“That too,” he says, his eyes full of mischief. “Quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into here. Don’t worry, though. I’ve become somewhat of an expert in saving Bull Mountain’s women from this bird.”
My brows narrow and forgetting the situation I’m in for a moment, I wonder what he means. “He does thisoften?”
He snickers and gives a little nod. “The last time involved him and nelly and collecting Star’s underwear. That time I just happened to be the first person on the scene, so to speak. Star wasnotamused.”
“I know how she feels,” I mutter.
Toby turns his head away from me and holds his hand up to preserve my modesty. “Given the situation and your–” he waves his other arm in the air, “state of dress, I think we should focus on evicting this little interloper."
I don't miss the fact that the whole time he's been in the bathroom, he's been a total gentleman, just like he’s being now. Even when he nearly broke through the door to come to my rescue, not once did his gaze dip below my shoulders.
A lot of men would at leastconsidersneaking a look at the goods I'm barely keeping hidden. Not sure I’d be as well-mannered if the shoe–or shower curtain, in this case–was on the other foot.
“Thank you,” I breathe out, my heart rate finally slowing down. “I'll owe you one.”
He shoots me a smirk. “Yeah, dinner and drinks, you said. Don’t worry, Skippy. I’ve got the memory of an elephant. I will never forget that you asked me out. But I need you to know, I barely know you. “ He sounds so sweet and innocent and totally full of it, that I can barely contain the giggle that bubbles out of me.
He walks over to Duck Norris and leans over him to push the bathroom window open before stepping back and pinning the duck with a menacing stare. “C’mon, Sticky Beak Norris. There’s a time and a place buddy.”
Duck Norris meets Toby’s gaze and seems to nod. “Quack!”
“Not now, bud. You can’t be creepin’ into the bathroom when a woman is showerin’. It’s not right now, is it? What would Mrs. Duck Norris say?”
“Quaaack?”
“Exactly. She wouldn’t like it one bit,” he says, sounding stern. “Now off you go. Why don’t you go find Nelly and corrupt her with some more stealin’ somewhere else.”
“Quack! Quack!”
While this seemingly important conversation is going down, Toby grabs my towel off the rail and blindly holds it out toward me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, not wanting to interrupt the duck/human standoff that’s going on.
“C’mon, DN. If you won’t use the window, walk out the door like a man… I mean, man duck… or whatever,” he says, changing tack and grabbing the bathroom door, holding it open. He does all of this with his back to me, serving to block me from the view of anyone else.
To my amazement, Duck Norris waddles out of the bathroom, quacking indignantly as if he's been wronged.
Toby stops just before stepping outside the bathroom but doesn't turn around. He doesn't need to though, I canhearthe mischief and amusement in his voice. "There you go. One peepin’ duck evicted."
"I don't know what I would've done without you here."
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Probably would’ve braved it and made a run for it, towel or no towel. Am I right?”
“Yeah. Or used the shower curtain as a robe,” I say, seeing the funny side of the situation.
“Not that I was lookin’, but I’m not sure the shower curtain would cover much. It’s see-through.”
“Thought you weren’t lookin’,” I tease.
“I wasn’t. Cross my heart, Dee. I’m not that kinda man. Mama raised a gentleman, remember.”
I smile at his honesty. “I know, Tobes. Just jokin’ with ya. Thank you for helpin’ me out. I really appreciate it.”
"No problem. Call it me doin' my duty as your knight in shinin' armor. I’m sure you’d have come up withsomeway to deal with it if I wasn’t here. DN’s pretty reasonable when you talk to him."
"He's aduck, Tobes."
"Yeah. But he’s got friends in high places so he tends to listen to us. He just likes gettin’ into mischief now and then,” he explains confusingly. Before I can ask what he means, he waves goodbye. "I'll have to take a rain check on the date, but I'll wait for you at the ranch house with the others. We can’t ditch your own welcome to the ranch dinner, Dee. That’d be a bit rude."
