Her hero. Her savior. And her undoing
Rourke Quinn found her on the storm-tossed shores of Cape Breton. The woman in his arms was unconscious and bleeding. And Rourke knew her. Annie MacIntosh was the town outcasta wild thing. And as untamed and beautiful as the Atlantic itself. This storm was just the thing to keep Rourke as close to her as he dared....
Annie grew up fiercely independent. She was a survivor, needing no one and nothing. She cut herself off from the town and society, relying only on her raw need for survival. But Rourke unleashes a hunger she never knew existed. This manthis strangersatiates an appetite she hardly dared imagine. Its more exciting and more turbulent than that storm that rages outside. And Rourke has only one chance with the wild girl he cant live without...before losing her to a world he can never be part of.
Praise for Kate Hoffmanns MIGHTY QUINNS
This truly delightful tale packs in the heat and a lot of heart at the same time.
RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Dermot
This is a fast read that is hard to tear the eyes from.
Once I picked it up I couldnt put it down.
Fresh Fiction on The Mighty Quinns: Dermot
A story that not only pulled me in, but left me weak in the knees.
Seriously Reviewed on The Mighty Quinns: Riley
Sexy, heartwarming and romantic, this is a story to settle down with and enjoyand then reread.
RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Teague
Sexy Irish folklore and intrigue weave throughout this steamy tale.
RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Kellan
The only drawback to this story is that its far too short!
Fresh Fiction on The Mighty Quinns: Kellan
Strong, imperfect but lovable characters, an interesting setting and great sensuality.
RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Brody
Dear Reader,
One of my favorite things about writing books for Mills & Boon is the opportunity to explore interesting new places. When I decided to do this latest quartet of Mighty Quinn books, I was excited to have the chance to choose four very different settings, in various parts of the world. Of course, the final book had to be set in Ireland, but for this book, I played with the settings of Central America and Africa before deciding on the island of Cape Breton in Canada.
With its vibrant Celtic culture and old lighthouses, I knew right away that this was the perfect place for a Quinn to fall in lovewith the countryside and the heroine!
So, for all my Canadian fans, this ones for you. I hope Ive represented this beautiful corner of your country well. I think its the perfect place for Rourke and Annie to find their happy ending.
Enjoy!
Kate Hoffmann
The Mighty Quinns: Rourke
Kate Hoffmann
www.millsandboon.co.uk
KATE HOFFMANN has written more than seventy books for Mills & Boon, most of them for the Blaze® line. She spent time as a music teacher, a retail assistant buyer and an advertising exec before she settled into a career as a full-time writer. She continues to pursue her interests in music, theater and musical theater, working with local schools in various productions. She lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her cat, Chloe.
Dedicated to the memory of Rita MacNeil,
an extraordinary voice from an extraordinary place.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Excerpt
Prologue
ITS BEEN SO long. Im beginning to lose hope that well ever find them.
Aileen Quinn stared out the window of her office at the slate-gray sky. Autumn was quickly turning to winter and she dreaded the damp cold that would settle into her bones. In her younger days, shed traveled to the south of France during the worst of the Irish winter, soaking up the sun along the Mediterranean coast. But she hadnt traveled for years, finding herself more comfortable in familiar surroundings.
I have one more lead to check on your brother Diarmuid, Ian said, leafing through his notes. But Im sad to say that weve found nothing on Lochlan. I have researchers on four continents looking for him, but he just disappeared. Off the grid, they call it.
Aileen had hired Ian Stephens months ago to help her research the parents shed never known for a chapter in her autobiography. She had grown up in an orphanage, believing that shed been the only daughter of a destitute Irish widow whod died of consumptionafter her husband had been killed in the Easter Uprising. But Ian had discovered four older brotherssiblings she hadnt rememberedwhose fates had been scattered to the winds when their mother couldnt care for them.
Im another year older, Aileen said. She forced a bright smile. I never intended to live to see my ninety-seventh birthday. Good Lord, Ive lived far too long.
Youre the youngest ninety-seven-year-old Ive ever met, Ian said with a smile. Look at you. Youre still writing, still active.
Thats lovely of you to say, but it doesnt make this old body of mine feel any younger. Aileen laughed softly. In my mind, Im still a young woman. When I look in the mirror these days, I barely recognize myself. I wish I could have some of those years back.
Youve led a full life, Miss Quinn. An important life. Your books have meant a lot to so many people. Youre one of Irelands most beloved novelists.
And yet, Im searching the ends of the earth for a family, desperate to give myself a legacy beyond my books. I could have had my own family if I hadnt put my work first.
Ian had found the descendants of two of her brothersTomass family near Brisbane, Australia, and Conals family in Chicago in the U.S. But it had been five months since hed brought good news about the other two. Shed planned a festive family reunion for the holidays at Ballyseede Castle, leasing out the entire castle and its twenty-two bedrooms. She wanted the rooms full.
What do you know of Diarmuid so far? Aileen asked.
Weve come across a clue in a 1945 Canadian census. The age seems to be right and the individual lists his birthplace as Ireland. His name is registered as Dermot, but that is the anglicized version of the Gaelic name. Sometimes the census takers didnt always get a spelling correct.
Aileen leaned forward in her chair. That does sound hopeful.
If this Dermot is the one, he settled on Cape Breton, worked as a fisherman and had three sons. The eldest, Alistair, died in the Second World War. The next son, Brian, or Buddy, as he was known, died about five months ago, a bachelor. And the youngest, Paul, died about eight years ago. His son, Rourke, is the only heir.
Rourke?
From our research, thats his mothers maiden name. She was quite a bit younger than her husband and has since remarried.
When will we know for sure if Dermot is Diarmuid? Aileen asked.
Its difficult to say. But were getting closer. I have a genealogist in Halifax who will be traveling to Cape Breton this week to check the records and ask some questions. Hopefully someone will remember something about Dermot.
A soft knock sounded on the door and Sally stepped inside Aileens office. I have lunch laid out in the breakfast room whenever youre ready, maam.
Thank you, Sally, Aileen replied. Well be along in a bit. She turned to Ian. I hope youll stay. I wanted to tell you about my plans for a grand family reunion over the Christmas holidays. Ive rented a castle.
Ian blinked in surprise. A castle? Well, in that case, Im not sure I should pause for lunch. I have a lot to accomplish over the next few months.
Of course, I want you to be there, Aileen said. I want you to put together a book on the family history. The reunion will be the final chapter in my autobiography.
It would make a perfect ending.
Much better than a funeral, dont you think? Aileen teased. She pushed up from her chair, wincing at the ache in her hip. Come, she said. Lets see what Sally has for us. I smelled bread baking this morning.
Ian circled her desk and held out his arm. Aileen took it, clutching her cane in her other hand. Did I tell you someone at the RTE network contacted me when they learned about our search? he asked. They have an American production company that wants to make a documentary about your life.
Imagine that, Aileen said. I cant think it would be a very interesting documentary.
I beg to differ, Ian said. I think it would be wonderful. And thats what I told the producer when she called me.
Oh, I dont know, Aileen said. Ive managed for so long to keep a private life. You dont think a documentary might be...unseemly, do you?
I think your readers would love to know more about the woman behind the books.
Ill have to think about that, Aileen said. Perhaps you can convince me over lunch. They walked out into the foyer. And we can discuss hiring more investigators to search out Lochlan. One just doesnt go missing in the modern world. Theres always something left behind, some piece of paper that will give us a clue. Perhaps if we find Diarmuid, that branch of the family will know about Lochlan.
Well fill those twenty-two bedrooms in Ballyseede Castle, Ian said. Mark my words.
Yes. I believe we will, Aileen replied.
1
THE PEARSON BAY hardware store was bustling with activity as Rourke Quinn walked through the battered front door. The locals, worried about the approaching storm, were buying last-minute supplies before the wind and rain drove them indoors.
Hey, Rourke! You hanging around for this? Its supposed to be the storm of the decade. At least thats what forecasters are callin it.
Rourke turned to smile at Betty Gillies, the store owner. Nope. Im heading out. I want to get to the mainland before it hits. I just needed some batteries for my camera. Thought Id take a few last pictures of the coastline before I left the island.
Were going to miss you around here, she said. Heck, Im gonna miss you. You were good for the bottom line.
Rourke chuckled. Im sure I was.
Hed arrived on the eastern shore of Cape Breton Island almost three months ago, coming to the Maritimes to settle his uncles estate. His fathers family had lived on the island for almost a hundred years, plying the waters of the Atlantic as fishermen. But Uncle Buddy was the last of the Quinns to make his home on Cape Breton and now that he was gone, his cottage would be sold.
Born in America of an American mother and a Canadian father, Rourke had always felt torn between the Cape Breton culture of his Canadian family and the big-city life of his hometown. His uncle had known this and Rourke suspected that was why the cottage had been left to himso that he might find his way home again.
Rourke had spent summer vacations working on his uncles fishing boat, making the long trip up from New York City, where his parents lived. His father, Paul, had wanted Rourke to experience a working-class job, hoping that it would make him more interested in college and a business career. As he got older, Rourke found himself drawn to the business Paul had founded with two friends. During high school, he spent his summer vacations with his father, learning the ins and outs of civil engineering. Uncle Buddy was relegated to a couple weeks at the end of August.
Rourke felt a familiar twinge of guilt assail him, but he brushed it aside. Hed spent the past three months renovating Buddys place, making it habitable for a modern family. Now it was ready. Hed talked to a few real estate agents and made plans to list it, but he hadnt made a final decision. Perhaps it might be better to rent it out.
A single decision can change the course of your life, he murmured to himself. Buddy had always offered sage advice with pithy sayings or old proverbs. That was one of his favorites.
When Rourke was young he used to tease his uncle. Yeah, Ill make sure to embroider that on a pillow, hed say. But now that he was older, hed begun to realize the impact of that adviceand the truth of it as it applied to his own life.
After high school, hed decided to join the firm. He worked nights and weekends as a draftsman at Pauls office and took engineering classes during the day. Though it was never said out loud, he knew that the company was in trouble and that his father needed his help. And with every year that passed, the stress took more of a toll on Pauls health.
Hed continued to work at the company, even after his fathers sudden death of a heart attack, hoping to save his dads legacy by getting the firm back on track. But without the support of the other two partners, Rourke knew it was a lost cause. He quit the day after he heard of Buddys death.
Rourke stared at the selection of batteries. He wished hed had one last chance to talk to Buddy, to ask him the questions that had been plaguing him for the past few years. Where is my life going? What do I really want? Am I ever going to be truly satisfied?
So youre putting the place up for sale, are you? Betty asked.
I havent decided yet, Rourke replied as he pulled a package of batteries off the rack and dropped it on the counter. I dont want to make any hasty decisions.