Courage to Love (Flynn Family Saga) Read Free

take it easy, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t live long enough to see your grandchildren.”
    Slowly, Sam grinned.  “Grandchildren, huh?  Well, when you put it like that...”
    Maggie grinned back.  “And I do.”
    Sam shook his head.  “You drive a hard bargain, Maggie.”
    “Why Papa.  That’s the nicest thing anyone ever said to me.”
    Sam laughed.  He went into the store and brought out another chair and sat down next to his adopted daughter.
    A young couple came up to the table.  “Is this the Anders’ outfit?”
    Maggie turned to them and shook her head.  “The name is Flynn.”
    The young man hesitated.  “Will you be leading the train, Mr. Flynn?”
    Flynn shook his head.  “I’m the scout.  My wife will boss the train.”
    “A woman ?”  The young man looked skeptical.
    “Maggie traveled with me for four years,” Sam said, laying a hand on Maggie’s shoulder.
    “I heard you only have one leg, Mr. Flynn.”  The young man raised his chin.
    Flynn got to his feet.  He towered a good ten inches above the young man.
    The young man’s face reddened.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Flynn.”
    Slowly, Flynn smiled.  “No offense taken, son.”
    The young man held out his hand.  “My name is David Ellis.  And this is my wife, Mary, and our son, Peter.”
    “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ellis, Mrs. Ellis.”  Flynn shook hands with David and touched his hat and nodded to Mary.  He went down on one knee and held out his hand to Peter.  “Pleased to meet you, Peter.”
    Peter’s eyes widened.  “Are you really Robert Sean Flynn?”
    Flynn smiled at her.  “Yup.”
    Mary stared at Flynn adoringly.  “I’ve read all the books about you.”
    Maggie ground her teeth.  “There’s more than one?”
    “Oh yes.  Simon Henderson has written a whole series about the wild west.”  Mary turned to David.  “David, this is the one.”
    David shook his head.  “I don’t know.  Who else is on the crew?”
    Maggie lifted her chin.  “Ben Brewster will be bossing the outriders.”
    David nodded.  “Well, as long as Brewster and Flynn are around to protect us...”  He reached for the articles.
    Flynn grabbed his wrist.  “Mr. Ellis, I don’t think you understand.  My wife can shoot as well or better than any man I’ve ever known.  When I got myself into trouble last season, she’s the one who tracked me and killed four outlaws single-handedly.”
    Ellis looked from Flynn to Maggie and back again.
    Maggie stood up.  “There’s an easy way to settle this, Mr. Ellis.  If you would care to accompany us?”
    Ellis hesitated.  Then, he nodded.
    They walked to the edge of town.  Peter trailed along beside his father.  Maggie turned to David Ellis.  “You pick a target.”
    David frowned.  He squinted at a tree stump about twenty yards away.  “There.”
    “Mr. Ellis, if I may borrow your hat?”  Maggie smiled at him sweetly.
    David took off his ridiculously large Stetson and handed it to her.  Maggie handed the hat to Peter.  “Put this on the stump, will you please?”
    Peter nodded eagerly.  He ran over to the stump and placed the hat in the center.  Then, he ran back and stood next to his father.
    Maggie drew and fired in one, swift motion.  David’s hat flew off the stump.  Maggie turned to David.  “Mr. Ellis, if you would care to retrieve your hat?”
    David walked over to his hat and picked it up.  He fingered a bullet hole located dead center of the crown.  His face went pale.  He walked back slowly.
    When he reached her, Maggie grinned.  “Any questions, Mr. Ellis?”
    David swallowed hard.  “Just one, ma’am.”  Slowly, he smiled and held out his hand.  “Where do I sign up?”
    Smiling, Maggie shook his hand.
    As they walked back to the general store, Peter tugged on Maggie’s sleeve.  She turned to him.  “Yes, Peter?”
    “Will you teach me how to shoot a gun, Miz Flynn?”
    Maggie looked at David questioningly.
    He nodded.