It was a little hard for Jacob to grasp that he'd gone from being in his brother's employ to being his own boss in the matter of a week. He wasn't the boss in a traditional sense. Falls Creek Ranch wasn't going to be his alone to control and reap the profits, but for all intents and purposes, he was going to be called boss.

The three of them were meeting at the property to double-check everything one last time. As they walked around the barn that was the result of the labor of many hands, Cole had something to say to Jacob. Both he and Alex felt that Jacob should receive a slightly larger portion of the profits since he was going to be taking on more of the responsibility. At first, he'd protested, but they had insisted, outlining all his experience and responsibilities, so finally, he relented.

“Forty, thirty, thirty? Are you sure? Seems more like it should be thirty-six, thirty-two, thirty-two. Maybe we should get a lawyer to draw up some papers.”

Alex shook his head. “I can do all that and just get a lawyer to sign off on it. Jacob, we both agree on this. It's fair. I promise.”

Finally, he allowed them what they wanted, but in his heart, he knew that the responsibility would make him work all the harder, not only because he respected them but because somehow having the larger share made him feel that much more dedicated to the success of the ranch, if that was possible.

All his dreams were about to come true. The fence was well underway and would probably be finished ahead of schedule. The men who had come to help were hard-working and strong. Some of them might even come work for Falls Creek Ranch when the time came. A few had expressed a preference to work with horses over cattle, but Jacob said they had to talk to their bosses first. He wouldn't poach any hands off neighboring ranches, especially when both Luke and Wesley had been so helpful.

“I'm going to sleep well tonight,” Cole commented, rolling his shoulders a little. “I always thought I was a hard worker, but I guess something inside a man pushes him more when he's working for himself.”

“Yeah, I think you're right,” Alex agreed. “I love my father and worked hard for him, but I feel more motivated to get this ranch up and running.”

Jacob knew that Alex was Luke's son but had never talked to him about the relationship.

“How does Luke feel about you breaking away from Triple Range?”

“I think he might have been a little disappointed, but he understands. I can't live under his roof forever. Besides, he still has his children by Kate to take over if they want.”

Jacob admired the respect that Alex had for his father despite the difficulties that had passed between them. He wished he could feel the same for his own father, but some bitterness continued to linger in his heart at being forced to find his own way in the world when he was barely eighteen. He knew that most people had to do this, but he couldn't help feeling some resentment. If his father hadn't lost his job, he might have been able to stay in Minnesota a little longer, but he'd had to leave his family. He never knew why his father had been let go from his job, whether it was something he could have controlled or not, but he'd always wondered.

“Horses are coming in next week Friday, right?” Alex asked, breaking him out of his trance.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that's right. Luke is giving us one or two men to help bring them over from the train. The horses we bought are not totally green, but they aren’t anywhere near being broken either.”

It was a bit of a risk, Jacob knew, but it was what they could afford. The three had made a long-term plan that included holding back some of their resources for the future. Jacob recognized the wisdom of the plan, but he was also eager to get started. Beginning so small felt discouraging, but he didn't show his impatience to the others. They had both come from different upbringings and had money when they were young. He wouldn't call them spoiled exactly, but they hadn't ever lived in poverty.

“The fence will be done by then, and we'll have all the equipment and feed ready. Thomas said he'll come over the first day, right?” Jacob directed this question to Alex since he saw the man more than the rest of them, given that he was dating the Thomas's sister-in-law.

Alex nodded. “I reminded him just this morning. He and John will come to the station with us when the horses arrive.”

“Is that necessary?” Jacob wondered aloud.

“Better too many people than not enough,” Cole surmised. No one could argue with that.

The three wandered out to the new paddock that was ready to receive its first horse for training. Leaning against the fence, Jacob felt content and anxious all at the same time. The only thing he could think of was the horses...well, that and the sight of a pretty Italian woman refilling his canteen down by the river.

“Are you two going to John's house on Friday?” he asked casually, staring off in the direction of the falls instead of their faces.

“For sure,” Alex enthused. “He's cleared out the barn for dancing and everything. It's going to be a great party.”

“I'll be there too,” Cole chimed in. “I can't dance, but Maddie decided that now is the time to teach me. I don't know about that, but I guess I'd better do what she says.”

Jacob felt bolstered by their enthusiasm. “Yeah, I was planning to go too. Even the kids will all be there.”

Cole and Alex exchanged a look.

“I gather from Elise that it's mostly to introduce her sister to all the neighbors. You heard that?”

Nodding a little, Jacob continued to keep his eyes on the horizon. “Sure, I heard.”

“Well,” Alex continued, despite Cole poking him in the ribs, “I guess you don't really need to go, seeing as how you've met her already. I remember you once said you're not much for parties or crowds of people.”

Now he turned and gave them a frown. “You met her too. Why are you going then?”

“Same reason as Cole. Christina told me I had to take her. She wants a chance to dance, but other than that, I'd stay home.”

He could see there was something on their minds. They had some sort of secret between them.

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing,” Cole jumped in. “We're not saying anything at all, right, Alex?”

The other man couldn't hide a grin now. “I might be saying something. I think there's a better reason for you to go than the free food and music.”

Heat raced up his neck, and he turned away from them once again. “Well, I regret asking now. I don't expect you have much to say that I want to hear. Now, are you sure our fence is big enough? What if we increase the herd by double in a year?”

Seeing that the personal conversation was being cut off, Alex appeared to resign himself to talking about the ranch again.

“We'll expand as we need to, opening up at the north end and making a lane for the horses to get through to the next side.”

They talked for a few more minutes before Alex asked, “When are you moving into my house? Once you bring your bed and furniture, it'll start to feel more like a real home.”

Jacob had given that some thought. “How about the day after the party? Saturday? That alright with you?”

Alex nodded. “Sure is. We'll come by and help you out.”

“That's mighty kind. I appreciate it. Carl's letting me have a few things they don't need anymore, so we should have your house looking like a home before too long.”

The sun was starting to set, so each man took his leave—Cole and Alex back to the bunkhouse, and Jacob back to his brother's home for three more nights. After that, he would be on his way to starting a brand-new future.

The day of the party had arrived, and Rosa felt more nervous than ever. She tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get Elise to cancel. She'd even gone so far as to say she wasn't feeling well that day, but Elise didn't believe her.

“If you try to get out of it now, I'll just reschedule for next week, so there's no point in making up stories. I'm proud of you, and I want to show you off. Besides, if you meet everyone altogether, it'll be more comfortable when you see them around.”

Rosa wasn't convinced, but what could she say? It was Elise's home. She would endure the party as best she could.

After all the household chores were done, the children all got themselves ready, the oldest helping the youngest, and Rosa riffled through her own wardrobe, determined to wear something nice but not ostentatious. Her trunk had only allowed her to pack about half of the clothing she actually owned, and she'd chosen to bring her simplest dresses from Italy, except for two.

Pulling those two out now, she shook her head in dismay at the dark red dress that she'd worn for her best friend's birthday party. It had too much lace and shimmered too brightly for a countryside party. Rosa tucked it back in the trunk and turned to the alternative. The bright blue dress was also very pretty, and likely too fancy for the party, but she didn't have anything else. Fitted at the waist, the dress would show off her figure without being immodest. The sleeves puffed out at the shoulders and then cinched at the elbow and were fitted to the wrist. It wasn't bedecked with sequins and lace like the other dress, but the satin material still picked up the light.

Rosa put it on and sighed. Was it still too much? She would have to ask Elise.

Walking down the hallway to her sister's room, Rosa was well aware of how the dress rustled with its petticoats. She'd only brought three with her, well aware that fashion in the country wasn't on par with that of the city, and she wore them all now.

After gently knocking on her sister's door and being told to enter, Rosa slowly opened it and smiled at the sight of her sister brushing out the wrinkles from a very simple dress.

“It's not the cutting fashion, but it's the best thing I have,” Elise said, almost apologetically.

The soft pink dress was very flattering to her sister's slight form, but it made her feel ostentatious in comparison.

“It's beautiful,” she murmured. “I can't believe how you've kept your figure after all these children.”

“Thank you, dearest,” she replied, turning to show how it flowed. “I don't have nearly as many petticoats as...” Her voice faded as she took in the sight of Rosa. “Oh! How beautiful you are, Rosa! You'll be the envy of every woman there!”

Now she felt conspicuous in her second-best dress. “Should I change into something simpler? I don't have much else.”

“No! I want to show you off, dear. We all just wear what we have, a few of us have new dresses, but they’re always simple. The women will absolutely swoon at the sight of you, not to mention the men.”

Heat rushed into her cheeks. “I'd better change,” she said decidedly. “I don't need to attract more attention. People will already be looking at me.”

Before Elise could say a word, Rosa slipped out of the room, unbuttoning the dress as she scurried back to her room. Once she was there, the dress fell off quickly and was replaced by a simple dress that was more in line with what her sister was wearing. It still wasn't something she would wear to clean floors, but it wasn't nearly as ostentatious as the red or blue frock.

The disappointment on Elise's face was apparent, but her sister said nothing negative about the pale yellow dress when Rosa emerged again.

“You look beautiful no matter what you wear. The most important thing is that you're comfortable.”

Most of the hands were dressed in their best and cleanest clothing, but the wardrobes weren’t anything like those the men wore to the parties back home. However, Rosa knew that would be the case and determined not to do any more comparing. She was here for her sister, and she would put a smile on her face from beginning to end.

Even if it killed her.