Molly Gallagher sat at her desk watching the room full of children all working diligently on the assignment she'd just given them. Nearly the entire morning she had to keep from pinching herself to be sure this was real. Today was the first day of school for the town of Four Corners.

Molly had gotten to the school before dawn even began to show her face in order to make one last check that everything was, indeed ready for the start of school. She had spent most of the week cleaning and getting her supplies and books organized but felt the need to arrive early.

Her dress was a navy blue and one she had specially ordered through Mrs. Potter's store. It was an indulgence, bordering on extravagance but one she felt she wasentitled too. The watch pin Ryan had given her all those months before was pinned to the lapel of the dress. She clutched a leather bound record book that her uncle had given her the evening before. She knew it was his way of apologizing for what happened that night in the saloon. They never spoke of it; him out of shame and her out of part fear and part embarrassment. The two men she cared for most in this world were changing in front of her very eyes and she didn't want to bring any more attention to what was happening.

Walking into the church in the early morning, she lit a lamp and smiled at the first thing she saw on her desk, the silver hand-bell JD had given to her at dinner two nights before. Engraved on the rim of the bell were the initials MKG and this morning's date, the day she began teaching. She smiled at the memory of the smile on his face as she carefully had unwrapped and opened the box containing it. It was a perfect end to a perfect evening. The two had talked and laughed and were oblivious to the world around them. Molly felt herself growing ever closer to JD as the night progressed. When he walked her to her door he offered a simple kiss on her cheek that meant more to the young woman than any other action could have and her heart soared. She wondered if this was what falling in love felt like.

The following day he had abruptly left with the other six protectors of the town. There was no warning and no offer of an explanation by any of them. The gossip in town was that it had something to do with Cheyenne. Then Mr. Sullivan had been killed only a couple of nights before. While Molly hadn't gotten the full story, according to the gossip-mills Lily's brother was attempting to kidnap her in the middle of the night when AJ Cinders intervened. The funeral for Mr. Sullivan had been the day before and out of respect for Lily, Molly attended knowing her father didn't approve. Only a handful of people attended and in the absence of Mr. Sanchez a traveling missionary performed the simple ceremony before moving on to the next town. Molly shook the thoughts from her head and focused again on the room full of children in front of her for right now they were all that mattered.

The end of the school day came quickly and Molly watched from the door to the church as the children ran outside and toward their homes to tell their families all about their first day of school. Molly watched as the last child cleared the schoolyard hoping to see some sign that the seven protectors had returned.

Realizing with a heavy heart that they had not returned Molly turned back inside to gather her things and prepare for the next day. A shadow cast over the doorway and Molly looked up to see her father standing there. Things between father and daughter had been strained in a way that had never been before.

"I trust things went well," he asked walking into the room.

"Quite well," Molly answered him. He walked up to the desk and handed her a red apple.

"An apple for the teacher," he said to her. The gesture brought tears to Molly's eyes.

"Da..." Molly started but he cut her off.

"No, wait, there's something I need to tell ya. Colum and I, all we want is for you to be happy and safe. You're our whole world. We've both. . . we've both done things we're not proud of but it's things that needed to be done, do you understand?"

"If you and Colum were in trouble, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?" Molly answered. "If something were to happen..." Bryan cut her off again.

"Nothing's going to happen," he said a little too forcefully. He shook himself and smiled at her. "The house is nearly done. I'd like it if you'd come with me the day after tomorrow and start moving us in."

"Of course," Molly answered deciding that just then was not the time to inform him of her decision to remain in town and not move into the new house with him. He offered her his arm and one of his mischievous smiles that she'd missed so much asking

"Can I walk the teacher home?" Molly gathered her books and took her father's arm. Once he was moved into the house things would be better.

Two days later Molly and her father were in the wagon heading toward the new house. There had been a brief argument when Molly announced that she wanted to remain in the house in town. Molly assured her father it simply made more sense to remain in town. The doors locked and it would mean she wouldn't need to travel so much during the week and she could go home with him on the weekends. He told her she was being ridicules and it was only because she refused to ride a horse that she wanted to remain in town. Finally, seeing her mind was made up, Bryan reluctantly relented. They reached the house and began to unload the wagon. He decided to try again.

"What am I supposed to do in this big house by myself?" he asked.

"I'll be here on the weekends," she reminded him. The two finished unloading the boxes. Most of the furniture had been moved earlier in the week.

"I need to get the wagon back to the ranch. Colum needs it to move supplies. Come with me," he said to her.

"Would you like to be moved into this house or not?" Molly asked. "Just go, I'll be fine for a few hours and you won't be underfoot."

"It is one thing that I am allowing my only daughter to remain by herself in town I am certainly not going to let you stay here alone," he argued. Molly walked back into the house declaring,

"There's simply too much to be done. I'll be just fine." Bryan followed his daughter back into the house.

"Then I'm leaving my rifle here with you. Come outside so that I can show you how to fire it."

"I'd like to see myself," Molly declared. "Leave it if you must but keep it outside on the porch." Bryan let out a loud sigh.

"Molly Katherine you are the most exasperating...very well, if you insist it's out on the porch. You know you're your mother's daughter."

"And my father's," she answered walking up to him and kissing him good-bye. "Now off with you. I'll have supper waiting." Bryan walked down the stairs to the wagon and climbed in. He blew his daughter a kiss before ordering the pair of horses to go.

Molly noticed three crates still in the back of the wagon and almost called out before thinking better of it. Something inside her told her that her father didn't forget to unpack them. Perhaps AJ Cinders was right but Molly just let it be for now. Her mother always said it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. She walked back into the house and began to dust before unpacking boxes. As she worked she began to hum a tune her mother used to sing.

A noise from the other end of the house in one of the bedrooms caused Molly to jump. She stood from the crate she was kneeling over and clutched the rag in her hand so tightly it began to hurt. The late afternoon sun was causing shadows to be cast in the house. The shadows were of the trees outside the house but as she looked closer at the door to the bedroom that was partly open she realized that the shadow there wasn't a tree but a person. A man to be more exact. Someone was in the house.