North Dakota Weddings by Elizabeth Goddard Read Free Book Online Page A

to the same place it always did—nowhere. It didn’t help that he felt like he’d been looking at her every day for months now. Maybe if he’d not grown attached to the face in the picture frame he could more easily shrug off any ideas about Andi.
    How many times would he need to learn his lesson? Women weren’t interested in him. Sure he could get dates, but once they got to know him, that’s when the relationships ended. He couldn’t keep their interest.
    Vance took a long, hot shower, reflecting that there weren’t too many things in life that felt as good when a person was stressed. Afterward, feeling refreshed, he dressed and set up an office in the living room instead of going to Uncle Vance’s small office. He wanted to be available in case one of the workmen—who was he kidding?—in case Andi needed him. Of course, she could always find him. But staying visible gave him more opportunity to interact with her. He squeezed his eyes. He really was a desperate geek.
    Nestled comfortably on the sofa with his laptop open on his lap, Vance focused on the data from the small disk Tom had given him. Peter had landed a big government contract for data mining of the specialized sort—to identify and track possible terrorist suspects and activities. It was all about predicting what might happen. Vance had spent a year writing and testing the algorithm—a real breakthrough for the project and for the company.
    Then why was he staring at a tweaked version of his algorithm—a program that shouldn’t be floating around on a disk or especially ending up on the floor of the company foyer? Vance scratched a nonexistent itch on his jaw. What was going on here? Had Peter given the go-ahead for others on their team of programmers to work on it, and if so, why hadn’t he told Vance, or why weren’t they working together on it? He should be part of that decision.
    If he asked Peter what was going on, the guy would block him from the system to make sure Vance got his vacation time, and he’d have to listen to a lecture.
    Vance weaved his fingers through his still-damp hair. An errant thought wrestled to get in and finally won. Peter hadn’t been upfront with him on a few other occasions. Disturbing. There was the slight possibility he wouldn’t get the truth if he asked.
    Working on secret projects cast shadows in all directions. What if there was something underhanded going on? The algorithm belonged to Vance, or at least the company, and not just anyone should have hands on it. He needed to know if it was being used for some other purpose and why and by whom.
    Was he paranoid? Maybe. But he didn’t need Boolean logic to know he shouldn’t see his algorithm on a disk lying on the floor. Vance would find out what was going on,
then
he would ask Peter.
    He’d do a data run, a small test sampling, the kind his laptop—a micro-processing computer—could handle in comparison to the supercomputers in the dinosaur pen at work. For that, he needed test data—something he might not have access to except at ANND.
    “First things first.”
    “Excuse me?”
    The words startled him. He looked up to find Andi’s sister standing over him. Too caught up in his thoughts, he’d not noticed her. He quickly averted the screen.
    “You were talking to yourself.” Her smile was like Andi’s.
    “Elisa, leave Mr. Young alone. Can’t you see he’s working?” Andi strode over and looked down at him. “I’m sorry. She wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t want to leave her at home alone.”
    “No problem.” Vance snickered. “Make yourself at home, Elisa.”
    “What’s so funny?”
    “The thought occurred to me that this place might protect us from a nuclear blast, but not from a cold virus.”
    Andi gave him an odd look. “She’s not sick like that.”
    “Well, even if she is, she’s welcome to make herself at home, raid the refrigerator or pantry for junk food.”
    “Really?” Elisa perked up.
    Andi cocked her brow.