Free Sutherland’s Pride by Kathryn Brocato Page B

that watch, I’ll choke you with it,” Pride said. “Take it off and put it in your pocket.”
    Flynn’s incredulous gaze focused on Pride while he balanced the wriggling Johnny on his arm. “Pride Donovan, this is between me and Johnny. Kindly stay out of it.”
    “Now, Flynn, recollect that I have yet to return your watch stem. If you let him get his hands on that watch again, there’s no telling what he’ll swallow next. Maybe the face, with all those pretty little flags. Or the crystal. Now that would require an operation to remove it, I think. Glass shards … ”
    “It’s shatter-proof,” Flynn said, straight-faced.
    “Hah. Don’t you believe it,” Pride said. “Would you like me to tell you what he did to an ‘unbreakable’ plastic bowl?”
    Flynn, laughing, bounced Johnny in his arms to distract him and slipped the watch off his wrist and into his pocket.
    “Flynn’s,” Johnny complained, searching Flynn’s wrist.
    Flynn watched as the child’s small hands explored his forearm, where a band of white skin signified the former presence of the watch. The feel of the little hands on his arm aroused feelings of fierce possessiveness in him. What would he give to be able to call a boy like this one his son?
    He looked up to find Pride’s gaze focused on his face.
    “Flynn’s?” Johnny demanded.
    Flynn blinked. Johnny’s frustrated little face hovered six inches from his.
    “Flynn’s has been put up for the duration,” Flynn said gravely. “Your aunt’s orders.”
    Killeen blinked and looked puzzled.
    Pride laughed outright.
    “Gloria would be the first to say she has no wish to ruin her afternoon rushing him to the hospital for ingested watch gears,” she said.
    Johnny didn’t care about that.
    “Flynn’s,” he wailed, and dissolved into loud sobs.
    “Johnny,” Pride said, in stern tones. “If you mean to carry on like that, you won’t get to go on the sailboat. I’ll have to take you home. Alone. With me.”
    In the face of the sinister implications of this speech, Johnny sniffed his way into silence.
    “Don’t listen to her, old buddy,” Flynn said. “I won’t let her take you home to the dungeon in chains.”
    Johnny sniffed and focused trusting brown eyes upon Flynn. He crawled higher in Flynn’s arms and fastened his small arms around Flynn’s neck.
    “Sailboat,” he said.
    “That’s right,” Flynn said, unaccountably thrilled. “Ever been sailing before, old buddy?”
    Johnny watched him with grave interest.
    “Never mind. Everyone has to start somewhere. I’ll let you raise a sail yourself. Ever hoisted a sail before?”
    “Sail,” Johnny said, in tentative tones.
    “You’re going to love it,” Flynn promised. “Just watch yourself. Otherwise, the wind will catch you and you’ll land in the water like your Aunt Pride did one day.”
    “Aunt Pride?” Johnny repeated, glancing at Pride.
    “Has she been lying again and telling everyone what a great sailor she is?” Flynn asked, grinning at Gloria.
    Gloria, who had been keeping well out of the discussion, smiled back. “She said we should put on life jackets and sit still and let you do all the work, because you will anyway.”
    Flynn laughed. “True. I’m not used to sailing with a crew.”
    “Is that what we are?” Gloria asked, with foreboding. “A crew?”
    “Right,” Flynn said, with considerable satisfaction. “This is my first mate.” He indicated the big-eyed Johnny. “Anyone refusing to follow orders will walk the plank.”
    “Careful, Flynn,” Pride said. “Your crew is liable to start planning a mutiny.”
    Flynn felt a tugging at his trousers leg and looked down. Eric stood there, asking silently to be taken up into Flynn’s arms with Johnny.
    He bent to lift the older child then faced Pride, laughing.
    “That isn’t likely,” he said. “In another few minutes, I’ll have won most of the crew over to my point of view.”

Chapter Five
    By the time Flynn became willing to