"I'd say it was a success."
Bella sounded excited as she and Amelia walked down the street. People in front of the businesses would look at them and say nothing. At least not to them but some talked to each other. Tiny broke ranks and said hello to them as they passed and Bella told him they had some business to send his way as their horses needed some new shoes after all their traveling to get here.
"He's the best," Amelia said, "Saved my horse an injury a time or two."
"Yeah we'll need him and he's not shutting us out so that's a point in our favor at least."
Amelia sighed.
"I hope the others would come around."
Bella snorted.
"I know they won't," she said, "I know towns just like this one and some things never change and one of them is the attitude against outsiders."
"I know…even some of the town's folks like Ethan," Amelia said, "I lost count of how many times they turned against him."
"But you didn't…you stuck by him even alone."
Amelia shrugged.
"He had the children, he wasn't alone."
"So you've accepted his invitation for dinner in town?"
Amelia brushed a tendril of hair away.
"Yes I did…it's just to catch up. We haven't seen each other in so long."
"Hasn't been that long," Bella said, "Just a year.
Amelia's face hardened a bit.
"A lot can change in a year," she said, "Everything can change."
"Not how you feel about him," Bella said, "That hasn't changed."
Amelia just shook her head as they kept walking back to where they'd send a wire to the bank in San Francisco.
"It doesn't matter and besides he looks like he's creating something with Martha."
Bella furrowed her brow.
"You really think so?"
Amelia nodded.
"She'll be good for him and the children," she said, "and they get along well I see."
Bella chuckled.
"Hardly are we looking at the same two people? I think he's just humoring her most of the time."
Amelia paused considering that possibility but she knew that Martha had designs on the marshal and she looked like a woman used to getting what she wanted.
"I think he missed you."
"Perhaps…but he's moved on since I left and so has the town."
They reached the telegraph building where they saw John Taylor standing outside talking to another Indian man. He smiled at the two women as they gazed at him.
"I heard stories about him,' Bella said, "He's a legend in these parts. Not bad for a hermit."
"He's been great to the boys," Amelia said, "Ben's particularly close with him."
Bella turned to Amelia.
"This won't take long," she said, "I'll be back in a moment if you want to talk with him."
Amelia watched Bella disappear inside the building. John Taylor's smile broadened as she approached him.
"Amelia it's good to see you."
"Thanks…good to see you too," she said, "I missed you."
"I knew you'd be back."
"You did? I didn't even know."
"Yes you did," he said, "You could never say goodbye to him and never look back."
She sighed.
"I suppose not but I came back to help Bella set up her ranch."
"You know her well?"
"No…met her a few months ago but how do you know her?"
John Taylor's eyes twinkled.
"We go back a long way," he said, "I knew her when she was about as old as Claire."
Amelia sighed.
"She hasn't had an easy life," she said, "She's really trying to change it."
"I know but it won't be easy…the temptations will always be there. I know I don't always feel like being a hermit."
"She's stronger than them."
John Taylor tilted his face.
"You're probably right," he said, "You seem to care a lot about her."
Amelia paused.
"I suppose I do…she's like…she saved my life."
She didn't know why she told him that except he had his ways of getting information out of her she didn't know she'd been willing to surrender.
"I've known her to do that from time to time."
"I…I don't know what I would have done," she said, "The least I could do was help her find some land to purchase for the ranch. She really wants to help the women who came with us."
"Town folks don't like that much," he said, "I heard the talk."
She nodded.
"But she has as much right as they do to be here," she said, "to run a business."
"I agree but if they don't see it that way, you'll need help."
She sighed a bit.
"I know and we'll need to hire more people to work on fixing the place up though the children have offered to help."
John Taylor smiled.
"It'll be good for them."
"Dakota too…."
If that surprised John Taylor, he didn't betray it.
"That'll work too."
"We're going to make it a success."
"I know you will," John Taylor said, "and I know Bella's serious about wanting to make a fresh start but sometimes the past won't allow it."
Amelia knew that but she knew how determined the former outlaw was about making a new life for herself and making it work.
Bella came out of the office.
"Got the wire sent out," she said, "but I had one waiting for me."
"Who from," Amelia asked.
"Some reporter back in San Francisco," Bella said, "Coming out here to do a story on my life and to decide whether I'm serious about putting my outlaw ways behind me…"
Amelia rolled her eyes.
"They never stop do they?"
Bella shrugged.
"Got to make a living," she said, "but I thought everything about me had gotten written and then some."
John Taylor smiled.
"They're always more to write in life."
Bella chuckled.
"I suppose so but I'm more than ready to start a new chapter," she said, "If that's what they want to write about but they never do."
"You might be surprised."
"I've been surprised John Taylor," Bella said, "but not by reporters."
Ethan had already heard about the reporter when he got on his gelding and rode through the valley stopping by some homesteads and ranches to make sure everyone was doing okay. Hard times had come to Paradise including a drought that had ended this winter and people had scraped to supplement poor crops. Not as many farmers as ranchers but they had both been hit hard.
He hit the office and Dakota had told him that some big city newspaper would be sending one of its top reporters. It was soon to be the worst kept secret in Paradise and Ethan knew that all hell could break loose pretty soon.
Darrin would probably blow his stack to know that this kind of publicity would be coming to mess with his vision of what Paradise would be after he was finished. The business owners were upset enough with Bella in their midst and didn't want to advertise that fact to people they did business with on the production and shipping end.
Claire stopped by after getting out of her teaching assignment for the day. She looked harried but smiled at him.
"Hey Uncle Ethan, did you hear about the reporter?"
Ethan sighed, not sure how to respond.
"He might be coming on the first stage next week," Claire said, excited, "I can't wait to read what he's going to write about Bella Rogers."
"Claire what he writes might not be the truth."
She nodded.
"I know it's like that with the books, but maybe it'll be different this time."
"Maybe it'll be more of the same," Ethan said, "They'll do whatever it takes to sell papers and make money no matter what the cost."
Ethan knew that personally having been vilified in the press often enough. Never once had a story been right about him. He didn't hold much hope for Bella.
"Well we can hope can't we?"
Ethan nodded. They could do that but it probably wouldn't do much good. Bella was going to be written about much larger than life and Paradise would find itself back on the map at least for a while.
"Well got to go work for Mr. Axelrod," she said, "His books are so disorganized it's a wonder he's still in business."
"Get the boys before you head on back home," he said, "They're watching Tiny at his shop."
She nodded.
"You staying late in town…?"
"I'll be eating dinner here."
"With Mrs. Lawson?"
Ethan nodded.
"We're just catching up."
"She missed you. You know that."
He sighed.
"Yes I suppose she did."
"You can't blame her for leaving us," Claire said, "I don't…that man who shot you…my father…I hate saying that…he's to blame."
Ethan shook his head.
"No, he's a troubled man who wasn't ready to be a father," he said, "but we all make our own choices and I was wrong. The shooting was my fault and no one else's."
Claire didn't look like she agreed but he knew that she'd kept her father's secret for a reason. But Amelia had been so undone by nearly losing him at the motel, she couldn't be around him any longer…so she left Paradise for good, he thought.
But John Taylor said she'd return someday and she did…only she wasn't the same person and neither was he. He'd been starting to see Martha mostly to get his mind off of Amelia and then suddenly she reappeared without warning.
Without telling him she would return…and he knew there was more to the story of Bella coming to Paradise. He believed the part about her wanting to change her life, to reform but the woman was also looking over her shoulder. How could she not be, being a former notorious outlaw? He'd never crossed that line though he'd come close and yet his past still tried to mess with his new life.
Dakota picked up a paper on his desk and gave it to Ethan.
"More on that gang," he said, "Daggett's really making a name for himself isn't he?"
Ethan knew that his gang had robbed a stagecoach and left a trail of dead bodies. The guy was building himself quite a history.
"You don't think he'll drop by Paradise."
"Not enough here to make it worth his while," Ethan said, "but we'll keep an eye out."
He didn't have a good feeling about the outlaw but he'd need to deputize extra men to fight them until the marshal forces rode in as backup.
"I have to recruit more deputies," Ethan said, "We'll learn the difference between a militia and a lynch mob."
Dakota sighed.
"I don't think any of the businessmen are up to it," he said, "Except maybe Tiny."
Ethan didn't either but some of the ranchers would volunteer if they were needed to keep the town safe.
But he hoped it wouldn't come to that. Footsteps outside his office and he looked up to see Amelia standing in the doorway.
"You busy?"
He sat up straight in his chair.
"Never too busy…"
She smiled.
"I'll see you at the restaurant later," she said, "I just have to get back and change."
He thought she looked fine the way she dressed now but he nodded.
"Okay see you later…"
She left them and Dakota chuckled.
"What do you think Martha's going to have to say about you seeing your old fiancée?"
Ethan wasn't thinking about that much.
"I can see you're not thinking about it much."
Ethan didn't respond to that but got up to go fetch his horse to go back to the ranch to get ready for his dinner date.