She loved her family, but that love was a double-edged sword at times.
Donella, her grandparents, and Aunt Flora piled into a tiny car that her family swore was a "family car" in Scotland but would be used by teenagers to hotbox it back home.
Within seconds, her gran began to recount what had to be every family's gossip in Tobermory and the surrounding area. Even though she lost track of who was who within minutes, her gran's familiar Scottish brogue, in combination with her granddad and aunt in the car, comforted her. These people loved her as she was. There was no reason to put on a show.
Well, most of the time. Her gran wouldn't approve of some of the language she used inside her head.
On top of that, for the next month, there should be no first dates or accidental drop-ins coordinated by her mother. And despite her grandmother's ambitions, Donella was determined to work on her graphic design projects, read a few books, and explore the wilderness of Mull. Maybe she'd even get to see some of the sights in the nearby areas. After all, castles and centuries-old buildings weren't exactly a common sight back home, in a suburb just outside of Seattle.
However, her top priority remained avoiding dates and single men in general.
Even if there were single, non-creepy men on the island, her family would act as the perfect buffer. After all, few wanted to get involved with the Spencer brand of crazy.
Which meant for the first time in ages, Donella would have time to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. She was tired of the online dating game, and since she mostly worked from home, there was little chance there, either.
Marriage was most likely not in her future. A small part of her was sad at that realization, but she was also relieved to end the worst torture of the modern era—the first date from an online dating site. She had a dec
ent job and would maybe get a cat or two. Maybe she could even work up the nerve to travel somewhere where they didn't speak English.
The only thing she truly worried about was breaking the news to her mother. Because if there was one thing her mother had wanted since Donella was a child, it was a big wedding and lots of grandbabies.
No. She wouldn't think of her mother's disappointment and ensuing guilt trips.
Taking one of Aunt Flora's scones from the tin, Donella took a bite and nearly moaned at the slightly crumbly texture. She added learning to make scones to her list of things to do. And if tasting every batch resulted in her having to buy bigger jeans before she went home, so be it. She was here to find herself, not to worry about calories.
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