Concealed Hearts (Hometown Jasper #4) - Nicky James Page 0,12
storage room somewhere. Care to help me figure it out?”
Matthew shoved the keyboard tray back in place and spun on the office chair to face me, a wide grin on his face. “Absolutely. I’ll go look for it.”
An hour later, Matthew was still in my spot, working through numerous updates and getting things organized while I leaned my ass on the window sill doing all I could to absorb his lessons that might as well have been delivered in German for all I understood them.
I had a mountain of paperwork to take care of, among other things, but I’d been informed you couldn’t rush or dismiss updates, or things wouldn’t work right. Who was I to argue?
When my twenty-one-year-old office administrator preached patience at me three times in ten minutes, I knew I was getting on his nerves and should leave him to finish up on his own.
“How long until I can check my email?”
Because of all the things I had to do today, the nagging email was the root cause of my impatience. I’d tossed and turned half the night worrying about that damn thing. It was going on ten thirty, and I still had no answers.
“Don’t you have your account set up on your phone?” Matthew’s eyes never strayed from the screen, but his tone reeked of disbelief.
“No. I don’t know how to do that.” That would have made life simpler. The lack of privacy at the office was a concern. If I’d been savvier, I could have simply checked if Tomi had responded from the comfort of my bed that morning.
Matthew waved a hand at me while using his other hand to move the mouse through a series of prompts on the computer screen. “Let me see it.”
I handed him my phone, and it was a good twenty seconds before he shifted his attention to the device in his hands. “Good grief. This thing is about five generations out of date too.” His slacked-jaw snapped shut when he realized what he’d said, and he glanced up warily. “Sorry, sir.”
“Can it do the email thing?”
Matthew chuckled. “Yes, sir. It can. Have no fear. I will set you up.”
It was a smartphone, so far as I understood. It was the operator of said phone who wasn’t too swift about its functions. It had internet and all the fancy gadgets and apps John’s phone had. I didn’t see the point it getting a new one every other year when it worked fine. Nor had I been too inclined to figure out special features outside of how to text and answer a phone call.
Matthew multi-tasked for a few minutes, a dizzying spectacle of computer competence, before he handed my phone back. “Okay, your office email is set up. You just tap this icon here to access it, fill in your details, and you’re ready to go.”
I held my device for a minute, deciding how to ask the next question. “What about personal email?”
“Easy-peasy. Do you use a Google account?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Does your email address end in Gmail dot com?”
“Yes.”
Matthew tapped upside down on my phone screen and pulled up the email app I needed. “Same thing. Just type your information and password in, and voila! Email at your fingertips.”
“Thanks.” My blood raced a bit faster as I considered my options. I peered at the new computer on my desk. “Is that going to be awhile?”
“Another fifteen or twenty minutes, then I’ll be out of your hair. I promise.”
“Call me when it’s ready. I’m going to step outside for a few minutes.”
Matthew was probably more than happy to get rid of me.
Once I’d escaped to the back parking lot, I aimed for my cruiser and sat in the driver’s seat, not starting the engine but taking a few minutes to myself. Sweat gathered under my uniform, and it had nothing to do with the weather.
I filled in the login information for my email account and hit enter, holding my breath. I rarely used my personal email account, so I never had a reason to check it with any frequency. The minute the main page popped up and announced I had one new email, my heart skittered and tripped over itself. I squeezed my phone a little tighter
It was from Tomi and had been sent long after two in the morning.
It took another minute for me to conjure up the courage to open it, fearing what I’d find within. Every scenario raced through my head again until I was picturing my ultimate