"Everything looks great." Dr. Ebbits told Adam and Hannah McFadden. "It won't be much longer now. "Twins have a habit of showing up early. It's probably best that you aren't left alone for long periods from here on out."

"And you said I was being ridiculous!" Adam said.

"Fine." She said. "But he's just saying this today. You've been paranoid since day one!"

He shook his head at her. "Independent women!" He said to Dr. Ebbits. "What can you do with a difficult and beautiful woman?"

"I feel like I had this same conversation with your father just last week. How can it be that you're the one having a baby?"

Adam shrugged. "Time marches on, I guess."

"Do you have any questions for me?" Dr. Ebbits said laughing.

"Well, I'm sort of wondering if there's an easier way than actual labor." Hannah said nervously.

"Well, did you ask your mother how long her labor was? It is generally similar."

"She died." Hannah said. "I missed my chance. We are a parent-less pair." She smiled.

Dr. Ebbits paused and resting a hand on Hannah's shoulder said, "You know, as far as the McFadden family is concerned, I delivered E through G. A - D were already born when I came to Murphys, so I missed out on your husband's first breath. It doesn't seem that long ago that Guthrie was born. I suppose it isn't the same as having family there but . . ." He shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll take all the family we can get." Hannah said softly, a hand on his arm.

***7***

"Is your walkie fully charged?" Adam asked.

"Yes." Hannah sighed. "Adam, that's the third time you asked me."

"I just don't like leaving you all alone." He said.

"The kids will be home in two hours and I've got a fully-charged walkie talkie." She put her arms around his neck. "Now go on. You don't want to be late. I'm not the baby, they are." She kissed him.

"Alright, we'll probably be back around five. Don't do anything crazy or cook something fancy." Adam hesitated at the doorway. "You turned the walkie on, right?"

"Adam J. McFadden, Jr., get out!" She shoved him out the door.

"I was just teasing, honey!" He shouted through the door.

About ten seconds later he heard the crackle of his walkie-talkie. "Adam?"

"Right here." He said.

"Just checking." She said laughing. "Good luck. I love you, honey."

"I love you too, darlin'."

***7***

"It's a beautiful piece of property." Mr. Springer said. They stood at the far end of the southern pasture. Adam, Brian, Crane and Mr. Springer had rode out together. Adam had thought he would want to take the jeep but Mr. Springer was proving to be quite a surprise.

"I asked all over town and couldn't find anyone who would say anything negative about you." Mr. Springer said.

"You must not have talked to too many people then." Brian said with a grin.

"Well, Wheeler wasn't too fond of your methods, but I figured that was just sour grapes."

"Yeah, he doesn't like us much." Adam said.

"So it is just you and your brothers running it?" Springer asked.

"Well, we had help the first couple years. Friends of our parents helped out. The younger ones were pretty little so they couldn't help then, but since then it's just my brothers, and my wife."

"I heard you're expecting. Your first?"

"Yeah." Adam grinned. "Twins."

"Wow! Boys?"

"We are waiting to find out." Adam said.

"No better surprise. I've got three kids. My son is nineteen and I can't imagine him being able to take care of himself, let alone raise his sisters and run my business!"

"Well, you'ld be surprised what people can do when they have no choice." Brian said.

"There's always a choice. You could have sent the little ones to a home. You could have said it was too much. You could have sold of his ranch." Mr. Springer said.

"No. We couldn't have." Adam said.

Springer studied him for a moment. "No, I don't suppose you could have." Adam looked at Brian who gave him a wink.

"Can you show me your books?" Springer asked.

"Sure. We can head back to the house and if I know my wife, there will at least be pie."

Hannah had laid out a full spread and after dinner and desert, Crane showed him the account books. Crane was a meticulous bookkeeper, and Timothy Springer was clearly impressed.

"I'm going to send my assistant out. He's on a trip now, say in about six weeks. You can hammer out a contract together. We'll need to determine specifically what equipment you'll need and what kind of investment I'm looking at. Circle Bar Seven is just that sort of company we want to be a part of. I see small ranches and farms like your as being the backbone of this nation. I'm sick to death of international conglomerates supplying our industries. I'll call you next week, alright." He shoots hands with everyone and they all walked out to the porch with him.

"Mrs. McFadden, thank you for that fine meal, but promise me someone else is going to clean up or I will be riddled with guilt."

"No guilt necessary, sir." Ford said. "We got it covered."

"Fine then. Oh and Adam?" Adam looked up. "As for Wheeler, he's got nothing but respect for you." Adam's eyes grew wide in surprise. "He doesn't dislike you. He'd admires you and your land. That's why he keeps trying to buy it." He nodded his head, and they all watched his car disappear down the driveway.

They were silent.

"That was good, right?" Izzy finally asked. Crane lifted her up and kissing her cheek said, "That was fantastic!" And then the hugging and shouting began.

***7***

Daniel wandered out from the barn. When Hannah's niece had come to live with them, they had converted their father's old office in the barn, to a small apartment. They called it the bachelor's apartment, and Daniel shared it with Crane and Brian. Since, Hannah's arrival, Guthrie no longer awoke to nightmares, and so either slept downstairs alone, or sometimes bunked in with Ford and Evan. Leaving behind his snoring older brothers, in the bachelor apartment, he walked over to the house. It was silent and dark. He sat on the front steps and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

"You gonna tell me, now?" Crane asked sitting beside him.

"I got a call day before yesterday from that talent agent I met with. One of Tommy Noma's guitar players checked himself into rehab. They need a replacement."

"Tommy Noma? 'My Love is All There Is' Tommy Noma?" Crane asked.

"Yep." Daniel said. "They need somebody to finish out the tour; six months."

"But this is great! He's kind of a big deal, isn't he?" Daniel nodded. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I can't go. How could I go? I've got an obligation to this ranch. I've got an obligation to this family."

"It's six months, little brother. We can survive that long. You've a right to your own life."

"Really? What about you? What about Brian? Do you get to do what you want? What about Adam?"

"Adam's different." Crane said.

"'Cause he was born first? That's stupid. I can't do it." He rose and paced.

"You're going." Crane said.

"You don't understand, Crane. They need me next Thursday. I'd miss the babies. I'd miss everything."

"Those babies will be around for awhile and you can't stay. I forbid it." Crane rose and crossed the lawn and disappeared back inside the barn.