The Mighty Quinns: Kieran (16 page)

He picked up a clipboard. “You’re not on the list. Sorry. You’re going to have to wait outside.”

Dermot stepped up to the desk. “Listen, the guy has driven all the way from Seattle to see this woman. Can’t you just let him say hello? He’ll only be a few seconds. They know each other.”

“Sorry, buddy. Unless you’re on the list, I can’t let you in.”

“A note,” Kieran said. “Can you take her a note?”

“I don’t bother the performers. If I did, I’d lose my job.”

“All right,” Kieran said. “How about if I give you a note for her mother. Constance West. She’s about five-six, with short blond hair. She wears a lot of jewelry, a lot of rings. And red lipstick.”

The guard frowned. “Yeah. I know her.” He thought about the request for a few seconds, then handed Kieran a notepad. “I’ll try.”

Kieran quickly scribbled a short message, then handed it to the security guard. The man went to the door, then punched in a code. A few seconds later he came back. “I gave it to one of the stage managers,” he said. “They’ll get it to Ms. West. Why don’t you just have a seat?”

While they waited, more fans attempted to get backstage but were sent off without success. Three huge bouquets of flowers arrived along with a fruit basket and those were dutifully taken backstage.

Kieran was almost ready to give up when the door opened and Constance West poked her head out. She motioned him to follow her. Dermot walked behind him through the door and they followed her into the dark backstage area.

“I’d like to talk to Maddie,” Kieran said.

She turned on them both, her gaze shifting between the two of them in confusion. “I’m going to tell you this just once and then I’m going to ask that you leave. Any expectations that you have about my daughter are foolish at best. She’s committed herself to her career and she just doesn’t have time for a personal life. I know exactly why you’re attracted to her, but don’t think that you can influence her in any way against me. I think we proved that point back at her grandparents’ place. I will tell her that you stopped by after the show. If she’d like to see you then, she’ll find you.” She turned and nodded at a security guard and he stepped up to show them out.

Kieran glanced over at Dermot. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“You’re just going to give up?”

“No,” Kieran said. “You occupy her mother. I’m going to sneak past her. Go, now.”

They turned back from the door, Kieran veering away from the security guard and Dermot heading back to Maddie’s mother. Kieran grabbed a vase of flowers from a passing stagehand and hid behind them as he watched the guard go after his twin brother.

He quickly moved away from the door and when he saw a musician, he stopped. “I have to get these to Maddie,” he said. “Would you know where she is?”

The musician pointed to the other side of the stage and Kieran looked across the empty area to see Maddie arranging her guitars on a rack. He glanced around, then headed toward her. “Maddie!”

She looked up and her eyes went wide. A smile broke out across her face and she ran out to meet him midstage. “Oh, my God. You’re here. What are you doing here?”

“I decided to come and see you.”

“Are those for me?”

“Yes,” he said, handing her the flowers.

She wasn’t sure what to do with them, but then he took the vase back and set it on the drum riser. “You look beautiful.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. All the distance and the time that had passed between them dissolved in that instant. Kieran picked her up off her feet, losing himself in the sweet taste of her mouth.

He drew back to see her eyes fill with tears. Maddie touched his face. “I’ve missed you so much. I know we talk all the time, but I’ve missed touching you. And being with you.”

“Are you staying in town tonight?”

“No,” Maddie said. “We have to leave right after the show. We’re due in Sacramento tomorrow. Now that we have the bus, the schedule is more complicated.”

“You look tired,” he said.

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

“There he is!”

The sound of Constance West’s voice echoed over the empty stage. A few seconds later a trio of security staff rushed across the stage and grabbed Kieran’s arms.

“Stop!” Maddie said. “Take your hands off him. He’s with me.”

“Get him out of here,” Constance said.

“No,” Maddie said. She pushed at the security guards and they finally let him go.

“Maddie, you have a show to prepare for. Now is not the time for guests,” Constance said. “You need to focus on what’s important.”

She turned to her mother. “Leave us,” she said. “Just go.” The guards and Constance refused to move. “Go!” she screamed. “Or I’ll walk out of this theater right now.”

They finally did as she asked and Kieran watched as they walked away, only to take a post on the other side of the stage.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered. “I can’t see you for just a few hours and then let you go. It hurts too much.”

“Maddie, I—”

She pressed a finger to his lips and shook her head. “No. You have to go. When this is all finished and I’m free of these obligations, then we can think about us.” She took a ragged breath. “Kiss me,” she said. “And then say goodbye.”

Kieran bent close and touched his lips to hers. A single tear fell onto her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you.”

He took a step back and then another. It took all his willpower to walk away, but he knew that if he stayed any longer, it would be impossible for him to leave at all. Though he was prepared to give up everything for her, she hadn’t reached that point yet. He’d give her the time she needed.

“Bye, Maddie,” he said.

“Bye, Kieran.”

He turned and didn’t look back. The urge to run back and grab her, to carry her away with him, was too overwhelming.

He found Dermot waiting outside the stage door. “Did you find her?”

“Yeah,” Kieran said, striding down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. “I did.”

“Well, what happened?”

“I kissed her and told her I loved her.”

“And?”

“And nothing. That’s all I came to do.”

Dermot stopped, then cursed. “We drove all this way for that? You’re not going to stick around until after the show?”

“No,” Kieran said. “This is enough for now. There’ll be another time.”

* * *

“T
HE
ROAD
BACK
here is awful narrow, Miss West. I’m not sure there will be a place to turn around.”

Maddie stared out the front window of the bus. “It’s a boatyard,” she said. “They must have trucks coming back here all the time. I think you’ll be okay.”

Maddie felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. They’d driven all the way from Phoenix, just Maddie and Ben, the bus driver. Now that they’d arrived, they’d park the bus somewhere in Seattle and she’d send Ben home on a flight so that he could spend Christmas with his family.

She had two glorious weeks with absolutely no commitments. And she intended to spend them in Seattle with Kieran.

It had been over a month since she’d seen him last, a month since she’d watched him walk away from her. Sending him away had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done, beyond leaving him for the first time. The pressures on her were almost unbearable and the moment she’d seen him, she was ready to run away, to toss aside all her responsibilities and leave with him.

So she’d done the only thing she could do—she sent him away, while she still could. Since that night, Maddie hadn’t stopped thinking about him. Living her life on the road had been exhausting.

They were playing smaller venues, the band was smaller, the accommodations were smaller. But cutting back had made them much more profitable. She’d almost made enough to pay off her mother’s house.

After the New Year, she’d go back to Nashville to finish the CD she’d begun in L.A. in September. And then she had three months of touring before she was due to leave for Japan and Australia. After that, there were no more obligations, nor any more outstanding debts.

“Here we are,” Ben said. “Quinn Yachtworks.”

Maddie stared out the window at the waterfront property. Sailboats, their masts stabbing into the gray sky, were scattered around the spacious yard. A small gate allowed access to the lot and to the buildings beyond. “Do you see a sign for the offices?” she asked.

“Looks like they’re over there,” Ben said, pointing to a brick building. “That one’s got windows.”

Maddie drew a deep breath, then smoothed her hands over the front of her jacket. “All right. Find a place to park the bus and then get yourself to the airport. I want you home with your family for Christmas eve, do you understand?”

Ben nodded. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right?”

“Of course I am,” Maddie said. She grabbed her bag from a nearby seat, then picked up her guitar and stood at the door. “I’ll see you in the New Year.”

She ran through the lot, dodging puddles while raindrops splattered on her face. By the time she reached the office door, her hair was wet and stringy. She pushed open the door and walked inside. To her surprise, she didn’t find a reception area. Instead she walked into a huge room filled with wide tables. Blueprints were lying everywhere, along with wooden models of sailboat hulls.

Maddie set her things down on the floor and then slowly wandered along the wall, looking at photographs of huge sailboats, cutting through blue water. This was his world, Maddie thought to herself. A world she knew nothing about.

She pressed her hand to her racing heart. She felt as if she was meeting a stranger. How would he react to her surprise? They’d only spoken a few times over the past three weeks and each time she’d felt a distance growing between them. She knew he was trying to make things easier on her, but in fact, she’d only felt worse.

“Let me just grab the plans.”

The voice was so familiar. Maddie held her breath and a moment later, Kieran walked into the room. He froze when he saw her. A hesitant smile curled the corners of his mouth. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” Maddie replied.

She crossed the room in a matter of seconds, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him. But his reaction was cold and dispassionate. Maddie stepped back and looked up into his face, stunned that things had changed so profoundly between them.

“Are you Maddie?” he asked.

“Kieran, what’s wrong? Are you angry at me?”

He cleared his throat. “I’m quite sure Kieran is not angry with you. I think Kieran is going to be thrilled to see you. Unfortunately, I’m not Kieran. I’m Dermot.”

Maddie gasped. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.” She shook her head. “Of course you are.”

“We do look a bit different.”

“I guess I was just so excited to see you. I mean, Kieran. And I forgot all about you. Dermot. Kieran’s twin...” She held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Maddie.”

“Yes.” He shook her hand. “I can see that.”

“Is Kieran here?”

“He is.”

At that moment, a shout echoed from somewhere outside the room. “Dermot, bring the Welling plans, too.”

“Get them yourself,” Dermot called.

“Jaysus, what is your problem. Just pick them up and—”

Dermot winked at Maddie. “I can’t find them.”

A few seconds later, Kieran stormed into the room. He was dressed in a suit and tie, his shaggy hair neatly combed. He froze when he saw Maddie.

Dermot chuckled. “He’s the one you’re supposed to kiss.” He walked over to Kieran and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll call Welling and move our meeting to tomorrow. I’m sure you have better things to do today.”

Kieran grinned. “I’m sure I do.”

When they were alone, Maddie slowly approached him. She brushed her wet hair out of her eyes, her gaze fixed on him. “So, I was in the area and I thought I’d stop in and say hi.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms, his mouth coming down on hers. The kiss took her breath away and she melted against him, a flood of desire racing through her. It was everything that she’d remembered it to be. The attraction hadn’t faded. Every nerve in her body suddenly came alive, every thought in her head was focused on him.

“Tell me how much time we have. Are you on your way to another concert?”

“No. I’m here to stay. For the holidays. Two weeks, if you’ll have me.”

Kieran laughed. “If I’ll have you? Of course I’ll have you. I can’t think of anything I’d rather have for Christmas than you.”

“Good,” she said. “I have an early Christmas gift for you.” She walked back to the spot where her guitar case sat and opened it, then pulled out the Maddie West calendar. She held it out to him and Kieran took it from her.

“It’s you,” he said.

“I’ve written all my dates in there. You and I are going to sit down and figure out exactly how we’re going to make this work over the next six months. And then, after that, we’re going to figure out how were going to make the rest of our lives work. Together.”

“I have something for you,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to see you for the holidays. Should I save it for Christmas?”

She shook her head. “You know me. I prefer instant gratification. I can’t wait.”

“I’ve been carrying it around for a couple of weeks. Trying to figure out how to frame my question.” He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small ring box. Kieran flipped it open to reveal a beautiful emerald in a vintage setting.

Maddie’s breath caught in her throat as he took it out of the box and slipped it on her finger.

“I don’t know what kind of ring this is. If you want it to be an engagement ring, I’ll get down on my knee right now and ask you to marry me. And if you want to wait, then this is a promise to you. That we will have a future together. And if that’s too much for now, then it’s just a gift, a token of my love and affection.” He drew a deep breath. “I love you, Maddie. And I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. For the rest of your life.”

Maddie looked down at the ring. “I love you, Kieran. And that’s the only promise I need.”