different track, she grabbed a mop from the pantry and started to wipe up the melted snow. If only she could wipe images of Lukas from her mind as easily as she wiped up the little puddles.

  Lukas reached for the mop. “Let me do that. I made most of the mess.”

  “No, you should get out of those wet clothes before you catch cold or something.” Hoping to avoid any accidental contact, Juliane jerked the mop off to the side before he could take it.

  Looking down he pointed at his feet. “You mean these soaked pants and socks?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’d be glad to change, but what would I put on after I do that?” A question painted his features as he eyed her.

  “Hold on.” Juliane laid the mop against the kitchen counter and headed out to the breezeway. Opening the door, she braced herself against the wind. “I think I have something—”

  “That’ll fit me?” Lukas stuck his head out the door.

  “Yes. Wait inside, and I’ll check this storage bin.”

  “Okay.” He closed the door.