her, her mind began to function. “Thank you for your generous offer, but my answer is no.”
Duke’s eyes narrowed. “Did you hear how much I’m willing to give you? You can’t turn down that much money.”
“I can and I have,” she said quietly. Matt’s arm curved around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze.
“You haven’t even thought it over,” Duke said, scowling at her.
“I’ve kept quiet, Dad, to hear your offer, as well as to hear Olivia’s response,” Matt said in a firm voice. “Just now Olivia refused you. That’s what I wanted to hear. She’s honest and true and up-front about all of this. You and Jeff have both underestimated her and misjudged her just as I did before I met her. In my judgement of her, I was off a country mile and you’re even more mistaken about her. Just as Jeff was. Jeff couldn’t see beyond a desirable woman.”
“Dammit! Neither can you!” Duke snapped, his voice rising. “Don’t be taken in again. You married a woman who couldn’t wait to dump you. You don’t know anything about women, Matt. Stop interfering here.”
“I’m not interfering. Olivia just refused your offer.”
“You don’t think this baby needs its mother?” Olivia asked, her anger increasing by the second.
“No,” Duke replied, his attention shifting back to her. “We’ll make up for that. My children grew up without their mother and they turned out fine.”
“Perhaps they did,” Olivia replied. “From what I knew, as charming as he was, Jeff cared about no one but himself.” She glanced at Matt who gazed back with an unfathomable expression. “Matt is cynical and talks about his sister and brother being wild,” she continued and turned to face Duke again. “All of your children might have benefited from a mother’s influence.”
“By any standards my family is a fine one,” Duke said, and his face flushed a deeper red. His anger was palpable. Olivia regretted she was the cause of it, but she wasn’t intimidated by Duke Ransome and she had no intention of giving up her baby for any amount.
“I didn’t say they weren’t a fine family, Mr. Ransome. I just think a mother might have had an additional positive impact on them. My baby is going to have its mother. Your family puts too high a priority on material things.” She tried to bank her own smoldering anger and think clearly because she was making monumental decisions about her future and her baby’s and she didn’t want to make the wrong choice in an emotional, knee-jerk reaction.
“I think that’s a bit difficult to accept coming from a person with your background and your demands on my son. You can’t tell me money means nothing to you,” Duke said, gruffly.
Matt stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s enough, Dad. A week from Saturday Olivia and I intend to marry. We’re working out a good arrangement that will give our baby a father and a mother and a family and financial support.”
“Financial support! Like hell!” Duke’s fiery gaze bored into Olivia. The room snapped with tension, yet she felt insulated, certain about what she wanted and reassured by Matt’s stand against his father.
“The tramp will take you for as much as she can get!” Duke exclaimed, still staring at Olivia.
“Tramp?” Matt put his hands on his hips, clenching his fists and taking a step toward his father. “I don’t think so,” he said in a chilling tone that made Olivia draw a deep breath. “She turned down your offer of half a million dollars—that’s no tramp after money, Dad, and you better face the truth. She’s going to be the mother of your first grandchild. You owe Olivia an apology.”
“Matt, please,” Olivia said, standing and placing her hand on Matt’s arm. “I don’t want to cause a rift between father and son.”
“Like hell you don’t,” Duke snapped. “In your lifetime you’ll never have such wealth as I’m offering. If you marry my son, you won’t be able to touch the Ransome money. Matt will see to that.”
“I’m not after cash. There are other things in life that are important.”
“I think you’re after the Ransome fortune and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from getting a dime of it.”
Olivia could feel the waves of anger emanating from Duke. His fists were clenched, and his face flushed a deeper red.
“Dad, you’re on dangerous ground—” Matt said, stopping when she squeezed his arm.
“Wait, Matt,” she said and turned to his father. “Mr. Ransome, it’s not the Ransome money that I’m after. I’d like my baby to be part of this family that he or she belongs to by blood, although after the past few minutes, I am having second thoughts about that. From what I know so far, Matt is an honorable man. I would like a father for my child. My baby is a Ransome, therefore, I would like my baby to have the benefits of being a Ransome, but not at a price that will compromise his or her life in any manner. Frankly, you, sir, make me want to walk out of the door and never look back. Your son, on the other hand, has accepted my proposition for a marriage of convenience that will give our baby opportunities beyond anything I can ever offer.”
“Damn straight, you little—”
“Dad!” Matt snapped in a tough, determined voice as he stepped forward with clenched fists. “Apologize to the woman I intend to marry and to the woman who is the mother of your grandson! You damn well apologize or you’ll never know this child. I’ll cut you off right here and now.”
“Matt. Don’t!” Olivia stepped in front of Matt, placing herself between the two angry men. “Stop this! Don’t let me tear apart your family,” she urged. Her heart pounded and she was cold with worry, wondering if Matt even saw her or knew she was in front of him. His blue eyes flashed with fire and his chest heaved.
“Get out of the way, Olivia,” Matt said without taking his gaze from his father.
“No! I won’t let you two destroy this family,” she said.
“If you reject my offer, you’ll regret it all your life,” Duke said, lowering his clenched fists and turning to look at her.
“I’ll never regret turning down your offer,” she declared.
Duke glared at Olivia. “You’re a cool customer, Miss Brennan. If you’re holding out for a better offer, you won’t get it.”
“Sir, I’ve already gotten it,” she said softly, and his jaw tightened. Matt stepped beside her and placed his arm around her shoulders.
“Dad, you apologize to my fiancée or don’t come back to my house or to our wedding.”
Olivia bit back a protest at Matt’s threat because she wanted a united front with him, but his ultimatum to his father hurt. She never intended to rip apart a family.
“You have my apologies,” Duke snarled in a tone that clearly indicated his insincerity. “There—you have your damned apology.” He looked at his son’s arm draped across her shoulders. “I hope both of you know what you’re doing,” Duke said.
“I think we do,” Matt answered.
“You
