Caleb sat on top of a ridge, surveying the land, watching the herd make slow progress and fighting back the surge of jealousy as he saw how close Jeremy was sitting to Dani.

"This is ridiculous. I'm acting like a school boy."

He'd seen her face when he'd made the announcement this morning. She had been so excited. "What am I gonna do? She'll never understand."

Jeremy's horse headed away from the wagon. Caleb watched as he worked the cattle at the rear, keeping the stragglers close to the herd. The wagon lurched across the dry earth, a small cloud of dust following along behind like the dark clouds that gathered in his mind.

"Maybe I'll tell her when she stops the wagon for the night." Caleb spurred his horse back down to his place at the head of the herd.

The cattle plodded across the plains so much slower than Caleb wanted. He knew they needed to take their time, keep the cattle moving, but not overdo it. There wouldn't be time this fall when they finally made it to the ranch for them to put on any weight so they'd make it through the winter.

In the distance, he caught a glimpse of Dani climbing off the wagon. Jeremy picked a good spot for camp tonight.

Caleb waved a hand to George, giving him instructions before he rode toward the wagon.

"Afternoon, Dani."

Dani's head shot up in alarm as she fumbled with the load of sticks she was carrying.

Caleb chuckled and dismounted, holding the reins in one hand while he helped gather the scattered firewood. "Sorry I scared you."

She shrugged and turned back to the wagon. He watched as she knelt in the dirt and coaxed a small fire to life.

"What can I help with?" He tied the horse to a wagon wheel and turned to face her.

"The team. I don't know how..."

He nodded and moved to unhitch the animals. Caleb stole glances at Dani as she worked. She seemed very efficient as she mixed dough and stirred the beans, almost at the same time.

She glanced up and Caleb blushed. He knew she'd caught him watching her. "Did you mean what you said?"

He cocked his head to one side, confused.

"About freeing us."

"I, uh. Yeah. All the men will go free."

"But not me."

"Dani, your case is totally different than theirs."

She stood and brushed flour from her hands. "I don't see how. I'm as much a slave as they are."

Caleb sighed. "Sit down. Let's talk a while."

Dani moved to sit and almost glared a hole through his forehead as he sat across the fire from her. "I got some interesting news at the auction, which is why the price went so high." He shrugged. "At any rate, an attorney came with news of my father's will. It seems that I need to be in Montana for Christmas. The original plan was to drive the cattle to Colorado and take over the ranch there. Anyway, the lawyer also told me that I needed to be married before my birthday. Two weeks ago."

Dani raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"There's no easy way to say this, so here it is. We're married. I had the paperwork filed before we left New Orleans."

"What? How?"

Caleb shrugged. "According to the law in Louisiana, a slave owner can marry off a slave with or without his or her knowledge or consent. You were convenient."

Shock flooded over her face. "I don't believe you."

Caleb stood and retrieved a satchel from his saddlebags. He pulled several papers out. "Can you read?"

She nodded. "A little."

He knelt beside her and pointed to her name on an official looking document. "This is you. And this is me. The priest signed it here and he had these witnesses sign it as well."

Caleb watched as she swallowed hard. Her lips moving to form the words written on the page. Her head shook back and forth. "No. How can that be? I wasn't there. I didn't know."

Caleb refolded the papers. "In all fairness, I was drunk when I did it. I should have sobered up and thought it through. But, it's done." He lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "We're married. At least doing that fulfilled most of the parts of the will."

"Most?"

Caleb stood and returned the documents to his bags. "Yeah. There's still the matter of 'creating heirs' but that'll come."

Dani's eyes widened even further. "Ch-children?" She shook her head. "I can't be married to you."

"Like it or not, it's true. You're pretty much stuck with me. I won't lose my inheritance because my bride got cold feet before we got to the ranch."

She shook her head. "I won't go through with it. You can't make me."

Caleb gritted his teeth. "I can and I will. If you don't go through with it, I'll just stop at the next town and sell off all the cattle and the men. Sam will draw an exceptionally high price. Everyone seems to want him for those fight rings they've set up."

Dani blanched and swallowed hard. Caleb instantly wished he'd never said the words. He couldn't ever sell these men. He'd set them all free first.

Tears filled her eyes as she lunged to her feet and stumbled out of camp. Caleb could hear her sobs as she raced away from the wagon.

"Dani! Wait!"