Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong

Author:Angela Ruth Strong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KARSON

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.

—RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Gemma may not have fired a gun yet, but she’s already pierced my heart.

I know I have an itchy trigger finger, but I never figured I could add a trigger guard to my temper. I’ve never thought of myself as dangerous. More like a gunslinger from the Wild West. I’m a quick draw, so I can get them before they get me.

Gemma’s now past my judgment of her coconut scent, but I still have the fake-girlfriend defense. Of course, with the way I’m staring into her eyes, and the way I’m soon going to put my arms around her to help her aim a gun, she’s smart enough to figure out my first “date” with Bree had also been my last.

Yeah. This is going to be nothing like teaching Bree to shoot.

I sling a bag of ammo over my shoulder and grab both a shotgun and handgun before leading Gemma through the back door of my garage. She’s looking all around, and I’m torn between watching her wonderous expressions and viewing my surroundings through fresh eyes. What does she see?

The giant pine trees. The ivy that snakes its way up tree trunks. The ferns and moss that replace the grass of normal back yards.

I do have a little stone patio with an iron scrollwork table and Traeger grill. It also holds an old porch swing Granddad made of logs, now shiny from overuse. Grams hung the flower baskets on the lone post I used for stringing white lights to the eves of my house like an awning. The scene has me wanting to invite Gemma for dinner sometime. From what she just said, I think she’s ready for that.

However, she’s currently focused on what lies beyond the stepping stones and wooden arbor. Granddad built the U-shaped gun table and shelter when I was in fourth grade, so it’s pretty dilapidated. Nothing when compared to what they have at other gun ranges.

“How cool,” she gushes.

“I like it.” I set my firearms on the creaky table and pull out the ammo.

She turns from facing the paper target I already set up a hundred feet downrange to look at the guns I brought with us. “I get to shoot a rifle?”

If I’d known she wanted to shoot a rifle, I would have brought one. “This is a shotgun. It fires a bunch of steel pellets called shot.” I pick up the shotgun and pump it to make its trademark cracking sound. “You hear that? That’s the best home defense unit sold on the market. It will scare away any intruder. They know that even if you have bad aim, one of those pellets is bound to hit them.”

She studies the weapon, slim eyebrows arching.

So I place the firearm on the table and load a round. “I recommend getting a pink one. That way if you ever shoot someone, and they take you to court, your

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.