The Mighty Quinns: Kieran (15 page)

“It’s up to you,” Kieran said. “If this is your house, then sign it. If you have any doubts, we’ll keep looking.”

“It’s my house,” she said. She signed her legal name, Sarah M. Westerfield, then quickly dated it. “All right.”

They walked out of the house a half hour later, after Maddie had walked through it just one more time. The weather had turned rainy and Maddie was glad Kieran had thought to put the top of the Caddy up. She got inside and waited for him. When he got in, she looked over at him.

“This, being an adult, is kind of scary.”

“I was really nervous when I bought my place,” he said. “And I didn’t have the kind of money you do.”

“I feel kind of nauseated.”

“That’s because we haven’t had lunch yet. Let’s go back to the hotel, order room service and spend the rest of the day watching movies.”

“That sounds like a really good idea. And after that, we’ll go downtown and listen to some music.”

As they drove back to Nashville, Maddie thought about everything they’d talked about. At least now, she knew where she stood. They both wanted to continue and were both headed in the same direction.

After all that had happened over the past week and a half, she’d never expected to end up here, buying a house, planning a life for herself. But with every day that passed, she was more determined to strike out on her own.

She’d fire her mother as her manager and find someone who would understand the new path she wanted to take. Her mother was an excellent manager. There were any number of singers and songwriters in Nashville who would jump at the chance to work with her.

Then Maddie would start talking to friends, finding artists who might want to collaborate with her. She’d dust off some of the songs she’d written years ago and offer them to young singers on the verge of breaking out. Making a living as a songwriter wouldn’t be a difficult transition.

It would all work. Just like Kieran said. “I’m really happy,” Maddie murmured. “A few weeks ago, I was so miserable and now I’m really happy.”

Kieran said. “And all because of a turkey sandwich.”

“What?”

“That’s what you bought me that morning in the bus station. A turkey sandwich. A sub, actually. If you’d been in front of me in line, we never would have met.”

“I guess we were pretty lucky, weren’t we? I’m thinking I’ll buy you another sandwich. And maybe I’ll get lucky tonight.”

“You don’t need to feed me to get lucky,” he teased. “In fact, I need to stop eating all your leftovers. My jeans are starting to get a little tight.”

“Then we’ll skip lunch and dinner and just begin our next exercise plan.”

“And what is that?” Kieran asked.

“Sex. Sex. And more sex,” Maddie said. “Hours and hours of hot, sweaty sex.”

“That’s a diet that I’m going to enjoy.”

* * *

K
IERAN
NOTICED
THE
wary look on Maddie’s face the moment he pulled the Cadillac to a stop in front of her grandparents’ house.

“Oh, no,” she murmured, staring at a slender figure standing on the porch.

“What wrong?”

“It’s my mother,” she said. “Keep driving. Just go. Now, before she has a chance to get into her car.”

Though Kieran was tempted to follow her orders, he knew Maddie was ready to face her mother. She’d made an offer on a house for herself, met with some songwriter friends in Nashville, interviewed a new manager, and decided she wanted him in her future. The only thing she had left to do was to conquer her fear of her mother.

“You’re going to be fine,” Kieran said. He got out of the car then jogged around to open her door. “I’ll be in the stable if you need me.”

“No,” Maddie said.

“No?”

She grabbed the car keys from his hand, then jumped back into the car, locking the door behind her. An instant later, the engine roared to life and Maddie threw the car into gear. It swerved around the circle drive and headed down the driveway.

Maddie’s mother hurried down the front steps. “Maddie! Maddie, come back here.”

“I don’t think she can hear you,” Kieran said.

She leveled an annoyed gaze at him. “She doesn’t drive.”

“She does now. Although she’s driving without a license. But I don’t think she’s going very far.”

“Who are you?”

Kieran held out his hand. “Kieran Quinn. I guess you could say I’m your daughter’s boyfriend?”

“Oh. You’re the one.” She shook her head. “I should have known. You are exactly the kind of boy she can’t resist.”

“I hope I’m the one,” Kieran said. “Because as far as I’m concerned, Maddie is the one for me.”

She took a step forward, her eyebrow arched in a condescending smirk. “Really? The last thing my daughter needs is the drama of some silly romance. Sure, you may have come to her rescue like some fairy-tale prince, but Maddie knows what she has to do. She knows where she belongs.”

“Then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” he said. “She’ll decide for herself.”

“If you haven’t brainwashed her with your pretty blue eyes and your devastating smile.”

“I do my best,” Kieran said.

“All right, let’s just get down to business. How much do you want?”

Kieran laughed. “I don’t want anything—except Maddie’s happiness.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone has a price. I should warn you that Maddie’s relationships never last more than a month. Sooner or later, she’ll grow bored and you’ll be left wondering what you did wrong. If you take my offer right now, you won’t walk away empty-handed.” She reached into her designer bag and withdrew her checkbook. “How do you spell your first name?”

The sound of an approaching car caught their attention and Kieran watched as the Cadillac came roaring back up the driveway. Maddie slammed on the brakes, then jumped out of the car. But she’d forgotten to put it in Park and it began to move. With a tiny scream, she jumped back behind the wheel and turned off the ignition.

As Maddie approached her mother, Kieran could see the anger in her eyes. “I’m not going back,” she said. “I don’t care what you’ve come to say to me. It’s not going to work. Just go home, Mama.”

“Maddie, stop this. You have no idea what you’re saying. You have obligations and responsibilities. Advances have been paid. If you don’t do the work, you’ll be in breach of contract and they’ll take you to court.”

“Then give the advances back,” Maddie said.

“I can’t. They’ve already been spent.”

Maddie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You have business expenses. The economy hasn’t been that great. The tour didn’t make as much as we thought it would.”

“What about record sales?” she said. “My last album was number one for seven weeks.”

“You know we don’t make a lot on record sales. The money is in touring and publishing. And maybe I haven’t spent a lot of time marketing your catalog, but that’s my fault. I’m going to do a better job with that in the future.”

“So how bad is it, Mama? Are you saying that I don’t have any choice in the matter?”

“We have obligations,” her mother murmured.

“You have obligations. Like that ridiculous house you bought. How much is that costing us?”

“We’re going to have to move,” Constance said.

“Not me. I bought a home for myself.”

“What? You bought a house?”

“Yes, Mama. I wanted a place of my own. I thought I deserved a place of my own—a life of my own—after living out your dreams for the past ten years.”

“They were your dreams, too,” she said.

“Yes, they were. But now I have my own plans.”

Constance threw up her hands and began to pace back and forth in front of Maddie. “I suppose this—this person is behind your sudden rebellion? You’d listen to him before you’d listen to me.”

“I trust Kieran,” Maddie said.

“You’ve only known him for a week!” Constance protested. “I gave birth to you.” She stopped pacing, then took a moment to compose herself. “This is a business matter, Maddie. I think we should sit down and work this out.”

“No,” Maddie said. “I want Kieran here.” She strode to his side and grabbed his hand. “I love him. And he loves me—I think. Anything you have to say to me you can say to him.”

Kieran gave her hand a squeeze, then bent close to whisper in her ear. “You can do this on your own,” he said. “You can, Maddie.”

“But I need—”

“You don’t need anyone. You’ll make the right choice. I know you will.” He brushed his lips across hers. “And I do love you.”

Her expression brightened. “You do?”

Kieran wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t catch her breath. But he knew that now was not the time. “I do. I’m just going to head out to the stables and catch up on my work. When you’re finished here, come and get me?”

Maddie nodded. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again, softly and sweetly, her tongue teasing at his. “I love you,” she said with a smile. “I love saying that. I love you.”

Kieran stole another quick kiss, then glanced over at Constance West. “Miss West, it was a pleasure meeting you. I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future.”

Constance scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I wouldn’t count on it,” she said.

Kieran walked away, glancing back once at Maddie and giving her an encouraging smile. This was her fight, her time to take control. If she couldn’t stand up for herself, then he’d never have a place in her life anyway. Playing second fiddle to her mother would be an untenable existence. But if she could break away, then they had a chance. After all, she loved him.

Kieran smiled to himself. After worrying over the words, not to mention when and if he’d say them, they’d just come out, as if the declaration had been made a hundred times before.

“I love her,” he murmured. “I love her.”

He knew it was true. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. And though he wasn’t so sure about their future together, Kieran was certain that his feelings would never change.

He found Joe in the barn, bent over a table, mixing one of his special poultices. “Hey,” Kieran said as he approached.

Joe glanced over at him and chuckled. “You’re still alive. I take that as a good sign.”

“When did she get here?”

“Last night. I tried to convince her that we hadn’t seen Maddie, but Sarah wouldn’t lie. She’s our daughter and though we don’t agree with some of her choices, we still love her.”

“How much do you know about Maddie’s finances?”

“Not much beyond what she gives us for the farm. Her mother keeps that information to herself. I know Maddie isn’t really aware of what she has.”

Kieran nodded. “This is not going to turn out well,” he said.

“Then I reckon you’re going to have to do something about that,” Joe said.

“I don’t know if I can,” he said.

“Do you love my granddaughter?”

Kieran nodded. “I do. It surprises the hell out of me because I never thought I’d make that particular leap. Especially not after just a week or two. But I can’t seem to help myself.”

“Yeah? Welcome to the family. From the moment that baby girl came into my life, she’s had me twisted around her little finger. It’s hard not to love her.”

“I’m just beginning to realize that,” Kieran said. “So, I’m pretty much a lost cause? Is that what you’re telling me?”

Joe clapped him on the shoulder. “Yep. That would be the long and short of it. But look at it this way. She will make your life more interesting than you ever imagined. Every day will be an adventure.”

“Should I worry?” Kieran asked.

Joe shook his head. “Naw. Maddie takes after her grandmother. I’ve never regretted making that woman my wife. I never know what she’s going to say or do. But whatever it is, it will make me smile. And that’s the secret to a very long and happy life. You have to spend a lot of time smiling.”

Kieran chuckled. If that was all it took to live to a ripe old age, then Maddie was definitely the woman for him. Because when he thought about her, he couldn’t keep the sappy grin off his face.

9

“Y
OUR
MOTHER
IS
telling the truth,” Kieran said. His gaze met hers and Maddie could see the anguish in his eyes. Though she didn’t want to hear what he had to say, she knew it would be much easier to take coming from him.

She’d asked him to look over the accounting from every facet of her career, from her record contracts to her concert appearances to publishing rights. Her mother had reluctantly sent boxes of files, stuffed with reams of paper.

They sat on the bed in his room, surrounded by stacks of reports and documents. He’d been pouring over them for the past three days, making notes and promising that he’d get to the bottom of her financial problems.

“You’re sure?”

Kieran nodded. “She may not have been a great business manager, but at least she never fixed the books. It’s all right here in black and white.” He looked down at the papers. “From what I can see, it’s the tours that brought you down. It started about five years ago. She seriously overspent on one particular tour and has been trying to make it up ever since, throwing good money after bad.”

“Why didn’t she say something?”

“I guess she was gambling that she’d be able to make it up on the next tour.”

He pulled out a spreadsheet comparing the expenses and incomes from her last five tours. Maddie looked at it, but the columns of numbers just blurred together. She didn’t need to see the figures to know that she was in deep trouble. Kieran’s mood was enough to tell her that.

“You might want to get someone to audit the concert production company,” he suggested. “Just to make sure they weren’t taking advantage of your mother’s rather questionable business sense. Some of these expenses seemed to go up sharply from one tour to the next.”

“This is my fault,” Maddie said, burying her face in her hands. “I have no one to blame but myself.”

“No,” Kieran said. He took her hand and pressed his lips to her wrist. “You trusted her. She is your mother.”

“But I knew she was overspending. There were times that we had all the cash in the world and then all of a sudden, she’d go on this austerity kick where she wouldn’t spend a dime. She’d order a new roomful of furniture for her house and the next day she’d cancel it.”

“You probably would have been more interested if you hadn’t gotten into the business at such an early age. What fourteen-year-old is going to understand all this?”

“I’m twenty-four,” Maddie said. “I could have made a better effort.” She sighed. “So, now that you’ve told me the bad news, what’s the really bad news?”

“You’re not going to be able to buy the house. Luckily, we’ve been sitting on the counter-offer for a few days. You can just turn it down and you’ll be out of that deal, no money lost. Your mother’s house, on the other hand, is mortgaged to the hilt. She’s completely underwater.”

“Underwater? What does that mean?”

“The house is worth less than the outstanding mortgage. When the economy went bad, housing prices dropped, so she basically overpaid for the house. Without income, she won’t be able to keep it, but she probably can’t sell it for enough to pay off the amount outstanding. So she’ll have to carry a considerable amount of debt.”

Maddie buried her face again. “This is just getting worse and worse. If I replace her as my manager, she’ll lose the house. She loves that place. She’ll never forgive me.”

“She’ll probably lose it anyway, Maddie.”

Maddie shook her head. “No. I can make another new record and go back out on the road. I can tour for a few more years. I’ll do smaller venues. We’ll cut back on travel. I’ll get a bus instead of flying on a private jet. I’ll take away all her credit cards and put her on a budget.”

“I thought you didn’t want to tour,” he said softly.

“I—I don’t really have much choice. That’s where the money is,” Maddie said, crawling off the bed. She paced the length of the room, back and forth, the distraction helping her think. “I’ll get a new manager. I’ll pay off my mother’s mortgage as soon as I can and give her time to get on her feet. And I’ll make sure there’s enough for the farm. If I work really hard, I can do it.”

“And what about you?” Kieran asked.

“What I want can wait,” she murmured. She knew what she was saying, what she was asking of him. They’d have to put their future on hold if she wanted to clean up the mess her mother had made. She swallowed hard, knowing what she was about to say could change her life forever. “You don’t have to wait,” she murmured.

“What?”

She risked a glance up at him. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll understand if you want to move on. The next few years are going to be crazy. And I’ll be so busy that—”

“Stop,” Kieran said, grabbing her hand. He pulled her back onto the bed. “Don’t say anything else.”

“I have to say it,” Maddie murmured, sitting on her heels. “It’s not that I don’t love you, because I do. But this is my family. I have to take care of them first.”

She crawled over the papers and curled up next to him, nestling into the curve of his arm. “Please tell me you understand.”

“I do,” Kieran said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to forget about us.”

“I think maybe you should,” Maddie said. “At least for the short-term. When it’s time for you to go home, you should go. You should live your life as if you’d never met me. And when I straighten everything out, I’ll come to Seattle and we’ll start again—if you’re still interested.”

“Maddie, we can make this work now. It’s only a couple years. I’ll come to see you. We’ll meet up on the road. When you’ve got a few days off, you can come and visit me.”

“I want that,” Maddie said. “But I know how difficult it is. I’ve tried before, with men who understood the demands of celebrity. And it never worked.”

“It
will
work.”

“All right,” Maddie said. “But you have to promise me something. If you ever want out, if it ever becomes too much, you’ll tell me. I won’t try to convince you to change your mind. We’ll just say goodbye and that will be the end of it.”

“I’m not going to stop loving you,” he said.

“No regrets, no tears. It will just be done and we’ll go on with our lives. Promise me that.”

“All right,” Kieran said. “I promise.”

“Now, you can make love to me.”

Maddie pushed up onto her knees and pulled her dress over her head. She wore nothing beneath, knowing that their evening would come to this. Kieran’s gaze slowly drifted over her body. Like a caress, it sent a shiver skittering over her skin. He reached out and cupped her breast in his hand, then slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

His head rested on her breasts and Maddie ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair. The thought of being separated from him brought a deep ache to her heart. How would she ever deal with the loss, the empty spot beside her in her bed?

Maddie pulled back, then slowly pushed the piles of paper to the floor. When the bed was cleared, she drew Kieran to his knees and undressed him, her fingertips and lips teasing at his bare skin.

When he was finally naked, she pulled him down on top of her, writhing beneath him until he was deep inside her. For a long time, neither one of them moved. The seduction was limited to a long, deep kiss.

And then, he drew back and plunged deep, the wild sensation of him filling her causing her to cry out in surprise. His rhythm was slow and gentle at first, but as Maddie felt herself reaching for her release, he grew more determined, more desperate.

She whispered his name, whispered her needs, telling him how much she wanted him. And when she finally felt her orgasm overwhelm her, he was there, his shudders and spasms melding with hers.

It was always this way, Maddie thought to herself. As if they’d just discovered this new way to touch each other. Every doubt she had, every worry, dissolved in the midst of their passion. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat as it gradually slowed to a normal rhythm.

There would be nights, sleepless nights, where she would want to remember every sensation, every exquisite moment they spent together. She closed her eyes and committed this night to memory, burning the details indelibly in her brain.

Was he right? Would they be able to survive the time apart? Or was he merely telling her what she wanted to hear? She would know soon enough.

* * *

T
HE
WIPERS
OF
Kieran’s SUV slapped back and forth, brushing aside the wet snow that fell from the November sky. He glanced down at the clock. He and Dermot had left Seattle early that morning, their skis packed in the back, the CD changer loaded with enough tunes to get them through the eight-hour drive.

They were just twenty miles from their destination, but the snow was now sticking to the road now and it was becoming more slippery with every mile that passed.

“I don’t understand why we had to drive,” Dermot said. “It’s kind of a waste of time.”

“We haven’t seen much of each other lately,” Kieran said. “I thought it would give us a chance to talk.”

“If you wanted to talk, we could have had lunch. Or gone out for a beer. Or sat next to each other on the plane. We wouldn’t have had to drive to—” Dermot paused. “Where the hell are we going?”

“Missoula,” Kieran said.

“Montana? What kind of skiing is there in Missoula? I thought we were going to Idaho.”

“No. Missoula. And we’re not going skiing.”

Dermot twisted around in the passenger seat. “What? What do you mean we’re not going skiing? I brought my gear.”

“I had to tell you that or you probably wouldn’t have come along.”

“Why? What are we going to do?”

Kieran took a deep breath. “We’re going to see a concert. A singer named Maddie West is playing in Missoula tonight. She’s...a friend of mine.”

“Maddie West? I’ve never heard of her.”

“That’s because you don’t listen to country music.”

“And you do?” Dermot asked.

“Yeah. I listen to her. I have all her CDs.” He reached into the glove box and pulled out the cases, handing them to Dermot.

Dermot reached up and turned on the light above the mirror. “She’s a kid,” he said.

“Not anymore. She made those when she was young. She’s twenty-four now.”

“And how did you meet this girl—woman?”

“The same way you met Rachel. On our little six-week sojourn. I picked her up in the bus station in Denver the day after I left Seattle. And we were together for the next two weeks. Then she had to leave to record her new album. And now, she’s doing another concert tour. I haven’t seen her since early September.”

“You haven’t seen her for almost three months and you brought me along?”

“She doesn’t know I’m coming. And if I don’t see her, or she refuses to see me, I’m going to get thoroughly drunk. Then I’ll need you to drive me home.”

“Why haven’t you said anything about this girl?” Dermot asked. “We’ve all talked about our time away and all you’ve mentioned is old race horses.”

“I didn’t want to get into it.” Kieran glanced over at his brother. “I’m not really sure what
it
is right now. We talk, we Skype. We keep planning to meet up, but something always gets in the way. I guess I just want to see where we stand.”

“It’s only been a couple of months,” Dermot said.

“You don’t know how long a couple of months feels without her.”

Dermot chuckled. “Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea. So, what’s the plan? Do we have tickets? Are you going stand in the audience and wave at her until she sees you? Are you going to try to jump on the stage?”

“I don’t have tickets. I figured we can pick some up from scalpers if we have to. But I’m going to go to the stage door and try to talk myself in. If I can get a message to her, she’ll come out and talk to me.”

Dermot groaned. “This all seems just a little pathetic. They’re going to think you’re some crazed fan.”

“Do I look like a crazed fan?” Kieran asked.

“No. You look like a lovesick fool.”

Kieran pulled the car off the interstate. “Well, maybe I do. I am a lovesick fool and I’m not ashamed to admit it. This woman is just...everything. She’s funny and talented and crazy and beautiful. And I want to spend every minute of every day with her.”

“And you expect her to give up her big career and come live with you in Seattle?”

Kieran shook his head. “No. I’m not sure what we’re going to do. I really don’t care at this point. I’d be willing to go wherever she wanted as long as we’re together.”

A long silence grew between the brothers as Kieran navigated through the streets of Missoula. When Kieran spotted the theater, he followed the signs to a nearby parking garage and parked the SUV.

“What am I supposed to do?” Dermot asked.

“Come with me. I might need you to run interference.”

He grinned. “Now, that sounds like fun.”

Winter had already come to Missoula. Snow coated the streets and sidewalks. He wondered where Maddie was staying, if she’d spend the night in Missoula or leave that night. He noticed a huge bus with tinted windows parked outside the stage door.

“Look,” Kieran said. “She’s probably in there.” He ran across the street, Dermot following him. When they reached the bus, he knocked politely on the door. But it didn’t open.

“Now what?” Dermot asked.

Kieran ran along the side of the bus. “Maddie West! Maddie!”

Dermot joined him and a bunch of fans hanging around the sidewalk began to shout and clap. A few minutes later the door opened and a sleepy bus driver emerged. “She’s not on the bus,” he said. “She’s inside. Now bug off.”

The crowd dispersed, mumbling to themselves. But Kieran wasn’t deterred. “Stage door,” he said.

They found the entrance not far from where the bus was parked. He waited until someone came out before he slipped inside, motioning Dermot along with him.

A security guard sat at a desk in a small lobby, a locked door still blocking the way to the stage. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m here to see Maddie West. My name is Kieran Quinn.” He cleared his throat. “She’s expecting me.”