Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,136

. . . For my time, that was an imaginary place. Scotland was strong enough to become its mythology later but I . . . couldnae reconcile myself to the lie and return. Evan has never made me go back. I’m . . . grateful to him for that.”

“I saw the drawing of your children. In the box in the bedroom. I wasn’t prying,” she added hastily. “Just checking . . .”

He shook his head. “You’re welcome to look through my life, lass. There’s not much to it. Evan sketched that on one of his visits to my home, watching the wee ones play by the fire. He won a smile out of Ceana, for no one but wealthy folk had pictures of their bairns.”

Alanna sensed it wasn’t a moment for contact, but she drew close enough she was folded on her knees next to his elbow, where he sat on a rock by the creek. “In fact, Evan’s picture, for all it was just a pencil drawing, was much better. Those fancy portraits in the homes of noble folk were mostly poor, stiff things. There was even an artist traveling about Scotland around that time who had a stack of preset poses. He’d put the likeness of your head on top of whichever one you wanted.” He gave her a wry grin. “’Twas one o’ many reasons I was suspicious of Evan. No one drew pictures of trees, rocks, hills. What was the purpose o’ that? He was a crazy heidbanger, was all, and somehow had enough money to support the nonsense. But the day he drew that picture, the wee ones were playing, and . . .”

He stopped, staring at the waterfall. “For a long time, I carried it in a pouch to protect it, but things happened to damage it. Couldnae bring myself to throw it away, even when the lines all faded away. Then one day, Evan happens tae see it. A couple days later there’s a new one in my box, redrawn, just as he had done that day. Only . . .”

A smile touched Niall’s face, twisting Alanna’s heart. “He’d added a dimple to Eric’s face. Said he’d forgotten it that day, having sketched it out so quickly. ‘Your son had a dimple,’ he says, ‘Just like you do.’ Then he touches it.” Niall brushed the corner of his mouth. Alanna, unable to restrain herself any longer, did the same. Niall’s gaze turned to her.

“I couldnae give my children and wife smiles and plenty that often. Not until Evan came. I worked hard for him, I did, but yet, he was the one who gave them that. That hurts a man’s pride hard, no?”

“You never gave up on your family. You never stopped trying to take care of them.” She touched his knee. “Food, warmth, safety, those might be vital, but I think love is the only thing that makes their lack bearable.”

“It’s poor comfort, when all’s said and done,” he said shortly. “If you’ve never known the lack of the vital things, you’ll not say otherwise to me.”

“No,” she agreed. “But I know what the lack of love feels like. You never had that, Niall. Your wife and children loved you, and it’s obvious you loved them.”

“Not enough,” he said. “Never enough. I guess America is where Ceana thought I’d go after she died, but she knew Evan was the key to it, even then.” He swallowed, looked down at the stone between his splayed feet. “‘You tell Mr. Evan to take guid care of my man.’ That’s what she said. ‘For he’s a guid lad.’”

Alanna linked her fingers with his. “Did you tell Evan that?” she asked after a long silence.

“No.” Niall shook his head. “But I guess he knew, because he did, aye?”

“You’ve taken care of each other.” Alanna could tell Niall didn’t want to talk about it anymore, though, so she simply laid her head on his shoulder and they sat together, watching the sun descend over the trees.

“Why do you sometimes whittle stakes when you’re with Evan?”

“Oh, that.” He snorted. “It started as a bit o’ a joke. Ye might have noticed he sometimes stomps on my nerves?”

“No. I didn’t notice at all.”

He pinched her. She fended him off, linking fingers with him during the short tussle, and won a true smile from him. He pulled her up onto the rock between his thighs, holding her there with his jaw pressed to her temple, his hands linked around her