Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(13)

Perfect.

“How was Marley?” I asked. “Did she give you any problems?”

“Oh my God, no. Not at all. She’s so good.”

“She went to bed okay for you?”

“Yep. No issues.” Jenna giggled when I shook my head, completely stunned. “I’m used to putting two kids to bed at once though, so one is a piece of cake for me.” She walked over to the love seat, slipping the money and her pencil into the outside pocket of her bag, then drew the strap over her head. The movement raised the hem of her shirt, revealing tanned skin above the tattered waistband of her cutoffs.

Jenna was a petite woman, which put her a helluva lot shorter than me. But she was all legs in those shorts. They were small and frayed along the edges. A bit uneven. I wondered if she’d taken scissors to a pair of jeans and made them herself. I wondered if she had freckles on other parts of her skin.

When she kicked her sandals away from the sofa to slip them on, an action that might require her bending over, I quickly looked away before I began wondering anything else.

Jesus. Get a fucking grip, Nathan.

“I made ziti for dinner. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

I looked at her then. I had stuff around here to make ziti? “Did you go to the store?” I asked.

“No. I couldn’t. You didn’t leave me a car seat.”

I cursed under my breath and gripped my hair. “Sorry.” She smiled at me. “I didn’t even think about that. My parents have their own, so it’s never something I worry about.”

“It’s okay. You had everything I needed for dinner. Ziti only takes a few ingredients.” Her expression tightened as she straightened up, hands curling around the strap across her body. “I didn’t even think about feeding us when I asked if I should feed Marley. I’m sorry. I should’ve asked first.”

“Jenna, you can eat my food,” I said, holding her gaze. “If I haven’t made it abundantly clear already, you’re saving my ass here. You can do whatever you want. I’m not going to have a problem with anything you do. Same with your kids. I promise.”

“Don’t tell them that,” she warned, smiling at me and then giving that smile to Oliver and Olivia when their quick footsteps padded into the room. “Are you guys ready?”

“Yep,” they answered in unison.

“I stuck a paper on your fridge with a few notes about Marley,” Jenna said, pausing on the porch while her kids raced to the car. “Just stuff for me to remember. If you think of anything, feel free to add it.”

“I doubt I have anything, but okay.” I held the edge of the door and pressed my shoulder into the frame. Oliver’s and Olivia’s voices carried out into the night. The house was still and silent behind me.

I fucking hated it.

“I’ll give you a car seat tomorrow. And a key,” I told Jenna.

“Great. Same time?”

“Yeah, if you can.”

“I can.” She smiled big and bright at me under the light. Jenna didn’t look a bit exhausted from spending the day chasing after Marley and her two kids. She appeared eager for tomorrow, to do this all over again.

Where the hell had this woman come from?

After they drove off, I locked up and headed into the kitchen, wanting some of that ziti she had made. I didn’t care how late it was. I’d skipped dinner earlier so I could keep working. I looked over the paper stuck to the front of the fridge while my plate heated in the microwave.





Marley’s Likes:


Hide & Seek

Stories—let her read to you. It’s cute!

Coloring

Playing house (kitchen set)

Music—loves to dance!

Walking on the beach





Dislikes:


Shoes


Nap—put her down around 12:30

style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"> *Rock her to sleep./h5>




The microwave had stopped sometime during my third read-through, and the only thing I could hear now was my slow, even breathing. Jenna told me she’d written this down for her to remember, and yeah, that was possibly the only thing motivating her to do this. She didn’t know my daughter. Having a list like this would make things easier on her until Marley became more familiar. But my own daughter wasn’t even familiar to me. And Jenna knew that.

This list wasn’t just for her.

I pulled the paper down and memorized it while I ate.





Chapter Five





JENNA




Go slow, Ollie!” Olivia said, her voice tight with panic.

“I am. I am.” Oliver forced out a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, then cautiously reached for the Jenga block he’d chosen after a two-minute in-depth strategic discussion with his twin.

Olivia bit at her nails and fought the urge to bounce as she stood beside him. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered.

“Watch. Watch him.” I spoke quietly in Marley’s ear and pointed at the ongoing game.

She stood between my legs while I sat on the sofa, my arms around her so she wouldn’t lurch forward. And, boy, she wanted to lurch. Marley loved collecting the Jenga blocks. She was currently hoarding three.