The week in Vegas had been nice, they had all five enjoyed it very much but they were also very happy when they could see the farm from the street.

"Home sweet home." Jamie sighed.

"Come on, you liked Vegas. We had some fun." Sara smiled. She and Jamie had left Sofia one evening with the two boys alone and went out and somehow they ended up in a scene club. Both couldn't remember how the faked I.D. got in Jamie's pocket and they couldn't remember what had happened in the club, all they could tell Sofia the next day was, they had a lot of fun and Jamie left the club with a telephone number and two e-mail addresses. Useless for a relationship, like he said, but maybe he could make a friend or two this way. He had nobody in Las Vegas expect his grandparents when he was there, some people around his age would be nice.

"Yes I did. Do you come with me again when I've to go back in June?"

"I can do that."

"What did you two do? You never told me any details." Sofia looked at her son and her friend.

"We can't tell you, that's our secret. There are some things a mother isn't suppose to know; for her own sake."

"I hope Sara made sure you…oh well, you won't tell me a damn thing, no need to go on talking. You had fun, that's all that counts."

"Exactly. Relax mom, I don't do stupid things."

"She thinks of herself and worries you're like her." Sara giggled.

"Sara, when you've got nothing nice to say it's better to keep your mouth shut."

"Sometimes less nicer things have to be said."

"Get out of the car." Sofia stopped the car in front of the house. "And take the nasty big boy with you."

Sara and Jamie left the car with a laughter while Sofia got to the backseat and unbuckled the seatbelts of Kieran and Patrick. Home sweet home, she was happy to be back, she missed her own bed and worried too often if Jon and Cat were alright. She had called them at least one time a day and her children had always told her, everything was alright, there was no need to worry and she should enjoy her time in Vegas. How could she relax when her babies were left home alone with a lot of work?

"Dad!" Kieran jumped out of the car right into Jon's arms, who had to let go of Sara to catch his son.

"Hey big boy, how are you? How was Vegas?"

"Good. Captain said I'll be officer soon."

"You won't be a rookie forever? That sounds good. Maybe the next time you're in Vegas the captain will make you an officer."

"No, first school."

"Ah okay, you need to be in school to be an officer. Makes sense, you have to make a test, so you must read and write to become an officer."

"Yes."

"And you? How did you like Vegas?" He asked Sara.

"It was great to see the guys but I missed you." She kissed him.

"That's what I wanted to hear. I missed you too. I never noticed how big and lonely my bed is without you."

"Try to forget it until I'll be back in Vegas in June, for Jamie's last tests."

"Why can't he go alone?" Jon looked at his brother. "You'll be nineteen by then."

"Yeah but I like partying with your girlfriend. She's cool."

"She is my girlfriend, it's good that you remember the part that she's mine."

"Uhm…bro…I'm gay…I'm not interested in your girlfriend in this way." Jamie laughed. Three months after his coming out he had no problems anymore to say that he was gay. At least not to his family, he didn't mention it to anybody else. Not even to his grandparents. He wasn't sure how the captain and her husband reacted. His mother told him they would be cool, but he preferred to be sure that he was here when they found out.

"You might change your mind for such a great woman and she might leave me for a younger man."

"Yeah, probably." Sara laughed. Jon was getting old, he was now twenty-two, time for her to look for somebody younger.

"You never know."

"Talking about things you don't know…what did you and Cat do? I know the two of you had a plan, you did something, what is it?"

"Where's your evidence?"

"Oh come on, tell me."

"You'll see soon."

"So you did something!"

"Of course. Mom will either love us or kill us."

"What did you do?"

"If you haven't figured out until dinner I'll tell you. Now let me bring your and Kieran's things in the house. Jamie, we had no time for a huge dinner, we ordered three large pizzas. I hope you can cope with that."

"I'll be back in the kitchen tomorrow, one more day with not fresh food won't kill me. And grandpa doesn't cook too bad."

"He is good in opening cans and heat them up." Sofia laughed. Her father opened a can, added meat to it and that was his way of cooking. On good days he also added some herbs. Sara bought her own food the whole week because there hadn't been a vegetarian dinner.

"Where's Cat?"

"Homework. I was on my way to feed the horses."

"I can do that if Jamie takes Pat inside. I missed my horses, Kirundi is already waiting for me." Sofia could see her mare looking over from the bench.

"I'll get yours and his stuff, go and say hello to you babies with four legs." Jamie chuckled. He knew how important the contact to the horses was to his mother.

"Thanks." Sofia left and jogged over to Kirundi, climbed between the boards of the bench and hugged her horse.

"I missed you, Kirundi. So much. Did you miss me too?" The mare nickered. "Thought so. What did happen while I was away? I know the kids planed something, what did they do? Tell me, I'm sure you know it."

The problem was, Kirundi could tell Sofia what Cat and Jon did, Sofia wouldn't understand her. With her mare behind her, she greeted the other horses and walked to the barn. Time to get some provender out. There was no snow left on the meadow but the grass was small and couldn't satisfied the horses. Sofia guessed they had to add provender for at least another month, if not two. What also told her, she had to get more for the next winter. There were some things she had to change this year but right now she had no idea how. They had more work than worker and with Jamie needing time for his college, Cat away in school, time was rare. They had to try to find another worker, Sara alone could replace Jamie and Cat and do all the other work, that nobody did before.

And she had to think about her offer for the horseback holidays. It was the best way to get money and if she wanted to safe horses, she had to bring in some more money. They had barely managed to survive the last year, only with help of a foundation, that donated most of the provender, they had enough money for the animals. This idea with the native American tents was a way to get more people here but Sofia wasn't happy with having thirty to forty on her ranch and that was the amount they needed. Or they had to raise the prizes a lot.

She started to throw hay in the stables. Twenty horses were down here, the rest was up on the meadow on the hill. She knew Jon had been there in the morning to feed them. He must have gotten up at five o'clock to get all the work done. Same with Cat, she must have fed the horses here before she left for school. Both had worked a lot, Sofia knew it. And she had no idea how to make up for that. The little souvenirs she had bought for them weren't enough. Knowing them, they didn't want anything else.

"Need a hand?"

Sofia almost dropped the garden fork. She hadn't heard that somebody was in the barn too. And this voice didn't belong to somebody of her family, it wasn't a guest either, she knew this voice.

"What are you doing here?" How the hell got Rob in the barn? What was he doing here? Why was he here? Wasn't he suppose to be in Alaska?

"Offering you my help."

"Are you back on holidays?" She couldn't remember that he booked a bungalow. If he just popped in, knowing the business was running slow at this time of the year. Maybe he was on his way to his job down south.

"No."

"No?"

"I work here."

"You work here?" She sounded silly to herself, repeating his answers.

"Yes. Your son gave me a job, I thought you know about that."

"I had no idea…" She had to talk to Jon. Soon.

"Well, he called me a few weeks ago, asked if I'm interested in working here. He said I can start this week, which is two months before my other job starts and he says there are good chances that I can work through winter."

"You'll stay, not go south?"

"Well, I like the job down south, no question about that, but if I can work here more months, maybe year around, this job is better. I was looking for a job I can keep year around, looking for work every few months makes me tired. He didn't tell you about this?"

"No." He also didn't tell her that he had Rob's number. Sofia had stayed in lose contact with Rob since Christmas, every two weeks or so she got a text from him or sent one to him. She had that with half a dozen guests, she got on very good. That he would be back as a worker was nothing he had mentioned in all the months.

"Is that alright with you? Or do you want me to leave? Jon said, he can't give me the final contract, that's your business because it's your ranch."

"I'm not sure if we can pay an electrician…"

"My contract says I'm a farmhand. You don't have machines here to maintain. I can't ask for that money if I don't do that work."

"And that's alright with you?"

"It's better to have that job for twelve months a year than the other one for four or five. Plus I save the money for the two trips each year. I can finally settle down."

"In that case you're more than welcome." Finally Sofia could manage a smile. One of her problems seemed just disappeared. And a bit of her bad conscience was gone too. Cat and Jon had help, they didn't have to work all week alone.

"Thanks. Now, would you like some help?"

"Yes. Can you fill up the water?"

"Sure." He smiled and got a bucket.

Sofia shook her head. She had been right, they had have a plan. Hiring a worker. Not only any worker, an old guest. She was sure they did that with an ulterior motive. She had to talk to her children, they owned her an explanation.