Chapter Eighteen
Several weeks later, Kinley burst through the door to their office and froze when she caught sight of two large dark men she didn’t know. She felt tears burn her eyes and tried to blink them away.
“I’m sorry, Da … Eli.”
Eli raised his hand. “Come here. I told you to come to me when you were upset. Besides, I’d like you to meet two friends of mine from Virginia.”
She walked past them and sat in Eli’s lap.
“She’s a little bitty thing.”
Eli smiled. “She is. Baby, the one on the right is Devon, and the one on the left is Cayson. Guys, this is the woman I’ve been telling you about.”
She turned her head and stared. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Cayson said and smiled. “He said you were beautiful, but I thought he was exaggerating. He wasn’t.”
She could feel a blush cover her face. “Thank you.”
Eli turned her head his way. “What’s the matter?”
She instantly felt tears fill her eyes. “It’s Mrs. Bennet. She told me she’s retiring and moving to Colorado to be close to her sister. I’ll never ever see her again.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that, but just because she’s moving doesn’t mean we won’t see each other again. We’ll make a deal to see her at least once a year. How’s that?”
“It’s better. Can I go help her move?”
Eli shook his head. “No, I don’t have time to go right now.”
“I didn’t think so, but I had to ask.”
“Excuse me.”
She looked at the door and saw John from Shipping.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Turner, but I desperately need Kinley.”
She went to stand, but had Eli pulled her back into his lap. “Will it take long, John?”
“Not if she does it.”
“Bring it here.”
John handed it to her. She wiped the tears from her face and opened the laptop. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
John fidgeted. “It broke.”
Kinley smiled. “So, it won’t turn on?”
“Well, yes, it will, but it won’t go to the place I need it to.”
“Did you block it again?”
“I don’t know.”
Her fingers flew over the keyboard.
“She’s a freaking genius,” John said to the two new men.
She snorted. “No, I’m not. My IQ is only a little over one hundred and twenty.”
Eli grunted, but she ignored him.
“It’s all gone. Isn’t it? All the information I need?” John asked.
Kinley shook her head. “No, John, remember I’ve backed it up. It automatically saves every time you input information.”
“Yeah, but remember that time I screwed up the backup, too?”
“We got it all back, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, that damn cloud you keep talking about.”
Her fingers continued to fly. “John, the cloud…
“You’ve explained it to me twice. It’s over my head, Kinley.”
She shook her head. “See, here is everything.”
“Are you serious?” John burst out, and his eyes widened.
“You have to think of this as your friend and not your enemy. You think it hates you, but it can’t…”
“I know, positive thinking,” John told her.