Courage to Love (Flynn Family Saga) Read Free Page A

“I would be honored, Mrs. Flynn, if you would teach us both how to shoot.”
    Maggie nodded back.  “The training is included in the cost of the trip, Mr. Ellis.”
    “Thank you.”  David looked relieved.  He placed his hand on his son’s shoulder, and they seemed to walk a little taller.
    Watching them, Maggie smiled.
    “This is the one, Jed.”
    Maggie turned.
    An older couple stood behind her.  The woman was short and stout with gray hair and eyes.  Her husband was tall and sturdily built, with broad shoulders and pale blue eyes beneath salt-and-pepper eyebrows.
    Maggie held out her hand.  “I’m Maggie Flynn.”
    “My name is Abigail Barrett, and this is my husband, Jed.”  She held out a strong, callused hand.  “Everyone calls me Abby.”
    Maggie shook Abby’s hand.  “My friends call me, Maggie.”
    Abby smiled at her.  “We’re going to San Francisco, Mrs. Flynn.  My son moved out there, and his wife just had a baby.  Jed here is getting too old to go sailing ships halfway around the world.”  She grinned impishly.  "Besides, this last year, he developed sea-sickness."
    Jed scowled.  “Now, Abby, she doesn’t need to know all that.”
    Abby turned to Jed.  “We’re going to be living together for the next six or seven months.  She’ll know more about us than Mrs. Riggs back in Nelson’s Cove.  And she knew what we had for supper before I was finished washing up.”
    Jed grinned at his wife.  “You’re right, Abby.  As usual.”
    Maggie smiled at them.  “Here are the articles.  Feel free to take them back to your boarding house and study them.”
    Jed shook his head.  “I’ve been sizing up people for half a century, Mrs. Flynn.  I can tell the two of you are trustworthy.  Do we need to sign or is my handshake enough?”
    Maggie hesitated.  “I would trust you and your wife, Mr. Barrett, but it wouldn’t be fair to the other travelers.”
    Jed signed the articles quickly with a surprisingly elegant hand.
    Maggie smiled at him.  She watched as the Barretts walked away, arm in arm, and sighed.
    Flynn tilted her chin up.  “What is it, Magpie?”
    Maggie smiled at him.  “I hope we still look at each other that way when we’re their age.”
    Flynn looked at her.  Slowly, he grinned.  “I’ll hold you to it, Mrs. Flynn.”
    Maggie smiled back.
    *  *  *
    Four weeks later, the greenhorns had learned to hitch and unhitch their wagons and drive their teams.  They had bought too much flour and not enough ammunition, and Maggie had checked every wagon to make sure the loads were balanced and light enough to make it across the Sierras.  Then, they drove the wagons onto the river barges.
    That night, they camped beside the Missouri River.  The night was warm, and Flynn unrolled their bedrolls next to the lead wagon.  Maggie nestled close to him and sighed.  Flynn watched her face in the firelight.  He marveled at this woman who loved this life as much as he did.  He shut his eyes and slept.
    He dreamed again of Elmira, of the rows and rows of unmarked graves.  All except one.  The last one had a headstone:
     
    Maggie O’Brien Anders Flynn
    Born September 3, 1854
    Died August 27, 1873
     
    Flynn woke with a start.  Usually, the sound of the river soothed him, but this time, the nightmare continued to haunt him until dawn turned the sky a pale blue, and Ben Brewster walked down the line, waking the greenhorns.

 
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    Ben Brewster and Frank Lennox arrived on the 20th of March.  Billy Brewster rode with his father.  Maggie grinned at her friends.  "You're late."
    Ben grinned back.  "Billy held us back."
    Billy scowled.  "That's not fair, Papa.  You wouldn't leave Mama until you were sure."
    Maggie blinked.  "Sure of what?"
    Ben's face reddened.  "We're having another baby."
    Maggie smiled.  "Congratulations!"
    Ben nodded.  "Now, where are these greenhorns?  And how much are you going to pay me to whip 'em into shape?"
    "Down at