Page 28 of Sins of a Scot
Peering around him, Iseabail’s eyes widened, and relief flooded through her body as she looked upon a scrawny black dog that, with its ears pinned back, and its tail huddled between its legs, stood there in the doorway looking both hungry and terrified.
“Och, the poor thing,” she cooed, walking passed Owen to approach it.
“Wait,” he hissed, as she completely ignored him. “It might be dang?—”
But Iseabail was already at the dog’s side, and laying her hand on his head, she spoke quietly to him. “Are ye lost, boy? Ye look hungry.”
When she turned to look at Owen, he was rolling his eyes and shaking his head, clearly not impressed that she had ignored his warning.
“He’s harmless,” she said.
“Aye, well. We ken thatnow,” he huffed.
“Maybe he found the bones ye threw away earlier. He obviously hasnae been fed in some time,” she said, nodding to his clearly visible ribs.
Owen approached then, and crouching down beside him, he stroked him gently. The dog shook, though whether from cold or fear, they could not know.
Owen stood again and walked towards the saddle bags. “Come on, pal. Let’s get ye something else tae eat.”
The dog did not move from Iseabail’s side for a moment, until, sniffing the air, he realized that Owen had food. Still, he approached timidly, as though he might earn himself a strike at any second.
“He looks like he’s been beaten,” Iseabail said a little later, when the animal had satisfied his hunger.
“Aye,” Owen said sadly. “There are some wicked people in the world. If I kent who’d done it, I’d be tempted tae give them a taste o’ their own medicine. See how they like it.”
Being a lover of animals, Iseabail smiled at his words. Not at the idea that Owen would take such pleasure in striking another human being, but for the fact that he would defend a stray dog that he barely knew. She was of the firm belief that one could tell a lot about a person by the way they treated animals.
Human beings could fight back, or answer back, but for the most part, animals were defenseless. Being kind to things that were so openly vulnerable said a lot about a person’s character. She might have had to blackmail Owen to help her, but clearly, he had a decent heart.
Ye kent that already.
Of course, she did, but now she knew just a little bit more about him.
Once the excitement was over, Iseabail and Owen began settling themselves down again, but as she sat on the thin blanket that made up her bed, Iseabail realized how frightened she had been when the dog had woken her so suddenly.
The animal now lay close to the fire, clearly in need of the warmth, and as she gazed at it, she lifted her eyes and glanced across at Owen.
“Are ye all right?” he asked, catching her eye.
After such an earlier demand that he must sleep on the other side of the room, Iseabail now felt embarrassed, even hypocritical to ask for what she needed, and instead of replying, she looked away.
“Iseabail,” Owen said, his voice a little softer. “Would ye like me tae come and sleep closer tae ye?”
How he guessed what she wanted, Iseabail did not know. Perhaps her fear was written across her face. Or perhaps, he was far more perceptive than she had originally given him credit for. Whatever the answer, she still felt embarrassed to say yes, and so, shrugging a little coyly, she nodded.
She was grateful he didn’t force her to say it, and a few minutes later, Owen had shifted his own makeshift bed beside hers.
“Now, let’s try and get some rest,” he said, settling himself down just a foot away. “We have a long journey ahead o’ us.”
Iseabail’s head lifted and fell in a slow, easy rhythm. She felt warm and entirely comfortable, and for that slight moment before she awoke fully, she sighed, feeling like she could stay where she was for a long time.
Flicking her eyes open, however, she suddenly gasped, and lifting her head from Owen’s chest, where it lay, she glared up at him. Owen smiled down at her. He was wide awake, and evidently had been for some time.
“Och, me goodness,” she said, hurriedly pushing herself off him.
Owen remained with an easy smile on his lips. “Ye were sound asleep. I didnae want tae wake ye.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldnae… I mean, I didnae… I’m…”
