Bella looked at Amelia as she got her horse ready to head into town for dinner.

"You look like you're going off to meet your hanging," she said, "though you're better dressed than I was at the time."

Amelia had heard about the time that Bella had faced the noose because she'd been falsely accused of killing someone during a bank robbery. She'd tricked them out of going through with it and had been gone before they figured it out.

"It's just dinner with your ex-fiancé, Bella said, "You can survive that."

Amelia tended to her mare, getting her tacked up.

"Nothing's changed," Bella said, "You have to go after what you want."

Amelia patted the mare's neck.

"Everything's changed," she said, "I'm not the same person."

"Not everything's changed."

Amelia paused before answering.

"Enough…and besides after what I said to him…"

"That was over a year ago and besides…he needed someone to tell him a few facts of life," Bella said, "because he's going to get himself killed…"

Amelia pulled on the reins to walk the mare out of the barn.

"But I said some things I wish I didn't or at least not in those words."

Bella walked with her.

"You told him the truth," she said, "and you did the right thing by leaving…giving him something to think about while you went out and saw more of the world."

Amelia got aboard her horse.

"I don't know about that," she said, "I think I saw more of it than I wanted."

"Life's filled with good and bad Amelia," Bella said, "You got to make the most of what's good and go after it."

Amelia's mare started getting restless to match her own mood.

"It's only dinner…just to catch up."

Bella smiled.

"Fine…I won't wait up for you."

Amelia fought the temptation to roll her eyes at Bella. She knew her friend meant well but she knew she had to take each day as it came and that returning to Paradise hadn't changed that.

She rode off into town promising herself she would do just that.

Ethan had talked to Dakota about the latest rumors in town that Axelrod was going to propose forming a militia. He took them seriously because he knew that Axelrod wasn't acting on his own. Darrin had a hand in this even though the businessman didn't give much away. He didn't have to, he had wanted to change the fabric of Paradise since his arrival and Martha had been working right alongside him.

Dakota hadn't bothered him anymore about his dinner plans with Amelia at the restaurant. One look from Ethan had silenced him and he'd changed topics to whether or not they'd need more security for the Founder's Day celebration.

Ethan didn't think so because it would attract mostly families from the surrounding ranches to offset the drinking crowd that would congregate at the saloons.

"You're not going to change?"

Ethan shot his deputy a look.

"Been too busy trying to address the latest demands that the businesses have given me," he said, "I know that Darrin's behind this. Axelrod's never been good at thinking for himself."

"True…but if people like him weren't willing to go along with what he wanted, he'd be powerless."

"Yeah and I'm going to make sure it doesn't go too far."

Dakota sighed.

"We'd both seen what happens then."

Ethan had seen his share of mob justice in towns including Paradise. There had been times during anarchy when towns people had to take up arms to fight to keep outlaws from preying on them. But Paradise had law and order to keep the peace and so any militia would be created as a means to carry out what Darrin wanted.

Only a certain type of people allowed settling in and doing business in town and Darrin had already chosen his targets. Bella and the women with her including Amelia who had this loyalty towards the other woman he didn't understand. So much he didn't since she'd return but maybe he'd figure it out during dinner.

Slim, one of the men who ran the telegraph service came into the office with another wire for Ethan. He read it after Slim had left and rubbed his forehead.

"Daggett again," Dakota said.

Ethan nodded.

"His gang hit another business, blew it up," he said, "Owner was someone who owed money."

"To the gang…?"

"It wouldn't make sense if he did," Ethan said, "I think Daggett and his men are part of a larger gang."

Dakota sighed.

"Back in San Francisco, there's a lot of gangs tied into opium…women and other trades."

Ethan had heard about that too from other marshals who had passed through town, bringing stories of their exploits in the larger cities including San Francisco. Some were tailing fugitive outlaws tied with violence in those cities.

Now that he had a family, he didn't envy them their lifestyle. Oh he was tempted to relive the old days sometimes when his old friends came calling but it was beginning to sink in how much his gun slinging had clashed with his family life. He had hoped, he thought that being a marshal would be less turbulent, less unpredictable but he'd been very wrong about that.

And that really hit home when he lost Amelia…but he didn't think about changing anything. Darrin and Martha seemed to be just fine with him remaining in that position. Martha had said it would be useful to what they were doing.

"Better be going," Dakota said suddenly, "You don't want to be late. Tell her hi for me. Town hadn't been the same without her."

Ethan nodded and then grabbed his long coat to slip it on as he went to meet her at the restaurant.

Amelia walked into the restaurant and ran into Sam who came up to her.

"Good evening Mrs. Lawson…you dining alone?"

"Hi Sam," she said, "No, someone will be joining me."

He nodded and led her to a table in the back. She sat down remembering the times they had both eaten there often when they had gotten together. He'd even tried to propose to her there a couple times before his past interrupted him.

"Sorry I'm late…"

She hadn't heard him arrive she'd been so deep in her thoughts. Remembering what it'd been like before she'd left.

"You're not late," she said, "I just got here myself."

He sat down and she looked at him, dressed in his uniform of choice for being a marshal down to his badge but it didn't bother her anymore.

"This place hasn't changed much."

"Sam's trying to get some money for repairs from the bank."

She paused.

"It'd be a good investment," she said, "It's always attracted a steady crowd of people."

He smiled, at her assessment.

"So you'd loan him the money?"

She nodded.

"I'd get it back with interest," she said, "and building his business even more would be good for the town."

"Darrin hasn't given him an answer back yet," Ethan said, "I think he makes his decisions on his money differently."

She rubbed her hands together.

"I imagine he does…in how it'll benefit him but that might hurt him in the long run as a banker."

"I don't think he cares much about that given he's already so wealthy," Ethan said, "His interest rates are higher too."

Amelia's brows furrowed.

"That might hurt in the long run too but you're right, it's not going to hit him hard financially."

The waiter brought them their dinner and they started eating it.

"You miss banking?"

She found the chicken delicious as she remembered.

"No…not really," she said, "I only did it because I felt I had to…to prove it to myself that I was better than him…even before he left."

"You were better than him."

She nodded her face suddenly pensive.

"He was not the man I thought I knew."

Ethan considered that.

"Did you see him why you were gone?"

She looked startled at his question.

"No…no I didn't," she said, "But I wasn't looking for him. I didn't want to ever see him again."

He heard the vehemence in her voice but something else that he saw in her face made him wonder. But he knew not to press the subject with her about Pierce.

"Why did you really come back?"

Her face changed again when she heard his question and read it on his face. But she had her answer ready.

"To help Bella with the ranch," she said, "Paradise was the best place for her to have a fresh start."

He ate a bite of his roasted potatoes.

"I didn't think you were ever coming back."

"Me neither," she said, "but Bella had done so much for me, I wanted to help her."

"What do you mean?"

She just looked at him. But he'd already started down this path and it clearly wasn't going to be a night for small talk.

"I just found myself needing her help that's all."

"That's all…"

She nodded.

"Yes…it's not important why," she said, "What matters is that I knew I could do something to help her and the other women in return and so I did."

"So are you going to stay and work on the ranch with them?"

She looked straight at him.

"As long as they need my help," she said, "I haven't figured out what I want to do beyond that."

He knew she meant it in her voice and when she did, she'd do it without anyone talking her out of it.

"The children missed you."

She smiled.

"I missed them too," she said, "It's good to see them again and thank you for allowing them to come out to the ranch."

"Ben and George are excited about helping out on the ranch," he said, "Been talking about it since then."

"I didn't know how they'd feel about me after I left suddenly like that."

He sighed.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since you left…not easy for a man who'd rather act."

She had to smile at that.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said, "All I knew is that I had to get out of there after what happened…I got scared of the future…of you being not in it and what would happen…"

He leaned forward slightly.

"I'm good at my job," he said, "Not bad at staying alive."

"I know but you came so close too many times," she said, "It got harder each time for me to face it."

"You came back," he said, "and not just to help Bella."

She fell silent and he knew he'd read her at least partially right. He didn't get all of it but he knew he'd figure it out.

"No…not just to help her…"

Suddenly they both heard footsteps approach them. Ethan looked up to see Martha walking towards him, a purposeful look on her face.

"Ethan…we need your help."

"I'm eating dinner…"

"I can see that," Martha said, "but my father is having trouble with securing the bank and he needs your help."

"What about Dakota?"

She sighed.

"He's in the middle of a poker game at the backroom."

Ethan figured as much. He looked at Amelia and she nodded.

"Go help him Ethan," she said, "It's part of your job. We can do this again later."

He knew she was right but frustration filled him anyway because he thought she'd been about to say…what he hoped she would say. Even though he tried to block himself from feeling that way.

Martha nodded.

"Yes you can do this again later," she said, "This is more important."

Amelia got up from the table.

"I'll see you later," she said.

"You are heading back?"

"I need to talk to some of the women who work the saloon but after that…I'll be heading on back."

"I'll ride with you," he said, "You shouldn't be alone…"

"I'll be fine," she said, "I can take care of myself. I'm not unarmed."

And he knew she could definitely shoot a gun, he remembered when he'd seen that skill in action.

"I'll see you later then."

Martha grew impatient.

"Come on Ethan…my father won't leave until the bank's secured…something's wrong with the lock."

He left the restaurant then and he and Martha went to the bank while Amelia went to the back of the saloon.