Vin and Nettie stepped onto the porch just as Chris rode into the front yard. "What's wrong?"

Chris dismounted. "Lets go inside."

Once seated at the table, Chris quickly ran down what had happened in town.

"Is she all right?" Vin asked, clearly alarmed.

"Rhianna says she will be fine."

"Why in the world would True do that to herself?" Nettie questioned.

"Ask your surrogate son." Chris spat out angrily.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Vin growled back.

"It means she did this because she think you don't care about her!"

Vin rolled his eyes. "Not this again!"

The gesture confirmed Chris's thoughts that Vin was acting like a love sick school boy. "Yes again!"

"I aint spendin too much time with Lauren!"

"No? The tell me the last time ya ate supper with her? Or put her to bed?"

Vin opened his mouth to reply, but found he didn't have an answer. "That don't mean I's ignorin her!"

"What do you call it? You're acting like a little boy with a crush! Maybe I should treat you like one an beat some sense into you!"

Vin jumped up, knocking his chair to the floor. "Fuck you Chris! Ya aint got no call talkin to me like that!"

Nettie stood up and grabbed Vin's arm. "Stop it! Now." When she was sure she had his attention she motioned to the chair. "Set it up right and sit down. And if I hear that language again you'll be getting a taste of soap!"

Vin did as he was told and threw himself into the chair. Nettie frowned. "Boy, your attitude is not helping."

"Whatever." Vin replied petuantly, not realizing he sounded just like True.

Nettie took Vin's chin in her hand. "You aint too old for me ta take a belt ta your backside young man."

Vin wrenched his chin from her grasp. "You aint my ma!" He stood up so quickly, Nettie lost her balance and fell to the floor. Vin stared in horror at what he did. "Nettie, I'm so sorry."

"That's it! You want to act like a child, I'm gonna treat you like one!" Chris took him by the arm and started pulling him outside towards the barn.

"Hold it!" Nettie got to her feet and glared at both men for not even offering her a hand up. "While I agree with you Chris I think we all need to take a minute to calm down. Both of you take a seat. Now."

Once seated she waited several minutes for both men to regain control of their emotions. "Now I'm gonna speak and you both are gonna listen. Understood?"

Both men nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

"Chris I understand why you are upset but you going at Vin like that will not solve anything. He's as stubborn as a mule and you know he will dig his feet in if you start yelling and threatening him." She placed her hand on Chris's arm. "Now did True say she thought Vin didn't care about her?"

"Not in so many words."

"And have you ever known that child to hold back what she thinks?"

Chris's lips quirked. "No. Can't say I have."

"Then why do you think she feels that way?"

"You didn't see her face when she said Vin was probably going to Lauren's after seeing you Nettie. Even said she should burn down the house we are working on for Lauren."

Nettie turned to Vin. "Have you been spending time with True?"

"I've been trying."

Chris opened his mouth to comment but quickly closed it when Nettie pointed her finger at him. "I'm not talking to you now."

When Nettie was sure Chris was not going to interrupt she continued. "Have you son? Sometimes a person loses track of time when they are busy."

"I've been tryin to get Lauren's house done before if gets colder." He sat for a minute thinking things through then looked up at Nettie with guilt in his eyes. " I really haven't been there for supper. Lauren's been bringing food so we can eat together before I start working again. Trues been in bed by the time I'm done for the night."

"There's no rush to get it done. Mary and I spoke shortly after the fire and she was well aware that it could take a while for the new house to be built and that Lauren could be living with her for a time."

Vin stared at the table. "I'm so stupid I couldn't see I was hurtin her." He yelped when Nettie took hold of his ear and pulled him to his feet. "What did I say would happen if I heard you calling yourself that again?"

Realizing his error, he tried to backpedal. "I didn't mean..." He looked to Chris for help but the man simply sat there smiling.

"What did I say?"

"Aw Nettie don't make me say it!"

She picked up a spoon the was on the table and swatted him several times in quick succession. "I asked you a question young man."

Vin blushed. "You said you'd make Chris take his belt to me."

That got Chris's attention. For all of his bluster and threats a few minutes ago he couldn't see himself giving Vin a whipping even though he was like a little brother. "Um Nettie..."

"What? You were dragging him out to the barn earlier. Now you get to make good on your threat." She let Vin go and told him to stay put then motioned Chris to follow her to the other side of the room. "That boy is going to be eaten up by guilt over what True did because he hadn't been paying attention. I know my boy. If he doesn't feel like he's been punished he's going to beat himself up. He needs to stop putting himself down and feeling like he failed whenever that girl does something crazy and I don't have the strength it's gonna take to get through that stubborn head. Besides I made him a promise last time and you're going to keep it for me."

"Im not his pa."

"And I'm not his ma. He's still so young and we are the closest thing he has to them so it's up to us to set him straight."

Chris sighed and nodded. "All right. But I'm not going to force him."

"You won't have to." She went back over to Vin. "I was going give you a pass on your behavior earlier when you were acting no older than True, but I just can't allow you to act like that or talk down on yourself. Chris is going to take his belt to you as I promised. Now bend over the table."

Vin felt all of the blood leave his face. He never thought Chris would agree do it! "But Nettie!"

"Now or you can drop your britches too. If I remember correctly I promised it would be on the bare but I'm feeling generous so you do as I say unless that's what you want."

Vin knew he didn't have to do this. Neither Nettie or Chris would make him do it. If he didn't feel so guilty he would just walk out the door but part of him felt like he deserved what Chris was going to dish out. He'd never had a family before and the thought of leaving made him sick and disobeying Nettie, the woman that he'd come to think of as his mother, was not something he could do and live with himself. With one last look at her and back at Chris he bent over.

Chris didn't waste any time, wanting to get this over with and get back to True. He pulled his belt off and took his place behind Vin. "You understand why I'm doing this?" He asked much like he would have one of the girls.

"Yeah. Just go on and get it over with." He said in a shaky voice.

Chris looked at Nettie, who nodded, and then lashed the belt down.

Vin cried out, not able to stay quiet. "Damn it Chris. You don't gotta take a strip off a my hide with the first lick!"

Chris and Nettie shared a look at the very True-like comment. Like sister like brother. He continued to swat the backside before him until Nettie motioned that he'd had enough. He put his belt back on and stepped back so Nettie could give him the comfort he knew Vin wouldn't accept from him.

Vin couldn't remember a time when he'd been in such pain from a licking. Damn Chris could dish it out. Now he understood why the girls behaved better for him than anyone else. He accepted Nettie's embrace, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and pulled himself together. After a moment he stood and turned to Chris. "Sorry Cowboy. I was out of line and acting like a fool."

Chris pulled him into a quick hug. "S'all right. I really didn't want to do that but Nettie is a force to be reckoned with. I was afraid I'd be next if I told her no." He joked.

Nettie swatted him with the spoon, causing him hiss in pain. "You best not or there's more where that came from. Now, you both get back to town and take care of True."

The last thing Vin wanted to do was sit on a horse but True needed him and he wasn't going to let her down again. "Let's ride Cowboy."