The Trail Boss's Bride: inspirational historical romance (Journeys of the Heart Book 3) by Erica Vetsch

Steve is taking a large herd to market so he can save the ranch his parents owned.  His father had taken a loan to improve the place.  It did, but it also laid a big debt on the place.  Now he and his little brother are on the trail and hope to get where they are going in time.

Wild Heart Books shared this book with me for a review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.  (You can get all three in one package on Amazon.)

What Steve didn't need was to find an apparently abandoned wagon in the middle of the river crossing.  Now they'd have to move it first.  He thinks he found a dead body in the wagon but it turns out to be a woman in labor. He has no idea how to deliver a baby.  He calls for his cook.  The cook won't deliver it so he fires him.  And then he attempts to help her...

When he finds out her husband is dead and their mules were stolen by Indians, he loads her in the cook wagon and takes her with them.  None of the men are happy.  They think she's bad luck.  He promises to send her on her way at the next town.

In the meantime the baby, named Little Critter by the men) is charming everyone.  Kitty doesn't want to be sent back home and offers to be their cook.  No one is excited about it but she wins them over.

I especially liked the ending of this one.  It's unusual and a very nice touch.  I bet you'll get a smile out of it, too.