The Mighty Quinns: Dermot-Dex. Kate Hoffmann

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СКАЧАТЬ next to him. He handed it to her. “It’s a global positioning system.”

      A frown furrowed her brow. “I have no idea what that is.”

      “It tells you exactly where you are in the world. Latitude and longitude. Right down to a few feet either way.”

      “Does it tell you where you’re going to be tomorrow or the next day?” she asked.

      Kieran chuckled. “No. It doesn’t predict the future.”

      “Then what good is it? I know where I am now. I’m in Topeka, Kansas.”

      “It’s a good thing to have in case you get lost and you need to find your way back home.”

      Maddie slipped her arms around his. “Maybe we do need it.”

      “Or maybe it’s good to get lost once in a while,” Kieran countered. “What kind of adventure is this if you always know where you’re going?”

      Kieran handed the GPS back to the salesman. “Thanks, but I’m going to pass on it,” he said with an apologetic shrug. “Are you going to buy anything?” he asked Maddie.

      “I’m going to take the Martin guitar,” Maddie said, nodding. “It has a case, right?”

      “A hard-shell case. It’s in decent condition.”

      “Good. I’ll give you five hundred for both.”

      The salesman thought about the offer for a long moment, then nodded. “Deal.” Maddie turned to Kieran and wiggled her fingers. “Cash, please.”

      “I thought you were giving up music,” Kieran said.

      “And I thought it would be nice to have on the train. I can teach you how to play.”

      Kieran held up his hands. “Oh, no. I have absolutely no musical talent. Beyond singing in the car with the radio, I’m pretty much a hopeless case.”

      “A lot of people start out that way,” she said. “I happen to be a very good teacher.”

      “If you teach me how to play the guitar, what am I supposed to teach you?”

      She thought about it, then smiled. “You can teach me how to drive,” she said.

      “We don’t have a car.”

      “We’ll figure that out. We could always rent one. A convertible. I’ve always wanted one of those old Cadillac’s with the tail fins. You know, a classic sixties car.”

      Kieran looked around. “They don’t have any cars here,” he said.

      “Actually we do deal with cars, as well,” the salesman said. “There’s a lot out back. I could show you a few if you like.”

      “No, no, no,” Kieran said. “We’re taking the train.”

      “We’re taking the train,” Maddie said, nodding in agreement.

      They paid for the guitar and walked back out into the midafternoon heat. Kieran took the guitar from her hand. “I’m going to be your roadie,” he said.

      “If you were my roadie, I would have broken one of the cardinal rules of touring.”

      “And what is that?”

      “Don’t sleep with the roadies,” she said, laughing. “You never would have gotten past my mother. She approves all hiring on tours. She would have known that you’d be too tempting to resist, so you never would have gotten the job.” She paused. “It’s funny, but we probably would have never met if we hadn’t run into each other at that bus station. I might have decided to fly. Or your bus could have arrived late. And yet all the fates conspired to—”

      “What?”

      “I’m going to write a song about that,” she said. “I have to go back to the hotel now.”

      “You don’t want to get some lunch?”

      Maddie shook her head. “No. You get something to eat. I really want to get this idea down before it slips out of my mind.”

      “I’ll walk you back,” Kieran said. He took her hand as they hurried down the sidewalk, startled by the sudden change in her. He’d just assumed Maddie was always playful and a little flighty. But now, she seemed so completely focused that he had a hard time adjusting to the change.

      Kieran wondered if he’d ever really know her completely. Maybe that was a good thing. There was always something new to discover, something interesting to learn about this beautiful woman. And he wanted to know it all.

      “A TOAST,” KIERAN SAID, holding up his champagne flute. “To your new song. Whenever I hear it, I’m going to think of Topeka. And the two nights I spent with you.”

      Maddie giggled, the effects of a half bottle of champagne bubbling up inside her. She sent Kieran a sexy gaze. “I left my heart,” she sang, “in Topeka, Nebraska.”

      “Kansas!” Kieran said. “We’re in Kansas.”

      “Whatever,” Maddie said. “Nebraska, Kansas. I’m just happy I’m here.”

      They’d enjoyed an early dinner at the hotel restaurant. Maddie felt a bit guilty after she’d spent the afternoon, alone in their room, working on a new song. But when inspiration struck she knew enough to take advantage of it. It rarely came with such strength and focus as it had that afternoon. Though she wanted to leave her professional world behind her, at least for a time, she would have to make a living sooner or later. And she never knew where the next hit song would come from.

      “Maybe sometime you’ll sing it for me?” Kieran asked, watching her over the rim of his champagne flute.

      “Maybe,” Maddie said. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t ready to sing for him yet. Maybe she just wanted to leave her professional life behind a little while longer. Or maybe, she was afraid if she did sing, he’d take her mother’s side in all matters and urge her to get back onstage.

      Now that the song was written and committed to memory, she’d decided to turn her full attention back to Kieran. She put on her party dress, fixed her hair and invited him to join her in the hotel restaurant.

      “That dress suits you,” he said.

      “Thank you.” Maddie slipped out of her shoe and ran her foot along his thigh beneath the table.

      His eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”

      “I’m trying to seduce you. I’ve gotten you drunk and now I’m moving on to step two—overt physical contact. But I’m obviously not doing a very good job if you can’t figure that out.”

      “Sweetheart, you don’t need to try. Just looking at you across the table is enough to get me going.”

      “It’s the pink dress, isn’t it?” she said, brushing the tiny strap off her shoulder.

      “No. СКАЧАТЬ