Dani stepped off the stifling train car into a whoosh of smoke. She ducked her head to avoid the dust the engine had kicked up. She felt Ana at her side and moved with her through the fog.

"Where is that brother of mine? He said he'd be here."

"He probably got delayed. You know how cattle cooperate. Plus all those greenhorns." Stuart shook his head. "I don't envy him this trip."

Ana and Stuart shared a glance over her head.

"Let's go to the hotel and get a bite. Caleb'll find us soon enough."

They paused at the edge of the platform where Stuart gave instructions for their luggage.

Dani scanned the crowd, anxious to catch a glimpse of Caleb, if only because he'd take her back to Sam. She missed Sam terribly.

Stuart led them to a small hotel. Amazing smells assaulted her nostrils as they entered and found a seat. Stuart held the chairs out for Ana and then indicated Dani should sit as well. Dani's eyes widened in shock. She swallowed hard as she sat in the offered chair.

Ana reached over and patted her hand. "Just act like you fit in and you will."

Dani shook her head. "I don't know how."

"It's just like sitting at our dinner table."

A matronly woman stepped up to the table. "What can I get for y'all?"

Stuart glanced at the women, his eyebrows raised.

"I'll take the stew," Ana said.

"Stew for me as well, please," Dani said.

Stuart smiled at the waitress. "Three stews please."

Dani glanced at the windows at everyone that passed.

"Quit fretting. He'll get here," Stuart urged.

Dani half-smiled. "Do you figure he'll bring Sam?"

"I doubt it. He'll leave as many men as possible with the cattle. Too many things can go wrong on a drive." He shook his head. "I fail to see why he's even considering bringing you along. If you were my wife, I'd send you north on a train."

Dani's eyes narrowed. "Wife?"

Ana placed her hand on Dani's. "What he means is some cowboys see it as bad luck to have a woman on a drive. They typically slow things down. They're a distraction to everyone, especially to Caleb." She snorted. "Knowing Derek though, I'd wager he'd be even more distracted with you in Montana. He'd be wondering what outdated and completely wrong information you'd be given without him up there."

"What are you saying?"

Ana sighed. "Derek is rather manipulative."

Stuart snorted. "Manipulative is putting it mildly. I have little doubt that he's behind the terms of the will. He knows there's no way Caleb would get married on his own."

"Married?"

Stuart jumped and scowled as he rubbed his leg under the table.

"That's enough of that talk," Ana scolded as their food arrived.

Dani wanted desperately to figure out what they were talking about. Wife? Marriage? She hadn't consented to anything.

The waitress brought their stew with thick slices of steaming bread. "Fresh from the oven," she said. "Enjoy."

Dani stirred the chunks of meat and vegetables around in the bowl. What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me anything?

She just finished eating as the door opened behind her. "Good. You've eaten. Let's get going," Caleb said, his tone clipped.

Dani spun around, her eyes wide. Caleb was coated with dirt and grime. His features pulled into a scowl.

Ana rose to hug her brother but he brushed her affections off. "Aren't you hungry, Caleb?"

He shook his head. "Too busy. Gotta get supplies and get going."

Stuart rose. "I'll help you with the supplies. Ana, take Dani to get changed."

"You'll ship her luggage north?" Caleb asked Stuart.

"Of course. I'd ship her north too."

Caleb narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"She can stay with us til you get there and then we'll send her north."

Dani watched Caleb reply as the door closed behind them.

Ana touched her arm. "Come on. Let's get you changed."

Dani glanced up at her friend, worry creasing her face.

"You didn't do anything wrong, dear. Men get like then periodically."

Dani followed Ana up the stairs, her confusion mounting. "Ana, what is going on?"

"You're getting ready for a cattle drive."

"No. What is going on? What was Stuart talking about at dinner?"

Ana sighed. "I can't... shouldn't tell you. That should be Caleb's job."

"Ana, please. If it involves me, I have a right to know."

Ana wrung her hands then took a deep breath. "I'll tell you as we get you ready."

Dani attempted a smile as she opened her trunk and retrieved her riding clothes.

"Not the riding habit, dear. You'll want these." Ana held up breeches and a shirt.

Dani nodded.

"Everything started quite a long time ago," Ana began. "Caleb was the first born son. I was the eldest child, but Caleb was the first boy. Our mother was quite unhappy living in Montana and wanted to return to the city. Our father indulged her to a point, allowing her to visit every winter. One spring she never returned. I guess Caleb would have been around four or five. I was eight. Our father tracked her down and demanded she return. She refused. I'm still unsure what happened, but we buried our mother a short time later. Our father ignored me and beat Caleb for everything. Caleb tried hard to please him, but there was no pleasing that man. We thought things would get better when father remarried our aunt, mother's sister. She brought Derek with her. I'm fairly certain, father had had a relationship with our aunt prior to their marriage, but without proof, Derek remains our cousin."

"Derek would stay in the house most of the time. Caleb couldn't stand being around him and much preferred being outside. By the time he was six, he could saddle his own horse, feed cattle, everything the grown men could do. Nothing he did was ever good enough. Father would find even minuscule things wrong with Caleb's chores and he would beat him ferociously. Derek started blaming things on Caleb and our father believed him, punishing him for Derek's transgressions. When I got married at seventeen, Caleb had had enough. He left home, determined to never go back."

"When we left, father's will had named Caleb as the sole benefactor. Unfortunately, sometime during his absence, Derek has convinced our father to bequeath everything to him unless Caleb meets several requirements. He must be at the Montana ranch at Christmas. He must marry. He and his mate must produce children. The first two items had time limits. The third did not."

"When is the time limit on the second?"

"It's already passed. The deadline was Caleb's birthday, several weeks ago. We had all assumed he'd let his inheritance go. He had planned a cattle drive to Colorado. The last thing he wants is to see our father and Derek again. And, given all the misguided, tragic and failed marriages he's seen in his life, he's sworn off marriage completely. Then he showed up at our ranch with his plans changed to drive the cattle north instead of west."

Dani sat heavily on the edge of the bed. "Are you saying we're married?"

Ana sat next to her. "I have no idea."

A knock sounded at the door as Dani stared blankly at her boots. Caleb entered the room and glanced at the two women. "Are you ready? We need to go as soon as possible."

Dani rose and gathered her dress, intent on folding it and adding it to her trunk. Ana's hands covered her own. She looked up into Ana's eyes, unspoken questions flooding the space between them.

"I'll take care of these. You go."

Dani swallowed hard. "Thank you."

Ana nodded as Dani turned and followed Caleb out of the hotel.

She opened her mouth to speak but Caleb pointed to her horse. "Get mounted. We gotta ride hard."

Dani almost smiled when she saw the hat hanging off the pommel. She climbed onto the horse, patting the mare's neck then watched Caleb check the ropes on the pack horses' loads before swinging into his own saddle. He glanced at her and wheeled his horse around. Dani nudged her mare forward to follow the pack string.

Caleb kept looking back at her, as if making sure she were following. Dani urged her horse to keep up as Caleb set a faster pace, following the sun as it dipped lower in the sky.

"We've got another day to ride before we catch up with the herd. We'll stop by those trees."

Dani nodded, her limbs aching when Caleb finally pulled his horse to a stop.

Caleb fumbled in his saddle bags for a moment before pulling out a small package. He handed it to her as he picketed the horses.

She opened the package to find pairs of sliced bread, hunks of cheese and two apples.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder. "Didn't wanna deal with a fire tonight. There's another pack for breakfast."

Dani's stomach growled. She grabbed an apple and took a big bite, savoring the sweetness as the juice dripped down her chin.

Caleb grinned. "Didn't know you liked apples so much."

Dani wiped her chin. "They were a treat, only once in a while and usually split between several people."

"You can have mine too if you'd like."

Dani looked at him with shocked disbelief.

Caleb bit into a hunk of bread. "What?"

"Nothing," Dani shook her head. "I just..."

"Just what?"

"No one's ever been as generous as you."

Caleb shrugged. "It's only an apple. Get some sleep. We got a long ride ahead of us."