Amelia hated the train and riding in it, forced to sit for hours which led to days traveling over the open country from town to town. She was just never one for sitting still, it reminded her too much of that arduous voyage she'd taken from Australia to San Francisco. But Rose helped her pass the time and passed her hard biscuits and hibiscus tea that a man sold in the lounge car.

They sat there as rain pattered on the glass above them. They'd booked this train special as it was the most remarkable one in the West. They'd been playing cards for a while. Amelia favored poker but Rose had taught her some Gin.

"You won again…my, you're a quick study."

Amelia cut the deck to deal out another round. They'd been playing for a couple hours on their second day of traveling. The train had to stop while a rockslide in the mountains was cleared out by strong men on horseback. They'd been allowed to step outside for some fresh air during that time.

"It's beginner's luck," Amelia said, "It's a fun game and there's not much else to do."

Rose chuckled.

"You hate sitting I can tell…I used to be like that until I was sick with the Yellow Fever in New Orleans some time back. It took me weeks to fully recover on my last trip there."

"It must have been awful."

Rose sighed.

"Yes but I recovered and during the time I spent bedridden once I knew I was going to live, I played a lot of cards and I worked on some art…drawing when my hands were steady enough."

Amelia knew that Rose had done some painting as well. Some artwork including pencil sketches hung on the walls inside her house.

"I've always been healthy…I was never allowed to get sick back home," Amelia said, "and except for getting shot…"

"Oh goodness…how did that happen?"

Amelia smiled ruefully.

"Ethan…he did it but it was an accident…a stray bullet he fired at a man who had started shooting in the street. One of his nephews…George ran out and I didn't think. I just ran after him and the next thing I knew…I was hit."

The searing hot poker which stabbed her side just below her shoulder and the blow that knocked her down on the ground before she even knew it. Then everything had gone black…and then when she opened her eyes, John Taylor had been with her and telling her that everything was all right and she needed to just rest.

"I was thinking about Ethan…I knew he must feel badly about what happened…but he'd gotten arrested by the marshal and hauled to jail for a spell."

Rose shook her head.

"Must have been awful…was this why you…you decided not to marry him?"

Amelia paused.

"Partly…that and other reasons," she said, "I just didn't want to lose him and one night when I came so close…you know what I mean…"

Rose nodded.

"You told me…the night a man shot him and nearly killed him but he didn't die."

"No…but I felt a part of me start to die and if he had…I don't know what I would have done if we'd been married."

Rose sipped her tea.

"What about now…with the baby? What if he wants to marry you?"

Amelia sighed. She knew that he'd want to do the right thing by her and their child. But she didn't want a marriage that was on convenience…that'd be like what she shared with Pierce. She might have thought love played a role in that but she finally realized as time passed that it hadn't…not much at all. He'd used her and she suspected she used him as well.

"You know how I feel about that. I loved him so much, too much perhaps and even though it didn't work…I still…those feelings don't go away. They just get more complicated."

Rose smiled at her.

"Amelia…if you love him."

"It's not that simple. A lot of time has passed and when I saw him…he didn't say anything about loving me. We just…"

Combusted was probably the best word for it, like overheated wood splitting in a campfire throwing up embers.

"You just couldn't keep away from each other?"

Amelia nodded.

"One way of putting it I suppose."

"Then you need to figure out what to do and since you plan on telling him, prepare for his reaction."

Amelia knew that her friend was right. She just didn't know what Ethan would do. He wouldn't ever walk away from his own flesh and blood. After all, he was raising his sister's children.

But what about the two of them?

Ethan sighed as he saw Missy walk around with her father. The two of them had been talking to Axelrod and Amos about the new businesses that might be joining them. The two men seemed excited about the theater.

Charlie walked on over to where Ethan stood.

"They really think they're going to change this town?"

Ethan nodded.

"They got all sorts of plans," he said, "and I know he's put a lot of money into this already."

"I don't know Ethan…Paradise looked like it was going to be a bustling town so many times before. It just never happened."

Luck had definitely not been on the town's side and the booms soon busted. Amelia had commented on that so many times as she'd been in Paradise longer than he had having moved here with Pierce.

"You really getting married this time?"

"Yes…in about a month," Ethan said, "We haven't set a date yet."

Charlie shook his head.

"Never thought I'd see it happen not after Amelia…but since she's not come back."

"She isn't coming back."

Charlie blinked in surprise at his vehemence.

"Didn't mean to step on you by bringing it up?"

Ethan sighed.

"It's all right. I think both of us moved on with your lives. Amelia's out there doing what she always wanted to do."

She had been from what she told him. She hadn't been ready to head on back.

"Missy seems like a mite pretty lady…and her father has a lot of money to spend on building the town."

Ethan noticed that many of the town's businessmen had been encouraging his relationship with Missy right up to the news of engagement. Maybe thinking it might help get the town headed in a more prosperous direction.

"So you going to have a big wedding for the whole town or a small one?"

"Haven't decided…we've just been engaged a month."

"You can hold the reception in the saloon," Charlie said, "Scotty and Mary can fix you a nice spread and there's plenty of room."

Ethan didn't want to talk about it right now. Plenty of time for that.

"Excuse me but I've got to ride out to the Carson ranch," he said, "You coming with me?"

Charlie nodded, knowing that the subject had just been closed.