Flopping Straights

[csquard]

Me=Donkey LHE with regularly crashed online bankroll trying to convert to four-tabling NLHE since everyone plays $5/10 LHE at <15% now...

I loves me the cutie-pie, tricky play. Initial raiser is 55/25 with limited data, Moby Dick is new to the table. This is a simplistic hand, so a few broad questions:

1. I felt like I'd waited too long to bet into the pot as I had action elsewhere. Should I care about that? Is it a tell or standard? Would have bet $1.75-2.25 into this pot on the flop.
2. Do I care about the spades, and should I smooth call the bet?
3. Does any check/raise blow these guys out; e.g., min? Should I just be thankful for my fortune and four bucks and move on?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) pokerhand.org hand converter

MP1 ($49)
MP2 ($15.65)
MP3 ($128.65)
CO ($23.30)
Button ($13.95)
SB ($50)
Hero ($24.30)
UTG ($63.75)
UTG+1 ($9.25)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to $1</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls $1, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Hero calls $0.50.

Flop: ($3.25) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG bets $2</font>, MP2 calls $2, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $7</font>, UTG folds, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: $14.25