Sutherland’s Pride by Kathryn Brocato Page B

Flynn to lead her to his parents’ table and tried to steel herself.
    “Pride, dear, thank you for stopping to speak,” Bettricia Sutherland said, in almost humble tones. “You haven’t changed.”
    Bettricia was an elegant, faded blonde, with a slender figure and soft, blue eyes. She was a tender-hearted woman who lived for her husband and her son.
    Pride, conscious of the dotted-on freckles on her nose, clasped the older woman’s hand warmly. “Neither have you. It’s so nice to see the two of you again, and to visit Houston again.”
    “You were never full of platitudes before,” Morgan Sutherland observed. “In fact, we liked you because you were so warm and genuine. Have we injured you that deeply by our actions three years ago?”
    “Dad, can’t you leave the subject alone? Surely you can see Pride doesn’t care for it.”
    “I’m not hurt at all,” Pride said, at once. “If you want to know the truth, I was surprised you spoke to me tonight. I caused you both a lot of trouble and heartache.”
    “That’s true enough.” Morgan’s gaze went over her slightly too slender figure. “The question is, how much did you suffer? Has Flynn even bothered to find out?”
    “Dad — ”
    The situation had almost progressed beyond saving, Pride saw. Morgan had decided he was responsible in some way for her well-being, and he wouldn’t hesitate to try and take her over.
    “There was never anything wrong with me,” Pride said quietly. “Flynn has nothing to find out about, or to reproach himself about.”
    Morgan’s brown gaze, so like Flynn’s, never moved from her face. He said nothing, but the determined expression on his face told her clearly that he wasn’t done with the subject.
    “It’s nice to see you both again,” Pride said. “If you’ll excuse us, I need to get home to my cousin.”
    She nodded pleasantly, trying not to notice the tears that had filled Bettricia’s soft, blue eyes, and turned away in obedience to the gentle pressure of Flynn’s hand at her back.
    “I’m sorry about Dad’s refusal to stay off the forbidden subject,” Flynn said as they walked toward the door. “He worried about you after you left.”
    “Did he?”
    “Yes, he did.” He added, “So did I.”

Chapter Four
    Pride gave him a dazzling smile. “There was no need for anyone to worry about me. As you can see, I’m flourishing.”
    “Yes, I see that,” Flynn said, “although your freckles don’t look quite the same as the sun-kissed variety.”
    “Now, Flynn, if you want freckles, you’ll get freckles. I thought I did a good job.”
    “You did, except for this big one on the left side of your nose. It looks a bit unbalanced.”
    “Too bad,” Pride leaped on the change of subject. “My hand must have faltered at a critical moment.”
    “I think I can help out in this situation,” Flynn said.
    Before she could protest, Flynn wrapped his arms around her, and his lips descended on the side of her nose. For a brief instant, she shoved hard at him, but she was no match for his strength. She stood passively while he caressed the offending dot with his tongue then reached up to rub at her nose with his finger tip.
    “Too bad” he said. “Looks like I’ve damaged a few of the others.”
    “I feel a lawsuit coming on,” she began, and Flynn’s warm mouth covered hers.
    Astounded, Pride closed her eyes to shut out his face while he kissed her with enormous deliberation, as if they stood in the privacy of his apartment rather than the busy foyer of a restaurant.
    “Your car is here, sir,” the doorman said, when Flynn lifted his head at last.
    Flynn smiled into Pride’s dazed, green eyes. “Now you look even more unbalanced. I’d better tend to the other side.”
    Pride recovered herself. “Thank you, I’ll tend to it myself.”
    She fell silent while he helped her into his Bronco. Why was Flynn kissing her? Nothing made any sense. The kiss left her in such a whirl, she hardly knew her own