A/N: I just realized that I have never really said what exactly it is that the boys are doing on their farm. Or if I had it just wasn't what I wanted. Consider this the ultimate answer to what exactly the guys do every day. Secondly I surprise myself I wrote a sympathetic Jack. Needless to say i am quite proud of myself.
I'll go back through the rest of the chapters and fix them if I didn't mention what the boys are rasing if need be. Anyway a new chapter, and it is really just part one of two. But part two still needs some work. So expect one more chapter before Thanksgiving. Enjoy your semi-weekly updated story, don't forget to reveiw.

Jack looked up from the wooden whistle he was whittling as one of the sheepdogs barked.

"Hey Kelly I see your sheep are surviving."

"Yes they are, what can I do for you Deputy Sam?" Jack asked as he stood up.

"Just coming back from town," Davis said as he got of his horse.

"Figured that out since you were coming from thata way."

"Heard that Race is still in the house, when did the doc say he would be back to normal?"

"Doc said a couple more days; I guess Michelle was in town." Jack guessed.

"Yeah she was looking for a job. I told her that Rae Clark was hiring. Her waitress quit," Davis shrugged.

"She's looking for a job?" Jack repeated, "You mind riding by the house and telling anyone that I went into town?" Jack didn't even wait for a response as he stuck his knife into his waist band and began walking toward town.

"You do know she can do what she wants." Davis called out after him, but Jack either didn't hear or didn't care.

As Jack walked he wondered about how he should approach Michelle. She was a stubborn girl, very stubborn. But why would she have to work? It wasn't as if there was nothing to do around the farm. Maybe it was time for the girls to be more involved with things on the farm. Herding sheep wasn't too hard, all they had to do was learn the signals that the dogs used to keep the sheep in line.

He was about halfway into town when he spotted Michelle. He stopped walking and waited for her to come up to him. "Hello Michelle."

"Jack, are you going into town?" Michelle asked smiling to herself.

"Nah, Sam Davis mentioned he had seen you in town. He also mentioned you were going to start working in town." Jack tried to be as casual as possible as they began walking toward the house.

"Don't know why he mentioned it to you, but I am starting at the hotel tomorrow." Michelle said with a shrug.

"I see, why are you looking for work in town? There's plenty to do around here." Jack finally ventured.

"You think there is plenty to do around here? Sure if I clean up after you all. No thank-you I am going to be working in town." Michelle said with a snort, stopping in the middle of the road.

"You don't have to clean up you could help us with the herds." Jack started to say, but Michelle interrupted him.

"You have got to be kidding; I can't even ride a horse. How could I help with cattle?" Michelle said rolling her eyes.

"We don't have cattle." Jack said rubbing the back of his neck. He started walking fast and mumbled. "We raise sheep."

"Sheep?" Michelle followed after him, before she started to giggle.

"Sheep are important; do you know how much wool is worth? And they are easy to take care of, just move them around every so often." Jack protested.

"So that is where you guys go, but I'm still going to work in town." Michelle said through her giggles.

Jack huffed and rolled his eyes, as they walked into the farmyard. "If you have any problems with anybody you let us know right?"

Michelle looked at him in surprise, he actually sounded concerned. "If I didn't think I could handle it, I guess so."

Jack nodded, "It'll do, have a good night." He moved off to the barn with a casual wave.

Michelle watched Jack go to the barn, shaking her head. She was surprised that Jack was being so nice. As she entered the house, her good mood was slowly eroded away. From the door she could see that Saiorse was sitting next to the couch where Race was lying down. The two of them were talking, not even aware of the rest of world around them. Michelle moved upstairs quickly, it would only be a few more weeks, a month at the most and she would be on her way back to New York City.

Michelle's first week at the hotel went smoothly. She was surprised how quickly she was able to learn the regular customers' orders and the customers from the train were fairly happy as along as their food arrived hot and she had the correct orders. By that Friday she was confident that she would be able to handle anything that was thrown her way. Then came Saturday.

Rae had asked that she come into work for the breakfast crowd, so Michelle planned on getting up before dawn. As she left the house, dawn was barely breaking and the farmyard was mostly deserted. She hurried off in the direction of town, focused on getting to work quickly. She was so focused that she didn't see Jack until after she had run into him, causing him to almost drop the milk pail.

"Where are you going so early?" Jack asked after steadying the milk pail he was carrying.

"Rae asked me to come into work early, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be late. Sorry for running into you, but I have to go." Michelle said as she brushed the wrinkles their run in had caused on her skirt, and started off again.

She had just made it to the road when Jack came running up behind her to walk with her. After a few minutes she looked at him, "What are you doing?"

"Walking into town." Jack said with a shrug.

"Why?"

"Because I figured what ever you're serving for breakfast at the hotel is better than what ever I can get at the house." Jack again shrugged and began whistling.

Michelle thought it was strange response but just mentally shrugged it off. "So are you enjoying working at the hotel?" Jack asked suddenly.

Michelle nodded, "Yes, it isn't as bad as I feared. The town regulars are nice people and the tips from the train folks are good."

"Rae's not running you into the ground?" Jack asked teasingly.

"No, actually she works harder than I do. But I have a feeling that is going to change." They walked in silence the rest of the way, as they approached the hotel Michelle started around back, "Enjoy your breakfast." She called.

"I plan on it." Jack said as he watched her go into the kitchen entrance.

As Michelle entered the kitchen it was absolute chaos. Will Clark, the hotel owner and cook was rushing around three or four different bowls. He looked up as Michelle came, "Good you're here. Rae's sick this morning. She said she would try to come down if she was feeling better but as of right now it is just you and me. I'm almost finished with the oatmeal and I've got flapjack batter mixed. The coffee is in the percolator I need you to change the menu board for breakfast, I'm only making flapjacks and oatmeal."

Michelle nodded and slipped an apron over her clothing. She moved from the kitchen and into the dinning room, where the only occupants were three men sitting together at a table by the window and Jack. She nodded to Jack who had taken a table close to the kitchen and went to the menu board. She crossed off or erased everything except the flapjacks and oatmeal offering, as well as coffee. Then she went to her first table.

It was a table with three older men in business suits. "Good morning gentlemen what can I get for you this morning?"

"I saw you were crossing something off of the menu board?" One man asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry but there was a problem this morning in the kitchen and we are only able to serve oatmeal and flapjacks. Can I start you with coffee while you make a decision?" Michelle asked as polite as possible.

"That would be fine, I'll have an order of flapjacks and a coffee." The first man asked.

"I'll take coffee and bowl of oatmeal, do you have syrup?" The second man asked.

"Yes sugar, cream and syrup are all here at the table." Michelle pointed to the three crocks in the middle of the table.

"I'll just have a coffee," The youngest man said with a smile.

"Okay I'll have those out to you as soon as possible." Michelle said going to the kitchen.

"So how many are out there?" Will asked, as he stirred the pot of what Michelle assumed was oatmeal.

"Three business men and a farmer. The men all want coffee, one order of flapjacks and one oatmeal." Michelle said as she got a tray and set out the coffee mugs.

"What about the farmer?" Will asked as he dished out a bowl of oatmeal.

"I was going to the coffee first, I am pretty sure he'll want flapjacks though." Michelle said hurriedly as she breezed back out the floor. She gave the business men their coffee and nodded to a family that had come in as she was gone. "I'll be right with you," She promised as she went over to Jack.

"You wanted coffee?" She asked putting the mug down in front of him.

"Yeah, you want to guess the rest of my order?" He asked with a wink.

"You're getting flapjacks." She said with a smirk, before she turned to go to the family.

"Good morning," Michelle greeted the father, as the mother settled the three little girls.

"Morning, I saw the menu board was sparse this morning. I think we'll all take oatmeal; the missus and I will have coffee with ours. Do you have milk for the little ones?" The father asked.

"I'm pretty sure, I'll check while I put in the order for oatmeal." Michelle gave the couple a smile and went into the kitchen, "Do we have milk?" She asked gathering up the businessmen and Jack's breakfasts.

"Yep in that jug," Will motioned behind him.

"Good, I'll dish out five more bowls of oatmeal, along with some milk." Michelle said scooting out the door. She put Jack's flapjacks in front of him and quickly served the businessmen. She hurried back to the kitchen and got the family's entire order. The rest of her morning was just as busy. Surprisingly very few people complained about the lack of selection, and while she was rushed she didn't forget anyone's orders or spill anything.

It was around nine-thirty when the last of the breakfast crowd left. Michelle was happy to see that she had made almost a dollar in tips from the different businessmen she had served. Jack was still at his table nursing his third cup of coffee when she finished setting the tables for lunch.

"You have a minute," He asked after getting her attention.

"Probably just a minute." She said coming to sit across from him.

"I just want to let you know that someone is going to walk you home tonight." He stated.

"Why? I've walked home every night this week on my own." Michelle asked.

"It's Saturday night." Jack said as if it explained everything.

"So how is it different from any other night?"

Jack sighed, "Most of the hired hands from the ranches get Sunday mornings off so they come into town on Saturdays to drink and cause a bit of trouble. There is no sense you walking home alone. Just expect that one of us guys will be here to walk you home." Jack said standing up and putting on his hat. He set out twenty-five cents for his coffee.

"I don't need an escort home." Michelle said stubbornly.

"You're gonna have one whether you like it or not." Jack said as he left. He tipped his hat to Rae as she entered then was out the door.

"What was he doing in here this early?" Rae asked motioning with her head.

"He wanted flapjacks and coffee I guess." Michelle said putting the money into the register. "Can you believe he told me to not leave work unless one of the guys is here to walk me home?" She asked suddenly.

Rae poured herself a cup of coffee and motioned Michelle to get one too. "I was gonna talk to you about that too. I am glad you will get escorted home. The cowpokes and ranch hands can get ornery after a couple shots of whiskey. I feel better knowing that you won't be on your own."

"It can't be that bad." Michelle protested over the top of her mug of coffee.

"Oh it can, Will keeps the worst of them out of here after close but the men are rough around the edges when their sober. Some can get plain mean when they've had a few." Rae said commented.

"Fine, I'll wait, but just as long as I don't have to wait too long for anyone to show up." Michelle finally acquiesced.

"Good." Rae said putting her mug down. "Well we better finish getting ready for the lunch crowd."