On the Run (Whispering Key #2) - May Archer Page 0,63

how Mason and Fenn’s constant teasing seemed to make them both better—stronger—but now I got it. There was no judgment in Toby’s teases, and it was hard to be offended when I could sense so much genuine appreciation every time he looked at me.

In fact, Toby was a lot like Marjorie—all hisses and side-eyes, bone-deep loyalty and a need for affection… which was another thing I wasn’t gonna tell him on pain of death.

“In retrospect, I don’t have time for… water frolicking.” Toby stared down at the water balefully. “I have work to do.”

“Work, huh? Because you maybe mentioned once or a hundred times that you were going to be in the Maldives this week. On vacation.”

He licked his lips. “Yes. Well. I was. But since I’m not, I should probably use my time wisely and get ahead. Besides, imagine if I were to sink to a watery grave right here in the pool this morning, and all those letters went unanswered?” He shook his head once in the negative. “I couldn’t live with that on my conscience.”

I rubbed my chin. “Mmhmm. I can see how that would be a real concern.”

“Excellent! Then we agree—”

“Except you wouldn’t have to live with it on your conscience, ’cause you’d be dead.”

“Oh.” He frowned. “Then I would be a very malcontented spirit. A poltergeist, I expect. Or—”

“Toby, I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you,” I promised. “And you know what’s great about the water? You can think about your Hagatha responses while you float. Kill two birds with one stone.”

Toby sighed and took a single step down into the water so it lapped at his ankles. “No more metaphors about killing and ghosts when referring to my pool-based endeavors, Goodman.” He swallowed. “Fine. I’m in. Now what?”

I bit the inside of my cheek hard, because I was not going to laugh about this. Not yet, anyway. “Now you get all the way in. Until your feet touch the bottom.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” He took a step down, and then another, clinging to the railing beside the wide steps. But when he was nearly ass-deep, he hesitated again.

“One more.” I held out a hand to help him down. “Come on. It’s so refreshing in here.”

“Nonsense. It’s wet.” He grabbed my hand. “Off-puttingly wet.”

“It is very wet,” I agreed solemnly. “That’s an unavoidable part of the swimming experience.”

Toby took the final step, and when his feet touched bottom, he shivered. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him to warm him, though the sun was so hellishly hot, I knew he wasn’t really cold.

“You’re doing really well,” I whispered.

Toby’s nostrils flared. “I’m being ridiculous. I’m well aware that I’m being ridiculous. Don’t coddle me, Beale.”

He tried to push out of my arms, but I held him tighter. “Whoa! You’re not being ridiculous. Christ, baby, everyone has things they’re scared of. And unlike house pets and rogue microwaves, water is a thing that’s actually good to have a healthy concern about. Did you ever fall in a pool or something? Maybe as a kid?”

He mumbled something against my chest that sounded like, “My dad pushed me in.”

“What?”

Toby shrugged. “That was how he learned to swim, so it was how he taught me and my little brother. It worked for Russ; not so much for me. Probably because Russ could recite the entire Litany of the Saints by age eight and I couldn’t. All those sins weigh a person down.” He gave a panicked little laugh at his own joke.

To be honest, the “sink or swim” method was how my dad had taught me and my brothers, and I’d never given it much thought, but it seemed totally barbaric while I was holding a shivering Toby in my arms.

“Okay, let’s try this. Turn around and lean back against me… yeah, just like that. Now let your feet come up and I’ll hold you. We’re gonna float, and that’ll help you get used to the feeling of the water, and remember you’re buoyant, okay?”

“I’m buoyant. Super. Buoyant and soothing. It’s like you’ve read the deepest dreams of my heart this morning, Beale. It’s like you’ve instinctively understood my—aahhh! Don’t drop me!” he yelled as I pulled my feet up. “I’ll behave.”

“Not gonna drop you,” I crooned. “Trust me.”

He laughed shakily, his hands grasping the forearm I’d wrapped around his chest. “Oh, trust you. Certainly. Easy peasy. I trust you, Beale, it’s the overwhelming quantity of wet shit surrounding us I