“Aye, that’s true enough. But my brother loses himself when he’s painting. In fact, he has to set a vibrating timer for his digital watch, and sometimes it’ll go off five times before he finally growls and stops.”
“Your brother paints?”
“Aye, Torquil has always had a way with paint or pencil. My mum says it’s because he pays closer attention to the world and the little details since he can’t hear a lot of what others can.”
“Now I want to see some of his work, although me asking out of the blue might be strange. I don’t want your family thinking that I’m treating them like reconnaissance work for our current plan, or anything.”
He touched her lower back and gestured toward his parents’ cottage down the pathway. “Aye, I know. I’ll ask Tor about it at some point, but we need to go. Otherwise, my mum will find an excuse to come looking for us.”
“But it’s still a few minutes before six!”
He snorted. “Trust me, it could be ten seconds past six and she’d scold us for being tardy.”
As they started walking, Emily murmured, “It just means she cares.”
He could pretend he hadn’t heard her. But dragons had supersensitive hearing, Emily had to know that, and he didn’t want to stay silent, either. “Aye, I know. If she ever gets to be a wee bit much, just let me know. However, she just wants to take care of everyone, that’s her way. It’s not because she thinks you can’t do something yourself.”
“I know people like that. After all, everyone has their own kind of love language.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, the ways people show they care. Some use touch, some give you undivided attention, others like to give gifts. I think there are five types, if I remember right.”
He grunted. “Dragons usually use all three of those. We probably do all five.”
She laughed. “I’ll have to look them up later and see if that’s true or not.”
He gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her, and said, “What’s yours?”
“Um, pardon?”
“You should have at least one of these love languages, aye?”
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never really had a long-term relationship, and my parents weren’t the most affectionate of people.”
He wanted to say he’d find out, but held back. They weren’t a real couple and never would be.
His dragon spoke up.Someone protests too much.
Shut it, dragon.
Wanting to change the subject, he released her and got them moving again. As expected, his mother opened the door when they were still ten feet away.
She waved. “I was worried you weren’t going to make it.”
“It’s one minute past six, Mum,” he drawled.
“Aye, well, you’re still tardy. I don’t blame Emily, as I saw you stop her to chat.”
He resisted groaning. Of course his mother had been spying on them.
His dragon chuckled.Maybe I should work with her, and then we’ll get somewhere.
Ignoring his beast, he gently pushed Emily forward. “Mum, Emily’s been busy with her work. Given how she’s trying to help all of dragonkind, you might give her some grace, aye?”
His mother smiled at Emily. “Of course. Come, lass. We’ve been looking forward to you visiting all day.”
Cam followed behind them, now understanding Emily’s somewhat hesitant and awkward demeanor with his mother—she’d been betrayed by her own mum and probably thought she could offend others easily.
