The coach slowed down and with the squeak of the wheels turned the corner. No matter how much she enjoyed travelling Olivia was tired of it, alongside with Wilma.

The trees hid the view until they came to the two big posts that marked the entrance to the curved driveway. The huge sign that hung in between those two posts had ESTATE written in the bold black letters. Estate was the name of the ranch? thought Olivia.

A flock of white sheep grazed along the side of the road in the green pasture. They were an impressive sight. After the bend Wilma, with pride, pointed at the view that opened in front of them. 

The two story ranch house with a dark green exterior stood proudly on a slight hump. The gently sloped hill behind it provided shelter from the wind.

The fireplace built out of stone dominated the centre of the dwelling, and a grand wooden carved swing placed in front added to homey look. Each side of the house had massive wooden doors with dark iron handles standing out. The long porch stretched from one side to the other, and four large posts held the overhead. 

Olivia could picture variety of flowers that soon will be blooming everywhere around the grounds. Two corners of the house had ivy climbing to the top.

The white shutters adorned each window, and the red roof gave the feel of home. Olivia thought for sure she had dreamed all and she'll wake up at any moment.

"Is this our home?" She looked at her tired grandmother. 

"Yes, Olivia, this is our home. As far you can see, and further. This is all part of our ranch," Wilma told her with pride.

"It's beautiful," Olivia was impressed. 

"There is the responsibility that comes with it, but the ranch has a good manager," Wilma explained and she went on, "Soon , as Spring is just around the corner we will have more to do, but for now my child you need nourishment and rest. You are not well. Tomorrow is another day and we will explore together." Then she added with a smile, " Welcome home, Olivia!"

"Thank you! I'm eager to learn more, but you are correct in one aspect: I am tired," admitted Olivia.

Leon helped them out in front of the house and then drove the coach to the stables a little further down the driveway. He unhitched the tired animals and placed each in a stall and wiped each of them down. Each got a bucket with oats; they deserved it.

The middle-aged maid, who introduced herself as Evelyn, led Olivia upstairs. She opened the door and let Olivia into the spacious room. A huge four-poster bed graced the middle of the warm place. One wall was covered in floral wallpaper and against it stood a large shiny dresser. Beside was a small table with a padded red chair.

There was no fireplace in the room, but felt comfortable in it from heat radiating through the stones from the main fireplace downstairs. Evelyn helped her to get under layers of covers on the very soft bed.

While she lay the memories returned. She thought of her father and Austin. The events played in her mind until the exhaustion took over.

When Evelyn came in with tea, she was already sleeping.

Olivia woke up the next morning in the warm bed. The light from the rising sun entered through the large window. With an effort she got up and looked outside, it was worth it; the view was breathtaking.

The sun shone on the hills and she could see the small lake. From the sunrise water took the power of a thousand diamonds glittering on its surface. Finally, Olivia felt at peace.

*** 

The life at the Big J ranch wasn't the same. Austin rarely smiled those days. Short-tempered, he was impossible to be around. His brothers and workers moved well out of his path. He worked hard and drove others to do the same.

When the Thimkens came for a visit, he packed his bedroll and took off. He had the excuse of being busy with overseeing the repair of the fences at the most remote part of the ranch.

He couldn't trust himself to be pleasant to Victoria and being rude to their guest would offend his mother. So, he stayed away. Olivia's face danced in front of him. The violet eyes followed him, and her smile was clearly imprinted in his mind. That she carries his child, and he's not around ate at his heart.

***

Olivia recovered and cherished time with her grandma. Wilma insisted on buying beautiful dresses for her as she enjoyed to see her wearing them.

She rarely left the ranch, and by now her pregnancy showed. To Wilma's delight, she was healthy and learning about managing ESTATE. She found out from their manager, Mr. White, that the wool sold at a certain time of the year would bring in a bigger profit. She learned when and where to sell sheep, and how many to keep.

Winters were milder here than up north, but there were still snow blowing for days at a time. When it got too chilly outside they would sit inside by the fire.

The spring announced its arrival when the first of the flowers appeared on the slopes. The sky was blue with no clouds, and it was warm for April. With such a nice weather Olivia decided to go for a walk despite her big belly. She got her wool coat from a peg on the wall and raised her voice so Wilma could hear her, "Gran, I'll be back shortly, just going to get some fresh air." 

"That's fine. Don't go too far." 

"I'm going down to the lake. I've seen the ducks from my room. I'm taking some bread for them." Olivia reassured her.

Olivia still loved to stroll around and enjoyed being outdoors. This time she stayed on the path to the little lake. The few dogs herding the sheep came to greet her. By now they recognized her from afar. She always had goodies for them and they knew it. 

The life at the ranch was quiet. They didn't go to many places, and only to Moncotton a few times. It was always to buy stuff for the baby's arrival. They also bought a few dresses for Olivia that would fit her during her pregnancy. The rest of the supplies got delivered directly to the ranch.

They had a few workers at the ranch, but not near as many as on the cattle ranches. Wilma explained that for the spring shearing they'd always hired more. 

She didn't walk too far, but she enjoyed her time in the fresh air. For some time she watched the sheep grazing on nearby hills and then turned around and went back. Her fur lined boots were warm and her coat protected her from the slight breeze. In only a few more months she would welcome her baby to the world. Wilma was excited to be a great grandma. Now it's going to be the three of them. Olivia never forgotten Kenth. Often the tears found their way to her eyes when she thought about her papa.

Austin was only a distant dream. His face appeared often in her mind. He was untouchable to her, but she had the part of him to keep, their baby.