Ethan served breakfast to the children who sat at the table after completing their chores. They had about thirty minutes before they'd need to head on off to school. Claire had helped him in the kitchen but he knew it had taken her a while to head off to bed after they'd returned from the ranch.

The boys were excited about the puppies and naturally wanted to bring one or two of them on home but Ethan told them they were too young to leave their mama and that he'd think about it.

"They'll keep the bad guys away," George said biting into his bacon.

Ben chimed in.

"Good…at…at…chasing…rust…rustlers too"

Ethan smiled but he still hadn't made up his mind yet. Claire brought out some more eggs. The hens had been laying them like crazy since Ben and George didn't spend as much time bothering them. Claire sat down and ate her own breakfast.

"So you are coming back for dinner tonight?"

Ethan nodded.

"Unless something happens in town but it's been quiet."

Claire sighed.

"Axelrod's holding another meeting," she said, "He's so worried some gang is going to rob the town blind and Bella's going to be involved."

Ethan had hoped Axelrod would have dropped this whole vigilante idea but he knew he wasn't the driving force behind it. He'd known the guy for years and he never led any movement, he took direction from someone else to avoid the responsibility.

"But then he's never been really smart."

Ethan smiled.

"Claire he's just out to protect his business interests and he thinks his way is best."

"But it's not…he's blaming the wrong people," she said, "People should be given second chances."

"Axelrod's never been good at that," Ethan said, "But Dakota and I are going to keep on them that there's going to be no lynch mobs in Paradise."

Claire took a bite of egg.

"It's just that he's always tried to stop you from doing the right thing," he said, "Why is that?"

Ethan didn't know how to answer that. He saw Joseph walk in with a plate of food.

"I think it's because he's greedy," Joseph said, "Doc Carter's not like that. Half of his patients can't pay him in money. They pay him in other ways."

Joseph greatly admired Doc Carter since he'd first come into town a year ago, taking over the medical care previously done by the town barber. A situation that worked well for everyone though Ethan still called on John Taylor for the worst cases.

Claire smiled.

"I want him to come and speak before the older students," she said, "I think his story will inspire them and provide a good lesson."

Joseph dug into his plate of food.

"He'll like that. He's told me I should go to college and study medicine."

Ethan knew that Joseph had a gift working with his hands to help people get better. But he also knew that college and travel and living expenses cost a lot of money. Joseph's pay that he earned working for Doc Carter would help but he'd need more money.

Ben and George ate their breakfast quickly and then went to get their school things and lunch. Claire would drive them into town on the buggy while Ethan would ride to meet Dakota at the west end of the valley to look around before heading into the office in town.

He didn't look forward to having to deal with Axelrod again but he took Drake's words to heart. He knew him to be a bright and very observant man. Nothing got passed him when he worked on his ranch just off the far side road into town.

"Time to get going," Claire said, taking her dishes into the kitchen, "We don't want to be late or else you'll have to stay after school."

Ben and George couldn't bear that happening because then they couldn't go to Bella's ranch and help with chores so they hurried along to help Claire hook the horses to the buggy.

Amelia walked inside the bank that she used to manage. She never really legally owned it because it belonged to her husband. Wives couldn't own property, anything they brought in, the husband could just take. And he could take it again during a divorce. If her husband hadn't abandoned her to avoid people he owed money, she might not have invested so heavily in it.

It felt strange walking inside it, as a customer. It looked and felt different, the décor had been changed and more tellers. She walked up to one of the windows and saw Martha standing there.

"Amelia what a surprise…what brings you here?"

"I'm checking on some money that was wired from the bank in San Francisco," she said, "It should be in its account by now."

Martha smiled.

"I'm sure…give me the number and I'll go check."

Amelia did that and she watched Martha walk into the room where the wires were delivered. She looked and saw Darrin approach his daughter and they both looked at her. They talked for a moment and then Martha returned to the window.

"Yes it's in the account," she said, "It'll be available in a day or two after we finished processing it. Will that be okay?"

Amelia nodded.

"So you came back to Paradise to stay for a while?"

"Yes I did…at least a few months," she said, "Long enough to help Bella and the others get their ranch up and running."

Martha's smile dimmed slightly.

"Well I see Ms. Rogers made a lot of progress in a short period of time…"

Amelia arched her brows.

"Surprised?"

Martha rearranged some papers in front of her.

"No…just that it's one thing to start strongly and another to build a long-term success."

Amelia knew that but she knew that Bella and the others had the determination to succeed.

"I know…that's what I did with this bank when I owned it."

Martha smiled knowingly.

"Didn't your husband Pierce Lawson own it?"

"In deed perhaps," Amelia said, "but I ran it and made it a success. Even after my husband disappeared for a couple of years."

"He abandoned you didn't he?"

Amelia didn't flinch. She'd faced up to the fact that she'd inadvertently married a cad who'd never grow up.

"Yes he did and I divorced him."

"Was this before you and Ethan got together?"

Amelia just looked at her.

"Look Martha…we're not engaged anymore," she said, "So I don't know why you're so interested in my history."

"Not interested just curious," Martha said, "Now I respect you greatly as a businesswoman. It's no small feat to run a bank alone and it wasn't in that bad of shape when my father acquired it."

"It went through a couple different owners since me…and in between."

"I see…well with some modifications, my father and I got it back on track including the loan programs."

Amelia had heard about them. High interest rates that had driven up the foreclosure rate including on ranches. It just made no sense to her when she'd been in charge to handle money that way.

"I see you've done some remodeling and changed the décor."

Martha shrugged.

"Oh that…just a small part of what we invested but the bank is the cornerstone of our economic investment plan in this town."

"I bet…"

Martha leaned forward over the counter.

"It's going to all work to make Paradise a booming success again."

Amelia had her doubts about them but she knew that any problems with the Wyatts' vision would naturally be blamed on Bella and her ranch.

"Ethan has been very instrumental in helping us through his role as marshal."

"It means a lot to him," Amelia said, "More than he even thought."

"Underneath their butting heads, my father likes and respects him," Martha said, "even as we've been seeing each other."

Amelia figured as much. She hadn't expected Ethan to pine for her or even wait for her return. He'd moved on with his life just as she'd done with hers. But Martha would soon find out what it meant to be seeing a man like Ethan who lived by the gun. She understood that a lot better than she had been when she left him and Paradise but Martha…well she'd figure it out soon enough.

But she wanted him to be happy and if Martha did that for him, then she would live with that. But…she didn't know how much she liked it.

"How long have you been…seeing him?"

Martha smiled.

"Oh we started recently," she said, "We both have such busy lives but we do spend time together…outside of the business part of it."

Amelia smiled.

"Had your first dinner out interrupted by one of his old friends that needs him to settle a vendetta or right an old wrong yet?"

Martha just looked at her.

"Any shootouts inside the restaurant before dessert…?"

Martha looked uneasy.

"Amelia, it's not like that with us…oh hello Ethan."

Amelia turned around and saw him standing in the doorway.

"Hello Martha…Amelia."

Amelia smiled at him.

"Hello Ethan…I'm just about finished with my business," she said, "I was catching up with Martha."

Ethan looked at Martha who nodded.

"Yes…Ethan…are we still on for tonight?"

He had completely forgotten that they were having dinner at the restaurant.

"Martha…I…I have to go look at some horses today and it might take a while," he said, "How about tomorrow night?"

Martha nodded.

"All right…I'll see you then."

Amelia looked at both of them.

"I'd better be going…"

She left the bank and Ethan followed her.

"Amelia I got to talk to you."

She turned around to face him.

"About what…did you get any word on Daggett?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing yet…listen Clara's safe here," Ethan said, "I'll see to that."

She nodded.

"I know Ethan…I know you know how to protect people. She's lucky to have you help her."

They walked together down the street.

"She's a nice girl," Ethan said, "and it's good that she's off the streets."

"Hopefully she'll do much better on the ranch," Amelia said, "though I wanted to get her some schooling. I know she's older than the others but she's very bright."

They reached the marshal's office and he led her inside.

"Claire took a shine to her. I'm sure she'll be willing to help her with her studies. You can talk to her about it."

"She's dropping by the ranch today after doing her time with Axelrod."

"I'll be out to look at the new horses."

She brightened at that.

"Yes..They're impressive aren't they?

"So I've heard."

"They're just starting to get green broke," she said, "We've been working with them and then one of the mare's is due to deliver soon."

"You have been working with them yourself?"

She shot him a challenging look.

"Ethan I grew up with horses wilder ones even," she said, "I can handle young horses. You want to try to give it a hand?"

Ethan saw the look on her face and knew he'd get himself into trouble but he nodded anyway. She arched a brow.

"Okay…I'll see you later then."

She turned to leave.

"Amelia…"

Something inside him had made him call her back.

"What Ethan?"

He paused.

"Do you ever think about what it was like before?"

Meaning when the two of them had been together even before their engagement. She nodded.

"Sometimes…I remember those times we stood at the altar and I just waited for something to interrupt us…and something always did."

The tone of her voice carried a hint of weariness.

"Amelia…"

"Look I know you had no real choice to make," she said, "we could always postponed the wedding easier than you could postpone saving a life but I just never ever believed as we stood there that it would happen."

Ethan watched those old feelings play out on her face.

"I thought that last time, it just wasn't meant to be…and I was right."

"You sure about that…?"

She folded her arms.

"We're not married are we?"

"No…we're not even engaged anymore," he said, "After you left, I wonder if you'd ever come back…even when John Taylor told me you would."

She smiled.

"Sometimes I think he knew me better than I knew myself."

Ethan looked at his hands, he didn't talk much about how he felt about anything but with Amelia and the children, he'd felt better at doing that though he still stumbled at finding the right words.

"When I first saw you again…I thought for a moment…"

He couldn't finish but she understood him.

"Ethan…when I saw you I remembered how much I'd missed you…but I'm not the woman who left last year. I've changed. I've been changed."

He sighed.

"I can see that…I've changed too."

She didn't seem to believe it and he knew Bella had been right when she said that Amelia had to bend more in their relationship than he did. She'd been too much like a twig close to snapping and that as much as anything drove them apart.

But looking at her now he realized how much he wanted to change that but how?