“He wasn’t being spiteful,” Cara said, echoing Molly’s thoughts.

“I know.” Molly sighed, hating this topic of conversation almost more than the previous one. Thinking about John Carmondy made her…twitchy and warm and fidgety. Needing to do something with her hands, she turned over another sheet and stared at it without seeing any of the words. “Why do we still have paper files, anyway?”

“Charlie hates to read anything on her phone.”

Molly, relieved to be talking about something other than John Carmondy—or their mom—asked, “Why doesn’t she use her laptop?”

“She broke it.”

“No, not that one. The new one we ordered for her last month.”

Cara gave her a look. “She broke it.”

“The new one?” Molly’s voice rose, ending in an indignant squeak. “She wrecked another laptop? How? When? Why didn’t she tell me?”

“It was last week, and she didn’t tell you because she’s a chicken and didn’t want to get in trouble. The only reason I know is that I saw the whole thing from my bedroom window. I tried to warn her, but she didn’t hear me until it was too late.”

“What happened?”

With a grimace, Cara explained. “She set it on the roof of her car and forgot it was there. It slid off, and she backed over it.”

Leaning back in her chair, Molly stared at the ceiling for several long moments. “No more computers for Charlie.”

“Strongly agree.”

“She’s already on phone probation. If she loses one more, she’s getting a used, twenty-year-old flip phone.”

Cara giggled at that. “She just gets really focused on tracking down skips and forgets to pay attention to other minor details.”

“Uh-huh,” Molly said dryly. “Minor details like expensive new computers and oodles of phones?”

“Exactly.” One corner of Cara’s mouth tucked in, showing off her dimple. It was the only indication of the smile that she was trying to hold back. Sometimes Molly marveled at how different Charlie and Cara were from each other. Although they were similar in looks, personality-wise they were pretty much opposites.

Molly blew out a long breath, reminding herself that she was lucky to be able to work with her sisters. As different as they were, each one contributed something that the business needed…despite the occasional destroyed laptop.

“Guess we’re keeping the paper files, then.”

Cara’s snort was amused. “Seems like the cheapest way to go.”

They fell quiet as Cara worked on her laptop and Molly skimmed over the contents of the files…or tried to, at least. Her brain wouldn’t settle down, jumping from her mom’s situation to John Carmondy and back until she finally slapped the top file closed, her hand smacking against the table loudly enough to make Cara jump.

“Sorry,” Molly said sheepishly. Standing, she grabbed a file at random, put her coffee mug in the sink, and headed for the garage door, grabbing her backpack from a hook on the wall.

“I thought you were going to do paperwork today,” Cara said. “You’re not really dressed for chasing anyone. You need to pin that braid of yours up, or someone could use it as a handle. And that dress is no good. If you tackle someone, I guarantee you’re going to be flashing your panties to God and the neighborhood.”