Dani's hand cradled her burgeoning middle as she stormed into Heber's study.

"What do you want?"

She pulled out a chair and sat.

"I didn't invite you to stay."

Anger flashed in her eyes. "This is a business meeting, not one for pleasure."

His eyebrows raised.

She sighed. "The ranch is facing a crisis. I can't sell the cattle. No one will do business with me as a woman. They won't deal with David because he's a child. They won't deal with Rasmus or George or Luke because of their color. Rosa's husband is the same because he's mexican. I need you present when I take the cattle in. Otherwise, it'll be thievery. Our ranch will flounder. Caleb will have nothing when he returns."

"You think one failed cattle drive will be the death of the ranch?"

"Have you gone over the accounts? Derek drove this place to the brink of ruination. We need to act. Now. The bankers have already been by demanding their first payment for Derek's misguided investment. I'll not sell the land to prospectors as we need it for the cattle."

Heber shook his head. "I don't believe you."

She pursed her lips. "Would you like me to send for Rosa? She can gather the books and bring them here."

"Don't bother. I have my own copy." He withdrew several books from a desk drawer.

Dani leaned across the table, her eyes widened when she realized his books were vastly different than the ones she had found. A chill ran down her spine. Heber had been duped just as much as Caleb had.

"You didn't write your will, did you?"

Heber shook his head. "I just glanced at it and signed it. It had Caleb inheriting the majority. I didn't read the details."

She bit her lip, trying to hold back her frustration. "Rosa!" She lifted herself from the chair and opened the door. "Rosa!"

The woman appeared, concern flooding her face. "Is it the baby?"

"No. I need the books for the ranch accounts from my room, please."

Rosa nodded and scurried away. She returned moments later carrying the small stack of books. Dani took them from her and spread them across Heber's desk.

"These are the records I found in Derek's room." Her fingers traced across the page, noting the differences. In Heber's book, everything appeared normal. In Derek's, they were beyond dire.

Heber swallowed hard. "This can't be right."

"I fear it is. I've been to the bank. I've discussed the accounts." She shook her head. "There is no other way. We need this shipment of cattle to go to break even. It'd be better if it brought top dollar. I need you to make that a possibility."

Heber shook his head. "I know nothing of cattle."

"But you do know about bargaining. Do this for your son. Do it for Caleb."

"Him? He left. He won't return."

"He was forced into the army by Derek. It was a list ditch effort to make it so he couldn't inherit the ranch. It was the last thing Derek could do to stave off ruin."

He swallowed hard.

Dani paced around the room. "If you won't do it for him, do it for your grandchild. This baby deserves a place to live. A place to grow up. A place to be happy."

"I'll think about it."

Dani threw his coat into his lap. "Think about it in the wagon. We're leaving now."

Dani wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as she sat in the wagon, waiting for Heber to appear. "I swear, I'll drag that man out here." Her hand wrapped around her stomach as another twinge gripped her.

Heber stormed out of the house and swung onto the bench. "Why are we bringing the wagon?"

"Rosa needs supplies."

He rolled his eyes even as Dani urged the team forward. He gripped the rail as Dani drove the team toward town. "Must you drive so fast?"

"Yes," she hissed between gritted teeth.

The sun had reached its zenith as they pulled into town. Dani gritted her teeth as her stomach tightened again. Just wait. One crisis at a time.

She swung to the ground, ignoring Heber's attempts to help her. Clutching her stomach in one hand and her skirts in the other, she climbed the stairs to the office she'd left the day before.

"Ah, Mrs. Kirkland. My decision remains the same. I'll not do business with you."

Heber cleared his throat. "But you will do business with me."

The man's eyes widened. "Why, yes sir. Mr. Kirkland. I wasn't aware you were here."

"Obviously."

Dani nearly collapsed into the chair Heber pulled out.

"So, tell me what we're talking about."

"Five cents a pound," the man stated quickly.

Dani shook her head.

Heber shot her a sideways glance. "Mr. Horacly, I don't believe we'll take that deal. I'm quite sure you can do better."

The man shuffled some papers and muttered to himself for a moment. "Ten cents a pound."

Dani grimaced.

"No. I'm thinking more along the lines of thirty."

Horacly spit the coffee he'd just drank across the table. Dani reached up a gloved hand to wipe the drops from her face.

"You must be joking."

Heber cocked his head. "Am I? How about you try again with a fair market price and then step it up a bit for the inconvenience you've caused us."

"I, uh. I can probably do, uh, fifteen cents a pound."

"Twenty."

The man's eyes widened. "I could do sixteen and that's it."

"You're getting warmer."

Dani raised an eyebrow as she sat through another contraction. Her fingers tightened around her handbag.

"Fine. Eighteen. I can do eighteen."

Heber turned to her. "Is eighteen sufficient?"

Dani gasped and clutched her stomach.

"Dani?"

"I'll do twenty if you'll get her out of my office. I don't want no baby born in here," Horacly almost shrieked.

Heber turned back to him. "Put it in writing." He put an arm around Dani, intending to guide her from the office.

Dani shook her head. "What about the horses?"

"Horses?"

She nodded. "Fifty head. Already trained for the Union Army. He's been giving twenty dollars for horses barely broke to lead."

Heber returned to his seat. "I guess our business isn't quite done."

"I'll give you whatever you want. Just get her outta here."

Heber grinned an evil grin. "I suppose one hundred dollars a head would be outrageous."

Horacly blanched. "I-I can't."

Heber chuckled. "How much do we need, Dani?"

"Sixty," she muttered.

Horacly grimaced. "Fifty."

Heber slapped the table. "Done. Write it up and we'll leave."

Horacly's pen scratched the paper amazingly fast. "Sign here."

Heber picked up the paper and read through the chicken scratch. He placed pen to paper and signed. "Next time, it'd be in your best interest to do business with my daughter-in-law." He took Dani's arm and escorted her from the building. "That was a stroke of genius, my dear. Feigning labor."

Dani's fingers tightened around his arm. "I'm not feigning."

Heber blanched and immediately steered her to the nearest hotel. "Send for the doctor and get me a room."

The owner scrambled to do Heber's bidding, almost throwing a key at him before bolting out the door.

Heber helped her to bed and stood near the door, fidgeting back and forth. He breathed an audible sigh of relief as the doctor entered.

"Mrs. Kirkland, how are you faring?"

Dani panted and tried to steady her breathing.

The man nodded. "Shall we see where this baby is?"

She nodded and gasped as the doctor checked her progress.

"Not quite."

His wife dabbed her head with a damp rag.

Dani was vaguely aware of lamps being lit as darkness etched its self across the room.

"Any moment, now. When you feel the urge, push."

Perspiration beaded on Dani's forehead as she held her breath and pushed. She screamed Caleb's name as the baby made it's appearance. A tiny wail answered.

Dani cried as the infant was placed on her chest.

"She's beautiful, my dear. Caleb would be proud."

"What will you name her?" The doctor's wife asked.

"Charlotte. Charlotte Belle Kirkland."

"I believe that was Caleb's mother's name."

"Yes, sir."

"It's an excellent name."

Dani smiled and drifted off to sleep, the baby cuddled against her breast.