What She'd Do for Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

thing since she was in high school. Had her dad forgotten she was a grown woman—a woman who wasn’t interested in dating right now?
    “Oh, I imagine you’ll run into him.”
    She would never have used the word ‘smug’ to describe her father, but that’s exactly how he looked right now. As if he knew something she didn’t.
    Then again, both her parents had been acting strange ever since she’d arrived home. She couldn’t help but feel they were hiding something from her, but what?
    * * *
    R YDER LOOKED OUT over the school auditorium which, as he’d expected, was filled with what must be ninety percent of the people who lived in or near Cedar Grove. From his position in the wings of the stage he could see men in checked shirts and cowboy hats standing along the back wall and children racing up and down the aisles.
    A trio of women in summer dresses moved down the front row and he couldn’t keep back a smile as he recognized Christa Montgomery, in a sleeveless, flowered shift that showed off tanned arms. She was just as lovely as he remembered. Maybe after the meeting he’d find her and exchange a few words. He’d try to gauge her interest in a casual, dating relationship—no strings attached. Since she only planned to stay in town a little while, he didn’t have to worry she’d expect any long-term commitment from him. Spending more time with her would certainly make his own stay in Cedar Grove more pleasant.
    “You ready to get this show on the road?” The high school principal, who was serving as the night’s master of ceremonies, asked.
    Ryder nodded. “Let’s not keep people waiting.”
    While the principal droned on about the need to listen quietly and then ask questions, Ryder studied Christa. She sat next to a younger woman who had curly hair. The curly-haired woman did all the talking, while Christa studied the large map showing the highway route that was projected onto a screen in front of the stage. She frowned at the map, looking more severe. Apparently, she wasn’t pleased.
    He understood people’s objections, but he figured she’d feel differently once he’d made his case for the project.
    “And now here’s Ryder Oakes. Mr. Oakes is the chief engineer overseeing this project. He’s going to say a few words and answer your questions.”
    Ryder straightened his shoulders and strode onto the stage. He wore pressed khakis and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Nothing too fancy. He was a working man, just like most of these people. A man working to make their lives better, though not all of them saw this yet.
    “The new highway, to be known as Spur Eighty-seven, is going to bring a lot of changes to life in Cedar Grove,” he began. “And change isn’t always easy. As humans, most of us are programmed to not like change. But sometimes change is good. When we switched from using horses to cars for transportation, most people didn’t like it at first. Yet how many of us would give up our cars now? We still have horses, but we use them for recreation, and to work in situations where cars don’t make sense.”
    A few people nodded. Many of them still worked with horses every day.
    “Some of you are worried that your town will die without the traffic a highway brings to it,” he continued. “More people will use the new road and forgo the back way that runs through your town. But I don’t think Cedar Grove will die. New people will come to live near the highway, and they will want to shop and use the services in town, as well as a place to take their kids on Saturday afternoons. You’ll have the opportunity to expand and add new businesses.
    “You’ve probably had friends and family who have left town to live in the city, closer to jobs. The highway will make the commute to Dallas faster and easier, so some of those friends and family will move back home. Others won’t have to leave to find work. The state is also offering grants to rural transportation districts to