Ethan pulled at his collar inside the hotel restaurant. He was expecting Martha to meet him here for dinner and to discuss her father's plans for businesses coming into Paradise. The day had been a hot one but a breeze kicked in through the valley over the lake to cool it off.

He almost felt like taking the day off and doing some fishing but duty called and it had been a busy day.

Now he had time to wonder what Darrin wanted and what he really had planned for Paradise. He knew what the man had said and the promises he'd sold to the other businessmen in town but he didn't really trust him. The guy had a huge portfolio and a lot of money that he threw at the town. Not long after he bought up the bank, he had started issuing out loans for business owners to improve their parcels.

Low interest loans to begin with but after about a year, higher rates would kick in, some of the store owners had mentioned to Ethan. He didn't get all the finite details about financing but he knew that would mean more money to line Darrin's pockets and those of his investors most of which hadn't shown up in town yet.

So he sat here dressed up at an elegantly decorated table because when Darrin's bank had arranged one of those loans with Sam who ran the restaurant, the place had been redecorated. The bullet pocked walls had been fixed and repainted. The beaten up tables that had been patched up after brawls and bar fights had been replaced with elegantly designed models.

Ethan glanced around the dining area and realized he didn't recognize it anymore.

"Hey Amelia," Sam said, "You got a reservation?"

He saw Amelia wearing a dress he'd never seen her in before smile at Sam.

"No, do we need one?"

Sam hesitated and he looked up catching Ethan's eye and Ethan saw a wariness there he hadn't been before in the man.

"Well…no…but…"

Amelia folded her hand and Ethan saw Bella walk up to stand next to her.

"Then find us a table," she said, "It shouldn't be too difficult. I see some empty ones."

Sam followed her eyes and Ethan saw that he appeared tense and then he realized what was happening here. Bella looked at Amelia.

"Guess we're not wanted."

Sam looked bashful then and rubbed his hands together. Totally nervous, Ethan noticed. But he cleared his throat before he addressed the two women.

"Mrs. Lawson you're always welcome…it's just that…"

Bella smiled at the man.

"I see…okay then I'm the one you have a problem with," she said, "Look I'm not here to cause any trouble or mess with anyone. I'm here to work my spread."

Sam looked nonplussed.

"Listen, I heard all that…it's nothing personal…"

Ethan had heard enough and thought he'd made himself clear at last night's meeting. So he got out of his chair and walked over to the group. Amelia cast him a look before starting in on Sam.

"You can't be serious," she said, "This is not really fair of you."

Sam put his hand up.

"Amelia…Mrs. Lawson…we have standards in our customers."

She folded her arms.

"Since when…?"

Ethan saw that look on her face and knew that Sam would have his hands full if he argued with her. But Sam didn't budge.

"Since we signed on to get that money to make these improvements."

Amelia and Bella looked at each other. Sam just huffed.

"Look…when we signed the paperwork for the loan, there were these list of rules to follow and well, we needed the money."

Amelia nodded slowly.

"I can see that," she said, "having been a businesswoman myself. But you're turning away customers and that doesn't make much sense."

Sam gestured to Bella.

"She's wanted in six other states."

Bella shrugged.

"Only five…and those warrants are old. I think they stopped looking for me a long time ago. They got better and younger men to catch."

Sam started to shake his head and then glanced at Ethan who wasn't looking to help him.

"Marshal surely you understand and can explain to these women…"

Ethan put his hands up.

"Sam you're on your own there," he said, "But they're with me."

Amelia looked at him suddenly, her eyes filled with questions but Bella's mouth slowly curved into a smile. Sam just looked at them.

"If they sit with you, they're your responsibility."

"Fine…," Ethan said, "Ladies…there are some seats over here."

Amelia just looked at him.

"You sure that Miss Wyatt is okay with you inviting more guests to dinner?"

Ethan shrugged.

"Might liven it up a bit, so it'd be more than talking business…"

Bella smiled at him.

"It might at that," she said, "I've been an honest businesswoman for about a month now and I know when I've had a full day of it."

So they followed Ethan to the table in the back where there were plenty of chairs for all of them. Ethan didn't know what Martha's reaction would be but she couldn't complain since he was paying the tab and besides he hadn't seen Amelia in so long.

He seated them both like a gentleman and then sat opposite Amelia while Sam sent someone to take their drink order.

"Maybe some Scotch," Ethan said.

Bella and Amelia joined him and soon enough, they were all sipping their drinks making small talk. Ethan eyed his ex-fiancée as they listened to Bella hitting up Ethan with ranching questions before he had a moment to tell her how much he hated that lifestyle. He struggled to explain the intricacies of running a chicken coop and caught a look of amusement on her face.

"What's that?"

Bella looked at him innocently.

"You…your description of ranching like it's kin to pulling teeth."

Ethan knew he'd been busted but he couldn't hide it. Amelia certainly had seen through it, knowing he'd tried it only to do right by the children. He wanted to give them some stability of having a parent there for them instead of out on horseback riding from town to town most of the time. Most of the times with a target sign on his back.

Amelia's mouth quirked.

"I remember some escapades where Ethan tried to search for eggs under a rooster."

Ethan made a face.

"It wasn't that bad," he said, "the boys set me straight."

Amelia smiled.

"Yes they did…and on a few other things."

Ethan remembered when they'd tried to coach him through milking a cow and how the poor bovine had nearly kicked the barn post down. The bucket had gone flying and what little milk had been coaxed inside of it splattered his coat. Ben and George had gazed at him, frozen in shock for a long moment and then one of them had started laughing with the other joining him.

He'd tried his best but he just wasn't cut out for it.

"I remember the goat."

Ethan's eyes blinked.

"Amelia…I really don't think…"

"Oh no, it's a really good story," she said, "You see he didn't know how much they liked to use those horns they have."

Ethan still remembered what it had felt like when George's pet goat that he'd gotten for milk once the cow had ran off. Sitting on horseback or even in the next best place, a chair had been a challenge for a couple weeks afterward.

Bella chuckled.

"I can imagine," she said, "I remember what it was like when he was a young gun."

Ethan sighed.

"I didn't know as much back in those days as I thought."

"Yeah you did seem a bit smug," Bella said, "but I had you pegged back then as having a good heart even though I didn't trust you."

"I didn't trust you…I didn't trust most anyone."

Bella shrugged.

"Trust is overrated Ethan…we both that in our lines of work."

He supposed she was right about that. But he had learned to trust a couple of people at least in the years since.

"So and Amelia think you and the others going to make a success of your ranch?"

Bella sipped her Scotch.

"We're going to try," she said, "How hard can it be?"

He didn't know how to answer that.

"I know it's challenging but it's going to be good for the women with us to pick up new more reputable skills than what they used to do."

Meaning working as bar girls who sold themselves to men with money or what they needed to survive…sometimes bartering for food and shelter.

"It's going to be tough changing their lives even for the better."

Bella agreed.

"Especially for the better," she said, "I think sometimes that's a lot tougher."

Ethan couldn't argue with that having battled his own demons. He looked over at Amelia who had been listening.

"What's your role?"

She paused.

"I'll be helping them keep a record of finances," she said, "and I know how to work a ranch."

He knew that too even though there was a lot he still didn't know about the woman he'd almost married. He nodded.

"She'll be a great help at that," he said, "She used to own a bank."

"I know…took it over from her ex husband and made something out of it," Bella said, "She's perfect for this job."

Amelia sipped her own drink. He noticed how longer and curlier her dark hair had grown since he'd last seen her. She wore it down clipped back off of her face. Ethan picked up his own Scotch.

"So how did the two of you meet up…I know Amelia'd been traveling but you…and she that must be some story."

Amelia and Bella looked at each other and Ethan sensed he had said something that perhaps he shouldn't but it was an innocent question.

Bella answered first.

"We met up in San Francisco…I had a business there…and she was staying at a hotel with a friend."

Ethan waited for the rest but she interrupted her narrative by sipping her drink again.

"So that's how you met but how did you both wind up with this ranch deal?"

Amelia spoke up first this time.

"Bella inherited some land and sold it to get the money to buy more open land here. She was looking for a place to get a fresh start and start a ranching business. Paradise still has plenty of land outside of it."

That didn't really answer his question but he figured he'd learn the rest of it soon enough.

"Amelia was ready to come back. She'd been away long enough."

The Scotch he swallowed then burned his throat when he heard that but Amelia glanced away towards the door.

"Oh?"

She gazed at him after his question.

"Yes I decided it was time to come home."

He furrowed his brow finding her choice of words interesting enough but she didn't seem willing to offer up more information. Bella smiled.

"We're both here to start a new chapter of our lives," she said, "and I know our ranch will be a success."

Amelia nodded.

"I'm happy that you're letting the children come out and see it."

Ethan figured he had more than one reason for deciding that but he heard some footsteps and glanced behind him to see Martha coming followed by her father. She took in what she saw in front of her and didn't look very happy.

"Ethan…"

He stood up.

"Martha…Mr. Wyatt…glad you could join us."

Martha just looked at him and then cleared her throat.

"Ethan if I knew there were other guests…"

He sighed.

"I asked them to join us," he said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Amelia and I know she's got a lot to say about Paradise having good business sense."

Martha shot Amelia a cool look.

"That might prove interesting though Paradise has changed since you departed."

"I'm sure it has," Amelia said, "It seems a lot different than a year ago. That must be because of you and your father."

Darrin smiled after he sat down to join them.

"About what happened last night at the meeting…"

Amelia folded her arms.

"Don't think that you can sweet talk us into anything," she said, "We're just here to run our own business."

Darrin nodded.

"Of course and that's why I have a proposition to make to both of you…"

Amelia and Bella glanced at each other puzzled while Ethan leaned back in his chair wondering what Darrin had to say next.

But he kept an eye on the dark haired woman across from him.