Conception (The Wellingtons #4) - Tessa Teevan Page 0,129

your son. Spend the rest of my life with him. Raise our family together, however big it grows.”

“With my son’s money?” Kate asks, a perfectly manicured eyebrow rising.

I’m not taken aback by her question or her tone. It’s perfectly reasonable for her to ask, considering she’s never met me, knows nothing about me, my family, or my background. I just showed up with her grandson one day. Okay, more like Knox showed up after I’d had her grandson, which could be even more reason for her not to trust me.

Having just become a mother myself, how can I deny one her inquest?

Hell, I imagine I may be the same way when Branson grows up and leaves me. I don’t even want to think about it though. He’s only three months old.

“Mrs. Wellington,” I start, but Knox wrenches his arm out of my grasp, rising from the couch, pointing a finger, and shooting daggers at his mother.

“You are way out of line. You may not know Amelia, but I do. I trust her. More than that, I fucking—” He pauses, turning to me. “Think this calls for the emphasis, babe.”

I shrug. He’s already got one mother in the room.

His gaze goes back to his mother. “I fucking love her. If you love me, you’ll love her, too. You’ll respect her as my wife, as the mother of my child, or we’ll walk out the door right now. Your call.”

I gasp. Not only because our wedding is being held here in two days, but this is his family. He can’t just walk away from them. Not for me.

Just as I’m about to put my two cents in, Kate’s laughter bubbles up and echoes throughout the room. And then Knox’s father, Mr. Wellington takes this moment to enter the room.

He darts his gaze around the room, from his wife to Knox to me, then back to Knox again. Noting his stance, Knox’s dad lifts his eyes to the heavens, then sets them on his wife. “Katherine. What did you do?”

Knox beats her to answering. “She insulted the mother of my child. My wife. For the first and last time.”

Even though I’m not really happy to be the source of this family conflict, it’s pretty hot that he’s defending my honor against his mother. Because, again, she doesn’t know me, so I don’t hold it against her for questioning my intentions. But Knox with his hard, muscly chest all puffed up, his arms crossed so his biceps bulge just a little more than usual underneath his t-shirt, and his jaw rigid? It’s incredibly sexy.

Mr. Wellington rolls his eyes. “Darling, we discussed this.”

“You talked. I pretended to listen,” she replies, eyeing her nails and not her husband.

Okay, she may be wary of me, but I like this woman.

Kate crosses the room, and Knox goes rigid beside me when she takes my hands into hers. “Darling, I know who you are. I’m his mother. As if I wouldn’t have you checked out.” She winks. “I know you don’t need his money. And even if you did, I wouldn’t assume that’s why you’re with him. I can see it in both your faces that this is a love match. It’s just a lot of fun watching him get all riled up. I’ve never seen him so protective of someone before.”

Okay, I don’t just like her—I love her.

“What do you mean you know who she is? How do you know she doesn’t need my money?” Knox asks, his arms folding in irritation.

Kate’s eyes flash with amusement. “You mean he doesn’t know?”

“Doesn’t know what?” Knox demands.

I wince at Kate and then say to Knox, “I’m kind of an heiress.”

Knox’s mouth drops open in surprise.

“Um… Did I forget to mention that?”

“Kind of?” he asks.

“Okay, I am. My great-great-grandfather was British aristocracy. He was a second son, so once his older brother had an heir, he moved to America where he met and fell in love. She was the daughter of a shipping and railroad tycoon. He went to work for her father, eventually taking over the business, as there were no sons. Long story short, the family amassed more wealth than they knew what to do with. When my parents died, my father’s inheritance went to me. And when Grams passes, well, the same will happen. Not for a long time, of course. But that money is so far removed from me I barely give it a passing thought.”

His lips twitch. “You could’ve told me this sooner. What do I