Running the Numbers Read Online Free

the buildings that marked the beginning of town, a small mountain—small compared to the Tetons, at any rate—rose up. Two strips were cleared through the trees, as though someone had taken a razor to it. Blake lifted his chin toward it. “What’s with that mountain?”
    “Oh, that’s Snow King, both the ski slopes and namesake resort. The big ski resort is about fifteen miles from here, a few peaks over from the Tetons, but this place works for the townies.” Sadie gamely played host, all the while taking no pains to hide her curious glances and critical studies of him at every chance.
    By now the rumor of his previous position would’ve moved through Avery & Thorp like wildfire. She was probably curious. Maybe he’d appease her some other day, but today all he wanted was to get somewhere quiet to call Quinn. For Seth’s sake, to talk about his Purdue ambitions. And to hear her voice. And to give himself another reason to pity his fool self when he heard Jack’s loud, happy voice in the background, gregariously living the life Blake had given up.
    They cruised into town. Sadie took a right once they passed the famous town square with its four deer-antler arches, explaining how they were reconstructed each year. She pointed out the Cowboy Bar across the street, famous for its saddle barstools. And The Silver Dollar, named so for the bar inlaid with 2,032 uncirculated 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars.
    “Great.” Blake tried to nod with some enthusiasm but didn’t quite pull it off. “If I want to get hammered, I have a number of renowned drinking establishments to choose from.” The thought didn’t lift his spirits any. If it gets so bad I turn to the bottle, I’ll give up and move back in with my mother.
    “Welcome to the Wild West.” Sadie’s tone had lost some of its amiability.
    Blake let a few blocks of silence pass while he tried to force himself into a better frame of mind. If Sadie could be accommodating, he could manage a little interest.
    Sadie’s cheeks puffed out as if capturing unsaid words. Finally, she loosed a sigh, drummed restless fingers across the steering wheel, and regarded him again. No intake of breath to warn him, just a rush of words spoken precise and direct. “You’re in Jackson Hole. You realize that, right? People save money their whole lives to visit this place. Don’t let me kill your joy buzz over there, but you could be a little more impressed. If it’s really so ho-hum, at least fake it for my sake. We locals have our pride.”
    He smiled at her forthright manner. Now, that bit reminded him of Quinn, which was a nice departure from her eerie likeness to Kira. “Sorry. Jet lag.”
    She nodded but didn’t smile back. “Right. Anyway, we’re here.” She pulled into a hotel parking lot.
    Blake squinted at the double doors, glass framed in glossy fake pine. “A hotel? That’s what they call ‘temporary housing’ these days?”
    This time she did smile, but it was back to the plastic version. “The room you have comes equipped with a kitchenette, a small living area, and a terrace, as well as room service. I’m sure it has everything you need, but if not, feel free to contact Mr. Perry at your earliest convenience.”
    Oh, right. Blake was going to call Duncan to complain about five-star accommodations. He bit his tongue as a reminder to keep it from flapping next time. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I just left L.A. this morning, and I had this stupid idea in my head of a quiet place. I don’t mean to be”—now, what was that word? The one Quinn loved to use…
    “A jerk?” Sadie supplied without apology.
    Prick, actually, but no need to fill her in. Uncomfortable with her unflinching stare, he shifted and opened the door to let himself out. “Yeah. That.” He shut the truck door and reached for his suitcase. He walked around the truck so he could pass Sadie’s window on his way toward the hotel lobby, meaning to utter yet