Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(43)

“You brought a fan? God, I love you.” Davis slapped my shoulder.

Jenna smiled at him. “I’m sorry…Nathan didn’t tell us who you were. And I—I’m still not sure who you are.” She winced. “Sorry. Should I know?”

I threw my head back and laughed. Davis looked ready to punch me.

“Oh, please. The fountain. You need a good hit to your ego.”

“Hey, it’s pretty,” he argued.

“Mom, really? This is Dave Davis. Starting tight end for Carolina. First-round draft pick!” Oliver shook his head. “Oh my God, this is embarrassing…How can you not know? How are we even related?”

Laughter shook my chest.

Jenna blushed hard and bit her lip, looking to Davis then. “I don’t watch a lot of sports,” she explained.

“It’s cool.” Davis stood tall and smirked. “I’ll make sure you know all about me before you leave.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that,” I threw out.

Oliver let his duffle hit the floor after retrieving his football out of it. He stepped around Olivia. “Could you sign this, Mr. Davis?”

Davis took the ball. “Sure. You got a pen?”

“Uh…” Oliver looked absolutely panicked. “N-no. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. I got tons of pens. Come on.” Davis moved around us to close the door. Then he led the way through the foyer toward the back of the house.

The twins followed quickly behind him after Oliver retrieved his duffle. They spoke closely, their voices racing with excitement. Jenna flanked my side.

“Just some friend you went to college with?” she whispered.

I peered down at her and grinned. She elbowed me, shaking her head, and we laughed together.

Once we reached the back of the house, the room opened up. Music poured in through open French doors. Guests filtered in and out, adults and kids, wearing swimsuits and carrying plates of food. Oliver and Olivia pointed outside and whispered with each other. They bounced on their feet and high-fived. It was so fucking cute. Jenna called them over to the kitchen, where Davis retrieved a Sharpie out of a drawer. He bit the cap between his teeth and signed the ball for Oliver. Then he tossed it to him across the counter, saying, “There you go, kid.”

Oliver stared at the signature. “Wow,” he whispered, lifting his head. He pushed the glasses up his nose. “Thank you, Mr. Davis.”

“Just Davis. That’s what my friends call me. We’re friends now, right?”

Oliver nodded fast and hugged the ball. “Y-yes, sir. We’re friends.” Then he looked at me and mouthed, Oh my God.

When Jenna instructed him to put the ball away for now, he hesitated until she tagged on a warning of accidentally dropping it in the pool and smearing the signature. That got him moving.

“You guys wanna head outside?” Davis asked. “The party’s already started.”

“Sure. Sounds good.” Jenna slid her smile over to me, then giggled at Olivia, who shook her hips to the music.

“I love this song!” Olivia shrieked.

We padded outside, stepping onto the large, covered patio. There were a few tables set up there for shaded seating, along with coolers filled with ice and beverages. The patio opened up to a lavish outdoor kitchen, which overlooked the pool. Everything was made of stone and marble. Two grills flanked a large swim-up bar. I knew Davis got a lot of use out of his setup, but he wasn’t cooking anything today. The food was catered, and there was plenty of it. Ladles stuck out of rectangular, aluminum tins, with fuel canisters beneath them to keep everything warm. The pans covered the island.

I was prompted to ask the kids if they wanted anything to eat yet, but their attention was solely on the pool. I wasn’t even sure they’d noticed anything else. I couldn’t blame them. It was fucking excessive, but nice. I understood the appeal.

The pool was freeform, with three rock waterfalls, a spa Jacuzzi, and a giant custom slide built into a boulder. There were hidden caves under the falls with lagoon lighting, springs every ten feet or so along the perimeter, and one of those infinity edges. It was like an oasis built right onto the beach.

I stepped up behind the twins. “What do you guys think?”

“It’s pretty sick, right?” Davis asked, joining me.

Oliver turned his head and gaped at us. “Are you kidding? How are we even here?”

I chuckled.

“This is awesome!” Olivia yelled, pumping her fists into the air. She tugged on Jenna’s arm. “Can we get in now? Can we!”

“Sure!” Jenna looked at me and mouthed, Wow, a breathless laugh leaving her. Then she pointed to a group of unattended lounge chairs near the Jacuzzi. “Let’s go put our stuff down over there. We need to get sunscreen on.”

“Want to take her with you?” I asked, gripping Marley under her arms. “I’m going to catch up with Davis for a minute.”

“Of course. Oliver, get that tote from Nathan, please.”

I passed Marley off, then the tote, after testing the weight of it. “It’s heavy,” I told Oliver.

“I’m strong.” He quickly flexed as proof, making sure Davis saw his muscle, then situated the duffle on one shoulder and heaved the pool tote over the other. He followed behind Jenna and the girls.