Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(10)

We ascended the stairs in silence.

“Bathroom,” I said, pointing at the first door on the left at the top of the stairs. “This is Marley’s room.” I stopped at the door across the hall and twisted the knob, pushing it open halfway before I met resistance. “What the…?” I leaned inside to figure out what the obstruction was but didn’t need to. Marley crawled around the door. “Shit.” I pushed it open further and glared at the empty crib.

“Good morning, pretty girl.” Jenna bent down and scooped Marley up. “Have you been playing in here all by yourself?”

Marley giggled.

“She must’ve climbed out of her crib.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as the threat of a migraine pulsed beneath my scalp. What the fuck? Really? “She hasn’t done that yet. I thought I had more time before I had to worry about this. How the hell am I supposed to keep her in here now?” I gestured inside the room.

I’ll never be able to close my eyes again.

“Is the mattress lowered all the way?”

My brows lifted at Jenna’s question. Fuck. Is it?

I walked over to the crib and examined the notches on the inside rails. Then, kneeling beside it, I looked under the mattress and grinned at the sight. I had one level remaining.

“Thank God.” I dropped my head back and sighed in relief.

Jenna laughed from the hallway. “Not ready for a big-girl bed yet?”

“No. Never.” Not if it meant Marley getting around at night. She’d leave me for sure. I stood up and headed out of the room. “Let me grab an Allen wrench and take care of this before I go.”

“She hasn’t eaten yet, has she?”

“No, not yet.”

“Okay. I’ll take her downstairs while you do that.”

“Great.”

Jenna went one way and I went the other.

I grabbed the small toolbox I kept under the sink in the master bath. After lowering the mattress and fixing the bedding, which Marley had pulled out of the crib and spread out around the room, I finished getting ready. Tie on, I slid my glasses into place and headed back downstairs.

The kids were seated at the kitchen table. Oliver and Olivia had their bags in front of them, rifling through each other’s while they carried on conversation. Marley was in her booster seat. She was watching the other two, completely engrossed in what they were doing, while Jenna stood beside the chair, feeding her bites of waffle.

I finished rolling up my sleeve to match the other one as I moved around the island, stopping at the Keurig and powering it on. I grabbed the travel mug out of the cabinet and loaded up a K-Cup. The smell of coffee permeated the air.

“You wear glasses too?” Olivia asked, her voice pitching higher.

I turned my head and watched as she flipped that notepad open again.

She whispered, “Oh my gosh,” not waiting for a response and obviously not needing one before she clicked her pen and scribbled something down.

What the hell is she always taking notes about?

Jenna set the plate on the table after feeding Marley another bite and walked to the end of the island, where she had a spiral notebook open to a blank page. “Is there anything I need to know? Medications she takes or a nap schedule she follows?”

I shook my head and blew across the mug. “No medications. A nap schedule? Like, she’s going down every day at the same time?” I chuckled. “That’s hilarious. I usually just let her go until she drops. It’s easier than fighting with her.”

Jenna’s brows lifted. She appeared to be holding in a laugh. “Oh, well, you know, kids like routines. They actually thrive on them. Plus, it’ll just make your life easier. So, if it’s okay with you, I’ll probably get her on some sort of schedule.”

“Works for me. Honestly, whatever you want to do. You’re basically saving my life here.”

She smiled and shrugged off the comment, as if everything she was doing for me was nothing, and God, it wasn’t. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“We haven’t talked about compensation yet,” I said. “If it’s fair to you, and please be honest with me, I’m willing to pay you two hundred to two-fifty a day for this, depending on how long you’re here.”

Her lips slowly parted. “That’s…more than fair. You don’t need to pay me that much.”

“I priced daycare in this area. I know how much it costs.”

“It doesn’t cost two hundred dollars a day. I’ve priced it too.”

“No, but you’re doing more for me than a daycare would. They wouldn’t keep her on weekends.”

She tilted her head, thinking on this. “Okay, but still, that’s a lot of money…”

“I wouldn’t feel right paying anything less,” I told her, hoping to shut down any further argument. “She’s a lot of work, Jenna. It isn’t like she’s just going to sit still for you. Not to mention how last minute this is. Please, let me do this the right way. I won’t be able to sleep at night if I feel like I’m cheating you.”

Her smile came on softly. “Okay.”

“And anything you buy for her—food or whatever-—just save the receipts and I’ll pay you back.”

“I’ll do that.” She picked up the pen lying across the notebook and held it out to me. “Do you want to write your number down? In case I have any questions or need to get in touch with you.”