“God, Toby, relax. I can handle this.” He leveled a glare at her, but she continued. “You do what you just described, and I could be in a world of hurt with the dean. He’s not worth it.”
“What the hell did he do?”
She huffed, slipping her phone out of her pocket to check the time. “He said he wanted to get back together—”
Possessiveness swept over him like a tidal wave, knocking over his good sense as he saw red. This was his woman. He’d already resolved to make her eventually see it.
“Down, boy,” she teased. “He can beg all he wants to no avail. Not after he said what he said.”
“Which is what?” he growled through tight lips.
“I told him never to ask me about dating again, and he…he said, well…”
Humiliation spread across her face, and Toby unclenched his fists jammed in his pits to take her arms. In spite of his welling anger, he wanted to touch her. “Well?”
“He got nasty—angry that I told him to leave me alone, and, well, he didn’t actually say anything disconcerting; it was more the way he said it, the way he postured. It felt like he was trying to intimidate me.”
“That asshole,” he erupted, his hands tightening on her, then quickly releasing her to get a grip himself. “You go get your boy. I’ll go have that talk with Howie and satisfy my curiosity.”
He snagged the door handle again to go grab his keys, but she grabbed him. “No. No no no.”
He glanced back at her mortified face. “What the hell, Rose? I got a bad feeling about him from the moment I met him, but this shit’s intolerable. He needs to be checked.”
“You want me to leave my son with you when you’re acting like this? Childish?”
“Childish?” he gaped. “Me?”
She squeezed his arm. “You can’t look after Sage if you’re at the station answering questions about why my crewmate was left in a ditch in a pool of his own blood.”
He cooled a degree. Was she saying she was entrusting her child to him? So maybe the raging bull tactic wasn’t the best, but it seemed to have proven something to her. That he’d defend her.
“Left in a ditch in a pool of blood? You got a fancy imagination, baby. I was just thinking I’d make him eat a little dirt.”
A wan smile captured her lips, and he turned back to her, pulling her roughly into his arms.
“I need a night to think about how I should notify the dean when I’m not so emotional. I don’t want to make a potentially bad situation worse.”
“And I don’t want that guy getting one ounce of credit for the work you’re doing.” He chewed his cheek, staving off further urges to protect Rose from Howard’s disdain, except it wouldn’t be a fair fight anyway. Howard would snap like a twig.
“If you won’t let me help you, then promise me you’re gonna report it.” He dipped his head to see her face as she bit her lip. “Rose? You’re going to report him, right?”
She nodded. “I just don’t want it to affect my job or my recommendations for future jobs. No one wants to hire a complainer.”
“Rose, baby?” He cupped her cheeks and tipped her face up to him, his eyes serious. “You stand up for yourself if you won’t let me do it. Y’hear?” He wanted to remind her that he had a killer job for her that would make her a renowned expert in Texas archaeology, but he refrained. “I mean it,” he added for good measure.
She nodded, though he wasn’t sure if it was convincing or not.
“Now go on, git. I’m running into town for some groceries. Your boy like pancakes? I make a mean flapjack.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I can’t help feeling like I’m using you.”
“So cake and ice cream for breakfast, then?” he teased.
Her gazed widened, and she folded her arms. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“Girl, I’m gonna dish up the works if you don’t give me some pointers. Lucky Charms, syrup, whatever I would have wanted had my momma not forced greens down my throat instead. My pantry’s sparse. Not sure the kid will want protein bars, burgers, popcorn, or coffee. I need stuff anyway. What do you want?”
She sighed. “He’ll love pancakes. He’ll eat anything if you put peanut butter on it.”