Missy sighed.

"Oh Ethan…you and my father," she said, "You both want the same thing. A better, more prosperous Paradise."

He clenched his jaw as they sat in the restaurant after her father had left for a business meeting.

"I do but this is too fast," he said, "and way too much money. There's not that much money in the bank."

"I know but that's where my father comes in…he can float the loan."

Ethan paused, knowing it just sounded risky. He wished someone with the financial knowhow would help him figure it out. Someone like…Amelia but then he shouldn't be thinking of her right now. Not with his fiancée sitting across from him.

"Missy…a smaller amount of money at a time might work better."

She bit her lip.

"Ethan…don't you want Paradise to get a real theater or a concert hall? Right in the middle of main street? People need to be entertained…then they'll spend their money and I think we could use more restaurants."

He looked around where they sat. Scotty and Mary ran this as an adjunct to the hotel and saloon and it'd served the town for quite a while as the only permanent eatery. They even joked about it sometimes…he and…no back to the present.

Because when he thought about her last…his body reacted and he was getting married in a month or two…to someone else.

"Ethan…"

He looked up at her.

"I hear what you're saying but Paradise has gone through so many boom and bust cycles that most people given up and moved away."

She looked impatient.

"I know but that can all change if we bring some culture….more choices to this town…it'll bring the people back."

Jobs would be needed to do that but since the mine had been declared dangerous and shut down, that seemed less than likely. That's when a lot of young men had just taken off. He'd been to other mining spots like Virginia City and even Reno often enough to know that some towns flourished and some didn't and there wasn't always rhyme or reason to it.

Paradise just never had been that lucky.

"It was prosperous once…twice," she pushed, "That can happen again."

He nodded.

"Amelia told me that when she first arrived with her husband, it was building up."

Missy made a face.

"Well she's not around to explain it is she? Her efforts and those of the others weren't successful Ethan. My father and I have better resources."

He knew they had an awful lot of money. He didn't want any part of that when they got married even though as the husband it'd be his right. All he wanted from her was to be able to keep the children in the house.

"Oh Ethan…this could really work. It could be wonderful for everyone. I'm sure even Amelia herself would've been pleased."

He thought back to her and how she'd looked the last time he saw her but it was really over between them. No looking back no matter what.

She'd made it clear to him she wasn't ready to come back to Paradise.

Amelia enjoyed her meal on the veranda of Rose's house. She wished she could have enjoyed breakfast but she couldn't eat in the mornings except for the dried toast and some tea. Her stomach roiled as soon as she woke up but she got up anyway to help Rose with the horses. As much as Rose would allow her anyway.

She spent a lot of time untangling and cleaning the tack and harnesses. Softening them up so they wouldn't crack and harden in between uses.

"You look better this morning."

Rose came out and joined her and they enjoyed the crispness that hadn't yet faded to be replaced by searing heat.

"I feel better. I'll be glad when the sickness fades. It does, doesn't it?"

Rose nodded in amusement.

"Don't worry it's not permanent. You've got another month maybe and then not long after that you won't be able to hide it easily."

Amelia sighed.

"I don't want to hide it. If people judge me for it…"

"We could have told everyone you're a widow."

Amelia shook her head.

"It's not true."

"Does it matter," Rose said, "You're not with the baby's father. In fact he doesn't even know yet."

Amelia felt a flash of guilt at the slight reproach in her friend's voice.

"He left without saying goodbye…"

"The way I heard it, you told him you weren't ready to return to Paradise."

Amelia knew that had been the truth but she'd been so overwhelmed with all that had just happened. She'd thought about what would happen if she saw him again…but she assumed that'd be if she returned back to him. She didn't think their paths would cross again any other way but that day…

"It's like an unstoppable force isn't it? What you feel for him and you don't know for sure how he feels Amelia."

She shook her head.

"Yes I do. He left. I woke up and he was long gone. No note, nothing. It's just something that happened, that's all and now…"

Rose sighed and poured herself some more tea.

"He's going to want to know…and the longer you wait."

Amelia paused.

"I know…but I don't want to force him into anything either."

Rose shrugged.

"He'll want to marry you, what's wrong with that?"

Amelia just looked at her.

"I'm not going to do that without…we'd just have to work something out."

"You can't do anything if you're here and he's there and doesn't have any idea he's about to become a father."

Amelia didn't say anything.

"I can go with you…it'll be like an adventure."

Amelia smiled.

"Paradise's not like Reno…it's quite small and very rustic."

Rose shrugged.

"Sounds like where I grew up…and besides I didn't say anything about moving there. I'd just like to meet this man of yours."

Amelia leaned back in her chair.

"He's not mine…he was never mine but what we shared…it's over with," she said, "but you're right…he needs to know about the baby."

Rose slapped her hands on her lap.

"Then it's settled," she said, "we'll head on out to Paradise on the train and then we can rent a buggy."

"I do have a home there…though I haven't seen it in a while."

Rose smiled.

"Perfect…then we'd better get packing…now that this is decided I'm in a hurry to get started."

Amelia watched her friend get up and wished she felt that way. But she got up and followed her back into the house.

She had some news to give him and some time to figure out how to do that.

Ethan rode through the town after leaving the restaurant and Missy. Her plans for the town mirrored those of her father and they just were so damn complicated. He knew that some merchants like Amos and Axelrod would be eager to jump on board with them.

It could be an unstoppable train pretty quick. As Amelia might say…but then he couldn't think like that. He'd start remembering Reno if he did that and after what she'd said to him…he'd headed back home.

"Ethan…"

He turned around and saw John Taylor.

"John Taylor."

The man fell into step with him.

"So Paradise will be growing fast again?"

Ethan sighed.

"If Missy and her father have anything to say about it."

"Heard you're getting married soon."

Ethan nodded.

"Month…maybe two," he said, "We haven't decided yet."

John Taylor looked bemused.

"You didn't listen to what I told you."

Ethan knew he meant about Amelia. That she'd return to him someday. It hadn't exactly happened that way.

"John Taylor…it's not going to happen."

His friend looked at him and nodded.

"You're probably right but then again…"

"What?"

The older man just looked mysterious.

"You can never tell what life will bring you…"

Ethan watched as the Indian walked away from him shaking his head.