by Emily Woods
In that happy moment, Jacob almost wished that he could believe, but it was going to take a lot more than some encouraging words and a mug of cocoa.
It was going to take a miracle.
8
Over the next week, the plans for Falls Creek Ranch were sketched out, and Jacob, Alex, and Cole met regularly to discuss the details, each man carving out a role for himself. Cole had been training horses with Thomas, Triple Range's horse man and local animal doctor, so he would be in charge of breaking in horses and making sure they were up to military standards.
Alex had been a star student and knew his way around the business world. He'd nearly gone to Stanford University before coming to Triple Range and was designated as the ranch's accountant and general business man.
That left Jacob. At first, he wasn't sure what his role would be, but it became abundantly clear that they needed a person to oversee the day-to-day tasks, manage the men they would eventually hire, meet with people, and make sure the entire operation was running smoothly. They needed a big picture man, and he would be it.
The three of them fit together naturally and became even closer friends than before. Cole and Alex even promised to help Jacob build a house.
“In the meantime, you can stay with me,” Alex told him on the first day of their meeting. They got together at Carl's house because it was quietest place during the day. They had space and room to work and talk, and Amanda kept their coffee cups filled. “I think that's better than bunking in with the soon-to-be newlyweds.”
Grinning at Cole, Jacob nodded. “Definitely.”
But they all agreed that the first priority was building a fence that would encompass enough land for five horses to be turned out for exercise.
“After that's done, we'll build a paddock for training. It's not possible to break a horse in a large space,” Cole informed.
Both Triple Range and Crawford Ranch knew about the venture and had offered the loan of a few men to help.
“With ten of us working for a couple weeks, we should be able to fence off enough land for about five horses,” Alex surmised as he worked the figures out on a sheet of paper. “Thomas said you need about two acres for the first horse and then one additional acre for each horse thereafter.”
The task seemed enormous, but the suggested purchase seemed small to Jacob.
“Just five horses?” he asked in dismay. “But I thought we would start with than double that. Plus, Carl offered to loan me more, as did the bank.”
Alex shook his head. “We need to start like this and see how it goes. If we make any mistakes, underestimate our ability, we want our losses to be small.”
It was logical, but still underwhelming.
“If you say so,” he grumbled.
“Cheer up,” Cole declared, giving him a hearty slap on the back. “Everyone starts off small and works their way up. Let's not bite off more than we can chew, right?”
Jacob was a little annoyed that the younger men came across as wiser, but he knew better than to start arguing. After all, he wasn't in this alone.
“Alright, if you say so. I guess because I'm older, I'm in more of a hurry to make a profit.”
“Try to be patient, Grandpa,” Alex teased. “We'll be in the black before you need your rocking chair. I promise.”
“Ha-ha,” Jake returned, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I'll hold you to that promise, young 'un.”
The three enjoyed a laugh and looked over their plans once more.
“Well, I guess that's it for today,” Jacob declared. “We'll set out gathering wood for the fence tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep, children.”
Alex and Cole chuckled a bit more, but made no move to leave.
“One more thing. Let's pray over this before we go,” Cole said. “No plan is worth doing without God's blessing.”
Jacob shifted in his seat, wanting to protest, but what could he say?
“Don't you think God already knows what's happening? He'll either bless us or he won't.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but from the looks on the faces of the other two, he knew he didn't succeed.
“Uh, well, that's one way to look at,” Alex agreed slowly. “But God wants us to pray about stuff before we do it.”
“Why?” Jacob hated to show his doubt to these younger men, but the question slipped out before he could think to stop it.
Blinking a few times, Cole appeared to give the question some thought before answering. “Because then we'll thank Him for our success and not give all the credit to ourselves.”
“And if we fail?” Jacob couldn't resist this last question. How did these men, nearly ten years younger than himself, have such strong faith? They'd both been through trials of their own. He knew their stories and couldn't understand how they'd come to have such deep trust in God.
“Then God wants something else for us. But, Jacob, I've prayed about this every night and believe that God is guiding us to do this. I can't say why, but I have faith that this is the right thing.”
“Alright,” he conceded begrudgingly. “Let's pray.”
As Cole led them in prayer, Jacob listened, but his heart remained hard.
“Thank you, God, for everything You've done. Thank you for bringing the three of us together to make this ranch happen. You know the end from the beginning, and You knew this was going to happen. We pray You bless our partnership and guide us to make wise decisions. Help us to be godly men in business, honest to a fault. We pray that our business brings You honor and glory. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”
Alex echoed the last word, but Jacob was silent, and he couldn't stop himself from asking a question.
“You know, I've never really understood why people say that at the end of a prayer. And why do other people repeat it?”
Alex tilted his head. “Amen? It's to show that we're in agreement. The Bible says that if two or three people on Earth agree on something, God will do it.”
This was news to Jacob. He pulled back a little in disbelief. “You can't be serious. So, just by asking God to do something, He'll do it because two of you ask? I don't think that can be right. My parents used to pray that my father would get his job back, and he never did.”
He saw that the two of them were at a bit of a loss as what to say.
Alex recovered first. “Uh, well, I can't speak about your parents' situation, or anyone's really, and to be honest, there have been times where God didn't answer a prayer that I prayed with a friend, but...”
“But what? I don't understand the point.” He wished he didn’t sound so hostile, but these questions had been piling up in his mind for years.
Cole sighed. “We don't know God's mind or what His plans are. Sometimes we ask for stuff that's not what He wants, and His will comes first.”
Although he wanted to argue further, there didn't seem to be much point, so Jacob decided to stop asking them about matters of religion. He recognized that he was coming across somewhat antagonistic.
“Okay, well, hopefully this will be one of those times that our plans line up with His.” He stood, signifying that he wanted the conversation to come to an end. “See you both bright and early tomorrow at Cole's house?”
Awkwardly, the two younger men got to their feet and agreed. Even though they were equal partners, it was clear that Jacob, being that much older and having much more experience ranching, was going to take the lead. If they wanted to question his decision, he'd listen, but ultimately, he believed he knew better, not only in ranching but in life. However, he wouldn't question their beliefs again. It was one thing for him to lose his faith, but to cause another person to do so was something else entirely.
From now on, he'd keep his thoughts on God to himself.
Even though Elise had been steadily improving, Rosa would hardly let her lift a finger around the house. She cooked, cleaned the house, did laundry, and was about to take over the gardening before her sister put an end to her dominee
ring.
“It's my favorite chore, Rosa,” Elise argued. “Besides that, being out in the fresh air and sunshine is good for me. I'm sure of it. Now, if you'd like to help me, please feel free, but I will work in my own garden.”
“Fine!” she exclaimed, crossing her arms and glaring. “And if you faint dead away, I'll leave you there this time.”
Elise said nothing, but just raised her eyebrows and stalked out of the house, Rosa practically on her heels. When Elise took up the gardening hoe to turn over the dirt, Rosa snatched it out of her hands.
“You can't do such a demanding task!” she declared. “I didn't realize you hadn't even turned the soil yet. What are you thinking?”
Sighing deeply, Elise put her hands on her hips and gave her sister a look that was part tenderness and part exasperation. “I'm not trying to haul timber, dear sister. I'm just going to dig in the dirt a little.”
Rosa’s nose crinkled. Apparently, she wasn’t going to win this fight. “Do you have another hoe? I'll do the digging and you can do the turning.”
This seemed to be a reasonable compromise, and over the next two hours, they managed to finish the task between the two of them.
“The weather is warming up nicely,” Elise commented. “I think we're safe to put the seeds in.”
Rosa shook her head. “Better wait. Two days ago, there was frost in the morning.”
“Oh, and now you're an expert on Montana spring, I see.” It could have turned into another argument, but the comment was made teasingly.
However, Rosa still was in a mood. “I'm just going based on what I see,” she replied abruptly. “But if you want to kill your plants, that's up to you.”
Putting down her gardening tools, Elise walked over to where her sister was standing. “What is it, dear? Why are you so sensitive today?”
It was hard for Rosa to put into words without sounding childish. Releasing a sigh, she explained. “Part of me is worried that you are pushing yourself too hard, too fast. And the other part of me...”
“Yes?”
“Oh, I don't know. I guess I think that if you don't need me anymore, I'll have to leave, and I don't know where I'll go!”
As difficult as the confession was, releasing her secret worry eased the burden from her mind.
“Rosa,” Elise started, taking her sister's hand. “You have somewhere to go, and that somewhere is here. Even if I make a full recovery, I will be tremendously happy to share my home with you for as long as you will stay. I know John feels the same way.”
“He does?” she mumbled, ducking her head as tears started to prick the backs of her eyes.
“Yes, cara. He does indeed. In fact, he was worried that you were thinking about leaving and told me he hopes you stay for as long as possible. When I asked him what he would do if you stayed for the rest of your life, do you know what he said?”
Rosa shook her head, worried what the reply would be.
“He said, and I quote, 'Praise the Lord!' Now, tell me, does that sound like a man who's trying to make you move out of his house?”
The sob that had threatened turned into a half-strangled laugh. “Really? He really said that?” she asked. Affection for the man who loved her sister so much welled up in her heart. “Are you sure he isn't Italian?”
The two of them laughed together as they went in the house for some refreshment.
9
After having lemonade and cookies, Elise suggested going for a walk to pick the children up from school.
“Are you sure?” Rosa asked skeptically. “I wouldn't want you to overdo it.”
“I would say if I didn't think I could do it. Please, let's walk. It's such a lovely day. We can take a break if I feel the least bit tired.”
The two of them walked arm in arm toward the school, a small building less than an hour away.
Before long, they spotted a number of men chopping trees.
“Good afternoon,” Elise called out pleasantly. “What are you up to?”
A few of them halted in their labor, but Rosa only recognized Jacob. She had yet to meet the men from the neighboring ranches. That honor was reserved for the party, she thought wryly.
“Cutting down timber for a fence,” one man replied, standing upright and wiping his brow. All the men appeared to have been working hard for some time, given the profusion of sweat obvious on their bodies. Even though it was only April, each man had shucked his coat and had his shirt sleeves pushed far up his arms. Rosa tried not to notice, but the muscles on Jacob's back strained against the thin fabric of his shirt as he swung his ax against the base of a tree.
Elise nodded and smiled. “Ah, yes, the fence for your property. How long will that take?”
Rosa didn't wish to linger but couldn't think of a polite way move her sister on.
“With the three of us and the other five men that Luke sent our way as well as the two from Crawford Ranch, we hope to be done within two weeks.”
“Wonderful! And how many horses will you bring in?”
“Five to start,” another man replied. “But more as we become sure of what we're doing.”
“Oh! Where are my manners? Rosa, this is Alex and this is Cole, friends from Triple Range who are going to partner with Jacob on his new ranch.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she murmured, meeting their eyes briefly and then turning as though she intended to continue walking.
However, Elise was in no hurry to go. The four of them chatted for a few more minutes, and Rosa made an effort to be friendly, but she could feel Jacob's eyes on her the whole time. She didn't give him the satisfaction of returning his gaze, no matter how much she would have liked to catch another glimpse of him hard at work.
Pretending to be affected by the warmth of the day, she fanned herself with her hand. “I hope the school is not very much farther,” she said softly. “I think I am very hot with this warm sun.”
Her English sounded stiff and broken to her ears, but no one else seemed to notice. Then, before she realized what was happening, a canteen was thrust in front of her. The hand that offered it was attached to none other than the man she was trying to avoid.
“It's still pretty cold,” he assured her. “Good thing to carry if you're out for a walk on a warm day.”
Even though she was suddenly thirsty, she pretended not to be. “I am fine, thank you. I just like to walk out of the sun for a moment.”
Jacob didn't seem too perturbed by her rejection, and merely lifted the canteen to his own mouth and drank deeply.
“Ahh, nothing like fresh mountain water. Have you ever tasted it?”
Rosa lifted her chin a little. “I have tasted water before, yes, thank you.”
“Yes, but straight from the river after a spring runoff?” He offered the canteen again. When Elise nudged her none too gently, Rosa felt compelled to take the container.
“Thank you.” She sipped a little, well aware that his mouth had just been on it. At first, she was planning to just allow a few drops to trickle into her mouth, but the water was refreshingly cold and crisp. Before she knew what she'd done, the canteen was empty.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “I appear to, um, drink all the water.”
The small group laughed.
“That'll happen with our river's water, miss,” Cole said warmly. “But no need to fret. The river is just a little ways yonder.”
“Then I shall refill,” she declared, striding in the direction he'd indicated before anyone could stop her. She hoped to have a few minutes alone to compose herself, but much to her chagrin, she heard footsteps behind her and knew that they had to belong to Jacob.
“I can find the way,” she informed him without turning around.
“Oh, I'm not worried about that,” he replied, catching up to her easily and then walking abreast. “I just wanted to cool off. Also, it's easy enough to find the river, but I wanted to make sure you could find your way back as well.”
“Oh, well then, I thank you.�
�
It was only a few minutes before they were beside the river. The water rushed past violently, and Rosa wondered how she was going to refill the canteen without getting swept away.
“There's a calm place down here,” Jacob told her, motioning for her to follow. He took a few steps down some slippery boulders and then held out his hand to assist her. She hesitated, not wanting to encourage him, but she could see that it was either take his hand or fall, in which case, he would be obliged to catch her. She opted for the former, but as soon as it was safe to do so, she released his hand and knelt beside the river.
Trying not to notice, Rosa saw Jacob remove his boots and wade into the river. He didn’t remove anything else, but he might as well have. After splashing water on himself, his shirt clung to his form, revealing every muscle and sinew. The sight of such a man was hard to ignore when he was right in her line of vision, so Rosa turned her back on him and focused on filling up the canteen. She only hoped that he couldn't see her face flushing.
Once the canteen was filled, she got to her feet and tried to determine if she could climb up the bank without ending up in the river beside him. There seemed to be a path that wasn't terribly mucky, and Rosa decided to risk it, anything to get away from the scene in front of her.
It wasn't that she had never seen a man in such a state before, but the sight of Jacob, a man who had shown himself to be kind and compassionate, built up her bitterness. In that moment, she prayed for God's help to get her out of this situation.
By some small wonder, she managed to get up and over the slippery rocks and headed back in the direction that she hoped was right. She really didn't need to get lost at this point and have others come in search of her.
“Help me find my way back, Lord,” she mumbled as she pushed through the trees.