Katie drove to Pablo's ranch in the hills, it took several hours. He'd bought it as a retirement home, but couldn't relax there, so instead he had bought a helicopter and could now travel to most places with ease without losing the tucked away, private ranch. Driving there, however, was a different matter; the roads were precarious, winding, climbing, and in some parts deserted. It was also a long drive from her, and she was shattered when she finally pulled up in front of the colonial style house.

Catalina, Pablo's sixteen year old daughter, ran out of the front door, squealing with excitement to meet her, "Katie! Papa said you were coming! Fantastic! How are you? It’s been TOO long!"

Catalina was the youngest of five children, her brothers were all a lot older, being between the ages of thirty and twenty-four. And within her family she was more than well protected, probably over protected by them, and always looked on Katie as support for her usually hare-brained schemes.

"I'm good. How are you?" She returned the hug.

Catalina beamed, "I'm really well. I'm bringing my boyfriend to meet the family. I'm so excited. He's wonderful!"

Katie grimaced, not envying the poor lad, they were such an alpha male bunch, "That's great! Though I pity him coming here! I hope your brothers will behave. He’ll be like a lamb to the slaughter!"

She grabbed Katie's bag laughing, "You have such funny sayings! I know, you’re right! But my mother has met him and loves him, so I'm hoping that between her and you he'll feel supported!"

The two girls climbed the stairs to the house and headed into the hallway. As usual chaos reigned! Katie loved coming to the Hacienda. There was always a madness, a friendliness that she missed. The house was always full, and the family welcomed her as one of their own. And for so many years they had been her family when she had none, and it was on these weekends that she realised what she’d lost the last few years.

"Katie!" she was engulfed by Isabel, Pablo's wife. After a brief hug she was examined at arm's length. "You look very well, more beautiful than ever! Is that handsome husband of yours looking after you? I thought you might have brought him."

Katie gulped a sudden wave of emotion washing over her, "no...I er..." She hadn’t imagined having to tell anyone this weekend and the question had floored her, but she was also guilty that she wasn’t more devastated than she should have been.

"Are you ok?" Isa pulled her into her arms. "What is it?"

"I've split up with Xavier!" It was the first time she'd actually said the words.

"Oh my God!" Catalina joined in. "I can't believe it! What happened?"

Katie shrugged wanting to change the conversation topic desperately, "he was having an affair, with my best friend. I can't be second best! It's over."

Isa shook her head, not wanting to let go of the girl she viewed as a daughter, "the man is mad! I agree with you though Katie. I can't understand how these women put up with cheaters, some even let it happen again, but smile on as though it's all ok!" She took Katie's hand, "come on, let's go drink Margarita's! They are the answer to EVERY problem!”

They were all sat under the pergola at the back of the house halfway into the jug that Isa had prepared when the men arrived. Ramon, the oldest son was a lawyer, David and Antonio the twins ran a shop in Acapulco selling surf gear, and Luis the youngest boy was in medical school in California. When Pablo called them home, without fail they all dropped everything and turned up.

The father was an imposing figure as he leaned against the door frame. "Nice to see you ladies are relaxing!" He offered from behind his four sons.

Isa chuckled, "we are barbecuing tonight! I know that you men will fight for the honours!" They all knew that in the kitchen were bowl upon bowl of salad, beans, potatoes - enough to feed a small army, Isa always over prepared for these occasions.

"Katie, I have a small amount of business we need to discuss. I'd rather do it now, and enjoy the rest of the weekend."

She nodded, "as long as I can bring my glass!"

He laughed before leading her into his office.

"I want you to take on a new project. I can trust you, and I feel I need to step back a bit now." He was leaning against his desk, perched in a relaxed posture, she’d accepted the offer of one of the antique leather bucket chairs that faced him.

She nodded, "I love a challenge, you know that."

He smiled, then moved around the desk to sit opposite her, "Well I've taken on a new business. I'm buying a chain of resorts in Spain. I can then take rich Americans and Mexicans to Europe, and Spain. I want you to run them for me. The hotels, the activities, the trips...everything!"

She gawped open-mouthed at him, "really?"

He nodded, "I want to diversify, I've been complacent! And I think you'll be perfect for this. The Acapulco office can negotiate the bookings, but you can set up everything European side. You know it better than me..."

Katie’s eyes were wide, the implications of this were huge. "So you'll need me to move to Spain?" She’d see more of her father, a lot more, and then there was the fact she would be away from the betrayal of her husband and best friend. This could be a perfect opportunity for her, with the best timing.

He shrugged, "possibly, ultimately, obviously it's going to take some time to organise, I'm only at the negotiating stage. But in the next month or so I'll need to spend some time there checking out the hotels, looking into tours and finding any other properties." He dropped leaflets on the desk, wine tours, mountain tours, cultural tours. He had it all planned. Then there was the chain of hotels that he was looking at.

"Why wouldn't you use existing Spanish tours and companies?" She asked flicking through the brochures and ideas.

"Because these are going to be a series of five-star resorts, upgraded on their current condition, villages where every need is catered for. And that means tailor-made and theme tours and trips. Initially I want to take the transatlantic crowd, but I think we can give the hacienda feel to Europeans too. A meld of Spain and Mexico."

His hotels were very successful, he had broken into mainstream America over the last few years, but this seemed like a huge project.

"It seems like a wonderful chance, but if I’m honest I don't get why you're doing this Pablo. It seems very radical. Yet you’re retiring soon..."

He nodded, "maybe it's my egocentric side. I want to see things succeed, want to try new things. Other than the blip when you were at home, Acapulco is successful and self managing. I want to see if we, me and you can do something bigger, better."

She took along drink, "how much travelling will that be?"

He shrugged, "a lot. I know you'll have to speak to your husband." He'd never referred to Xavier by name, even though he was an employee too. He fought to hide his dislike from her, but it was hard. "We can probably reduce it as much as possible. Or we could try to get him to travel with you?"

"We've split Pablo."

He gasped, "really?!" Whilst this was exactly what he’d prayed would happen, he was still stunned.

She nodded, "he was having an affair." When he nodded knowingly she stared at him, "you knew?"

"God no!" he shook his head in a vigorous denial, "no definitely not, but I can't say that I'm surprised. He's not good enough for you Katie. I've always thought that." That was an understatement.

They were both silent for a while, taking things in.

"So what are the time scales?"

He leaned back in his seat and watched her, "I thought you could have a month to sort things, take this much-needed holiday, then start planning. Maybe plan to head to Spain, in two months time."

She nodded, "Will this be permanent for me?"

He shrugged, "I really don't know. I've not thought past the set up. We need good managers here and in Spain. But with your knowledge of Europe you are the best person to spearhead this. We can appoint someone in your absence here, then see how it goes."

She thought for a minute, "there are a couple of possibilities in the office, but I need to get rid of a few loose cannons too."

"Well let's clean up the office, here, take some time go home, spend time with your father, maybe travel to Spain whilst you're there, recce some of the properties as a tourist. At the end of the day I don't want to purchase something this big without viewing at least some of it. Then come back and we'll orchestrate a permanent move."

He stood and paced the room, "if it suits, we'll need to negotiate the deal. I think that you and Ramon once I've briefed you both should be able to manage that. Then you have free reign to complete this as you see fit - within my general specifications obviously."

She looked at him for an age, "Pablo, this still seems a huge move, and a huge responsibility."

"I'll be honest with you Katie. Catalina wants to travel in Europe then settle to University out there, probably in Spain or maybe London. I'd be hoping that you'd be a link for me. I want to give her freedom, but it's so far away. It'd be reassuring knowing that she has someone nearby if things go wrong. But that's not the real reason, it's just a help. I've been thinking of Europe for years, but my boys are not interested in business across the Atlantic. So eventually, when I retire I want this branch of things to be yours."

She felt her mouth open in a gape. "Me?" This was more than a grand gesture.

Pablo nodded, "form the moment I met you in your college year, I loved you like a daughter. This is the perfect chance for me to look after you, I'll know that when something happens to me, then you'll have something from me. Europe is closer to your family, I've always hoped you'd reconcile, family is so important. And it's far enough from your husband, who's a leech on you and doesn't deserve you." He stood in front of her, "I'm afraid this is me at my manipulating best! I never intended to make it easy for him to travel with you."

She sighed, "I should be angry that you are orchestrated the permanent downfall of my marriage, but I love you like a father Pablo, and I cannot believe that you saw what I didn't. I'm just concerned that I'll let you down over this."

He hugged her, "you could never let me down! Even if this falls through or fails, I want to make sure you're rewarded and looked after when I'm not here to do it."

"You're not ill are you?"

He shook his head, "I'm no more ill than two years ago. I take lots of medication! But I am sixty-five, and I've had a hard life. I won't be here forever."

She hugged him, "you'll live forever! I believe that!"

Leaving an arm around her shoulders, he led her out to rejoin the family.

As they ate grilled steaks and swordfish, she looked around with a smile. The Vasquez family had come to mean so much to her. Could she move away from her home back to Europe and her own volatile family? Away from the safety that she had found in Mexico, she took a deep breath as she realized for the first time that she was hiding, hiding from reality. Maybe Dan was right, her marriage to Xavier had meant she was never truly alone. Holidays were spent with him and his family, she came home to a house filled with his energy, yet she'd never felt the excitement that she had in that one kiss in the airport. Had it all been a farce? In the past she'd have turned up on Marta's door step with a bottle of wine and talked into the early hours. She was blatantly aware that she couldn't do that anymore.

Several drinks later and replete after a meal, Katie leaned back in her chair and folded her hands across her full stomach. "As usual Isabel, that was absolutely wonderful! Won't you come and live with me?"

Isabel laughed, "I would for a nice break, but then these children turn up so often I wouldn't want to put you through that!"

"Good point!" She turned to Catalina, "so when does Ricky arrive?"

The younger girl blushed profusely, "tomorrow. Which is going to be a nightmare, as America play Guadalajara...of course being from the City he is a devout America fan...the rest of the family are Chiva. As you know Katie, this is not simple football rivalry; this is more than life or death."

Pablo shook his head, "I always thought it would be difficult to see my daughter with anyone, but..." he looked to the sky, "this is like my worst nightmare! There's only one side to support in El Clásico, and that is with the rest of country against the capitalinos!"

Catalina shook her head, "What hope do I have?"

Katie was laughing, "I remember my first boyfriend, my father was exactly the same!"

"So how is your father?" Ramon asked, "I hear he wasn't well."

She nodded, "he had a heart attack. We haven't been in touch for a while, so I was really glad to see him, and know he's ok. I have a bad relationship with my step mother, so I've kept my distance."

Ramon nodded, and she knew he couldn't even possibly understand coming from such a big and loving family, "it must be hard, we take our family for granted I think."

She nodded, smiling, he'd almost read her mind.

"It's not always a good thing!" Antonio the younger of the twins added, "they don't leave you alone!"

Katie slept well that night, a lot of things had been put into perspective as she'd talked and then quietly analyzed her life. She knew that this opportunity to get back into regular contact with her father was important, almost a gift in terms of timing. She knew that Spain was the way forward for a while anyway, she refused to consider the complication that was Dan, at the end of the day, she really needed to clear her head, get over Xavi and most importantly spend time with her Dad.

The next morning as the boys were preparing horses for them all to go for a ride, she sought out Pablo.

"I really want to do Spain!" Her optimism and excitement at the thought knew no bounds.

"I thought you would!"

She laughed, "and I've been thinking about things."

He laughed too, "Again, I thought you would!"

She punched his arm playfully, "I want a week or two to sort out the office, then I'll head home, and recce the Spanish hotels as part of that trip. If I'm doing this then I need to get things sorted now. Do you have any details on the negotiations so far?"

He nodded, "I emailed everything to you yesterday!"

"You were that confident?" When he nodded, she hugged him. "I'll miss you though."

He kissed the top of her head, "you're like a daughter to me Katie, and unlike your family I will not let you go! Can you imagine Isabel once she actually samples the delights of European shopping? We'll be visiting every month!"

She looked up into his friendly eyes, "I hope so!"

She rode with the Vasquez children, around the boundaries of the estate, charging up hills and through streams. They were all shattered when they got home and stabled the horses. That night was the real celebration 35 years of marriage for Pablo and Isa. So she dressed into a royal blue silk dress, tight around her ample chest, but falling in light layers to her knees. It was simple but elegant. She was still nervous of big events like this, her Spanish was excellent, but people spoke quicker when they were in large groups and drinking!

She was so glad when Ramon knocked her door at seven o'clock. "Thought you may like an escort!"

She smiled, "thank you! It's quite daunting big family groups like this!"

"I also wanted to say I think you're very brave over the Spain thing. We need to catch up in the next few days to discuss a schedule."

She nodded, "I need to read through all the stuff your father has sent me. Then I'll try to work things out from then."

He offered his elbow and she tucked her hand in allowing him to lead her downstairs.

"Do you think a lot of this is your father trying to be a matchmaker?"

Ramon laughed his deep hearty chuckle, "you could be right, send us away together, see what happens!"

"Are you ever going to tell him?" she paused and looked up at him. She'd realized that Ramon was gay from the moment she met him. He had a gentle streak, but other than that was not a typical gay man. Yet something told her straight off. It'd taken him two years to admit it to her, and that was only after bumping into him in a gay bar in Mexico City one evening with another gay friend of hers.

Ramon blushed, "it's not like Europe Katie, it's still really taboo. It would devastate him."

She reached up and kissed his cheek, "he's not the ogre you think, I think he'd be okay. You'd be surprised."

He shrugged, "maybe if I was in a deep and meaningful relationship then I would, but I'm not......so I haven't."

She prodded his ribs, "chicken!"

Then they were thrust into the cacophony of the party. A band played on the patio, people milled around accepting flutes of champagne and nibbles from the waiters who discreetly appeared where they were needed.

"Let's circulate!" he whispered in her ear, then laughed as she clamped into his arm for dear life.