Hometown Promise Read Online Free PDF Page B

be able to get his grandfather to use the hearing aids even if he got them.
    After entering his house, Lukas went into the small bedroom that served as his office. He plunked his briefcase onto the desk and noticed the blinking red light on the answering machine. Grabbing a pen and paper, he hit the play button.
    Juliane’s voice floated through the room. “Lukas, this is Juliane Keller. I spoke with the woman in charge of the concession booth, and she said she’d love to have more help. So I guess we’re on for Friday night. You can call me for details.”
    As Juliane recited her phone number, he scribbled it onthe notepad. Dropping into the nearby chair, he stared at the machine. Then he listened to the message a second time to make sure he hadn’t imagined the whole thing. After the way she’d rushed off tonight, he never expected to hear from her so soon, if at all.
    Leaning back, he laced his fingers behind his head and smiled. Maybe this wasn’t going to turn out badly, after all. But he cautioned himself not to get too carried away just because Juliane had agreed to meet with him.
    Taking one day at a time made his life easier. He reminded himself not to borrow trouble from tomorrow, because God was always there to help today.

Chapter Three
    T he roar of the crowd filtered through the hallway of the gymnasium, while the high school band played the team fight song. Juliane knew from experience that this signaled the entrance of the Kellerville Tigers onto the basketball court. Bustling around the concession stand, the members of the basketball boosters prepared and sold hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and various other snacks and soft drinks.
    While Juliane helped Carol Donovan prepare for the halftime onslaught of fans, she wondered where Lukas was. She’d told him to be here at six-thirty, but it was nearly seven, and he hadn’t arrived. Telling herself she might as well get the meeting with Lukas over, she’d given herself a pep talk about tonight. Now, if he didn’t show, she’d have to do it all over again.
    After she’d made arrangements for him to help, she hoped Lukas wouldn’t arrive inebriated, or not at all. Or was he like her father—able to function most of the time despite his drinking? After all, Lukas had been falling-down drunk the last time she’d seen him eleven years ago, but maybe he’d gotten more discreet over the years.
    She should try to make the best of the whole situation with Lukas. She had to face facts. He was going to be around for the foreseeable future, and she was going to have to learn to live with his presence in town and at church—like it or not.
    Still, how was she going to explain, if he didn’t show? She didn’t want to make excuses for him. Juliane couldn’t help thinking about the times she and her mother had stepped in and saved her father from showing up drunk at an event. Through the years she’d given her mother moral support while she dealt with her husband’s drinking. How often had Juliane taken his place at functions, always making some excuse for him? She didn’t intend to do that for Lukas.
    Although family and close friends had witnessed her father’s overindulgence, she wondered whether she and her mother had successfully covered for him with other people. Or had they guessed over the years that her father had a drinking problem? She’d never heard any gossip in that regard, but maybe people were careful to avoid letting her hear the unkind talk.
    “Juliane, sorry to be so late. I thought I’d never get here.” Lukas’s voice startled her from her thoughts.
    Trying to pretend she wasn’t bothered by his late appearance, she turned and smiled. “Oh, that’s okay. We’ve been doing fine without you.”
    His head lowered, an older man with thinning gray hair stepped from behind Lukas. “It’s my fault, miss.”
    Juliane peered at him. Somehow he looked familiar, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. Then he looked up. “Ferd, what are you