Five men waited on the train platform the next Friday. Along with Alex, Cole, and Jacob, Thomas and John had agreed to come and help bring the horses to their new home.

“Thanks for your help,” Alex said to the two other men. “We don't really know what to expect. I just hope the horses aren't too green.”

The purchase of the animals had come through a third party, someone that none of them knew. It had been set up through Martin Graham, who had a reputation for being honest, but they only knew the original owner by name.

After less than an hour, the train was visible in the distance. Jacob felt his stomach swirling with anticipation. The other men had other resources to fall back on, but if this venture didn't work out, he would have almost nothing.

Finally, the train pulled up, and they were directed to the rear where the horses were transported. The five of them waited for the car to be opened and were immediately greeted by the high-pitched whinny of horses in distress.

“What's the matter with them?” Jacob asked tightly.

“It could just be the unfamiliar sight,” John stated, trying to reassure him. “Don't borrow trouble.”

However, even after the horses were led off the train, it was clear to all of them that there was something wrong.

“This one is sweating,” Thomas informed them, trying to soothe the mahogany-colored horse. “And that one's pawing at the ground.”

The five of them drew back as yet another fell to the ground and started rolling around. John kept hold of the horse's reins and gently forced the horse into a standing position.

“Colic,” Thomas announced. “Three out of the five definitely have it.”

Jacob knew what colic was. Triple Range had lost several horses to it in the not so distant past.

“No,” he whispered. Were they going to lose half their stock before they even got them home? “Can you do anything?”

Thomas's face was grave. “It depends on the cause,” he said evenly. “If it's just stress, that's curable, but if it's from moldy feed or impaction in the intestine, that's harder.” He handed the reins of the horse to Cole and bent down to retrieve the stethoscope from his bag. “Hold them still, and I'll examine them.”

Cole led the two horses that didn't seem to be affected away from the others while John, Alex, and Jacob held the three agitated ones.

After examining the horses, Thomas seemed slightly optimistic. “It sounds as though the digestion of these two is normal, and there's no bloating. Their vitals are high, but again, that could just be from stress. I don't want to exhaust them with the long trip back to the ranch, so let's see if there's room at the stable in town.”

Jimmy, the owner of the nearest stable, was reluctant to rent them space given the appearance of the sick horses, but John managed to convince him with a bit of financial incentive. Jimmy took it, mostly because business was not exactly booming at the moment.

Once they had the horses in the stalls, Thomas recommended grooming, but no feed.

“I can't be sure it's due to stress, so better not to chance it.” He gave them some other tips for calming the horses down, such as a light massage, but even after an hour, two of them still seemed stressed. The other was a bit more relaxed, but not enough to satisfy Thomas.

“I think we need to pray,” John declared. “These are God's creatures, and He knows what's wrong with them. Also, He knows what this business means to you all.”

Alex, Cole, and Thomas nodded, but Jacob was resistant.

“If God cared about the animals, He wouldn't have let them get sick in the first place. If He cares about us, why do we have to go through this?”

John and Thomas gave him quizzical looks, but Alex and Cole didn't react. They already had a good idea of how Jacob felt on spiritual matters.

“Being loved by God doesn't mean having a life without problems,” Thomas told him somberly. “We live in an imperfect world. Difficult things are going to happen.”

“That seems like a flimsy excuse,” Jacob retorted angrily. “It's what Christians say when things go wrong.”

John put a hand on the Jacob's shoulder. “I understand more than you can imagine,” he said quietly. “But this is a chance to see God's hand at work.”

“And if the horses die? What does that say about God's hand?” He couldn't stop the scowl from appearing on his face, even though he knew he was being disrespectful to the older man.

John didn't flinch, not even when Jacob jerked away from his hand. “That's a possibility, and we might not ever know the purpose. It's not always easy to trust God, but it's always right. Now, we're going to pray for these horses. You can stay here or not. It's up to you.”

His respect for the others won out over his own aggravation, and he stood by while each man said a prayer, thanking God for His blessings, for the arrival of the horses, and for their own lives. They all asked God for healing for the horses. Thomas prayed that God would give him wisdom to do whatever needed doing.

By the time they were finished, Jacob felt raw with emotion. That Cole and Alex prayed was natural, but for John and Thomas to plead with God on his behalf moved him more than he could have imagined.

“Thank you,” he said gruffly when they were done. “I know I've been difficult, but if you knew my story...”

No one criticized him.

“We all have something,” Thomas assured him. “Not one man here has been left untouched by tragedy or sin.”

“But in the end,” John continued, “we have to figure out if we're going to do it alone or trust God. Not everything has gone my way in life, and even after I decided to turn my life over to God, I spent many years alone. I thought it was my lot, but then Elise came alone. She's been a great blessing, she and my kids.”

“I wish I could just turn it on,” Jacob admitted. “I envy your strong faith, but I... I just don't feel it.”

“No man can convince another.” Cole continued to groom to fidgety horse. “I know that full well. I would just say to keep your heart and mind open and let God do His work. No one ever got to God on his own.”

Even though Jacob didn't have a life-altering transformation that very minute, a strange peace settled around his heart. “I think maybe for now, it's enough that you all believe. Maybe I can lean on you.”

The one horse that had been showing signs of settling down now appeared completely normal. Thomas examined her again and nodded. “I think she's good. Now we just have to keep praying for these other two.”

The five of them spent the night at the stable, taking turns talking to and grooming the two horses that were still agitated. By morning, another one seemed to have taken a turn for the better, leaving just one sick.

Thomas inspected the last one again, and shook his head. “I don't like the sounds of things in there, or rather, the lack of sound. Seems to me that this one has some kind of blockage.”

“Is there nothing you can do?” Jacob asked, his voice cracking with emotion. However, that was more from fatigue than anything else. He didn't feel quite as desperate as before now that two of the three seemed to have recovered.

“I know some vets have had success with operations, but I don't have the facilities to do that. We just have to keep praying that it resolves on its own. We can walk him around a bit and try Epsom salts to move things along, but it's not hopeful.”

Despite the warning, Jacob felt a spark of hope. “I'll visit the chemist,” he said. “Don't give up on our horse just yet.”

He waited for the chemist to open and immediately purchased a large packet of Epsom salts. Thomas administered them as often as he dared, and eventually, the horse seemed to enjoy some relief.

“We're still not in the clear,” he declared before the others could celebrate. “And, by the way, I, uh, can't believe I didn't notice this before, but you might not even want this horse.”

Jacob and his partners looked at Thomas in surprise. “Why not?” they asked, practically in unison.

Thomas gave them a watery smile. “We didn't realize it earlier because of all the commotion, but this horse is a gelding.”

All the men expressed disbelief, but it was easily verified.

“How could they do that to us?” Cole uttered angrily. “They knew we wanted these horses for breeding.”

“Maybe it was an honest mistake,” Alex suggested. “In any case, we'll send a telegram to the seller and tell him that he needs to exchange this one.”

Jacob was stroking the muzzle of the recovering horse, a peaceful look on his face.

“Let's hear his side of it for sure, but I think I don't want to send this one back. He's endured enough. We can order another male from Mister Graham if he gives us a fair price, or we'll get one from someone else, but this is going to be my horse if he makes it.”

The horse in question was the one Jacob had been attending all night and he felt a connection to the animal. Even if it would put him in debt, he was willing to take the loss. His own horse was getting on in age and showing signs of wanting to be put out to pasture. He'd gotten a good ten years out of the horse, but suspected he was closer to twenty-five now.

“Are you sure, Jacob?” Cole asked. “He might not fully recover.”

Jacob gave him a confident smile. “He's going to be fine. I can feel it.”

And he was right.

It didn't happen in a moment or strike him like a bolt of lightning, but Jacob began to feel surer of God's presence as morning approached. It started from the moment his friends had begun praying, and the assurance continued. Now, as the sun rose and the horses stood peacefully in the stalls, a huge feeling overwhelmed his heart.

“I don't know what it is,” he confessed to John. “It's not like anything I know.”

John grinned and slapped him on the back. “I'd wager that's the Spirit working on your heart. Might be taking a little longer since it's so hard.”

A smile began pulling the corners of his mouth as he considered the assessment. “Might be,” he agreed good-naturedly. “If this is just the start, I can't wait to see what the end will be.”

“Ah, there's no such thing. We're never finished. God keeps working on us until we're ready for glory.”

The others had left with the horse that had made a full recovery while John and Jacob stayed with the other two, both men willing to wait until it was certain that they were well enough to make the two-hour journey back to the ranch.

“I wonder if I'm far along enough to...” He let the sentence trail off as he remembered who he was talking to. It might be distasteful to talk to John about his sister-in-law.

“To what? Court Rosa?”

Jacob pulled back in surprise and then laughed. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yep, I'm afraid it is, for both of you. She came home the other day after talking to you, looking so down in the mouth that I couldn't help but ask what happened. She told us the whole story, and the three of us started praying for you from that moment.”

An odd tingling sensation traveled down his arms and legs. “You've been...praying for me? Even after all I said?”

John nodded. “God's used to people resisting Him. They've been doing it since the beginning of time, you know. Now, what I can't wait to see is the look on Rosa's face when she finds out that God answered our prayers so quick.”

It was Jacob's great hope that Rosa would believe his heart had changed, not for her, but because God was revealing Himself.

“Maybe we don't tell her right away,” he murmured, stroking the muzzle of the recovering horse. When he tried to think of a name for him, one popped into his head like the flash of a lightning bolt. He decided to name him Miracle. He remembered thinking that it would take a miracle to make him change his mind, and that was exactly what this horse was, but he still didn’t feel ready to see Rosa. “I need some time to figure things out without...thinking about that side of things.”

John nodded thoughtfully. “That's wise. Any time you want to talk, let me know, but you've got two good guys on that ranch with you. They might be young, but their hearts are right with God.”

By midday, it seemed like both Miracle and the other horse were fit to make the trip to Falls Creek Ranch, but first John and Jacob stopped by Mr. Graham’s office to explain what had happened. He, in turn, went to the post office to send a telegram to the supplier, informing him that they expected a discount on another stallion and would wait forty-eight hours for a reply.

The two-hour ride ended up being three because Jacob didn't want to tire Miracle. They stopped numerous times and allowed the horses to graze and get water.

“How did you know Elise was the woman you wanted to marry?” Jacob asked suddenly. Even though he'd never had a close relationship with John, he felt that perhaps that might be about to change.

“Ah, well, that's a story. You see, I didn't look at her as a woman when she first arrived. I mean, she seemed more like a distraction, a threat to the harmony that the men on the ranch enjoyed. Then I was suspicious of her, thinking that she wasn't who she claimed to be. But then, well, let's just say God worked things out between the two of us and leave it at that.”

“But it wasn't love at first sight, then?” Jacob was surprised to hear that. They were such a devoted couple, he thought they must have always been destined for one another.

“Not at all, but God can bring together even the most unlikely of people.”

The ranch was in sight now, and Jacob felt his heart race in excitement. Things may not be exactly how he'd planned them, but his future still shone brightly, now more than ever.

Rosa couldn't believe the story that Thomas was telling her.

“And I tell you, I've never seen a man so thoroughly convicted. Overnight, his mind was transformed.”

“Praise the Lord!” Elise exclaimed. “How wonderful!”

But Rosa couldn't speak. Had it really only been a few days before that she'd told him they could never be? Her heart was still aching from the encounter, but now it swelled with sweet hope and she found her voice.

“Is true? Really true? You believe this?”

“I sure do, Miss Rosa. You will too. I'm sure he'll be on his way over just as soon as he gets those horses settled.”

Nerves competed with joy, but Rosa didn't care. God had heard her desperate plea for happiness and was going to grant her the desires of her heart. Already she could see several children playing at the hearth while she chopped vegetables and smiled down at them.

Thomas left to return to his own home after telling them the remarkable tale of the horses and Jacob's conversion, leaving the sisters to marvel at God's goodness.

“Do you think he'll come today?” Rosa asked, her voice fraught with excitement. “Oh, Elise, what will I say to him?”

Her sister pulled her into a hug and patted her back. “God will give you the words, sister. Don't you worry.”

She really didn't need to worry because the day drew to a close with no sign of Jacob. And then the next day passed and he still didn't come. Finally, four days later, Rosa couldn't wait any longer.

“I'm going over there,” she declared the following Monday morning. “It's been a week since I’ve set eyes on him and three days that I've been waiting for him to show up. I don't know why he's avoiding me, but I'll find out before the day is done!”

Elise couldn't persuade her to wait any longer, and after packing a basket filled with baked goods, Rosa marched the five miles between their house and the barn that sat on Falls Creek Ranch. As she expected, the men were in the paddock with one of the horses, training.

“I think we can try a saddle on him,” she heard Jacob say. “He's taking that blanket real well.”

Alex spotted her first, raised his eyebrows, and shot Jacob a warning look. Rosa straightened her shoulders and strode over.

“Good morning,” she greeted them. “Elise and I baked yesterday, and I think maybe you do not have much food. Unless one of you is good in the kitchen?”

The other men laughed, but Jacob lowered his gaze to the ground. “Thank you,” he murmured. “It's much appreciated.”

“I'll bring it to the house and return the basket,” Cole said, taking her load off her arms. “Uh, Alex?”

“Yeah, I'll help.”

Then they were alone. Rosa cleared her throat and put out her hand to the horse.

“Here,” Jacob said, thrusting an apple at her. “Feed him this and you'll have a friend for life.”

She obliged and the horse lingered near, allowing her to stroke him. “He is a good horse, yes?”

Jacob nodded. “His name is Miracle. I've decided he'll be my horse. We, uh, went through a lot together.”

“Yes,” she said with a slight nod. “I heard about your first night in town. It was a shock that your horses arrived sick, but things are well now?”

“Yeah, they are.” He had yet to look at her, so she tried another tactic.

“God is good, yes?”

That comment made him look up with a start. She kept her eyes on him, alert and careful.

“Uh, yeah, He is.”

Her heart leaped in her chest.

“Oh, Jacob. I have waited for you for three days now. Why you did not come to the house to see me? I have prayed for you, asking God to bless you and help you understand His great love.”

He dropped his eyes again and scuffed the tips of his boots against the dirt.

“Thank you. I, uh, guess God answered your prayer. I don't know why I couldn't see the truth for so long, but I do now. God is good.”

She didn't want to push the issue, but he seemed so shy suddenly.

“When were you going to tell me?” she asked softly, taking a step towards him.

“Tell you?”

Boldly, she put her hand next to his on the fence. “Yes, when?”

Thankfully, he didn't pretend to not understand. “Uh, I don't know. I guess I was waiting for the right time.”

“Well, I was waiting too, and I say now is the right time.”

A grin began to spread across his face. “Is it? I didn't realize.”

“I know. That is why I came to tell you.”

He moved his hand over a few inches so that it brushed against hers. When she didn't move away, he took it into his own and brought it to his lips.

“I didn't want to rush into anything,” he murmured. “And I needed time to understand what is happening to me.”

“I forgive you,” she declared, a smile curving her lips. “But do not do like this again.”

Laughing, he nodded. “Yes, Miss Rosa. I mean, no, I won't. I promise. From now on, I will tell you everything that is in my heart, okay?”

“Yes,” she agreed, her smile broadening. “You will.”