Summary: Kevin and Sammy continue to adjust to their new lives in Four Corners. Meanwhile, two visitors to town create some interesting problems for the peacekeepers. Follows When It Rains and The Runaway. WARNING: may contain disciplinary spanking in later chapters.

Author's Note: Bits and pieces of this story have been rattling around in my brain for quite a while now. I'm going to do my best to knit them together into something that makes sense. As always, my thanks go out to all of you who have reviewed my stories in the past and have expressed interest in the continuation of my Magnificent Seven storyline. It's your comments and reviews that have inspired me to keep writing.

CHAPTER 1

"Dang it," Buck cursed and stuck the thumb he'd just smashed with a hammer into his mouth to suck away the pain. He and the vast majority of the other residents of the town of Four Corners were busy building the town's new schoolhouse. Unfortunately for his thumb, the ladies' man had been distracted by the sight of Betty Lou Harris walking by carrying a bowl of fried chicken to the food table which had been set up under the nearby trees.

"If you ain't careful, Buck, you're gonna break all your fingers that way," J.D. stated, glancing in Buck's direction. He thought it best not to mention that he'd nearly smashed his own thumb earlier when Casey had walked by. Somehow he didn't think Buck would let him live that down.

On the other side of the building, Vin had come down to get another load of shingles for the roof. He had just stepped down off the ladder when Nancy Bishop, the young and very pretty school teacher approached and offered him a tin cup of water. Blushing, he accepted the cup. "Thank you kindly, Ms. Bishop."

"You looked like you could use the refreshment, Mr. Tanner," she stated, blushing a little herself. "It sure seems like we've picked the hottest day of the year to build the school." She glanced around at all of the people who were contributing in some way to the new building. "I can't believe how many people have turned out to help."

Vin handed the tin cup back to her. "It does seem like the whole town is helpin', don't it?"

Accepting the cup, Nancy nodded. "It surely does. I'm looking forward to Kevin being in the classroom on Monday." She just couldn't bring herself to walk away from Vin. She didn't know a lot about his past, only what she'd managed to squeeze out of Mary, but what she had learned intrigued her. And she wanted to spend more time with him. Mary had told her to simply ask Vin to accompany on a walk or a ride, but she was much too shy to do that. She could only hope he felt the same way and would one day act on those feelings.

"I think he's a little nervous about actually attendin' class, but he seems to be lookin' forward to it." A movement from atop the schoolhouse caught Vin's attention and he looked up to see Nathan looking over the edge of the roof.

"You gonna stand around all day jawin' or you gonna bring up another load 'a shingles?" the dark-skinned healer demanded. He smiled as he drew back out of sight. It was good to see Vin sweet on someone, and the pretty little school teacher would be good for him.

"Oh," Nancy exclaimed. "I didn't mean to keep you. I'll let you get back to work. I really appreciate what you and your friends are doing."

Vin smiled at her. "You're welcome, Miss Bishop." He started to move toward the rope and sling that had been dangled over the roof.

Nancy watched as he placed a stack of shingles in the sling. She swallowed hard and spoke before she could lose her nerve. "Maybe I'll see you at dinner this evening."

Vin hefted another stack of shingles, but stopped before he reached the sling. "I'd like that." Nancy smiled and nodded before turning to walk off.

Kevin watched the entire exchange between Vin and Miss Bishop from across the school yard where he and a number of other boys were sanding boards that would be used to make benches and desks. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he wasn't sure he liked what he saw.

Chris was at the edge of the school yard helping to cut shingles. To someone who didn't know him well, he looked relaxed and at ease. However, he was still on alert to what was going on around him. Because of that, he knew the moment Vin had stepped down off the ladder and had watched, with interest, the exchange between his friend and Miss Bishop. Although, like Kevin, he was too far away to hear what was being said, the school teacher's interest in the tracker was evident to anyone who cared to look. He wondered how long it would be before Vin realized he was just as interested in the young woman.

Chris glanced over to where Sammy along with Casey and a couple other teenage girls were organizing several young children into a game of blind man's bluff. He was proud of Sammy and the way she had seemed to be settling in ever since their trip to his ranch outside of Eagle Bend. He returned to work, only to stop a few moments later when Mary approached. He smiled when he noticed the cup she was carrying.

"I thought you might be thirsty," she said, offering him the cup.

Chris accepted the cup with a nod and drank the cool water. "Thanks, I needed that." He handed the cup back to Mary and glanced around. "It seems to be going pretty well. We should have the exterior of the schoolhouse up by supper time. It'll probably take a few days to get the inside done, but you'll need fewer people for that."

Mary nodded. "I'm really surprised at the number of people who turned out for this. I suppose everyone is anxious to have a dedicated building for the school. I know Nancy is excited about it, not that she's minded holding classes in Josiah's church." Mary stopped and smiled slightly. She, too, had watched the earlier meeting between Nancy and Vin. "Do you suppose Vin will ever get around to spending some time with Nancy? I think you ought to encourage him to ask her out."

Chris nearly choked in surprise. That had been the last thing he'd expected Mary to bring up. "Maybe we oughtta just leave them alone and let them figure it out in their own time."

"Maybe," Mary responded, noncommittally. Maybe, she thought, it was time to see what she could do to bring the tracker and the school teacher together. She cared for Vin a great deal, and wanted to see him happy.

XXOOXXOOXXOO

Two days later . . .

"Why do I have to go to school?" Kevin asked when Vin woke him up that morning. "Can't I just keep getting my lessons here?"

Vin pulled the boy up and stood him on his feet. "Nathan said yer well enough to start attendin' class, so yer goin' to school. Besides, Billy and yer other friends are gonna be there, and you'll learn lots 'a new stuff."

"But I learn lots 'a new stuff here, and Billy can come over after school."

Vin wondered why the boy was so dead set against starting school that morning. The night before Kevin had seemed so excited it was a wonder he'd fallen asleep. Now it seemed he was afraid of something. Vin sat down on the side of his bed, and pulled Kevin to stand in front of him. "What's wrong, Buddy?"

"Nothin', I just don't want to go to school. That's all." Kevin squirmed a little under Vin's assessing stare. He was able to withstand it only a few seconds before giving in. "What if everybody knows more 'n I do? They'll all think I'm dumb or something."

Ah, Vin thought, now they were getting to the meat of the matter. "You've been getting' the same lessons at home as ever'body else yer age has been gettin' in class. You ain't dumb, and I don't want to hear you say that again. If'n someone calls you that, you prove 'em wrong, you got me?"

Although he wasn't convinced that something bad wasn't going to happen, Kevin nodded.

"Good. Now get dressed and come down for breakfast." Vin gestured to the neatly folded pants and shirt that were lying on top of the dresser. Mrs. Patterson had pressed them the day before so they would be nice and neat for Kevin's first day of school. "Ya got ten minutes, then I want you at the table fer breakfast, okay?" he asked, walking toward the door.

"Okay," Kevin replied sourly and moved to the dresser. He still wasn't sure he wanted to go to school, but he knew better than to argue with Vin about it. Reluctantly, he dressed and made his way down to the dining room, where he found Vin, along with Chris and Sammy, waiting on him. Mrs. Patterson had made his favorite breakfast of flapjacks and sausage to celebrate his first day of school.

Sensing how nervous the boy was, Sammy regaled him with tales of going to school in the one-room school house in the town she was from in Iowa. Although she made it sound like fun, Kevin wasn't convinced.

After breakfast was over and a round of well wishes from everyone who had joined them at the dining room table, Vin and Kevin left the boarding house to make their way over to the church. As Chris had predicted, the exterior of the new school house had been completed during the school raising, but the interior still needed quite a bit of work. Since the space inside the building was limited, that meant fewer people would be able to do the work. Still, it was anticipated that the new school would be ready for students within a couple of weeks.

"I don't guess I gotta tell you to be good and do what Miss Bishop tell ya, do I?" Vin asked as he and Kevin neared the church. The tracker figured enough had been said about school being fun that he didn't need to repeat the advice. Besides, Vin decided, he didn't know whether school would be fun or not, never having experienced it himself, so he didn't want to put himself in a position of having inadvertently lied to the boy.

"No, sir," Kevin responded.

Before he could make another attempt at being allowed to continue his education at home rather than in the classroom, Miss Bishop stepped out onto the stoop to ring the bell to call the students into the building. She grinned when she saw Vin and Kevin making their way toward the steps.

She gave Vin a shy smile and turned to greet Kevin. "It's wonderful to see you this morning, Kevin. Why don't you go on in and join the others? I'm sure Billy would like to show you where you will be sitting. I'll be in to help you get settled in just a moment."

Kevin reluctantly did as he was told and entered the church. He wondered if the knot that had built up in his stomach would go away or just grow bigger. At least part of his fear was dissolved when he pushed open the door to the church and was immediately surrounded by Billy Travis and the Miller brothers. Even some of the boys who Kevin hadn't yet met joined in the greeting.

The fact that he lived with a number of the peacekeepers and had survived being shot gave Kevin a kind of hero status among several of his classmates. While this hero status brought out admiration in most of the boys in the room, there were those who resented it. Kevin was so wrapped up in their welcome that he failed to notice the two boys standing off to the side of the room.

The warm greeting was cut short when Miss Bishop entered the improvised classroom and called her students to order. "I don't suppose I need to introduce your new classmate. You all already seem to know who he is, and I'm very proud of you for making him feel so welcome." She turned to Kevin. "Why don't you take a seat in that first bench," she said, pointing to the bench where Billy Travis, Larry Miller, and a boy Kevin learned was named Joshua Smith, were sitting. It took several minutes for the students to settle down into their morning routine.

TBC