Page 14 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

Her response was a dry laugh. ‘Be careful it doesn’t find you anyway.’

‘It won’t.’ He was certain. Even if he did meet someone who piqued his interest, he didn’t intend to do anything about it. With a demanding job and a young daughter, he didn’t have the time.

He deliberately ignored his conscience when it suggested that hecouldfind the time if he wanted. After all, he didn’t have sole care of Bonnie – she spent far more time with her mother than she did with him – and his job, although not nine-to-five Monday to Friday, gave him more than enough free time. So, yes, he would have time to date if he wanted to.

But he didn’t. He’d had his fill of love and romance. He didn’t need that kind of hassle in his life. All he wanted was to focus on Bonnie and be the best father he could possibly be.

She was his sole priority, and her happiness was his only concern.

Chapter 4

Tara was so exhausted that the only thing keeping her going was nervous excitement and adrenalin. In just ten days (ten days!!) she had put the house on the market and had sorted through all her possessions, which had been a mammoth task as she’d had to decide what to take and what to send to the charity shop. The biggest and most important task had been packing up the tools of her trade and all her gorgeous miniatures and houses, and she had closely supervised when they were loaded onto the small removal van earlier today.

As she drove over Skye Bridge towards her new life on the island, it felt symbolic, and she experienced a pang of regret for the death of her old one. She was closing the door on the dreams she’d once had. But what saddened her the most was that she didn’t feel sad to be leaving Edinburgh. And she felt no compunction to capture her marital house in miniature. All she felt was relief, and it was rather sobering to think that she had spent seven years and most of her adult life there, yet she had walked away with barely a second glance.

The final part of her journey to Duncoorie and its lovely castle seemed to take forever, but eventually she found herself trundling up the long drive and heading towards the narrow lane behind the castle, which led to the cottage she would be living in until she was able to purchase a house of her own. It irked her slightly that she wasn’t moving into her permanent home and that she would probably be moving twice in a matter of months, but she was nevertheless very grateful for Mhairi’s kind offer.

The removal van hadn’t arrived yet, so Tara took a moment to reacquaint herself with her surroundings and she halted briefly to gaze up at the castle and its impressive ramparts, then she drove down the narrow track towards her new home.

Not knowing what to expect, her first sight of the former boathouse had her squealing with delight.

Situated on the edge of the loch, the single-storey cottage was built out of old stone and had a pitched slate roof. As she slowly got out of the car, Tara was stunned by the amazing views. She was going to be livinghere? Oh my goodness!

Galvanised into action, she hurried to the door and tried the handle. As promised, it was unlocked, and she pushed it open and stepped into a narrow hallway.

Barely glancing through the open doors on either side, which contained a double bedroom and a bathroom respectively, Tara’s attention was captured by the glass panel door in front of her and the light that was streaming through it.

Beyond it lay an open-plan kitchen and living area, but she only gave the room a cursory glance. Instead, she focused on the large picture window at the far end and the simply stunning view it framed. It drew the eye and held it, and Tara had to make an effort to look away.

The walls of the living area were devoid of adornment, and Tara could understand why. No photo or painting could compete with the view through that enormous window. Although there was a small TV in the corner, the two squashy sofas were angled so anyone sitting in them would have a perfect view out of the window rather than the screen.

Feeling emotional, Tara checked out the rest of the small house and was delighted to find it had everything she could possibly need. When Mhairi had informed her that the cottage was fully furnished, Tara had been relieved. Apart from a few bits and pieces and her doll’s houses and equipment, she’d decided to bring nothing with her to Skye and her new life, not wanting to carry the memories that those things evoked. She’d left them in situ for Dougie to keep or burn. She didn’t care which.

Realising that the van would be here shortly, she scooped up the keys to the studio which were sitting on the kitchen counter and hurried towards the car park to meet it. There would be time enough later to settle into the cottage. Right now, her priority was the studio and she couldn’t wait to get started.

Tara blew out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips. The flurry ofactivity this past hour or so had left her feeling drained, but shestill had an awful lot to do before she was finished for the day. Atleast the van was unloaded and everything was in the studio, so that wasa start.

As the driver and his mate had ferried box after box inside, under Tara’s watchful eye, she’d been conscious of curious faces staring at her from the other studios. She’d smiled at them but hadn’t had time to introduce herself. Hopefully she would make their acquaintance later today, but before she attempted to make friends, she really should eat something. It was already four in the afternoon and she was ravenous.

Tara hadn’t brought any supplies with her, just a carton of long-life milk and some teabags, which would do for a cuppa in the morning, so her only option was to see whether the cafe had anything left, or drive into Duncoorie.

Not wanting to take time away from setting up the studio, Tara locked up and headed to the cafe.

The heady aroma of coffee wafted up her nose when she stepped inside, and she sniffed appreciatively. Moving towards the counter, she saw a couple of slices of cake under a glass dome, along with a solitary scone. It would have to do.

‘What can I get you?’ a cheery middle-aged woman asked. She had been wiping down the coffee machine, but she stopped what she was doing when she saw Tara approach.

‘A large cappuccino and the cake please.’

‘Which one?’

‘All of them.’

The woman’s eyebrows rose as she repeated, ‘All of them?’

‘I haven’t eaten since this morning, and I’m starving,’ Tara explained. She held out her hand. ‘I’m Tara McTaigh, and I’ve just moved into the empty studio.’

The woman’s face cleared as she took her hand. ‘Gillian. I manage the cafe. Lovely to meet you. I’d heard a rumour that a doll’s house maker was about to join us, so I guess that’s you.’

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