Bella and Amelia cleared the dishes after they ate the meal and went into the living area to start talking. Claire helped while Ben and George ran outside when it came time to do evening chores in the barn. Claire had told them they were going to pull their weight while here but both of them were enthusiastic because they wanted to spend more time with the puppies.
Ethan and Dakota had both enjoyed quite a bit of the meal and sat talking about the latest wires to come into the office.
"The poor guy is so busy with them," Dakota said, "I hope he's got time to breathe. I did see him at the saloon and he bought a couple rounds."
Ethan had been troubled about the wires now that he knew there was a connection between Daggett and someone in Paradise. Clara, the young woman who had traveled with Amelia and Bella, the one who'd been the quietest during supper barely saying a word. She'd taken the boys out to help feed the horses and sweep some stalls.
"If he and his gang come this way, we'll deal with it."
"Think that'll be enough," Dakota asked, "Will we have to deputize people?"
Ethan didn't look forward to that given the current climate among business owners in town. He'd hit the ranches first but they usually were so tied up in the demands of taking care of their land they couldn't help him much. The thought of recruiting someone like Axelrod or Applegate, he knew the consequences of doing that given that they might abuse their powers. He could have a lynch mob spring up soon enough. But if he and Dakota needed help…they'd have to address that if necessary later on.
"We'll see what happens," he said, "They're not hitting the small towns yet."
"But we've got Founder's Day coming soon," Dakota said, "It'll give them more targets to hit, more distraction."
Ethan knew that but it still was a while off. Darrin and Martha had talked about hiring their own security force which Paradise had never done before, outside at the mines when they'd been operational. But that hadn't been in a while.
Bella walked out of the kitchen bringing them some coffee and dessert bread.
"It's not the best but I'm only learning how to do some real cooking."
The men took the coffee and dessert and started eating again. When the women were finished, Bella and Amelia came out and joined them while Claire went to go look at the puppies.
"It was a great meal," Dakota said, "Better than the saloon."
Bella smiled.
"Speaking of which, thanks for bringing Scarlett and Rosie here with you," she said, "I really hope they decide to take the jobs."
"You might get some resistance from Sam," Dakota said, "So if you could have them start with a few hours first and then increase their time."
Bella nodded.
"That'll work well."
"They'll be perfect out in the garden," Amelia said, "We'll be planting new crops there soon."
Bella got up.
"Do you want to see it," she said, "It's not the size it's going to be but it's a start."
Ethan looked at Dakota and both men nodded and got up to go outside with them. Bella pointed out where they'd turned over the soil in back of the main house and signs of plants emerging in the first stages of growth greeted them.
"This will feed more than us," Bella said, "They'll be enough to feed others too."
"You going to sell the surplus crops," Ethan asked.
Bella nodded.
"We'll see what it looks like this year," she said, "but now that the drought's ended, it's looking better."
Ethan nodded, knowing the farmers had breathed in relief once the spring rains turned out to be above normal and had soaked the cracked earth over a month to bring it back to life. Food prices would be going down later on in the year but it had eased concerns from people that the dry period might be longstanding.
Amelia stood next to him and she pointed out some of the vegetables and how they could be prepared for different kinds of meals. He knew she'd eaten in some fancy restaurants in the bigger cities and she had brought back recipes from some of those places.
"Maybe you should open up a restaurant," Dakota said, "We certainly could use more choices than the saloon."
Amelia agreed.
"That might be something for the next year or so," she said, "I made some friends at different places in San Francisco and Stockton who might help us set up menus."
Ethan arched his brows.
"That might mean sticking around then."
Amelia bit her lip.
"I haven't made that decision yet," she said, "But I'll be around long enough to get this ranch off the ground."
Ethan heard the hesitation in her voice and knew that she still remained conflicted about what she wanted to do and he wasn't sure why.
"It'd be nice for you to stay…"
She sighed and he watched different emotions play out on her face.
"I just can't say right now Ethan," she said, "but I'll be here for a while."
He'd have to be content with that for now but as time passed…
"Uncle Ethan, Uncle Ethan…"
He looked up to see George racing towards him at top speed.
"What is it George?"
His nephew looked at him in excitement.
"The puppies…they're playing in the barn," he said, "Can we get a puppy?"
Ethan looked over at Bella and Amelia. Bella smiled at George.
"Maybe you'd better let your uncle think about it," she said, "besides it'll take a while longer until they're weaned and ready to leave their mama."
George accepted that and headed back to the barn. Ethan and the others followed. Claire met them there.
"Uncle Ethan, the boys have their minds set on getting one of the puppies."
Ethan nodded.
"I'll think about it," he said, "They're a lot of responsibility."
Claire sighed.
"I know and soon enough I'll be taking care of it…but they are cute."
The boys were frolicking with the puppies in the corner of the barn near where the hay was stored. Ethan counted four of them, in different shades but it looked like somewhere in the family tree, some wolf blood had been introduced.
"They do well at guarding."
"Sure do…Uncle…Et-Ethan and…good…for the…the chickens…"
George sighed.
"Coyotes got some of them and we had to get new ones."
"I'll think about it," Ethan said, "besides they still have some growing up to do."
Amelia left them to go check on her mare that stood in the stall, meeting her with a whinny as she began stroking her neck. Ethan joined her.
"She caught a stone in her hoof," she said, "I put some poultice on it earlier so she should be fine by morning."
He studied her thinking she looked a damn sight different than before she had left Paradise. Gone were the stylish dresses and expensive shoes. Her hair had been braided back and pinned above her shoulders and she wore pants and a long sleeved button up shirt.
"What are you looking at?"
He knew she'd caught him at it.
"You…you look different."
She chuckled.
"You mean my clothes," she said, "Dresses don't seem to do much but get in the way of ranching work."'
"True but even in town…"
She shrugged.
"Ethan…it just seems silly to dress like that," she said, "Paradise is a town out in the middle of nowhere."
"But when the Wyatts bring business on the main street…"
"Look, how many times has that been tried Ethan," she said, "And remember, they want us to pack up and move out."
"Not going to happen," he said, "It's just Axelrod being himself. The others will come around soon enough."
She sighed.
"Maybe…"
He noticed something else when studying her face. A silvery line that he hadn't noticed before curved above one of her eye brows.
"What's that?"
"What's what?"
He reached out to touch the scar with a couple fingers and she instinctually tried to draw away at first but stopped.
"That."
She paused.
"Oh it's just something I picked up on my travels. That's all."
"Looks recent…"
She looked away from him.
"Not that recent," she said, "It was an accident."
"Some accident…"
She sighed stepping away from him closer to the mare.
"It's nothing Ethan," she said, "compared to the scars you've gotten."
He leaned against the railing.
"Maybe not but it must have a story."
She continued stroking the mare's neck.
"Not really…not one worth telling anyway," she said, "Besides I see you got a new one just below your chin."
He touched it.
"Oh that…
"That's from your job?"
He shook his head.
"Ranching injury," he said, "when trying to milk the cow."
She suppressed a chuckle, trying to imagine the sight.
"You have a milk cow?"
He scratched the back of his neck.
"Ben and George have a milk cow but they were teaching me how to milk it."
She smiled.
"Maybe your hands were too cold."
"You never complained about them."
She shot him a look and just for a moment he saw a trace of the past they'd shared together before breaking up.
Bella came over.
"Dakota's got to drive the women back into town," she said, "I thought we'd give him a sendoff."
Ethan looked at Amelia and they headed off out of the barn. Dakota had untied his new buggy and was being the gentleman helping Scarlett and Rosie aboard. Both happily chatted about how much fun they'd both had that evening.
"Beats a night at the saloon working for Sam," Rosie said.
"I'll have a talk with him about that," Ethan said, "See if it was his idea."
Dakota chirped to his horses and they started to take off but then suddenly, they heard the sound of more hoof beats.
Ethan looked up and saw a group of six men on horseback approach him. He watched as they galloped the horses up to the main house.
Who where they and why had they come to Bella's ranch? He guessed he'd find out soon enough.