Milan, Italy

1903

As her father's coffin was lowered into the ground, Rosalie Romano raised a handkerchief to her eyes and dabbed gently. Her siblings stood alongside her, but she still felt alone. They all had their spouses and children, but she had dedicated her life to taking care of her aging parents, never marrying or even entertaining the idea of a sweetheart.

“You will live with us now,” whispered Elenora. “I already spoke to Marco. He's willing to have you move into the guest room.”

The word 'willing' stood out to her. She knew that Marco wasn't eager to have her move into their home and only allowed it because he loved his wife. Rosa shook her head a little.

“I'll keep living in the house for now. I have so many things to organize. Thank you for the offer, sweet sister.”

A frown appeared on Elenora's face, but she quickly wiped it away. “Whatever you say, dear. You can move in whenever you are ready.”

As the second oldest sister, Elenora had stepped in as the responsible one when the eldest, Elizabetta, had moved away to America to help their cousin, Kate Winston. Rosa suspected that she would have taken on the role of caregiver for their parents if Rosa hadn't insisted that she marry Marco. He was a decent man and loved her sister ardently. His biggest flaw, however, was that he was fiercely devoted to his family at the exclusion of all others. He would see her presence as an intrusion, and that would cause a rift in their marriage. She could not allow that.

Her other siblings did not have enough room for her, so she needed to make a plan that would free them from any guilt regarding her situation.

The reception after the funeral was lively and somber in equal measures. The patriarch of the Romano family had left a legacy of joy and would be missed, but they were there to celebrate his life as much as to mourn his passing. Her oldest brother had said it best during the funeral.

“His death leaves a hole in our lives, but Heaven is rejoicing to welcome a saint. One day, we will stand and sing together before our King. What a day that will be.”

There hadn't been a dry eye in the church after that.

“Thank you for your speech, Lorenzo,” she said to him after. “It was beautiful and a tribute to our papa. He would be so proud of you.”

“Grazie, sister. I am grateful to hear you say so. I loved him dearly and...” His eyes became moist, and he could say no more. She pulled him into a warm embrace and kissed his cheek.

He'd expressed remorse that he could not offer her a place in his home, but she understood. The family restaurant had been passed down to him, but it was still just a shadow of what it had once been ten years before. The mafia boss, Mr. De Luca, had made sure that it was not popular. It was his way of punishing the family for shaming him in refusing his son the bride he'd wanted, their oldest sister who had since married a man she’d met in Montana. Although it was not an offense worthy of death, the man still took every opportunity to make their lives miserable.

“You should sell the restaurant,” she murmured. “Take the money and your family and move to Sicily or anywhere else.”

He shook his head. “I would hate to give it up and let him win. Papa loved the restaurant.”

“He loved it as it once was, not as it has become. Please consider my words.”

When everyone had finally left, Rosa felt both relieved and bereft. The house ached with loneliness, as did her heart. As hard as it was to be surrounded by her family, it was so much worse to be alone.

“What now, Papa?” she whispered to the likeness they’d put on display. “What should I do?”

The restaurant was Lorenzo's inheritance, and each of the sisters had been given a portion of the remaining estate, but the bulk of their parents' remaining funds went to her as she'd given up any hope of a family to take care of them. None of the others begrudged her the money. In fact, many of her siblings even offered her their portion, but she had turned them down.

“I have enough,” she’d told them. “I will sell the house, of course. There is no way I could live here now, and the money from that along with what is in the bank will see me through.”

Now, as she walked around the large house, she touched the furniture and remembered the days when it had been full of life and laughter, the days before Mr. De Luca's son had set his sights on Elizabetta. All the family would forever define their lives as before and after this event. Her parents hadn't allowed the disaster to dampen their faith, but his threats were an ominous cloud that forever hung over them.

Sitting at her father's massive desk, she picked up the stack of letters that lay there. She smiled to see a letter from her sister. It was filled with news of her life and children, mostly joyous, but then Rosa detected something that she'd previously overlooked.

“Please pray for me, dear family. I don't have the same energy as I used to. I'm sure it's just the birth of so many children, and I'm trusting God to restore my good health in His time.”

The words jumped off the page now, and Rosa felt senses prickle. Was this a sign? Was God showing her something, a direction for her life?

Putting down the letter, she folded her hands and bowed her head, seeking direction from her Heavenly Father. When she imagined moving to America, her heart sped up and a sense of certainty formed in her mind.

“If this is Your will, precious Jesus, please open the doors.”

She prayed the same prayer for the next two weeks, and although she expected a barrage of protests from her siblings at the idea of her leaving, they supported her for the most part.

“You can always come back,” Sofia assured her. “And if you feel this is God's leading, you must follow.”

Lorenzo was the only one who raised any objections, but she supposed that was due to their close relationship. In the end, he also was persuaded that she should go.

“Elizabetta will be so pleased to see you,” he conceded. “And we still have each other, so I suppose I should not be so selfish. Go with my blessing, and I will give you whatever help I can.”

And so, four weeks later after the sale of the house and a letter sent to Great Falls, Montana, Rosa boarded a ship and left the country of her birth with the confidence that she was following God's path for her future.

Jacob Bowman was trying to find the right moment to tell his brother that he was leaving. Carl had been so good to him, giving him a job when he needed it and showing him everything there was to know about ranching, that it felt hugely disloyal to now repay all his kindness by striking out on his own, but that was what he had to do. Nearly thirty-one years old, Jacob knew it was time to leave his brother's house. He might have done so earlier if he'd had the funds, but it had taken him over ten years to save the amount necessary to buy a small piece of land just north of Triple Range Ranch, the homestead of which his brother was part owner.

The parcel of land he had his eye on was dubbed Falls Creek because of its proximity to the waterfall and nearby river. He'd long thought it was the prettiest piece of land in the vicinity.

“Could I have a moment of your time, brother?” he asked after the dinner dishes were cleared away. Both Carl and his wife Amanda looked at him curiously, and he immediately regretted his formal turn of phrase. “Uh, it's just that there's something on my mind. Can we talk in private for a minute?”

After glancing at his wife, Carl rose and motioned to the door. The only privacy they were likely to get would be had outside, but that was fine. The evening was warm enough to sit on the front porch, even though it was only April.

Once they were seated, Carl leaned back in the rocker and folded his hands over his midsection, which had grown a little in the years since his marriage. “What's on your mind, Jacob?” he asked casually, but his face reflected concern. “Everything alright?”

Jacob first cleared his throat, then swallowed hard. “Uh, well, see, it's like this.” He cleared his throat again and clasped his hands in front of him so hard that his knuckles turned white. “This is what it is.”

Carl chuckled a little. “Just spit it out. I can't imagine anything so bad that you can't tell me.”

Giving a little nod, he tried again. “I want to start my own ranch.”

The rocking chair halted. “Oh, I see.” There was silence for a minute. “Where?”

Jacob glanced at his brother and tried to gauge his reaction, but his face was neutral. “Uh, over by Falls Creek. There's nice piece of land there that would perfect for raising horses. I, uh, did a bit of research when we went to town last, and it seems the military is looking for Thoroughbreds. I thought I could buy about twenty, breed them and then sell them.” The words all came out in a rush, but now that they had been said, Jacob felt some relief.

Carl had yet to comment, but his brow lowered a little and he resumed rocking.

“It wouldn't interfere with Triple Range's business. You guys are mostly cattle and horse-breaking.” Jacob desperately hoped his brother wouldn’t see it as a betrayal.

A nod was the only response at first. Then Carl gave him a slight smile. “I guess I should've seen this coming. You couldn't be content to live with us forever. Every man longs for his own place, his own land.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Jacob replied, his whole body relaxing at his brother's sympathetic response. “I, uh, haven't done all the figuring, but I think I have enough set by. Will you, um, help me figure it out? I know I don't have a right to ask, leaving you in a lurch and all.”

Carl's rocker stopped again. “No right? Brother, you have every right! Of course, I'll never find another man as loyal as you, but I would never hold you back. I'll do whatever I can to support you. Only...”

“Only what?” Jacob felt his heart start thumping against his ribcage again.

“Well, I can't quite see how you'll afford it all. I know what I've paid you, and it's probably not enough, so I wonder if you have worked out all the costs.”

“I asked in town, at the Land Office. They told me that section is available and the price is about what I have saved up. It's possible, I think.”

“Yeah, but what about startup costs? Thoroughbreds are mighty expensive, plus you have to build a house, a barn, fencing, and...” He trailed off, a disconcerted look on his face. “I'd like to lend, or even give you the money, but I don't think I have enough.”

Jacob blinked a few times. “Uh, I know I haven't thought of everything, but I'd at least like to buy the land. I'll keep saving if I have to, maybe start small with just a couple of horses.”

“Alright. Listen, I'll do whatever I can. Let's go into town and see what's what tomorrow. Then we'll have a better idea of what you can do. We'll even stop by the bank and see about getting a loan if need be. How's that sound?”

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Jacob looked his brother full in the face. “Thanks, Carl. That'd be great.”