Claire stood there talking with Mary watching the two women stare at each other from across the room.

"I think it's going to get ugly."

Mary sighed.

"Not in my restaurant it won't," she said, "I know that Ethan's got it in his mind to marry one of them but is it going to come down to a brawl?"

Claire shook her head.

"No…I don't think he's going to marry either one of them," she said, "and Edwina's very nice but Uncle Ethan's only going to marry one woman in Paradise."

Mary furrowed her brow.

"You mean Amelia don't you? She doesn't look like she's looking for a husband right now."

"That's because she's helping her friend," Claire said, "but my uncle's helping her and the more time they spend together, the more they'll remember how they almost got married."

"Almost doesn't mean married Claire. They were at the altar three times and always something stopped them from saying their vows. Almost as if fate kept them apart."

Claire shook her head again.

"I don't believe in all that. I think that they needed to figure out what they both wanted."

Mary shrugged.

"That makes sense. It wasn't an easy road for Scotty and me to find each other and I've never regretted it."

Claire knew that the woman had seen some really difficult times and that her uncle and Amelia had to help the couple during a crisis or two.

Mary shook her head.

"I can understand wanting the same man but if they start fighting in my establishment I'm going to have to put my foot down on it."

Claire just thought both women were fighting over someone who was a lost cause to both.

Stella shook her head.

"He kissed me like he meant it," she said, "I think he's falling in love with me."

Edwina just looked at her rival.

"Stella, he barely knows you…or me and in case you haven't noticed, he's not spending time with either of us right now."

Stella flipped one of her hands dismissively.

"Oh her…she's not a threat," she said, "It's not like he married her. If he loved her, then neither of us would be here."

"I'm not so sure about that. I think now that she's here and he knows it, he might decide she's the one he wants to marry."

Stella put a hand on her hip.

"But she hasn't tried to get back with him. She's busy trying to help someone kidnap another man's wife. It doesn't sound like she has a lot of respect for the institution of marriage."

Edwina thought she might have a point. After all, Ethan and Amelia had been to the altar right but had nothing to show for it except a broken engagement and time apart. Still they were back together in a manner of speaking and Ethan had suddenly grown scarce.

"Where is he now anyway?"

Stella flipped her hair back.

"I don't know…but I know he wants to see me later and we're going to get a lot closer."

Edwina blanched.

"You haven't…"

Stella pursed her lips.

"No…not yet but it's only a matter of time," she said, "I'm not shy. I know what I have to do to win and keep a man happy."

Edwina frowned because that hadn't been her strategy at all. She had been brought up proper to be a lady and that meant not embarking in certain activities outside of marriage. Stella obviously had not grown up in the same world, the same code of unwritten rules.

"You don't Edwina and that's why I'm going to win him and you're not…and Amelia, she's going to have to just look elsewhere for another husband."

Edwina thought Stella sounded confident enough but maybe she wasn't thinking clearly. You couldn't buck history sometimes and that's what Ethan shared with Amelia.

"I hope you're right but the more time he spends with her, the more that they'll be going down memory lane and he might just decide he wants her back again."

Stella made a face.

"That's not going to happen because at some point they'll be reminded again of why they didn't get married…that her unreasonable demands broke them up."

Edwina frowned at that, wondering where the information had come from unless it was the idle gossip.

"I don't know Stella…this might have been a wasted trip for both of us."

Ethan had taken off with Amelia to ride off to where Carlton had a house that he rarely used. She wondered if it were possible that Miranda would have headed there to hide out. Carlton might think it too obvious a place and might not send one of his thugs out to look.

Still you could never tell with Carlton considering what had happened already and that Miranda's brother was shot dead.

They left Paradise behind and headed on down the road riding side by side. Not talking much except whether to turn on this fork in the road or which side of the creek to ride by. Amelia flinched a couple times when a stray branch struck her side. She felt a bit sensitive there likely from the bullet that had grazed her skin that day.

Ethan seemed to be lost in thought much of the ride and she wondered if that had to do with the two bridal candidates waiting for him back in town. He'd assured her that neither of them would miss him that they would find ways to keep busy. After all any wife of his would have to be able to cope with spending hours or even days alone or with the children. It'd be good practice for them and part of the test.

"Let's head in the shade for a spell," he said, "eat some of that lunch Claire packed us."

They dismounted and tied their horses up loosely by a grove of trees. The stream wove its way like a ribbon through the foothills, across the valleys in between them.

"It looks good," Amelia said, "I bet you're pretty excited though to marry someone who'll take over the cooking."

Ethan didn't respond and she wondered if she said too much.

"Look Ethan…if you don't want to talk about it…"

He cleared his throat and reached for a biscuit and some fresh honey.

"No…I'm guessing the whole town's been talking about it," he said, "When I set out to find a wife…all I was thinking was that I didn't want the children to be taken away from me…but it's gotten so complicated."

Amelia bit back a smile.

"So I see…"

He looked at her.

"Do you? I would think you'd be…"

"Upset Ethan? No…I'm not. I'm busy trying to help my friend."

He paused.

"I know that…and I know that you're not a kidnapper," he said, "Whatever I can do to help her and you…"

She smiled this time.

"I know Ethan…and thank you," she said, "I don't know what we're going to find at the house."

"You think she's hiding out there?"

Amelia nodded.

"If she's still in the area…it's the most logical place."

They both finished eating, knowing that they had to get there as soon as possible just in case Miranda was waiting for someone to help her and the baby.