Ethan had been waiting for the stagecoach when Charlie ran up to get him. He looked all excited and Ethan wondered what had happened now. It'd been so damn quiet the past few weeks…he'd not had much to do but he knew it'd never last.
"What's up Charlie?"
His deputy sighed.
"Hate to bother you since I know you're waiting for your new bride and all," he said, "but we got trouble at Clancy's ranch…he's been building a new barn and a beam fell on him."
Ethan knew that Clancy had been eager to get himself a new barn after his current one had been damaged in a fire. He knew that Clancy hadn't wanted much help, wanted to do most of the work himself. Now he'd gotten himself into trouble…maybe badly hurt and since Paradise only had as a doctor a man who worked as a barber…that meant Clancy was in a world of trouble.
"How bad is he?"
Charlie didn't look sure.
"I don't know…a busted leg for sure," he said, "Maybe worse…but he was cursing something awful so he's conscious when I left."
Ethan thought quickly and knew he'd better get out there with Xavier the new barber and see how bad it looked.
"I hope he's got plenty of whisky in his house."
Charlie looked at him, his brows furrowing.
"He's pretty pious church going man," he said, "I'll get some from Scotty before we head on out."
Ethan nodded and then went to get on his horse. He knew Claire would look after the boys and they were all still at Mr. Lee's store. But who would meet the women when they arrived off the stage? He'd have to ask Mary to help them get settled at the hotel…meet them later in the restaurant for dinner. Hopefully they'd be ready to eat by then after their long trip.
Hopefully he'd be over and done dealing with Clancy and his busted leg so he could clean up and change before meeting them for the first time. He felt a bit nervous about it and didn't know why, wasn't any big deal. He was just getting married for reasons having nothing to do with love and emotions and all that stuff that made him uncomfortable anyway. He allowed few people to see that part of him.
No, as long as he remembered he was doing this for practical reasons he would be just fine.
Amelia looked around her after climbing off the stage. The town didn't look much different than when she'd left in a stage. A bit quieter, with some of the businesses shuttered either for the day or perhaps for good…at least until the next period of prosperity.
Not too many people on the street either. She waited for the driver to drop her bag in front of her while she looked around, taking in the scenery around her. Her house remained where she'd left it, looking empty with most of her garden having died off from neglect.
She saw Stella and Edwina standing nearby, looking around them as if not believing what they saw. She knew that neither had believed Paradise to be a small, duty town in the middle of some valley surrounded by mountains that were riddled with abandoned mineshafts filled with broken dreams…and more than a few skeletons.
Ethan wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably out acting as marshal and too busy to greet the candidates looking to become his wife…she guessed. Stella and Edwina just looked around them.
"Paradise is…."
Edwina finished for her.
"Small?"
Stella frowned.
"Close enough…I really thought there'd be at least one good theater, a couple of restaurants and some top clothing stores…with a name like that."
Edwina sighed.
"I'm guessing another dying mining town like the one I just left," she said, "But where's this Ethan Cord? Which one is him? I thought he was better looking."
Amelia followed their line of sight and saw Amos and Axelrod standing outside their businesses and Tiny shoeing a horse across the street, all of them busy in their work or talking to each other.
"I thought he was younger," Stella said, "Maybe he's late…or on his way here. You don't think he's forgotten…"
Amelia smiled at the two puzzled women.
"Hardly…he's the town marshal…that makes him a very busy man and you'd better get used to it."
They both looked at her and Stella put her hand on her hip.
"Oh and how would you know?"
Both women awaited her answer.
"Because I lived here and knew him," Amelia said, "He spends a lot of time chasing outlaws and hunting fugitives…if you marry him you'd better be capable of taking care of yourself…and the children."
She wondered where they were because she didn't see them either and she'd missed them more than she'd admit to herself at first. She wondered how they felt about her…maybe they thought she'd run out on them.
Not that she hadn't had plenty of time to think about that…but she'd been scared…of what might happen if Ethan died and left her alone…
"I really wish he'd be here," Stella said, "We came all this way…and one of us is going to marry him."
Edwina nodded.
"Where's the hotel? I'd like to get cleaned up at least."
Amelia sighed.
"It's over there, the tallest building," she said, "Ask for Scotty or Mary and tell them you're here to see Ethan Cord and they'll help you."
The two women looked uncertain and Amelia just left them to go to her house. She felt tired and wanted to get it ready so she could stay for a few days. As she left, she saw Matilda walk on over and she didn't want to have to talk with her…or she'd never make it into her house with all the questions her former bank teller would ask her.
But as she glanced over at her again before walking up the steps she saw the older woman looking at her as if she didn't believe what she saw.
Ethan got to the ranch and quickly saw that the damage wasn't as bad as he thought. Clancy's leg had been pinned beneath a beam but it hadn't been broken. It'd pain him for quite a while and he'd need help to run his ranch until it healed up but no doctor was needed.
Tucker looked relieved it wasn't anything that needed more than a look at and a tight wrap around it for support. They'd gotten him settled on his porch and then headed back into town. When he slid off his horse, he saw Matilda waiting for him. She didn't look pleased; in fact she had her arms folded.
"What's the matter?"
She sighed deeply.
"You had two young ladies here waiting for you…just off the stage and you just left them standing there."
"I had to go help Clancy…beam from his new barn fell on his leg…"
She didn't look mollified.
"I had to tend to them or they would have been wandering the streets lost until you returned."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Where are they now?"
"Settled in the hotel no thanks to you," Matilda said, "and Mary's looking after them…"
Ethan nodded.
"Good…I'll be seeing them later tonight at the restaurant."
Matilda just looked at him a long moment.
"It's none of my business Mr. Cord but some might believe it a bit…unseemly what you're planning to do…"
Ethan didn't care much what people thought, he was doing what he had to do to keep the children living with him.
"Then don't ask about it," he said, "I'm planning on marrying one of them."
He knew she'd heard the gossip already but she still widened her eyes in surprise.
"Really…but they just got here," Matilda said, "and you haven't even met them yet."
He didn't want to get into it with her or anyone else right now. He wanted to get home and freshen up before his dinner tonight and that meant rounding up the children and getting them to go with him.
"I'll be meeting them tonight…now if you'll just excuse me…"
He started to go and then she called his name. He turned his head to look at her and saw the puzzlement on her face.
"You know this is odd but there was this woman and for a second I thought…"
He waited expectantly but she must have thought better of finishing her thought. He really had to get going.
"Never mind Mr. Cord," Matilda sighed, "Good luck with your…dinner tonight."
He watched her walk away. She had been instrumental in spreading the news all over Paradise that he'd been looking for a wife. He didn't feel like giving her more fodder. As he headed back to go fetch the children he walked past Amelia's house and felt the tug towards it that he always did when he passed it. It reminded him of so much including her…even though she hadn't been in town in six months now.
But he still missed her so damn much even though he didn't share that with anyone…except John Taylor that one time on the porch but the Indian had just smiled at him saying that she'd be back. John Taylor had nearly always been right in his predictions which had given him hope…but so far she hadn't shown up.
No, he couldn't think about her right now…couldn't remember what it'd done to him to just look at her, to hold her in his arms and to kiss her. To share more of himself with her than he ever had with anyone…the only woman he'd ever loved like that and wanted to marry. It just hadn't worked out for them, they were too different and now they were far apart.
He had to concentrate on preserving his family so he couldn't afford these thoughts. No, not if he wanted to move forward with his life and his plan for it. But as he passed her house, he couldn't help himself from looking in the window noticing that one of the curtains had been pushed aside.
That caused him to pause for a moment, for his heart to skip in his chest before he continued walking down the street to fetch the children.
