Shattered Lives (Flynn Family Saga Book 1) (20 page)

Maggie shook her head stubbornly.

Flynn laughed.  “All right,
Miss
O’Brien.”  He
began to clear away the snow.  He used some of the pine boughs to start a
fire.  He started to make the coffee.  Maggie took out the bacon and began to
slice it.  She smiled as she put it in the pan.

“What?”  He raised one eyebrow quizzically.

“You promised to buy me breakfast in Lawrenceville.”

He laughed, breaking the tension between them.  “Well,
I guess you’ll have to wait until we get to St. Jo.”

Maggie nodded.

*  *  *

Three weeks later, they rode into St. Jo.  Maggie
didn’t want the trip to end.  They rode in silence through the streets to the
corral.  Maggie unsaddled Patches.  She stood for a moment, staring westward,
toward the Missouri River.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

She sighed.  “I wish...”

“That you could go west with us?”

She nodded.

Flynn turned and looked westward.  “You’d love it,
Maggie.  I’ll talk to Sam.  Maybe—“

Maggie shook her head.  “He has given us enough
charity.  Either we’ll pay our way or stay here.”  She turned and started to
curry Patches.

Flynn took the brush from her hand.  “I’ll take care
of that, Maggie.  You go on back to the boarding house.”

Maggie shook her head.  “I’m not—I’m not ready to
face my parents yet.”

“Why are they angry at you?”

Maggie shut her eyes and bowed her head against
Patches’ flank.

“I’m sorry.  That’s prying,” Flynn said gently.

Maggie lifted her head.  She drew a deep breath and
continued to groom Patches.  When she finished, she swallowed hard.  “Thank
you.”

“For what?”

Maggie looked away.  “Everything.”

He squeezed her shoulder.  “Here.”

She turned back to him.

He held out the ten dollars she had paid him at the
beginning of the trip.

Maggie shook her head.  “I pay my debts, Mr. Flynn.”

He opened his mouth and shut it.  He nodded once. 
“Ready?”

Maggie nodded.  They walked, side by side, back to
the boarding house.  Mrs. Hamilton opened the door.  She smiled when she saw
Maggie and hugged her hard.  Then she stepped back.  “Are you all right, child?”

Maggie looked away.  “They’re—they’re dead.”

Mrs. Hamilton’s smile faded.  “I’m so sorry, Maggie.”

“At least we got there in time for me to say good-bye.” 
Maggie rubbed her face with her palms.  “Is the Major in?”

Mrs. Hamilton nodded again.  “He’s in his room.”

Maggie climbed the stairs slowly.  She knocked on
the Major’s door.

Sam opened the door.  When he saw her face, he drew
her into a hug.  “I’m sorry, Maggie.”

She nodded against his chest.  She tilted her chin
up so she could see his face.  “Major, Mr. Flynn says you have a lawyer here
that you trust.”

Sam nodded.  “That’s right.  Why?”

Maggie swallowed hard.  “My grandparents left
everything to me.  I know a man who will pay a lot for that farm, Major.  I
want to sell it.”

Slowly, Sam smiled.  “I know just the man.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

In the morning, Maggie put on the green gingham
dress that Mrs. Hamilton had given her.  She sat the dining room table and
tried to eat, but she felt as if all the locusts in the Bible were swarming in
her stomach.

After breakfast, Sam escorted her to the lawyer’s
office.  A wooden sign swung from a metal arm above the door:  "Jasper
Williams, Esq.  Attorney at Law."

Inside Jasper Williams stood up and smiled at the
Major.  "What can I do for you today, Sam?"

"Nothing, Jasper, but this young lady has a few
questions for you."  Sam place his hand against Maggie's back and pushed
gently.

Maggie stepped forward, holding out the papers like
a shield.

Jasper smiled and gestured to a chair. 
"Please, sit down.  My name is Jasper Williams."

Maggie nodded.  "I'm Maggie O'Brien."  Her
mouth felt dry.  She sat down and pushed the will and the deed across the
polished walnut table.  “My grandfather left his farm to me.  But I’m only fifteen. 
I want to sell the farm, but I want to set it up so my parents can’t touch the
money.”

“May I ask why?”

Maggie hesitated.

Jasper reached across the table and touched her hand
gently.  “I’m not trying to trick you, Miss O’Brien.  I just don’t want to give
your parents cause for a lawsuit if you’re doing this out of spite.”

“Her father has a problem with the drink.  And
gambling.  You may remember the card game last spring?  The one where the man
was cheating?”  Sam sat next to Maggie with his Stetson on his lap.

Jasper.  “That was her father?”

Sam nodded.

“I don’t want to hurt them.  I want to help them. 
He believes that if he gets to California, he can stop drinking.”  Maggie met
the lawyer’s black gaze levelly.

“And if he doesn’t?”  Jasper’s black eyes
glittered.  “Stop drinking?”

“That’s why I need you set up some kind of
protection so he can’t use that money to buy liquor or as a stake in a card
game.  That’s all I’m asking, sir.  I want to buy land in California and raise
horses.”

Jasper looked at her gingham dress.  “And what makes
you think you can?”

“Jasper, she helped me whip those greenhorns
and
their horses into shape last spring.”  Sam grinned at Maggie.  “Give her a few
acres of land and a string of horses, and in five years, she’ll be a wealthy
woman.”

Jasper smiled, and his entire face changed.  “Well,
Sam, if you have confidence in her abilities, that’s good enough for me.  I’ll
draw up the papers.  Stop by tomorrow and you can sign them, young lady.”

“Thank you, Mr. Williams.”

On the way back to the boarding house, Sam was
silent.  Finally, he cleared his throat.  “Maggie, I’m not sure I can take your
father on my wagon train.”

Maggie stopped.  Her heart stopped.  Slowly, she
turned and faced the Major.  “Because of his drinking?”

Sam nodded.  “I’m sorry, honey.  But I have to think
about the safety of the other settlers.”

Maggie tilted her chin up.  “Then we’ll go alone.”

“Now, Maggie.  I haven’t said I won’t, but—“

She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged
him.  “Thank you, Major!”

Sam took off his hat.  “Maggie O’Brien, remind me
never to buy a horse from you.”  He grinned at her.

Maggie grinned back.

*  *  *

February came, and with it came the money from the
sale of the farm in Lawrenceville.  Maggie stared at the bank draft in
disbelief.

Jasper Williams frowned.  “I’m sorry.  Were you expecting
more?”

Maggie shook her head.  “No.  Less.  A lot less.”

Jasper grinned at her.  “I have a brother in
Lawrenceville who is a very good salesman.”

“He certainly is.”  She looked up at him.  “How long
before I can draw on these funds?”

“Right away.  It’s a bank draft, not a personal
check.”

Maggie nodded.  “I need one hundred and forty-three
dollars and fifty cents.”

“What for?”

Maggie met his black gaze levelly.  “To settle a
debt.”

Jasper smiled again.  “Miss O’Brien, if you ever
need my services again, you be sure to call on me.”

Maggie nodded.  “I will.  Thank you.”

She went to the bank and withdrew the money.  Then,
she went back to the boarding house.  She ran up the stairs to the Major’s room
and knocked on the door.  He opened the door and smiled.  “Hello, Maggie.  What
can I do for you?”

Maggie held out money proudly.  “Here.  It’s the
money we owe you.  All of it.  Plus interest.”

Sam’s smile faded.  He cleared his throat.  “Well,
now, technically, it’s your father who owes me the money.”

Maggie met his gaze levelly.  “Major, we both know
he’ll never pay you back.”

Sam hesitated.  “I don’t feel right taking it.”

Maggie nodded.  “And I didn’t feel right the day you
paid our hotel bill.”

Slowly, Sam nodded.  “Well, then, I guess that
settles it.”  He took the cash.

Maggie turned to go.

“Maggie?”

She turned back.

He regarded her solemnly.  “I wish I had a daughter
just like you.”

Maggie swallowed hard.  “Thank you, Major.”

*  *  *

The weeks passed quickly.  Michael stayed out of
saloons, and Maggie worked hard, training horses and people for the long
journey across the country.  On April 13th, the Major came down to the corral. 
He checked out every single wagon himself.  Then, he nodded.  “All right.  We’ll
load the barges today.”

Maggie’s heart beat hard and fast.

That night, she packed her things in her old
battered carpetbag.  She packed the green gingham dress and her spare dungarees. 
She held Martha for a long time.  Maggie sighed.  “We’re going, Martha!  We’re
really going!  And when we get there, I’m going to build that white house on
the hill and—“

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!  You’re too old for dolls!” 
Lucy snatched Martha out of Maggie’s hands.

Maggie planted her hands on her hips.  “Mama, I paid
for your passage with
my
money.  Give me the doll, or I’ll leave you
here.”

Lucy looked shocked.  “You wouldn’t dare!”

Maggie tilted her chin up.  “Yes, Mama.  I would.”

Lucy stared at her daughter as if seeing her for the
first time.  Her hand trembled slightly as she handed the doll back.

Maggie nodded once.  She closed the carpetbag with a
snap and ran lightly down the stairs.  She stowed the carpetbag in the back of
her wagon and unrolled her bedroll.  She lay with her hands behind her head,
staring up at the stars.

“Wait until you see the stars from the prairie.”

Maggie started.  She hadn’t heard Flynn at all.  She
scowled.  “Robert Sean Flynn, you got to stop—“

“Sneaking up on people.  I know.”  Grinning, he sat
beside her bedroll with a grace that took her breath away.  “Excited?”

Maggie nodded.  “And scared at the same time.  Is
that possible?”

Flynn nodded solemnly.  “I feel that way every time
I ride out alone.”

Maggie looked away.  “The Major said that if Papa
drinks, he’ll kick him off the train.”

“Then I guess we’ll both just have to keep an eye on
him.”

Maggie looked back at Flynn.  “Why?  I mean, why
would you help me?”

Flynn regarded her solemnly.  “Because I like you,
Maggie O’Brien.”  He stood up with the same easy grace, touched his hat and
walked away.

Maggie watched him go.  She lay awake a long time,
savoring his words. 
Because I like you, Maggie O’Brien.
  Finally, she
sighed and went to sleep.

In the morning, Frank helped her load the last of
their belongings.  “You need to stow the china in the middle of the bed.  If it’s
over a wheel, it’ll break.”

Maggie nodded.

By noon they were ready.  “Wagons, Ho!”  The Major’s
voice rang out over the din of the city.

Maggie slapped the reins on Sebastian’s back, and
the wagon lurched forward.

*  *  *

When they reached Nebraska, they camped beside the Nemaha
River.  Maggie woke before dawn.  She lay still for a long time, afraid to
open her eyes, afraid it
had
been just a dream, that she was still in
bed in Mrs. Hamilton’s boarding house in St. Jo.

Then, she heard the sound of the river.

Maggie opened her eyes.  She lay on her bedroll on
the ground under a covered wagon.  It hadn’t been a dream.  She and her family
were really going to California on a wagon train.  Maggie let out a whoop and
ran to the picket line.  She untethered Sebastian and Miranda and started to
lead them toward the river.

“Need any help?”

Maggie jumped.  “You’ve got to stop—“

“Sneaking up on people.”  Flynn grinned at her.  He
sobered quickly.  “Where’s your father?”

“In the wagon.”

Flynn scowled.  “He should at least help you with
the horses.”

Maggie looked away.  “He tried.  When we lived with
my grandparents, he tried real hard, but he’s afraid of horses.”

Maggie led two of the horses, and Flynn led the
other pair.  Together, they fed and watered them.  Then, they led them to the
wagon and Flynn helped her hitch them up.

He hesitated.  “Where is your mother?”

Maggie shrugged.  “Still asleep, I guess.”

Flynn turned to her.  “Let me get this straight. 
You take care of the horses,
and
they expect you to cook?”

Embarrassed, Maggie looked away.  She nodded.

“I’ve tasted your cooking, Maggie.  They must have a
death wish.”

Flynn’s humor eased her embarrassment.  She laughed
and turned back to him.  “Are you volunteering?  Because I’m not sure my mother
can cook, either.”

Flynn shook his head.  Suddenly, he grinned.  “Come
on.  A few months ago, I promised you breakfast.”

Maggie followed him to Sam’s wagon.

Sam smiled at her and stood up.  He cleared his
throat.  “May I introduce Frank Lennox?”  Frank bent over the open fire, turning
the bacon in a black iron frying pan.  Sam nudged him with his foot.  Frank
looked up and wiped his hands on his apron.  “Good morning, ma’am.”

Maggie held out her hand.  “Good morning, Mr.
Lennox.”

Frank shook his head.  “Everyone calls me Frank.”

Maggie nodded.  “And everyone calls me Maggie.”  She
sat down on one of the barrels.

“Except me.”  Flynn sat next to her.  “I call her O’Brien.”

“Now why in tarnation would you call a pretty girl
like that O’Brien?”  A tall man with blue eyes and blond hair stared at Flynn.

Flynn grinned.  “It’s a long story, Ben.”  He turned
to Maggie.  “Miss O’Brien, may I present Ben Brewster?  He’s in charge of the
outriders.”

Maggie held out her hand.  “Pleased to meet you, Mr.
Brewster.”

Ben tilted his hat back.  “That’s Ben to my friends,
Maggie.”

Maggie laughed.  “The food smells delicious, Major.”

Flynn put his hand on her forehead.  “She must be
coming down with something.”

Ben nodded.  He, too, touched her forehead.  “She’s
definitely feverish.”

Flynn nodded back.  “Probably delirious.”

Frank scowled.  “My cookin’ ain’t that bad, and you
know it!”

Sam turned to him.  “That’s what Maggie is going to
decide for us this morning.”

Frank turned to Maggie.  “Don’t you listen to them,
Miss Maggie.  You make up your own mind.”

“She always does,” Flynn said dryly.

Maggie laughed.  “All right, Frank.  Hand me a
plate.”

Frank nodded.  He scooped up eggs and bacon and
fried potatoes.  Maggie took a bite.  She frowned as she chewed.  She shut her
eyes.  “Frank, that’s almost as good as my grandmother’s cooking.”

Frank smiled at her.  “Thank you, Miss Maggie.”

Ben howled with outrage.  Laughing, Flynn turned to
Ben.  “That’s ten dollars you owe me.”

Grumbling, Ben handed over the bills.

Flynn nodded.  “I knew Maggie couldn’t lie.”

Maggie smiled sweetly at Flynn.  “That’s a total of
twenty dollars you’ve made off of me.”

Sam choked on his coffee.  Ben pounded him on the
back.  As soon as he stopped coughing, Sam glared at her.  “Maggie...”

Maggie grinned at him.

Slowly, Ben and Frank started to laugh.  Frank wiped
his eyes with his bandana.  “Major, I think she fits right in, don’t you?”

Sam grumbled, but he smiled, too.

Frank cleared his throat.  “The eggs are getting
cold.”

“Maybe that would improve the taste,” Ben said
wryly.

“What’s the matter with the taste?”  Frank put his
hands on his skinny hips.

“Frank, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“Now wait a minute!  I thought we settled this.” 
Frank looked at Maggie pleadingly.

Maggie tilted her hat back the same way Ben had.  “Well,
I just gave you
my
opinion.  It’s a matter of personal preference.”

Ben nodded.  “See?”

Frank scowled.  “I quit!”

“And do what?”  The Major weighed in.

“I could have had a job at any restaurant in San
Francisco, and I gave it up to work for you.”  Frank’s beard stuck out like a
broom as he lifted his chin.

Flynn shook his head.  “I don’t know, Frank.  Do
they even eat possum in San Francisco?”

Maggie smiled.  She leaned back against the side of
the Major’s wagon and ate her breakfast, listening to the men banter back and
forth.  Tears blurred her vision.  She felt homesick, homesick for something
she had never had.  She drew a deep breath.  “Thank you, Frank.  It was a
lovely breakfast.”

He blushed and grinned.  “You’re welcome, Miss
Maggie.  Anytime.”

Flynn held out his arm.

Laughing, Maggie took it.  They walked in silence
for a while.  Then, Maggie sighed.

“What is it, Magpie?”

Maggie turned to him.  “It’s a family, isn’t it? 
You and Ben and Frank and the Major.”

Flynn nodded slowly.  He looked away from her.  “Ever
since I was a kid, I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere.  After the war, it was
even worse.  And then I started to work for Sam, and I found my
tiyospaye
.”