The Ransomes: Matt, Nick and Katherine. Sara Orwig

the dress. She guessed it would take a long, long time for Matt to forgive her for pushing him into this marriage of convenience.

      Would his family accept her?

      She suspected that would be one of the least of her problems.

      She removed the dress and tried one that was white satin with a full skirt and cathedral train. Every moment of the past two days had held a dreamlike quality, but seeing herself in wedding dresses was surreal. She was going to marry a week from Saturday!

      She ignored the pang that tore at her heart. This wasn’t what she had planned for herself, but then nothing had gone as planned since she had met the first Ransome.

      An hour later, she found the dress she wanted and knew she needed to look no further. She turned first one way and then another as she studied her reflection while she smoothed the skirt to a white sleeveless silk with a low-cut V-neck and straight, plain lines with a removable train. The simple elegance and flattering style made it the dress she wanted.

      In another hour her head spun with her purchases of a veil, shoes and wisps of lacy undergarments. She stopped in a bookstore to select some books on pregnancy and baby care. When she glanced at her watch, she realized she would have to race to get back in time to meet Matt at the hotel.

      When she arrived, he was in the lobby, seated with papers spread in his lap. At any moment she expected him to back out of their bargain. Soon she would be Mrs. Matthew Ransome. When the time came, would he go through with the ceremony?

      As she approached him, his gaze assessed her, and she tucked a wayward tendril of hair behind her ear while her pulse jumped.

      Watching her cross the lobby, he waited until she was only yards from him. He gathered his things and stood.

      “Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly. “I have boxes in the cab.”

      “You should have called,” he said, walking beside her to go back outside to retrieve her packages.

      “I don’t own a cell phone,” she replied, amused that he would automatically assume everyone he knew had a phone. He gave her a quick glance and reached into his pocket to hand her a phone.

      “Take mine for now. I can get another easily.” Matt took her arm and she was aware of his body warmth as she walked close beside him. She could detect a hint of barberry aftershave that was as tangible as his hostility. Yet he had accepted her terms. Marriage to a Ransome. One minute she wanted to kick her heels in the air and shout for joy. The next minute she wanted to pack and run.

      He opened the cab door to retrieve her packages and move them to the waiting limo. Looking at an enormous box tied in white ribbon, he remarked: “I see you found a wedding dress.”

      “Yes, I did and it’s bad luck for you to see me in it before the wedding.”

      Matt gave her a mocking grin. “You’re worrying about me seeing your wedding dress?”

      “All right, maybe that’s foolish.”

      Their limo driver transferred her packages. “You should have let us pick up your wedding dress,” Matt said.

      “They placed it in the cab for me and I knew you would get it out,” she said.

      When she climbed into the waiting limo, Matt slid into the seat facing her. “Did I tell you this morning that you look beautiful?”

      “Thank you,” she replied.

      “Perhaps we can make this arrangement halfway work.”

      “I hope it works completely,” she admitted, wishing momentarily that she really could have it all—including a marriage with love. “It’ll be a fraudulent marriage in some ways,” she said quietly.

      “This morning over breakfast I think we settled that we can make a marriage of convenience more palatable,” he said.

      “Maybe with time,” she replied.

      “While you shopped, I got a wedding planner,” he said, handing her a slip of paper with a name, address and phone number scrawled on it. “You have an appointment in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon at one.”

      “That was quick.”

      “For parties at the ranch we have a regular caterer and a band, so I’ve hired them for the wedding.”

      Olivia stared at him and wondered if she was getting entangled with a dynamo who would try to take charge of every aspect of her life.

      “You’re giving me a look,” he said. “Do you disapprove?” he asked, startling her by guessing what was running through her mind.

      She shook her head. “No, I’m a little overwhelmed.”

      “I doubt that,” he remarked drily. “I’ve contacted our family minister and we’ll have the reception at the ranch.”

      “You’ve done it all,” she said. “Except buy my wedding dress.”

      He shook his head. “Not quite. We both need to get attendants. The wedding planner will have a florist and a photographer and you can arrange with her for the wedding cake. The big deal is telling my family. I suspect it may be a bombshell. I’ll warn you right now, my dad may be difficult. Katherine might be, too, but it’s dad who intimidates people. If you want, I’ll see to it that you never see him without me until after the wedding.”

      Amused, she gazed at Matt. “You think he’ll scare me out of this? If so, I’m surprised you didn’t send him to talk to me before you accepted my proposal.”

      Matt smiled. “I don’t think my dad will frighten you away, but you may not want to deal with him alone. I think you’re a match for him which is saying something, believe me. Not many people can hold their own with him, but I bet you will. And if Katherine gives you a hard time, I’ll deal with her, too. As soon as we get back to the ranch, I’ll call them.”

      “Fine,” Olivia said, wondering what kind of confrontations she would have with his family.

      “When you become my wife, you won’t need that law degree,” he remarked.

      Startled, she gazed back at him in silence while she thought about it. “I want to get an education. With the arrangement we have, I don’t know what I’ll need in the future.”

      “You can think about it,” he said. “I moved my afternoon appointment with my attorney to tomorrow morning at ten. We’ll both meet with him to go over the prenuptial agreement.”

      “That’s fine, too.”

      Soon they boarded the private jet. When the plane taxied down the runway and soared into the air, she looked down at the city spread below and knew she would never forget the past night or today. Her gaze lifted to the expanse of blue sky that stretched endlessly in her view.

      Once they were airborne, she heard him writing and turned away from the window to see him poring over his notes. Until he wanted her to talk to him about something specific, she was going to look out the window. It was her second flight in an airplane and she was still dazzled by it.

      “Olivia,” he said and a tingle spiraled in her.

      “Yes?” she replied, giving him her attention.

      “I want you to agree now that you’ll stay with me. I don’t want you to get your law degree and then take your child, divorce me and move away. Of course, if you’re going, I can’t hold you, but I want in the prenup that you won’t get anything of mine if you leave. And I’ll want joint custody.”

      “That’s fair enough. I’m sure I can find legal work in this area. I want to practice law when I pass my bar exams.”

      “I can keep a child with me a lot of the time when I’m on the ranch.”

      “You don’t know the first thing about taking care of a child, do you?” she asked.

      “Nope,