Ronata's room at the walker farm

Khaat watched Steven and Ronata having fun in the pool. She hungered more for fun than work. She knew Brian would allow her to have a lot fo fun as soon as she tried again. After a few minutes, he drew her back into the pool and worked with her through the exercises. When he thought she was warmed up, he swam along beside her, making laps. She made it to make 5 laps and was in the midst of the 6th when she couldn't go any further.

"Better," he smiled, satisfied. "Well, you don't have as far to come back as I thought you might. Good job. You'll get that back in a few days." She sighed, knowing he was not likely to let that slip again.

"Steven," she said, "You and Jack need to start working out here again. When he doesn't have anybody else to pick on, the man has to pick on me! You know how he gets."

Jack aprated into the House to hear splashing and talking out by the pool he was already in his swim shorts , placing his bag down by the door he chuckled as he mved to teh pool side and jumped in " Hey every one" he said shaking the water from his hair and smiling . He tuirend to Steven seeing a strange woman clinging to him " wow Steven whos this?" he asked winking to Khaat as he asked "jess sends her apoligys but andrews not feeling so good so she sent me here as reprosentative , she said if the baby sitter turns up and he feels better she'll come later , shes made a caesar salad with a lemon and pepper chicken peices in , its is to die for " he swum over to Khaat "good to see you out and about "

"Jack, this is my new server at Sparks, Ronata. She's staying with Steven," Khaat said. "I'm glad you could make it. I was just saying how you and Steven needed to start working out with Brian again. The man is bored when you two aren't here and thinks he has full right to make me work like he does you," Khaat said.

"That's not true," Brian laughed. "Are you saying I"m difficult to work for?"

"You, Brian Quinn," Khaat laughed, "demand more and more and more out of yourself and everybody else."

"There is a reason for that," he said. "And besides, if you couldn't do it, I wouldn't ask it. You're very capable of it."

"I am not going to win this one, am I?"

"No," he laughed.

as another man jumped it Ronata out of instinct grabbed hold of Steven tuirning her back to the man as a wave of water followed his splash her face buried in his bear chest a she felt the cold of the water against her back . feeling it subside and the man talk she breathed a sigh of relife before looking up at steven and pulled away. her cheeks slightly pink .

she smiled as Khaat introdiced her "Ronata volkman" she said shaking his hand the best she could and stay a float in the water, but she could feel stevens arm still around her.

Khaat heard Abbey start to cry and immediately jumped out of the pool, grabbing a towel and went inside. She picked her up in a baby blanket to avoid getting her wet and took her out to the kitchen where she got a bottle ready for her. She brought her out to the poolside and found a lounge chair in the shade. She sat there with her and began to feed her. The sun was warm, but the breeze and the shade felt chilly to her now that Khaat was wet. Brian laughed gently and got out, He wrapped a towel around her shoulders and draped her sarong over her legs.

Her mind had beenwandering to Rob lately at night when she was alone in her room and all his unfilled, empty promises. She had a huge list. All the things they would never do. The places they would never go. It was painful for her.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Brian asked, sitting with her on the edge of her chair.

"Rob. All the things he wasn't man enough to follow through on. The things he said we'd do, the places he said we'd go. You know, we always planned to go to Tuscany, but he was never man enough to stay with me long enough so we could go."

"So? So what if you didn't do it with Rob? You're not dead yet. You're not old. You're healthy. So, if you want to go to Tuscany, we'll go," he said suddenly.

"What?" she frowned.

"I'm serious. If you want to go, we'll go. It's that simple. What's stopping us?"

She looked at him for a moment, "You really are serious, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am. Let''s go to Tuscany if that's what you want. It's not like either of us are hard up for cash. Let's go."

"Well, uh..I guess I hadn't thought about it. But it certainly would be wonderful," she smiled.

"Then its settled." he looked at the other, "Anybody want to take a trip with is to Tuscany for a vacation?"

Jack loked back at Brian and Khaat as they sat out on the pool side "aww sorry guys I got to look after the family and stuff" he said diving under the water again and swimming around Steven and Ronata who he smiled at . Looking at Brian he made kissing faces to him and poiting to brain and Ronata then laughed silantly as he dove under then to teh pool side to sit enjoying the sun on his cool skin.

Khaat smiled. She was glad to have her friends around her. Hm..Tuscany. Really? She wanted to ride a bike or a horse through the wine areas, to olive groves, and to walk along the mediterrean sea. She knew she could get her parents to take care of the babies. That was almost too easy to make that happen. And she knew Brian was well acquainted with the area. he could find them a wonderful place to stay that everyone would like.

"Um.." Brian interrupted her thoughts. "You have your head in an olive grove already or something? Abbey's long been done with that bottle. You're just frustrating her now. Give her here." He picked Abbey up from Khaat and burped the child before taking her inside, talking to Abbey about how she should give Khaat heck for not paying attention to her.

Ronata watched Jack till he went behind her but she just roled her eyes and swum to the edge of the pool to climb out using the steps . Steven made ehr jump alittle as he had sliped out behind her and moved to grab her towel. "thank you" she said as he draped it over her shoulders then grabbed his own . she sat down on a sun louger to warm up a little steven sat on teh end drying himself . she could see his shoulder were turning red . picking up the sun screen she moved behind him and placed some on them "sorry but your catching the sun" she said rubbing them in gently her fingers she felt glide over his warm skin.

steven climbed out the pool and quickly grabbed Ronata's towel as she drew close he placed it over her shoulders smiling and gently rubbing her warm as she thanked him. "its all right, you don't have to keep thanking me " he said picking up his own as he dried himself off feeling a sting from his sholders but then a soothing cool of somthing. Turning he saw Ronata behind him her hands now rubbing sunscreen in to his shoulders he sat feeling her hands on him and he could not help smile a warm genuine smile, one that only could come from his heart. he continued to dry his chest and arms her ahnds felt like they belonged against him he closed his eyes for a moment but realing what he was doing opened them again.

Khaat saw clearly that Steven's life was moving forward again, and she was glad to see it. She didn't want Steven to be as stuck as he had been mentally, always hunting a woman. It had been tiresome and annoying. For some reason, he seemed to not be as secure about himself as a man without a woman with him. She hoped that, after such a strong woman like Janet had been, that Ronata's differences were something he could accept.

"So Steven..Ronata, you didnt' answer us. You two in for going with us to Tuscany?" Khaat asked.