Amelia went to check on Lucy but she was doing just fine with Claire who had started telling the other children stories about other Thanksgivings including the very first one with the Pilgrims. She knew she'd be a good mother herself someday. It was hard work but the most gratifying of all experiences, Amelia had discovered in the past five months. It helped a lot to have a husband like Ethan who loved doting on his daughter. He did that with all the children and it was the arrival of his niece and nephews which opened him up to the possibilities of fatherhood.
"She was up a bit and she seemed to like the stories…"
Amelia nodded at Claire.
"So how's it going? Is Charles here yet?"
Claire looked down at her hands and Amelia saw a hint of blush in her cheeks. She knew that Claire fancied him as a good friend yes, but perhaps as something more. But she was still young yet. Amelia had herself married quite young and wanted better than that for Claire. The girl had great intelligence, quickness to picking up new skills and a way with dealing with all kinds of different people. She could go far in life and soon she'd be leaving them to go to college to learn how to be a teacher.
"Yes…we walked over together," Claire said, "Scotty's teaching him how to make cranberry sauce."
Amelia smiled, thinking that even though Axelrod wanted his flesh and blood to take over his mercantile, his nephew might lean more towards opening his own restaurant someday, given that not only could he keep a good set of books, he liked to cook.
"I wish Lukas could make it in town."
Amelia heard the wistfulness in the young woman's voice and knew that Claire liked him a lot too. But Lukas worked a ranch and the roads being buried under mud and rocks, they'd have to wait until they were cleared before either could see each other again.
"I'm sure he's busy enough on the ranch," Amelia said, "He and Clancy are taking care of ours too. I'm sure the ranchers will find a way to celebrate the holiday."
Claire nodded and then turned back to the children who gathered around for another story. Amelia walked to the doorway.
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."
Claire smiled and Amelia left the room. Then she told another story thinking of Lukas hoping that he wasn't all alone, that what Amelia said was true…that he and the other ranchers had gotten together.
She sighed inwardly knowing she'd be leaving home soon. Leaving all of her family and friends behind her including both Charles and Lukas…and the other one…the one whose feelings she harbored lay the deepest inside of her. But some things including a man's character and personality couldn't be changed…couldn't teach an old dog new tricks right?
She put all that back where it belonged and focused on the holiday and the gratitude that most everyone in town was safe and spending it together in relative harmony and peace.
Ethan and Dakota were outside when the men rode into town, three of them on horseback.
"I wonder how they made it past the slides…," Dakota said, "Must be travelers passing through."
Ethan had been wondering the same thing.
"Maybe…"
Dakota turned to look at him.
"You suspect them of something else?"
"I don't know. I do know that there's a gang somewhere out there that robbed Clayton's bank."
Dakota sighed.
"Should have known that it's not going to be a peaceful holiday after all…"
Ethan looked out as the rain began to lessen a bit and saw the men ride up to the hitching post near the saloon and get off their horses to tie them up. The two of them walked over there and the men turned to look at them. One of them stepped forward, a young man with dark hair and a mustache.
"Hi Marshal…"
Ethan just looked at them. The man smiled.
"I'm…Roger and these are my…brothers," he said, "We'd been traveling…then the rain hit and we thought we might find a place to take shelter."
Ethan clenched his jaw, appraising the men.
"These are your brothers?"
They didn't exactly look much alike, he noticed. But they didn't act overtly suspicious. Roger seemed pretty at ease with him as he nodded.
"Yes…this is Jack and this is…Clinton and we're…we were miners but with the mines all shutting down," Roger said, "Work's been scarce so we've been looking for other jobs."
"Nothing against the law I hope."
Roger looked at Clinton.
"No…we're law abiding men and we'll be on our way as soon as the rain lets up."
Ethan glanced at Dakota and nodded.
"The hotel's got one room left," he said, "Scotty and Mary are the couple who run it. You'll have to talk to them in there."
"They're a bit busy," Dakota offered, "We're all having Thanksgiving dinner…and all the guests in the hotel are invited."
Roger removed his hat which revealed curly hair.
"Mighty nice of you to offer," he said, "Me and the boys might take you up on that."
Ethan nodded.
"You ask, they'll set you places at the table."
The men walked away and headed to the hotel and Dakota looked at Ethan.
"You believe their story?"
Ethan shrugged.
"Not sure yet…I'll be keeping an eye on them," he said, "I still don't know how they made it over those roads."
Dakota grimaced.
"I hope they're not here to rob anything," he said, "Just for once, it'd be nice to have a quiet holiday in Paradise without a shootout in the streets."
Ethan couldn't argue with that. They'd had enough holidays disrupted, it'd be real nice for one of them to come along and prove the exception.
"We'll see how it goes…hope for the best…be ready for the worst like always."
But as he said those words, he wondered about the men…brothers and especially about Roger, because something about the man made the back of his neck prickle. That didn't put him on good stead so far but Ethan knew he'd have to wait to see what happened.
Amelia and Bella stopped to have some coffee out on the back porch watching the rain lighten to the point where it seemed more like mist.
"It sure keeps on coming down," Bella said, "Does it ever stop here?"
Amelia chuckled.
"Now you know it does…and that this isn't normal," she said, "In a week or so it'll be a distant memory."
"I hope so…I hope the other women are doing fine with the ranch."
Amelia put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I know they are…besides Clancy and Lukas and the others will help out just like we've done for them."
Bella nodded.
"Ranching…it's a lot tougher than being an outlaw but I think it's grown on me a lot better."
Amelia smiled.
"So is the same true about motherhood for you?"
She only smiled wider in response to that question.
"Oh yes…I love being a mother to the children and to Lucy," she said, "I was afraid of it only because I thought I'd be alone if anything happened to Ethan. But I know I could handle myself if anything did…and that's given me peace."
"That's great…and nothing's going to happen to your husband," Bella said, "He can handle himself better than any man I've ever met."
"I know…I'm not worried as much," Amelia said, "I know how much he wants to see Claire and Joseph succeed in college and the boys…and Lucy growing up to have families of their own."
Bella shrugged.
"He's a lucky man…I always hoped he'd figure it out that just because he had such a difficult time of it growing up that it didn't mean he didn't have a shot at better for himself and his children."
Amelia had heard about Ethan's childhood in bits and pieces from him usually in the midst of a crisis when some part of it came back to haunt him. But then she had her own demons to deal with as well having been through some horrible experiences herself. The man she'd married had been there to help her through them without asking.
"So what about your family…back in that country Australia…do you miss them?"
What a loaded question, Amelia thought since she hadn't seen them in years and knew she'd never see any of them again.
"I hope they're happy…that's all I can do. We're so far apart…but I do have a brother who came to America before I did…Royal."
Bella smiled.
"Do you ever think about trying to find him?"
Amelia thought about it.
"Sometimes…but I don't know where to look or even if he's still alive."
"Maybe you should think about it," Bella said, "I mean if he's family…"
Amelia thought about it, not the least of which were the complications because the way Royal had left the family…but she had always been close to him regardless.
"Maybe I'll do that…"
She felt a bit lighter on her shoulders making that decision to do just that.
