The Mighty Quinns: Dermot-Dex

Kieran turned and shook her gently. “Maddie,” he whispered. “Maddie, wake up.” She groaned softly. “Maddie, they need you onstage.”

Maddie’s eyes flew open and she jolted upright, scrambling to pull her hood over her tousled hair. “What? Now?” Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the bus, then groaned. “What are you doing? Why would you do that to me?”

“I think maybe it’s time for you to tell me the truth. The whole story.”

“There is no story.”

“Then maybe I should tell those little girls out there that they can come back and get Maddie West’s autograph. Because they seemed pretty damned impressed that they were on the same bus as a big country-music star.”

With a low curse, she sank down in her seat. “Oh, great. There’s nowhere I can go in this world to get away from it. It follows me everywhere.”

“Not everywhere. I didn’t recognize you. But then, I’m really not a fan.”

“I figured that out right away. It was one of your most endearing qualities.” She quickly stood. “I have to get out of here. If those girls recognized me, then it won’t be long until everyone on the bus is looking at me.”

“Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. Where are my sunglasses?” He handed them to her and she put them back on her nose, then pulled her hood over her hair. “I can’t stay here.” Maddie held out her hand. “Thanks for everything. I really appreciate you riding to my rescue.” When he refused to shake her hand, she turned to hurry down the aisle, then paused.

A moment later, she stumbled back to him and threw her arms around his neck. Her lips met his, soft and sweet and unbelievably exciting. Kieran slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. The kiss was so unexpected and yet so perfect.

Her lips parted and Kieran took the invitation to explore more deeply. A tiny moan slipped from her throat as their tongues met and his hands slipped beneath the sweatshirt, circling a tiny waist and pulling her down into his lap.

He’d known this girl, this woman, for a half day and yet, they seemed to sense what the other wanted from the kiss. Kieran settled her against his body, furrowing his fingers through her hair. The high backs of the seats hid them from the view of the passengers still on the bus and they lost themselves in a rare moment of privacy.

When she finally drew back, she sent him a winsome smile. “I hate goodbyes,” she said.

“Me, too.”

“I really should go. I have to keep moving or they’re going to catch up to me.”

“Why are you running? That’s a little drastic, don’t you think?”

“I just want a different life for myself and this is the easiest way. I don’t want to argue anymore or fight, I just want to wake up each day and feel as if it’s going to be the best day of my life, not the worst.” She paused. “Maybe you could come with me?”

The offer was so tempting. But Kieran had other responsibilities to fulfill. He’d made a promise to his grandfather and no matter how beautiful she was and how much he enjoyed kissing her, he was bound for Bitney, Kentucky. “I can’t. I have to go to Kentucky.”

“I still want to go to Kentucky,” she said. “We’ll just find a different way. Maybe we could go by train?”

“I don’t have the money for a ticket,” he said.

“If you come with me, I’ll buy your ticket. And your meals. It’ll be fun. I’ve never taken a trip on a train. Don’t you want a little adventure in your life, Kieran Quinn?”

Kieran groaned inwardly. If he went with Maddie, life would certainly become a lot more interesting. And who knew where things might lead between them.

He’d always been so careful about how he lived his life, especially when it came to women. But his grandfather had wanted him to imagine a completely different life for himself. Taking a cross-country road trip with a runaway music star would certainly be something new.

“All right,” he said. “But how do we know that we can catch a train here?” He shook his head. “I don’t know where we are.”

“Topeka,” she said. Maddie pointed out the bus window. “And there’s a sign for the Amtrak station right there.”

“Then let’s go.” He grabbed her waist and set her in the aisle, then stood up and got his bag from the overhead rack.

“Really? You want to come with me?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for a new life, too. I don’t think it matters if I start the search in Topeka, Kansas, or Bitney, Kentucky, as long as I find it.”

Maddie held out her hand. “All right. Let’s go.”

They hurried off the bus, Maddie’s identity once again obscured by the hood and the sunglasses. Kieran wasn’t sure what the future held with this crazy, impulsive, sugar-addicted woman, but hitting the road with Maddie West was sure to be much more fun than another five hours on a bus.

When they stepped onto the platform, there was a crowd gathered nearby. Suddenly, one of the girls who’d asked for an autograph jumped out from the crush of people. “There she is! That’s her. That’s Maddie West.”

Kieran was shocked at how fast the people surged toward them both. And he was doubly shocked at how quickly he reacted. He grabbed Maddie’s hand and pulled her around to the other side of the bus. “We need to go. Right now.”

Luckily, there was a cab parked on the street about fifty yards away. If they could reach it before the crowd got to them, they’d be safe.

With a scream, Maddie took off, pulling him along behind her. She was quick and nimble, crossing the distance like an Olympic athlete. She quickly crawled in the backseat of the taxi, ordering the driver to go as Kieran threw his bag in the backseat. He got inside as the cab was pulling away from the curb, then looked at Maddie. She was smiling, her color high, her pretty green eyes flashing.

“Where to?” the cabbie asked.

“I don’t know,” Maddie said. “Just drive for now. We’ll figure it out later.”

Kieran, breathless from the run, grinned at her. And then, adrenaline took over. He grabbed her and pulled her into a long, desperate kiss. His hands frantically grasped at her clothes, wanting to touch her anywhere, everywhere at once. And Maddie was just was frantic, her fingers working at the buttons of his shirts.

When they finally drew back, they were both still breathless. The cab driver watched them in the rearview mirror. “Are you someone famous?” he asked.

Maddie laughed. “No. Not anymore.”

“You know, I once had Willie Nelson in my cab. He was a real nice guy.”

“I’m sure he was. Could you take us to the Amtrak station?” Kieran asked.

The train station was only a few blocks away. Kieran decided to have Maddie wait in the cab while he checked the schedule. Unfortunately the next train east wouldn’t leave until the following morning at 5:00 a.m. He bought two tickets with the money Maddie had given him, upgrading to a private room to keep fans from recognizing her.

When he returned to the car, she was waiting. “The next train leaves tomorrow morning,” he said.

“What are we going to do?”

“I suggest we get a hotel, take a shower, relax and get a decent night’s sleep.”

“Take us to a nice hotel, please,” Maddie told the cab driver.

“Nice but cheap,” Kieran added.

“No, not cheap,” Maddie said. “We want room service. And a big bathtub would be nice. And maybe someplace nearby where I could buy some clothes.”

“Everything downtown is closed,” the cab driver said. “I could take you out to the Target. It’s just a couple miles north of here. They’re open twenty-four hours and their prices are real reasonable.”