Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(78)

I rubbed her back and smiled at Nathan when he reciprocated the hug. Then I turned my head and looked at Oliver. “What do you think, sweetheart?”

Nathan peered over at him too, asking, “You good with this, bud? You wanna talk about it?”

That meant a lot to me. But aside from being caught off guard, I didn’t think Oliver would have a problem with this. He adored Nathan. And he had been smiling a minute ago.

Why wasn’t he anymore?

My son nodded. “Can we talk? Just us?” he said to Nathan.

I pressed my lips together, keeping my expression stoic. A difficult task, considering how concerned I’d suddenly become. Crap. Does Oliver have a problem with this?

“Yeah, of course.” Nathan stepped out of Olivia’s grasp and moved around the table.

“I really like Nate, Mama,” Olivia whispered, wrapping both arms around me now. Her chin hit my chest. “So, so much. These feelings feel too big for me.”

My daughter and I shared the same heart.

I cupped her cheek. “Me too, baby.”

She beamed at me. I brushed her soft hair out of her face, then turned my head, watching the boys walk side by side through the family room. They disappeared down the hallway.

“Why don’t you go watch some TV?” I suggested to Olivia.

“Okay.” She hurried out of the kitchen and scrambled onto the couch.

I really wanted to take a shower, or at least get dressed, but when I peeked down the hallway, I saw Oliver’s bedroom door was open. I could faintly hear him and Nathan speaking. I didn’t want my son thinking I was creeping down the hallway to listen in on their conversation. Even though that was exactly what I wanted to do.

Worry tightened my chest and coiled my stomach. I forced myself back into the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Oliver returned by himself.

He heaved his duffel bag off the floor, set it on one of the stools, and started searching through it.

“Hey, sweetheart.” I left the remaining dishes in the sink and dried my hands off, tossing the towel on the counter. I stood across from him. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, taking out his iPad and showing it to me. “Can I play this?”

Oliver seemed completely fine. He didn’t look any different than he had when he first got home this morning, or any different from how he typically looked. This was good…

“Sure.” I smiled at him.

“Cool. Thanks, Mom.”

I watched my son leave the room and join his sister on the couch. When I stepped over and peered down the hallway, I saw Nathan standing there, admiring a picture I had hanging on the wall. I quickly walked over to him.

“What’s going on?” I whispered. “He seems…good. He’s good, right?”

“Yeah.” Nathan smiled at the photo of the kids at their first birthday party. They were covered in cake. I was squatting between their high chairs and smiling at the camera. “Cute picture.”

“Thanks. Could you maybe elaborate a little for me?”

“Really cute picture?” Nathan turned to face me then. He was smirking now. “We didn’t talk much about me and you, but he doesn’t have a problem with it, if you’re worried about that.”

Tension released from my shoulders. “I was, yeah.”

“He’s good with us dating. He thinks it’s cool.”

That made me seriously happy. I began to grin, then lost it a little when my curiosity got the best of me. “What did you two talk about, then?”

“The campout. He asked if I could go.”

My eyes widened. For a good five seconds, I completely forgot how to form a coherent thought and just stared up at Nathan.

“Are you okay?” he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“That’s…Sorry. He…” I waved my hands in front of myself. “I’ll talk to him. He knows my brother will take him if he’s still wanting to go.”

Nathan lost the smirk and tipped his head, gesturing for me to follow him down the hallway. We entered my bedroom.

He pushed the door closed behind us, then faced me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Those little shitheads are going to make fun of Oliver if he goes with your brother.”

I rubbed at my eyes, trying to ignore that very worry. It seemed impossible. “They might not.”

“He’s scared they will. He asked me to go instead. They’ll leave him alone if he’s with someone they don’t know.”

“I’m sorry he put you in that position, Nathan. I wish he would’ve said something to me first.”

“What position? I don’t mind going…”

I blinked up at him. “Did you tell him you’d go?”

“Yeah.”

Oh my God. “Really?”

He cocked his head. “Yeah, really. He should get to go, Jenna. He wants to…This way those kids can’t make fun of him.”

“They might ask who you are. I know they called out Brian the first time he went.”

“So? Let them call me out. That doesn’t mean I’m going to give them an answer. They can think what they want.”

My lips parted. “Nathan.” I stepped closer, forcing my arms to remain at my sides when the only thing I wanted to do was wrap them around him. I couldn’t believe what he was offering to do. “We just started seeing each other,” I reminded him. “Like, a minute ago. What you’re trying to do right now is so unbelievably sweet and I want to say okay—I do—but this is a big deal. Are you sure you want to do this?”