The Mighty Quinns: Dermot-Dex

“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,