Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(14)

“I’m so stressed,” Olivia said, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

I smiled into Marley’s hair. There was a lot riding on this game. Their Jenga tower stood taller than it ever had before. I’d already been instructed to take multiple photos of it, just in case this was it.

All eyes were on Oliver as he pinched the block between his thumb and first finger and slowly eased it away. The tower held strong for a breath, then another, and I thought we were in the clear, but then it swayed to the right and tipped fast, sending the blocks crashing to the large oak coffee table. A few spilled over to the floor.

“Oh no!” Olivia shrieked, while Oliver dropped to his knees and pulled at his hair.

“No! I knew I should’ve picked the other block! I ruined it!”

Hearing her brother’s distress, Olivia wiped her face clean of reaction and placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Ollie,” she said, her voice sweet and unconcerned. “I think it would’ve fallen no matter which block you took.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Oliver,” I added when he punched his thigh and growled until his face burned red. “That was a really good game. You should be proud of yourself.”

“It could’ve been better though. We were so close to beating it. I should’ve worked from the other side.” He squeezed his eyes shut, nostrils flaring with his heavy breaths.

Marley wiggled out of my hold and picked up two more blocks, adding to the three in her grasp. She held them out for Oliver to take.

“O’ver, here. Here, go.”

Warmth spread through my chest. I loved how she said his name.

Oliver opened his eyes and took the blocks from Marley. “Thanks,” he grumbled.

“More, O’ver. Look. I get dem.” She spun around and grabbed another handful of blocks, carrying them over to him, repeating this until Oliver couldn’t stay mad or disappointed anymore because his lap overflowed. When Marley tried stacking the blocks on his shoulders, his head, Oliver laughed at her.

“Okay, stop. That’s enough, Marley.” He shook the blocks off and got to his feet.

Marley lunged at him and giggled, wrapping her arms around his leg.

“She’s so cute,” Olivia said, grinning at the two of them.

“Mom.” Oliver groaned as he tried squirming out of Marley’s grasp. “She’s doing it again. Why does she keep doing this?”

“Because she likes you, Oliver.”

“Well…I like her too, but…” He carefully backed around the chair and through the room, trying to dislodge himself, but Marley stayed with him. “This is getting ridiculous!”

Olivia and I shared a laugh.

It was day five of watching Marley, and her attachment to Oliver was getting stronger by the minute. She loved playing with Olivia as well, especially when my daughter brought over her accessories kit. The two of them would giggle and whisper together as Olivia put every clip and barrette she had in Marley’s hair, styling her like we were going somewhere fancy.

But Marley’s bond with Oliver was different. She watched him constantly and had to be sitting near him no matter what he was doing. It was sweet. And even though Oliver complained, I suspected he didn’t mind the attention as much as he wanted us to believe. He never minded it from his sister.

The timer on the oven buzzed from the kitchen.

I stood from the sofa, picked up the blocks at my feet and set them on the coffee table as I moved around it, announcing, “Lunchtime.” I smiled at Marley when she craned her neck to look back at me. She was still holding tight to Oliver, who had momentarily given up on escaping. “Are you ready to eat some pizza?” I asked her.

Marley’s eyes lit up. She released her hold then and moved to rush at me, but spun around and ran after Oliver instead when he bolted for the kitchen.

“O’ver! O’ver!”

“Oh my gosh. I’m right here. Jeez!”

Nathan’s house had an open floor plan, so I could see into the kitchen without any obstructions as I crossed the family room. I watched Oliver pick Marley up and sit her in the booster seat, get her buckled, and then rethink his own seating choice, pulling out the chair beside her and planting himself in it instead of the open spot next to Olivia, which was where he typically sat.

He shrugged when he saw me notice. “She’s just going to whine if I don’t sit right here. You know I’m right, Mom.”

“I didn’t say anything,” I replied, head turned toward the oven so he couldn’t see my smile.

After making sure the homemade pizzas were finished cooking, I handed out slices of double pepperoni to Oliver and Olivia and then cut up a slice of extra cheese for Marley, plating one for myself. Marley had made it known how she felt about pepperoni earlier when the four of us were garnishing the pies. Half of the pack had ended up on the floor.

“Oliver, slow down, please,” I said, watching my son nearly hit crust on his first taste. “You’re going to choke.”

His cheek puffed out with his bite, and he spoke on a mouthful. “It’s just really good, Mom.”

“It’s so good,” Olivia echoed, smacking her lips, then licking them. “Super yummy. Just like the ones we make at Uncle Brian’s.”

Syd had introduced my kids to make-your-own-pizza nights after she and my brother babysat a few times. Both Olivia and Oliver raved about the recipes. And because of that, we never ordered out pizza anymore.