condiments. He ate out for most of his meals. He fully expected Mom to fuss about his lack of a proper diet, a proper home or even a steady girlfriend. She rarely pried into his personal life, but she had strongly hinted that she thought it was time for him to settle down.
Hard to do when his job kept him on the road. His stint in Cedar Grove was likely to be one of the longest of his career, but even though plenty of women had indicated they’d be interested in getting to know him better, so far he’d kept his distance. Relationships always complicated things, especially when it came time to leave town.
That didn’t stop people from trying to match him up with eligible females, though. Christa Montgomery was beautiful, no doubt about that, with dark brown hair that fell just to her shoulders, and clear brown eyes that had met his gaze with no hint of coyness or flirtation. That air of confidence and calm assuredness made her all the more attractive. He’d like to get to know her better.
That wasn’t a new feeling for him; he met women all the time who might interest him, as he traveled around the state, overseeing various highway and bridge projects. But he was always careful not to start what he couldn’t finish. He’d told the truth when he’d said his job required a lot of travel. He didn’t mind, but being away from a home base so much made it tough to form relationships. He might date a woman one week, then not see her again for six or eight weeks. Texting and e-mailing couldn’t take the place of a physical connection. And he wasn’t the type to have a girl in every town, like some of the other engineers in his group.
But he’d settle for friendship—or a summer romance. If Christa wasn’t planning to stay in Cedar Grove, maybe she’d appreciate some company for a few months. It would be nice to have someone to hang out with, to take in a movie or dinner, without the worry that she’d expect a more lasting commitment.
He stepped back into the bank, but Christa was gone. Paul looked up from his desk. “Is there something I can help you with, Ryder?” he asked.
Ryder remembered why he’d come to the bank in the first place. “We’re going to have a lot of workers in and out of Cedar Grove for the next couple of years as construction on the highway progresses,” he said. “I wanted to make sure there won’t be a problem cashing their checks.”
“No problem at all.” Paul laughed. “I mean, if the state isn’t good for the money, we’re all in trouble.”
He scanned the lobby once more, wondering if Christa had slipped out the side door—to avoid him?
“If you’re looking for Christa, she said she had more errands to run,” Paul said. “I take it she just got back to town yesterday afternoon.”
“I guess she’s staying at the Rocking M, with her parents?” He regretted the question as soon as he saw Paul’s eyes light up.
“She is,” the banker said. “She’s been living in Houston since she graduated a few years ago, working at some big marketing firm. I guess the economic slump hit them the way it has almost everyone else. They laid off a bunch of people and she was one of the casualties. But I’m sure another firm will snap her up. She was always sharp.”
“So she’s only here temporarily, until she finds a new job.”
“I guess that’s the plan. But we all know plans can change.” He grinned. “The number at the ranch is in the local directory, if you want to give her a call.”
He bit back the impulse to tell Paul that he didn’t need anyone else to set him up with a woman. He already had to dodge the local women who went out of their way to flirt and even outright proposition him. Something about a new, single man in town sent some females into overdrive.
But Christa wasn’t like that. She’d been friendly, but cool. Not the kind of woman to throw herself at any man.
Which, in the perverse nature of the human spirit, made her all that much more attractive. But he wasn’t going to let Paul know that. For some reason, the banker had made it his mission to introduce Ryder to every eligible woman in the county.
Time to change the subject. “Are you going to be at the public forum tomorrow night?” he asked. This was the last in a series of community gatherings in the area to answer questions about the new highway project. Ryder’s job was to persuade people that the project was a good and positive thing for the people around here.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Worry lines formed on Paul’s forehead. “Are you concerned about the reception you’ll receive?”
“I know some people are unhappy with me, but I’m hoping when I explain the benefits, I can sway them to my side.” He believed the highway was a good thing, though he understood people’s fears about having traffic siphoned from an already dying town. But the new route meant new opportunity. He’d help people see that.
“The other meetings—with the other people the state sent to talk to us—didn’t always go so well,” Paul said.
“I’m not those other people.” The state had chosen him because of his ability to interact with a variety of people. Another lesson he’d learned from life as a military nomad.
“There are some pretty tough old cowboys around here. Set in their ways.”
“I was never one to back down from a battle.” His father had taught him that much. Except his weapons of choice were logic and control, not firearms. Facts and figures beat raw emotion any day, though it took some people longer than others to see that.
* * *
PINK GERANIUMS BLOOMED in half barrels flanking the door to the Cedar Grove Salon, where Christa had received her very first permanent wave from her best friend Kelly Jepson’s mother, Janet. Someone had added the words “and Day Spa” after “Salon” on the familiar sign, but when Christa stepped through the front door, the salon was just as she remembered it. Black padded chairs faced antique dressers that served as the stylists’ stations, and the air smelled of peroxide, hair spray and fruity shampoos. An older woman sat under a dryer in the corner, and Janet was just finishing a cut on another woman at her station.
As the string of sleigh bells on the back of the door fell silent, Kelly hurried from the back of the shop. “Christa!” she cried, and ran forward to hug her friend. Short, with a halo of brown curls framing her face, Kelly had gone into business with her mother right after high school. She and Christa kept in touch via Facebook and too-infrequent visits. “Etta Mae stopped by a little while ago and told us you were in town. For a while, I hope.”
“A few weeks. Maybe a few months. Did Etta Mae tell you I’d lost my job?”
“She didn’t say—I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved your work.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m still kind of in shock.”
“So you had no idea the layoff was coming?” Kelly asked.
“None. No one did. Apparently, the company had been in trouble for a while and we never knew.”
“That’s tough, but you’ll bounce back. In the meantime, I’m thrilled you’re home. And your hair looks gorgeous.” Kelly fingered the blunt-cut ends of Christa’s hair with a proprietary air. “Come see me when you’re ready for a trim.”
“Of course.” She waved at Janet, who nodded even as she wielded her blow-dryer and comb. “Stepping
