Free Sutherland’s Pride by Kathryn Brocato Page A

spoil. He regretted that almost as much as the thought that he’d never have a child of his own to love and spoil.
    “
‘I’ll always wonder what would have happened if my lover had lived up to his promises,’” Killeen read aloud. “‘Would my father have accepted my son if he had been what my Dad considered a “legitimate” baby? It’s too late now for anything except regrets.’
”
    “Her father was an idiot.” Disturbed by the similarity of Tracy Eric’s situation to Pride’s, he scowled down at the columnist’s photograph. “That baby was still his grandchild. What kind of man could ignore that?”
    “He was probably a religious freak,” Killeen said.
    Flynn considered, frowning. Pride’s father hadn’t been a religious freak. Alan Donovan had impressed him as a self-righteous jerk who had approved of Flynn because of Morgan Sutherland’s wealth and social standing.
    He straightened and rubbed the back of his neck. He’d thought Pride was exaggerating when she said her father thought she wasn’t his daughter.
    Perhaps Pride hadn’t exaggerated about certain other assertions she’d made.
    Flynn drew in a bracing breath. “Well, did you glean anything from today’s column that helps with your children?”
    Killeen got out a pair of scissors and began cutting out the column. “You bet I did. She hit the nail on the head when she wrote about the promises her lover failed to live up to.” She clipped viciously. “Men are weasels. They’ll say anything to get a woman to bed with them. Or into the kitchen cooking and cleaning for them. Not a single thought for the children.” She whacked at the paper with the scissors. “They don’t seem to realize that there’ll come a day when God is going to ask them how they treated the little ones assigned to their care.”
    On that note, Flynn retired to his office, shaken. If Pride had given birth to the baby, then had presented herself and the baby before him, would he have accepted the role of father?
    Probably, Flynn realized wryly. He was a sucker for babies.
    He wished he’d had the chance to prove it.
    A disturbance in the outer office gave notice that Pride and her cousin had arrived, with the four children in tow. Flynn opened his office door, eager to see Pride again.
    Dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting blouse, she stood beside Killeen’s desk, nodding over the Tracy Eric column. Although she still looked too white and frail in his opinion, the casual attire pleased him. She looked more like herself.
    Gloria bent over one of her dark-headed children, gently scolding. Two of the children had fanned out, in search of something to get into trouble with.
    The fourth child regarded him out of huge, brown eyes from Pride’s arms.
    “Flynn’s,” Johnny said, holding out his arms.
    Flynn glanced at his wrist involuntarily, but his sleeve hid the watch. That meant Johnny wanted to be held by him. The idea was both touching and irresistible.
    “May I take him, Pride?” he asked.
    Pride started and looked up. “Of course. Behave yourself, Johnny. If possible.” She transferred Johnny to his arms.
    “Impossible,” Killeen said. “He wouldn’t be a normal little boy if he behaved himself.”
    “True,” Pride agreed. “He’s had quite a morning already.”
    Flynn listened, grinning, as Pride described a hilarious incident wherein Johnny had applied black shoe polish to a pair of Gloria’s white leather tennis shoes.
    “He’s still got it under his fingernails,” Flynn said, spreading one of Johnny’s small hands for inspection.
    “Flynn’s,” Johnny squealed, in triumph.
    Too late, Flynn realized he had inadvertently exposed his watch to Johnny’s covetous view. He almost dropped the struggling child, who literally fought to get his hands on the watch.
    “That kid loves your watch, boss,” Killeen said. “You wouldn’t withhold a treasure like that from a little bitty child, would you?”
    “Flynn, if you dare to give him