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Rory's expression becomes rather grave. "I wish you weren't so dead-set on finding a man. It's bad enough that Aidan is living with a woman he just met, but I worry more for you than I do for him. With good reason."
"I know that, Rory. But you know I'm not an eejit. Besides, Aidan will pick me up at the airport and keep an eye on me for you."
"Then you've given up on the idea of staying at Erica's house in Chicago."
"No. But I can visit with Aidan and his lass, then go to Chicago for a weekend."
Lachlan rubs his jaw. "We've done all we can do, Rory. Jamie won't give up, and the best we can do is make sure she's in safe hands. Aidan's lass has offered to let Jamie stay with them at her house in Michigan. We all know Aidan won't let anything happen to Jamie. But you will wait until tomorrow."
I can't wait to fall in love. I've dreamed about my Prince Charming since I was a little girl, and that desire has become even stronger lately. The men I've dated left me feeling less than enthusiastic about my prospects for getting married and starting a family, but I can't give up yet. I need to do something drastic to change my life and achieve my goals.
And my brothers have finally agreed to help me do that.
I rush up to Lachlan and kiss his cheek, then do the same for Rory. Cannae help grinning. "Thank you so much. I love you both."
"We love you too, Jamie. And if some American cacan breaks your heart, we will hunt him down and batter him."
The evening after my brothers gave up on changing my mind, I stand on the tarmac at the Inverness airport surrounded by my family, while they hug me and haver about how much they'll miss me. My sisters, Catriona and Fiona, urge me to be careful but also wish me success in finding an American man. The fact that Lachlan married an American lass proved to be the final nail in the coffin of the idea that I shouldn't leave home for a holiday on another continent.
"Scottish men can be so bloody pigheaded," Fiona says. "Maybe we should all try Americans instead."
I nod with sarcastic gravity. "Oh, aye, Catriona should definitely try that. Her British Bastard broke her heart, so she might as well branch out into another country."
Our father overheard what I said and saunters over to us. "What's wrong with a good Scotsman? Plenty of those for you lasses to choose from."
Ma hooks her arm around Da's and gives him a patient smile. "Let Jamie make her own decisions, Niall. Besides, after testing out American men, she might well decide to marry a Scot after all."
"As long as she's happy, that's all that matters."
Lachlan walks up the stairs with me, keeping a light hold on my elbow as we climb to the open door of the private jet. He walks with me onto the plane too. Then he hugs me. "Be careful, gràidh. You've never left Scotland before, and America is much different from our home here in the Highlands. Aidan will take care of you, but..." He hugs me again and kisses the top of my head. "You are my baby sister. I will always worry about you."
"If I find the right man, you won't need to worry so much." I make a shooing motion. "Now go on, Lachie. I don't think Erica wants you to escort me all the way to Michigan."
"No, my wife wouldn't like that."
My brother shuffles over to the door, then pauses to glance back at me. He smiles a little, seeming a wee bit melancholy.
I smile and wave. He'll get over his worry once he knows I'm with Aidan.
Lachlan finally exits the jet, and a moment later, one of the pilots emerges from the cockpit to close the door.
I rush over to a sofa that lies up against the wall and kneel on the seat to watch out the windows as the plane begins to roll down the runway. My throat tightens. My eyes burn. I'm about to cry, but that's rubbish. A grown woman doesn't cry simply because she's leaving her home for the first time. I never went away to university in England like my siblings did, instead choosing to earn my degree close to home. I certainly haven't visited America before, though Cat had done that when she was a grad student.
Once the initial rush of excitement wears off, I realize just how dead boring a long flight to another country really is. Traveling alone is, well, rather lonely. The pilots take turns visiting with me, apparently because they feel sorry for the lassie who's traveling alone. I appreciate the effort, but it only makes me feel more isolated. I've always been surrounded by MacTaggarts, from my brothers and sisters to my many cousins.
After three hours, I need to talk to someone I know. But instead of ringing either of my sisters, I dial the number for my cousin Jack. He groans when he picks up the call, sounding as if he'd been asleep.
"Hello, Jack, it's Jamie."
"Who?" He yawns loudly. "Bloody hell, Jamie. It's after midnight."
"Sorry. I just wondered if---Oh, never mind."
"You rang me, so now you need to explain yourself. Are ye already feeling homesick? I heard you were off on an American adventure."
Leave it to a psychotherapist to realize that without me saying a word. "Aye, I'm a wee bit homesick. I've tried to sleep, but I feel restless."
"Of course you do, gràidh. You're excited and anxious at the same time, which is to be expected when you're away on a holiday in another country---on another continent."
