Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(23)

“I hired Tori for the assistant manager position. She basically kicked me out of my office.”

“What?” Jenna smiled big. “That’s great news! Well, not about getting kicked out of your own office.”

“I didn’t mind. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Her green eyes went soft. “Mm. True. So, I guess your hours are going to be changing in a couple weeks, then?”

“Starting tomorrow,” I answered.

Jenna’s smile faltered the slightest bit. “Oh. That soon?”

I figured the reason for her surprise and quickly explained, “Tori doesn’t really need to go through any training. She knows the restaurant. She’s more than qualified. I’ll work shorter days through Tuesday with her just to make sure she’s good on her own. Wednesday I’m planning on being off.”

Marley giggled, and I turned my head to watch her dump a bucket of sand onto Olivia’s foot. The girls laughed together. Then Marley bent down to repeat the action after receiving encouragement from Olivia.

When I looked at Jenna again, she was back to smiling, looking nothing but happy for me.

“That’s really great, Nathan,” she said.

I nodded, agreeing with her. I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d worried it would take weeks to fill that position, something I hadn’t shared with Jenna. The fact that she wasn’t pulling out of watching Marley for me before I did hire someone was a fucking miracle.

“Hey, Nate!” Oliver skidded to a stop beside me.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing. You wanna play catch now?” He tossed a football into the air.

“Oliver, he just got home,” Jenna said, getting to her feet now that all the shells were picked up.

She was wearing white shorts that sat low on her hips. Her top was a simple pale-blue tee with a pocket on her breast. It gathered at her waist and held with a knot, and I knew with every shift of her body, teasing hints of her stomach would peek out. A stomach I was currently eye level with.

I pushed to my feet before it seemed like I was waiting out an opportunity like that.

“Maybe another night. I’m sure Nathan wants to relax a little,” Jenna added, looking to me for confirmation.

“No, it’s cool. I’m always down for playing catch.” I tugged at the knot in my tie, getting it loose enough to remove.

Oliver’s smile took up his entire face. He tossed the ball into the air again. “You hear that, Mom? Nate just said he’s down for it.”

“Of course I heard him. I’m right here.” Jenna laughed.

“Cool. Just making sure you know.” Oliver spun around and took off running, putting space between us.

“Thank you,” Jenna said, her eyes heavy with gratitude. “He’s been dying to do this ever since he found out you played football. This really means a lot to him.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’m happy to do it.”

I meant that in more ways than one. Aside from making Oliver happy by obliging his request, this was another thing I could do for Jenna. Her joy ran parallel with her kids’. She’d said it before—if they were good, she was good.

I knew how much this would mean to her.

I untucked my shirt and worked from the collar down, getting it unbuttoned so I could slip it off. Not that I gave a shit about messing up my clothes right now. I just needed range of motion to throw. I had a white tee on underneath, and I untucked that as well before I lifted my head.

Jenna was staring hard at my shoulders, chest, and abs, her gaze moving all over me and fuck if her eyes weren’t heavy with something else right now.

“Nate! You ready?” Oliver yelled.

I watched Jenna suck in a breath like she was startled. Her gaze snapped up to mine and widened in panic as heat burned like fire across her cheeks. Her reaction was instant. She was obviously embarrassed, and before I could even attempt to make this less awkward for her by saying I didn’t mind her looking at me like that, she shot her hand out and grabbed the shirt and tie I was still holding.

“Here, I can—”

“Yeah, thanks.” I released my hold on the garments when she tugged, and she quickly stepped away.

Jenna set my clothes aside, then knelt between Marley and Olivia, who were both working on the sandcastle now. They were focused on that and nothing else around them. And suddenly, so was Jenna. She helped Marley fill a bucket with sand and smiled easily at Olivia.

That did just happen, right? She was definitely staring at me…

“Nate!”

“Yeah!” After setting the bucket of shells aside so I didn’t knock them over, I looked down the beach and raised my hand, signaling for Oliver to throw.

He grinned, excitement pouring out of him, and didn’t waste any time putting the ball into the air, and even though there wasn’t a ton of distance between us, he still got it to me without much of an effort. That impressed me.

“Your coach doesn’t know what he’s talking about! You’ve got an arm!” I hollered, spinning the ball in my hand.

I didn’t think it was possible, considering how pleased he looked already just from getting the opportunity to play right now, but somehow Oliver became the happiest kid I’d ever seen.

“I’m trying out for quarterback next season!” he shouted.