McKettricks of Texas: Garrett Read Online Free PDF

job perks weren’t a factor, of course. To them, odd breed that they were, the community’s kids mattered most.
    Dulles cleared his throat, glaring at Julie, who smiled placidly back at him.
    â€œAs some of you already know,” he began, “the McKettrick Foundation has generously agreed to match whateverfunds we can raise on our own to buy new computers and special software for our library. Our share, however, amounts to a considerable sum.”
    The McKettricks were community-minded; they’d always been quick to lend a hand wherever one was needed, but the foundation’s longstanding policy, except in emergencies, was to involve the whole town in raising funds as well. At the name McKettrick, Julie felt an odd quickening of some kind, at once disturbing and delicious, thinking back to her encounter with Garrett in the ranch-house kitchen.
    The others shifted in their seats, checked their watches and glanced up at the wall clock. Students were beginning to arrive; the ringing slam of locker doors and the lilting hum of their conversation sounded from the wide hallway just outside the library.
    Julie waited attentively, sensing that Arthur’s speech was mainly directed at her, but unable to imagine why that should be so.
    No one spoke.
    Arthur seemed reluctant, but he finally went on. He looked straight at Julie, confirming her suspicions. “It’s a pity the drama club is staging those three one-act plays for the fall production, instead of doing a musical.”
    The light went on in Julie’s mind. Since the plays were original, and written by high school seniors, turnout at the showcase would probably be limited to proud parents and close friends. The box-office proceeds would therefore be minimal. But the musicals, for which Blue River High was well known, drew audiences from as far away as Austin and San Antonio, and brought in thousands of dollars.
    The take from last spring’s production of South Pacific had been plenty to provide new uniforms for the marching band and the football team, with enough left over to fund two hefty scholarships when graduation rolled around.
    Arthur continued to stare at Julie, most likely hoping she would save him the embarrassment of strong-arming her by offering to postpone or cancel the student showcase to produce a musical instead. Although her first instinct was always to jump right in like some female superhero and offer to take care of everything, today she didn’t.
    They’d committed, she and Arthur and the school board, to staging Kiss Me Kate for this year’s spring production—casting and rehearsals would begin after Christmas vacation, with the usual three performances slated for mid-May.
    She had enough on her plate already, between Calvin and her job.
    The silence grew uncomfortable.
    Arthur Dulles finally cleared his throat eloquently. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind any of you how important it is, in this day and age, for our students to be computer-savvy.”
    Still, no one spoke.
    â€œJulie?” Arthur prodded, at last.
    â€œWe’re doing Kiss Me Kate next spring,” Julie reminded him.
    â€œYes,” Arthur agreed, sounding weary, “but perhaps we could produce the musical now, instead of next spring. That way it would be easy to match the McKettricks’ contribution, since our musicals are always so popular.”
    Our musicals, Julie thought. As if it would be Arthur who held tryouts every night for a week, and then two months of rehearsals, weekends included. Arthur who dealt with heartbroken teenage girls who hadn’t landed the part of their dreams—not to mention their mothers. Arthur whostruggled to round up enough teenage boys to balance out the chorus and play the leads.
    No, it would be Julie who did all those things.
    Julie alone.
    â€œGosh, Arthur,” she said, smiling her team-player smile, “that would be hard to pull off. The showcase will be