7x5x15 - Book 1

By AJB

Chapter One

Fall announced its impending arrival with subtle shifts in scent. Chris Larabee hadn't noticed this before and only became aware of the phenomenon when he saw his son turn his face to the wind and close his eyes, tilting his chin just enough so the dry breeze could fully engaged his nose. As Vin sniffed, a corner of Chris' mouth twitched with humor because the boy reminded him so much of their dogs on the hunt. Chris stopped shoveling and leaned on the worn wooden handle to take in both sight and smell.

Vin sat astride Peso's bare back, stopped in the center of the tawny grass field that sloped from the turn-out corral to the edge of the woods. The horse's long face also turned into the wind and his shiny mane rippled like breeze-tickled satin. The long, black tail flared and twisted among the golden stalks in an intricate pattern. Struck by the beauty of the pose gilded in late afternoon gold, Chris paused. Time slowed and the awe of the gift bestowed on him made his heart skip.

Chris' grin faltered, though, when he noticed Vin's relaxed expression turn to one of concern as his forehead furrowed. As if mentally connected, Peso bobbed his head and shifted, signaling his readiness to move.

"Vin?" Chris called, hefting the shovel into his calloused hand as he stepped toward the paddock fence. His son's eyes snapped open and Vin searched the paddocks until his gaze found Chris'. Then he smiled and urged Peso forward. The shiny black swiveled his ears to Vin's voice and broke into a gentle jog. Chris crawled between the paddock rails, parked the shovel against the barn and took Peso's reins when they met. "Everything okay?"

Vin slid easily from the horse's back and he claimed the reins with a sigh. "Yeah." He fiddled with reins for a few seconds before looking up to meet Chris' eyes. "It's just . . . school starts soon."

"Next week," Chris confirmed. "It's been a busy summer, huh?"

Vin nodded then dipped his head. Peso shoved him in the back with a blaze-tipped nose. "Hey!" Vin yelped, barely catching his balance before giving his horse a disapproving glare.

Chris chuckled as he followed the pair into the barn and mentally listed the things they accomplished during the summer: Raised a barn, repaired Vin's previously broken arm, reduced Chris' facial scar which rejoined his left eyebrow, threw a huge thank-you barbecue for their neighbors on the reservation and generally tightened the family bond. "And now it's on to the next big adventure," he summed up aloud.

Vin scowled as he turned Peso loose in his stall. After latching the door, the 10-year-old faced Chris as he coiled the reins and readied the bridle for the tack room rack. His mouth opened as if to speak, but he sighed instead and headed to the tack room. Chris heard him mutter something as he walked away.

It was obvious that Vin wasn't too excited about school. What Chris wasn't sure about was if it was the classes he was dreading or the separation from the ranch and, specifically, his dad. With Dr. Will's help, the separation anxiety that plagued both of them since Vin's return had lessened but had not abated entirely. They both knew painfully well that it was a work in progress. As for school work, Vin was at, or slightly above, grade level for the first time in his life so maybe there was an expectation of pressure to keep it that way. No, stress wasn't a stranger around the Larabee household.

Chris leaned against the frame of the barn door and waited for Vin to come out of the tack room. In the next seven days prior to the start of formal classes, both Buck and Chris planned to introduce the boys to the new school director, Mrs. Gaines, their teachers and Vin's counselor. Orientation on the new campus was tomorrow evening. Chris wondered if they should have taken more initiative and started connecting Vin to the school earlier via summer school. The summer had been so freewheeling and busy. . .

He smiled in retrospect. Nope, he didn't regret taking the time off to be with Vin and JD, not for a moment. "I know how ya feel, Pard. I start work next week, you know."

Vin looked up and rolled his eyes. "Work's a lot more fun than school. Uncle Ezra's there, an' Uncle Nathan an' Uncle Josiah."

"You'll have friends at school, too, Vin. The class lists should be posted tomorrow. We'll take a look."

"I've only seen JD's friends this summer," Vin said softly as he toed a hole in the dirt. "I'm gonna be in my own class this time."

Chris reached down and combed back Vin's hair with his fingers as he spoke. "I know," he said softly. "It's going to be different but you'll do just fine. Your school councilor will help you as much as she can so don't be afraid to talk to her, okay? We'll be meeting her tomorrow, too."

Vin nodded and took Chris' hand. When they left the new-wood and earthy smells of the barn and headed up the slope to the house, Chris noticed Vin turn his face into the wind and take a deep breath.

"What do you smell?"

"Change," Vin replied. "Summer's over."

Chris squeezed Vin's hand and smiled down at his boy. "Yeah, it is, but Fall means Halloween's just around the corner. Just think of all that candy."

Trepidation evaporated with Vin's huge smile.

The school grounds had changed. Vin knew about the adjacent campus built in the last year because Chris had driven him by the location many times during the summer. He and JD were starting their middle school track in newly constructed buildings with a staff expanded from the original campus. Vaguely remembering the teachers from the elementary level, Vin wondered if they would cross paths. A shot of anxiety tingled in his gut; how should he respond?

His thoughts must have transferred through his hand because at that exact moment, Chris squeezed it and looked down to catch his eyes.

"I'm here with you, Son," he said, his voice low so the other people around wouldn't overhear. "I know you're worried, but we'll get through this, okay?"

"'kay," was all Vin managed with a cotton-dry mouth.

Since school didn't start for several more days, there weren't many people on the wide steps leading through the front gates. Vin appreciated their slow gait which gave him time to scan their surroundings. Administration offices flanked the entry gates and beyond the shiny new entry, there was a grassy amphitheater with wide, arcing cement slabs for seating. He liked the openness of it and the way the rest of the buildings surrounded the area. It was like a fort. He smiled.

JD, dragging Buck in his wake, charged the gate several minutes ahead of them, excitement exploding from every pore. The class rosters posted online the previous night were enough for JD to consider the task of looking for his room some kind of treasure hunt.

"Does the 2 in Room 207 mean I'm on the top floor? Is there an el'vator? C'n I see treetops from my room?"

JD's questions started just before bedtime, continued through morning chores, breakfast, and the ride to the campus. At first, Buck answered the questions as best as he could, then resorted to "I don't know!" Now, he was just making up answers. Buck's outrageous responses helped Vin put aside his anxiousness and eke out a real smile. Upon arrival, Buck had no choice but draft in JD's wake through the school entrance. Vin and Chris followed at a more sedate pace, stopping within the grassy central amphitheater.

They stood quietly, taking in the campus layout in a calmer fashion. Buck emerged from one of the buildings sporting a huge, dopey smile on his face that grew impossibly larger when he spotted Chris. He raised his arm and waved for them to come over. Puzzled, Vin looked up to Chris.

Chris glanced down at Vin and shrugged. "Gotta start somewhere, I guess," he said, tipping his head in Buck's direction. He gave Vin's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Okay?"

Vin nodded and allowed Chris to lead him toward Buck, who stood at the open door of a large room labeled "Multi-Purpose Room". Vin could see people of all sizes moving around inside. Not wanting to be seen holding hands with his Dad, Vin pulled free. Chris looked down as if to ask a question, but Buck sidelined him by talking first.

"You ain't gonna believe this, Chris," he said, chuckling and shaking his head. A suspicious frown creased Chris' forehead and Vin's heart rate jumped.

"What?" Chris asked, suspicious.

Buck, still chuckling, he said, "You'll never guess . . ." He grabbed Chris' shoulder and pushed him toward the open door. "I can't . . . well, just look at who JD's talkin' to."

Buck rested his hand between Chris' shoulder blades when he paused to scan the crowded room from the threshold. Buck gently pushed him through the doorway, keeping constant pressure on his back to prevent him from backing out of the room. Vin, on the other side of Chris, pressed close and tried to find JD among the clusters of bodies.

The room was far from full and most of the people were to one side, fanned around a single woman; Vin could only see the bottom edge of her dark, knee length skirt, her bare calves, and high heels. Between various hips and legs, Vin caught a glimpse of JD standing right next to her, looking up with an awed expression on his face. Not reading any fear in his brother's aura, Vin relaxed a little but immediately tensed again when he heard Chris say, "Well I'll be damned."

"I know! Can you believe it?" Buck said with a laugh.

Vin couldn't pin the emotion attached to his dad's statement. He looked up and traced Chris' line of sight to the woman with JD. Starting at what he could see of her knees, Vin followed her outline upward as the crowd shifted, pausing whenever his view was blocked. The woman's' skirt was form-fitting and the shifting crowd revealed patches of a royal blue blouse made of a shiny material, and eventually Vin caught sight a V-neckline and a pendant on a chain.

"Ella Lancaster."

Chris' statement pulled Vin's attention to the interaction between his dad and Buck.

"She still looks great, doesn't she?" Buck nudged Chris with an elbow.

"Yeah, she does."

Chris sounded a bit dazed so, curious, Vin turned back to the woman just as the milling bodies let him see her face.

Vin's first thought was that she had a lot of teeth. Her broad smile, framed by lips the color of dried blood, did little to soften the sharp angles of her jaw. Her eyebrows arched like spider legs and the groove in her chin was disturbing. What caught his attention above all was the way her dark eyes fixed on whom she spoke with, giving Vin the impression of a stalking cat. Then her gaze turned their direction and settled on something just above Vin's head. Her smile widened. Vin glanced up and saw that the target of her focus was Chris.

Vin's hands turned clammy. He wiped them on his jeans, the action putting him a step behind his Dad as he walked toward her.

"Christopher Larabee!" The woman gushed when he was a few feet away.

She held out a hand and Chris took it in a firm grip, which she covered with her other hand. Chris' free hand cupped her elbow when he came to a stop well within what Vin considered personal space. He tucked in close to his Dad, partially behind one of his legs and tore his stare from her face to JD, who practically stood on her feet as he looked up at the pair.

"You know Chris, too?" JD asked. "Where do you live? How come we've never seen you before?"

"Well, JD," the woman said, hesitating a moment before turning her attention from Chris to the boy. "I just moved here from Atlanta a little over a month ago."

"Atlanta? Uncle Ezra's from Atlanta. You know him, too?"

"No, I don't, but I'd like to meet him sometime."

JD opened his mouth for what Vin knew would be an endless string of questions, but before he could start Buck elbowed through the crowd and scooped him up.

"Okay, JD, Mrs. Gaines is a little busy at the moment so we need to let her talk to some other folks. Sorry, Ella."

She laughed, the sound causing icy fingers to walk up Vin's spine. Then she looked down to Vin and he saw an edge of frost on her gaze. "And this must be Vincent?"

"Vin," he automatically corrected, unable to tear his eyes away from her focus.

"Vin," she said slowly. The smile held no warmth. "It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand but Vin didn't move to shake it.

"Vin?" Chris said, his tune like an order instead of a question. He nudged Vin with his knee.

Reluctantly, Vin reached out and shook her cold fingers. "Hi," was all he could muster from his dry mouth.

"I am your new school Director, Vin. It's an exciting, fresh start for both of us."

Vin couldn't reply. The nod he managed came only when Chris gently squeezed his shoulder. Suddenly, the air vanished from his lungs and the press of the crowd was too much.

"Well, you look a little busy, Ella, so we won't keep you. We still need to meet Vin's teacher."

"Of course." She shook his hand again and looked solely at Chris when she spoke. "Mrs. Koske's in room 114. Nice to meet you, Vin. I'll see you around campus, okay?" They turned to go. "Chris?"

Chris paused and looked back at her. "Yes?"

"Mrs. Koske's orientation will take about 10 minutes with the parents, and then she prefers to talk to the kids only. Stop by my office if you have a chance so we can talk about Vin's schedule?"

"Sure," Chris replied with a grin. Then his dad's hands on his shoulders guided Vin as they followed Buck outside. Once in the hallway, Buck, laughing, dropped JD from his hip and leaned toward Chris, whispering. JD hopped over to Vin while chattering about his classroom.

Vin didn't hear him. Instead, he stared back into the multi-purpose room. There was a lingering new construction smell in the air; between that and the unsettled feelings the Director invoked, Vin's stomach churned. He couldn't pin a label on how she made him feel, Bucks' and Chris' obvious affection confusing things for him, but what he did feel was off-setting enough for him to hope he didn't see her too often.

Then he looked up to Chris and Buck talking softly and got an odd sense that he was far from free of Mrs. Gaines.

TBC