Kathryn was munching away on a peach when Raphael came to his feet, growling low in his throat. She snapped her head up but smiled when she saw who was approaching her campsite.

"Silencio. Tacón." She ordered gently. Raphael laid back down but Kathryn could see he was still ready to leap into action at the slightest provocation.

"Mrs. Barkley." She greeted.

Victoria smiled. "My son told me that you have a penchant for our peaches. So…" She produced a basket of peaches. "These are for you."

Kathryn couldn't stop her mouth from watering. "I'm… I'm not used to someone doing something like this for me. And… I, I don't take charity."

Victoria sighed. "No, I don't suppose you do. Tell you what, after you put in your hours with Nick, come on up to the house and you and I can find something for you to do to pay me back."

Kathryn smiled. "You got yourself a deal. Now, if you'll excuse me ma'am…" Stuffing her hat on to her head, she tipped it to Victoria, "Don't want to be late for my first day of work." And she swung herself into Vaquero's saddle and raced toward the house.

Nick, Heath, and Jarrod were standing around, talking with the other ranch hands when a cloud of dust rose up from the road.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up." Nick greeted.

Kathryn hesitantly slid from her saddle. "I thought roll call was at six…"

"It is. We just thought you'd show up a little sooner. You know, for breakfast. As it is, there's nothing left." Heath explained.

Kathryn smiled and waved her hand. "Already had it."

Jarrod was staring at her waist. "Where's your gun?"

Kathryn shrugged. "Don't carry one."

"So that bow you threatened us with last night is for more than just hunting?" Heath inquired.

Kathryn shrugged in response.

"Well, follow me, we'll get you on the pay roll." Jarrod told her.

As Jarrod, Nick, Heath, and Kathryn disappeared Jake, a young, arrogant cowboy who thought he was on top of the world approached Vaquero.

"Well, well, well. Hey there boy. You must be pretty old or broken or both for that… girl to ride you. Let's just see how much." He swung himself up on to Vaquero and was promptly thrown.

"He's a wild stallion. Doesn't let anyone but me ride him." Kathryn drawled out as she and the Barkley's returned.

Jake growled at her. "Prove it girlie."

Kathryn smirked as she swung up into Vaquero's saddle. He shifted uneasily. "Fácil, calmate Vaquero."

"What are you, a Mexie?" Jake growled. Nick walked toward him, emanating anger.

Kathryn saw this and though she felt that the clot head deserved whatever was coming to him she quickly replied, "I've spent a lot of time wandering around. And realized that animals seem to respond better to Spanish."

"Hence the name Vaquero. It's Spanish for cowboy." Jarrod stated.

"It's suited him well all these years."

"Enough jawing. We've got work to do." Nick growled as he mounted CoCo.

Kathryn wheeled Vaquero around, effectively turning the cattle back. They had quite the mess on their hands. When they had arrived at the North Pasture they had seen the cattle roaming about. The reason? The fence was down.

"Round 'em up! Get 'em back in that pen!" Nick had hollered, chasing after a few that were straying from the herd.

She looked up from the cattle she had deterred to see if there were any more strays. She rolled her eyes as she saw Jake taking on more than he could handle. She made to turn back around when she saw Jake thrown from his horse, right in front of a stampede.

"Hyah!" She urged Vaquero, holding her hat firm on her head.

Heath's head snapped up when he heard the shout. His eyes narrowed as he saw Kathryn flying as fast as the wind. His gaze followed the path she was taking and he saw, "Nick! Jake's down!"

Nick wheeled around. "Someone get to him!" He bellowed.

Jarrod smiled. "I think young Kathryn already has."

Kathryn dismounted and kneeling down saw how bad it was. Jake was unconscious. And too heavy for her to lift up on to Vaquero. Hearing thunder and feeling the ground quaking beneath her she looked up to see, "Get out of there! You'll get crushed!" Heath hollered as the stampede was almost on them.

Kathryn kept her face stoic as fear flooded her veins.

"Someone help them!" Nick's order was not needed though as every available man was rushing toward them. Along with something else that was kicking up a cloud of dust as it too rushed towards Kathryn and Jake. "What the…?"

Heath smiled. "She doesn't need our protection. Her own has arrived."

Kathryn smiled as Raphael placed his snarling, growling, barking self between her and the stampede.

They stopped dead in their tracks and Kathryn had an idea. Putting two fingers to her lips she whistled shrilly and ordered, "Reunirlos niño!"

And that's just what Raphael did.

As the last head of cattle made its way into the pen, Nick jumped down from Coco and stalked towards her.

Kathryn gulped nervously. "I am SO sorry sir. I don't know how he knew I was in trouble but I promise next time I'll tether him or do whatever needs to be done to keep him at the campsite. I…"

"Oh no you don't. Tomorrow you bring that mutt with you to roll call or you'll be off this ranch faster than you can say hyah." Turning back around he barked, "Get that fence mended and this time, be sure it's secure."

When Nick's back was turned Kathryn kneeled down in front of Raphael. "You disobedient, little whelp. You almost cost us this job." But her harsh words were betrayed by the fierce hug she gave the panting, grinning wolf. A hug that conveyed her gratitude at him saving her life and her joy that he wasn't hurt.

Kathryn knocked hesitantly.

"May I help you miss?"

She had been admiring the architecture of the, for lack of better terms, mansion and was promptly startled. She at least had the propriety to bow her head in shame.

"I… I'm Kat… Kathryn Quinn. I… uh… Mrs. Barkley…"

"Oh for goodness sake Silas, let her in! Don't leave her stuttering on the porch. It's not polite." Victoria reprimanded gently as she appeared by his side. "Kathryn, please come in."

Kathryn demurely walked through the door. She couldn't stop herself from turning in all directions to admire. "Your house is so… I'm not used to seeing this degree of opulence…"

Victoria chuckled. "I see now how you wormed your way into Jarrod's good graces. You both have a penchant for the same thing. And it drives Nick crazy."

"Using large and complex words?" Kathryn inquired innocently.

"Unfortunately so. Now… how about we find something… follow me this way."

Kathryn followed Victoria and got distracted by…

"Now… you could clean I suppose but…" She trailed off as she saw Kathryn's joyful, dazed expression and smiled when she realized what held her so enraptured.

"Which is your favorite?" She inquired politely.

"Oh… I… I've never actually read any of them ma'am. Seen, looked, but… but never actually read."

Victoria waved her hand dismissively. "Please, Victoria." Arching her brows she questioned gently, "Are you saying you… can't, read?"

Kathryn smiled mischievously. "No ma'am." At Victoria's stern look of reprimand she hastily corrected, "Victoria. I most certainly can."

Victoria smiled. "Then I suspect that means you can prove it?" She inquired, selecting a book and handing it to Kathryn.

Kathryn took the book and inclining her head to the chairs inquired, "Shall we?"

"That arrogant, full of himself, conceited…"

"Why Nick, all of those words are synonyms. I wasn't even aware that you knew what they were."

At Nick's baffled look Heath chuckled. "Apparently he didn't Jarrod."

Nick turned on Heath. "Now boy, you listen and you listen good…"

"Sh!"

Nick turned around to fix an open-mouthed stare of bafflement on his brother. "Jarrod, you did not just shush me. First, interrupting is not polite and secondly…"

"Nick… is it really that hard for you to stay silent for any period of time?" Jarrod asked in exasperation.

"Why do I need to be silent?" Nick hollered.

Jarrod glared at him before motioning for Nick to follow him as they headed toward the library.

"By this time the whole church was red-faced and suffocating with suppressed laughter, and the sermon had come to a dead standstill. The discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as if the poor parson had said a rarely facetious thing. It was a genuine relief to the whole congregation when the ordeal was over and the benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful, thinking to himself that there was some satisfaction about divine service when there was a bit of variety in it. He had but one marring thought; he was willing that the dog should play with his pinchbug, but he did not think it was upright in him to carry it off. And so ends chapter five." Kathryn gently closed the book.

Audra sighed heavily. "Can't we read one more chapter?"

"Audra… Kathryn's voice is probably tired from all the reading she's been doing." Victoria gently chided.

"Not at all Victoria. I would be happy to read another chapter." Kathryn assured her, making to open the book.

"AFTER we have some refreshments. Lemonade?" Victoria inquired.

Kathryn vaguely listened to Victoria and Audra's conversation as she followed them towards the kitchen until something caught her attention. Walking over to it she sat down fluidly and after a moment of plunking out hesitantly, her hands flew.

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on. I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps, They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps: His day is marching on…"

The Barkley family quietly congregated in the foyer as she continued singing and playing.

"He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave, He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave, So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave, Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Our God is marching on." She finished softly.

"That was beautiful. You are full of surprises Ms. Quinn." Jarrod complimented.

Kathryn ducked her head shyly. "I dabble in a few things for fun; something to occupy my time when in a blue moon Raphael actually behaves himself."

"By your level of skill, it would seem that Raphael behaves himself quite a lot." Jarrod observed, smiling kindly.

"Thank you. But you're too kind in your praise. I'm nothing more than an amateur." Kathryn countered.

"Since you are being stubborn in refusing to accept compliments and praise and Jarrod is being just as stubborn to GIVE you compliments and praise because his profession as a lawyer requires stubbornness I think it's safe to assume that neither of you will yield and if such is the case I can think of better ways of entertainment say… Kathryn continuing her reading of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

Kathryn ducked her head to hide her smile as Jarrod turned to a grinning Audra and with a grin of his own jokingly reprimanded, "Quiet child."

Silas appeared at that moment. "Dinner is ready."

"But Kathryn didn't read another chapter! She said she would!"

"Audra…"

"I will be here tomorrow after I put in my hours for your brother Ms. Barkley. If it pleases your mother I can read tomorrow as well."

"Why does it need to please my mother?" Nick growled.

Kathryn bowed. "I'll let her explain it to you. I will see you tomorrow Mr. Barkley. Six, bright and early." And she was gone, leaving behind in confusion the members of the Barkley family.