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She grabbed the bread from the refrigerator and began to assemble three ham sandwiches, the favorite pre-dinner dinner for the boys. They’d find the milk and cookies on their own.
She had an hour before milking, and after that, they’d go into town for Trevor’s football game. Right now, she wanted to curl up in bed and talk to Dermot. She grabbed her laptop from the table, unplugging the power cord.
To her delight, the boys had put in a wireless router to handle the three laptops in the house. It allowed her to talk to Dermot from anywhere, including the barn. Rachel climbed the stairs and shut her bedroom door behind her. Then she opened her laptop and dialed into Dermot’s computer. A few seconds later his face appeared on the screen.
“You’re early,” he said. “Is everything all right?
“It’s fine,” she said. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Are you in your bedroom?” Dermot asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you naked?”
“No,” Rachel said. “But I can take care of that if you want.”
He groaned. “We have to stop with the online sex, sweetheart. It’s making me crazy.”
Rachel smiled. “I thought we were getting rather good at it.”
“It’s not like the real thing,” Dermot replied.
“Why don’t you take off your clothes first,” she said.
“I can’t right now. I’m at the office and I have a meeting in exactly three minutes. But we can make a date for later.”
“I’m going to Trevor’s football game later. And Jane is here now, so I have to get her settled. But I will try.”
“I’ll be waiting,” he said. He kissed his fingertips and pressed them to the screen. “Miss you.”
“I miss you more,” Rachel said.
She pressed her fingers to the screen. A moment later, it went black and she sighed softly. How many more nights would she have to spend alone?
DERMOT SAT AT A STOPLIGHT, the Mercedes sedan idling beneath the music coming from the radio. The wipers slapped back and forth in a counter-tempo and he squinted out into the afternoon shower.
His mind flashed back to the rainy afternoons he’d spent on Rachel’s farm, the quiet time making love in her bed while the thunder rumbled outside, the freshened air blowing at the lace curtains in her bedroom.
All of his memories were so clear, so real, that he could almost imagine himself back there. He knew they’d agreed to wait until Christmas before they saw each other again, but every weekend, after every call, he fought the urge to hop on a plane and go visit her.
He couldn’t imagine that she’d be disappointed to see him. They spent every evening on the phone or on video chat, and though it wasn’t even close to being enough, it was all he had for now.
How many nights had he lain awake, thinking about making love to her, reliving every moment they’d spent in each other’s arms. It wasn’t just the miles between them, it was the need to touch her, to reassure himself that she was real, that what they’d shared was real.
He thought that returning to Seattle would help him put his priorities in order. But since he and his brothers had returned, everything had been turned upside down. All four of them had managed to meet women who had changed their lives, but none of them had made a move to leave Seattle for love.
It didn’t help that in the six weeks away, work had piled up and they were busier than they’d ever been. Dermot had three sales trips planned for the next two weeks, all to meet clients who were looking to build a custom yacht.
He used to love his job, the challenge of the sale, the high he got when a client signed on the bottom line and handed over a check for the down payment. And it had been fun to socialize with the rich and famous. It had certainly put him in a good place to meet a lot of beautiful women.
But there was only one woman he was interested in now and she was living on a farm in Wisconsin, tending to a herd of troublesome goats. Dermot smiled as he remembered the two of them, standing on the gate and watching as the goats frolicked in the field.
This was crazy. Why was he denying himself the only thing that he really wanted in the world? The truth was, he was just marking time here in Seattle, waiting until he could see her again. Why not just go?
Dermot picked up his cell phone and dialed his office number. His assistant picked up after two rings. “Hey, Lisa. I need you to book me a ticket for Chicago, for tonight. See if you can find a flight that leaves after seven. I still have to get through rush hour and get home to pack. Eight would be even better. And reserve a rental car.”
He finished giving her the details, then hung up. A slow smile broke across his face. “That was easy,” he murmured to himself. Now, should he tell Rachel he was coming or should it be a surprise? They usually did a video chat around six his time and she’d be expecting that. But he could do that from the airport, if need be.
Given the travel time between Chicago and Seattle, and the drive out to the farm, he’d probably arrive in the middle of the night. He’d call her when he was a few miles away.
His phone rang and he picked it up. The caller ID was from Lisa in the office. “Are we booked?” he asked.
“Sorry,” she said. “There are no seats left on any flights direct from Sea-Tac to Chicago. If you want to fly to L.A. first, I can get you to Chicago by 5:00 a.m. Or you can fly to Atlanta and then to Chicago, but that puts you in really late, too. You can go to the airport and wait to see if something opens up.”
“No,” Dermot said. “Never mind. I’ll try to book something for next weekend. Take a look at the schedules for me and find some good flights.”
He sighed softly as he waited for the traffic to start moving again. If he hadn’t scheduled a sales appointment in Tacoma for late in the day, he would have been home by now, enjoying a cold beer and ordering a pizza.
He’d gone back to his normal eating habits since returning from Wisconsin. Farm work had kept him incredibly fit and even the huge breakfasts and crazy fair food hadn’t impacted his waist. But once he returned to his sedentary life in Seattle, he’d had to work hard to keep fit.
There were days when he longed for the deep, exhausting exercise that he got loading straw and feed bags into the back of the truck, and muscling goats into the milking stanchions. It was hard work, but it had been satisfying.
And yet, he knew he couldn’t live on the farm with Rachel. As much as he loved her, for now, his place was here with his grandfather and his brothers. They’d both been trapped by family loyalty, Rachel in her quest to keep the farm in the family and him in his need to pay back his grandfather for everything he’d done to raise them.
As much as Martin Quinn wanted his grandsons to go out into the world and find their own dreams, he loved having them home, too. The company ran better with the four of them at full speed.
Dermot picked up his cell phone and hit the memory dial for Rachel. If he were stuck in traffic, then he’d find something pleasant to occupy his time. But, to his surprise, she didn’t pick up. Instead, one of the boys answered.
“Hey, is this Trevor?”
“Nope, Taylor.”
“Taylor, it’s Dermot. How are things going? You working hard?”
“Our mom is living here now,” Taylor said. “She’s learning how to milk the goats. And she’s making soap to sell. And Aunt Rachel hired a guy to help with the milking. Did she tell you that?”
“She did. How’s he getting along?”
“He’s not as fun as you. He hardly says anything. His name is Leroy and he has a tattoo, but Eddie likes him because he was in the Navy and so was Eddie.”
Dermot chuckled. He’d heard all the news from Rachel, but Taylor seemed determined to fill him in. “How are the goats?”
“Benny jumped into the truck yesterday when Aunt Rachel was taking Trevor out for a driving lesson. And Aunt Rachel says that the goats will start having babies in March. I think you should come and see us.”
“Is your aunt Rachel there?”
A long silence came over the line and Dermot waited for an answer. “She’s not here right now,” Taylor said. “But she told us if you called we should tell you that she would talk to you later.”
“All right. I’ll talk to her later. Say hi to Trevor for me. And be good for your mom, okay?”
He turned the phone off after they said their goodbyes and tossed it onto the seat. Just as he did, the traffic began to move. He drove slowly at first, and then, once he passed the scene of a disabled semitruck, it picked up to normal speeds.
Dermot pulled into his parking spot at the end of the pier and grabbed his briefcase, then stepped out of the car. He hadn’t made any plans for the weekend. Nothing seemed to appeal when it came to social activities. His brothers had been as preoccupied as he had since their return and they’d barely had time to speak, much less meet for a beer or a ball game.
He fumbled in his pocket for his key and shoved it in the dead bolt. The lock clicked.
“Dermot?”
The voice was so soft, at first he thought he’d imagined it. He closed his eyes and pushed the door open.
“Dermot?”
There it was again. But this time, it sounded real, present. He slowly turned to find Rachel standing on the dock. His breath caught in his throat and he stared at her for a long moment. She was like a vision, a beautiful angel with spun gold hair and green eyes.
He dropped his briefcase and crossed the distance between them in a few long steps. Grabbing her in his arms, Dermot picked her up off her feet and gave her a fierce hug. “Holy hell,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t give her time to answer. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She was everything he remembered her to be, soft, sweet, the perfect fit in his arms. Dermot drew back and looked down into her eyes. “I can’t believe it’s you. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Is it all right that I came?”
“What? Of course. Are you kidding? I’m so damned happy to see you I can hardly breathe.” Dermot kissed her again. “God, you’re so beautiful.” Suddenly, he realized the significance of her arrival. “I just talked to Taylor. He didn’t tell me you were coming.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Dermot nodded. “It’s a big surprise.”
“Now that Jane is living at the farm, I kind of have my life back. She and the boys have decided to stay. I can leave.”
Dermot gasped, the news a complete shock. His mind scrambled to take it all in. Could she come to Seattle and live with him? Did she even want to live with him?
“What does this mean?”
“It means that I’m here. For as long as you want me. I was hanging on to the farm because of the promise I made to my father. But now that my sister is there, it’s all in good hands. Since you left, I’ve been really lonely.”
He smiled down at her. “Me, too. I don’t like being so far away from you.” Dermot took her hands in his. “Rachel, I’m in love with you. There is no other woman for me. And I really can’t imagine living my life without you. And now that you’re here, I’m not going to let you go.”
“I don’t want to go,” she said. “Well, I do have to go back to Wisconsin. Jane still hasn’t gone through a season of kidding, so I have to be there in the late winter to early spring. But I was thinking we could go back together. Kind of like a vacation?”
“You have this all worked out,” he said.
“I do.”
“I think it’s a good plan. I think it’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for.”
She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a fierce hug. Dermot laughed, then picked her up and carried her inside the house. He’d dreamed about having her in his arms again, but he never thought it would be this simple.
“I love you, Rachel.”
“And I love you, Dermot Quinn.”
“Are you going to miss your goats?” he asked.
She stared up at him with sparkling eyes. “They’re in the best hands. They have a wonderful family to look after them. And they’re going to live happily ever after.”
“And what about us?”
“I think we’re going to have a wonderful life together. And I want it to begin now.”
“What do you want?” He expected her to demand that he take her directly to bed and make love to her. But he was surprised by her request.
“I want to find a quiet place to watch the sunset,” she said. “I want to hold your hand and take a deep breath and let this all sink in for a moment.”
“I know the perfect place,” he said. “You’ve never been sailing, have you?”
She shook her head. “Is your favorite place on the water?” she asked.
“My favorite place is wherever you are, Rachel. That’s the way it will always be.”
He took her hand and led her out the front door. And as they walked down the dock, Dermot said a silent thanks to his grandfather for knowing exactly what he needed—a chance to see his life through different eyes. A chance to go out and find his dreams. And a chance to find the love of his life.
He’d never believed it before, but Dermot was certain of it now. He had the luck of the Irish.
The Mighty Quinns: Kieran
Praise for Kate Hoffmann from RT Book Reviews
The Charmer “Hoffmann’s deeply felt, emotional story is riveting. It’s impossible to put down.”
Your Bed or Mine? “Fully developed characters and perfect pacing make this story feel completely right.”
Doing Ireland! “Sexy and wildly romantic”
The Mighty Quinns: Ian “A very hot story mixes with great characters to make every page a delight.”
Who Needs Mistletoe? “Romantic, sexy and heartwarming”
The Mighty Quinns: Teague “Sexy, heartwarming and romantic … a story to settle down with and enjoy—and then re-read.”
Dear Reader,
I believe this book represents a milestone of sorts! The Mighty Quinns: Kieran is the twentieth book in my MIGHTY QUINNS series. Eleven years ago, my first Quinn book, The Mighty Quinns: Connor, hit the bookstores. It’s still hard to believe I’ve been living with this extended Irish family for such a long time!
Since this is the second in a four-book series—and I’ve got four more planned for next year—I’m going to be living with them a little bit longer. Thank goodness they don’t leave wet towels in the bathroom and dirty socks on my bedroom floor. But then, since I made them the people they are, I guess I could also suggest that they cook dinner and do the laundry whenever I wanted, too. But that’s just wishful thinking …
I hope you enjoy this next installment in the Quinn saga!
All my best,
