Amelia walked up to the two men standing next to Bella.
"Who are they?"
One man stepped forward, tipping his hat.
"I'm Buster…I'm part of the new security team hired by Mr. Wyatt and this is my partner Simon."
Amelia put a hand on her hip.
"Mr. Wyatt hired security already? He was just talking about it."
The two men looked at each other and then Buster nodded.
"Yes he did and we rode in this afternoon," he said, "We're expecting several more men by the end of the week or next. Mr. Wyatt said something about Founder's Day."
Amelia sighed.
"It's the town's biggest holiday celebration of the year," she said, "but it's mostly just town folk who get together…not much out of town visitors."
Buster shrugged slightly.
"They'll be about five of us. We've been given our orders by Mr. Wyatt but we won't interfere with the marshal or his deputies…we're just here to assist."
Ethan stepped forward.
"I'm the marshal and I told Darrin that Dakota and I can handle keeping the peace."
Buster narrowed his eyes.
"Dakota who's Dakota…?"
"My deputy…"
Buster looked at him in disbelief.
"Your only deputy, you can't be serious."
Ethan nodded.
"Paradise's is not a big town filled with a lot of people," he said, "and when two's not been enough we call in other marshals from the outside."
"And what if they're not available?"
Ethan set his jaw knowing where these men were going with their questions. Trying to make it look like as if Dakota and he were over their heads taking care of law and order in Paradise…and he knew that attitude came straight from their boss. These men were just hacks hired to do a job, perhaps ex-lawmen or worse, lawmen who'd failed at it. He didn't know enough about them to decide and since they just showed up, he couldn't wire for some background on them.
"We've done fine so far," he said, "Hasn't been much crime in this area for months."
Buster tilted his face trying to get a read on Ethan.
"That might be luck…might be about to change," he said, "You heard about the Daggett gang."
Ethan nodded.
"Yes and if they show up here…"
Simon spoke up.
"Not too likely given that they spend most of their time where the loot is, in larger cities like San Francisco."
"So I heard…but then some outlaw gangs have been known to change their territories and pick up some new spot."
Buster sighed.
"That could happen and Daggett is into some rackets as muscle," Simon said, "Hiring as security for saloons to get paid not to rob them, the opium trade on the railroads and mines and bar girls."
Ethan had heard all that by talking to people passing through and read it through the wires.
"Like I said we'll keep an eye out for him," he said, "but you go back and tell your boss that if I need backup I'll handle it."
Buster folded his arms.
"I'm afraid you can't force him to do that. Mr. Wyatt had a right as a business and property owner to keep both safe from outlaws. If he feels that the marshal's service in Paradise is...not enough then he's got the right to hire his own force."
Ethan shook his head.
"I don't want vigilantism in Paradise and these security forces they invite it. They'll protect the business interests of who hires them even if it's bad for the rest of the town."
Buster dismissed that.
"It's not going to happen," he said, "We're hired professionals. Simon was an ex-deputy in another county and we're hiring men with backgrounds in marshal's as well."
Ethan figured they had to be either old enough not to be up to doing the job anymore or they were fired for moral reasons. He didn't need either in this town; else it'd just be additional people to be taken care of on top of everything else.
"I'm going to talk to Darrin in the morning," he said, "and lay down some rules."
Buster scoffed.
"I don't think so," he said, "Mr. Cord; your authority is limited on what you can impose on us. Maybe you'd best just agree to say out of our way and we will stay out of yours."
Ethan didn't find that acceptable but he's had to tell Darrin that in person. Bella just looked at the men.
"We know that Mr. Wyatt doesn't want us here but if you come out here and cause trouble for us, we'll protect ourselves."
Buster scoffed.
"You… a bunch of women…Now I know that you Ms Rogers were quite an outlaw back in the day but you've supposedly reformed?"
Bella smiled.
"I've settled down and plan to try my hand at ranching. I'm already enjoying it immensely."
Buster's mouth twitched.
"We'll see about that won't we? Whether you really mean that or you're fooling with these law abiding town folk. You already got the marshal here on your side."
Bella bit back a laugh.
"I don't know about that but Ethan's been cordial and fair in his dealings with us."
Buster smirked.
"I heard he was engaged to one of the other ladies."
Amelia folded her arms looking at him.
"That was me but we didn't get married."
Buster digested that and then walked back to his horse.
"I can see we're not going to get off to the smoothest start. That's a shame but it doesn't change what we're here to do and that's help the merchants feel safer…especially if a gang like Daggett's does show up."
He and Simon got on their horses and after tipping their hats, they rode off back to town. Bella just shook her head at Ethan and Amelia.
"Can you believe those men…and Mr. Wyatt? I guess he's going to pull out all the stops to make us feel less than welcome."
Claire walked up and looked at her uncle.
"Those men can't cause trouble out here can they?"
Ethan shook his head.
"No…they just work for Darrin. They aren't the law and no matter where they come from and how much he pays them they still got to obey them."
Amelia rubbed her forehead and looked at Ethan.
"Thank you for not telling them about Clara."
"No reason to…no reason for Mr. Wyatt or anyone else to know either. Dakota and I will handle it if it needs that."
She nodded and then turned back to the paddock.
"I've still got a couple more horses to do."
Ethan joined her.
"I'll help you."
She released some of the horses back into the pasture closest to them where they frolicked before settling down to graze together. He stood there and watched them with her.
"Don't you got some place you got to be?"
He shook his head.
"Nah…Bella's said that since Ben and George worked so hard in the barn, she'll set some placing at the table for them."
"You staying too, I thought you'd be heading back to town?"
"Tomorrow I'm going to have to set some things straight with Darrin but dinner sounds nice."
She sighed.
"Ethan we can't go backwards."
He stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Who said anything about that? Just having dinner together again."
She considered that and didn't say anything but he knew she was thinking about it inside her head.
"I'm always one for moving forward Amelia."
He studied her face when he said that and he saw her react. But she just nodded slightly.
"So am I…that's what I'm trying to do. One day at a time."
That puzzled him.
"Why just one day…you used to talk about the future a lot…plans like traveling…"
"I've done that," she said, "and It wasn't quite what I thought. Things can happen so quickly that change your life."
He watched her even more carefully.
"Did that happen with you?"
She looked away suddenly, back at the horses.
"Well did it?"
She looked back at his face but her eyes only met his briefly.
"Yes...it did…but it doesn't matter now," she said, "I have to figure out what to do next."
They started back to meet up with the others by the barn.
"Why don't you stay here?"
She looked sideways at him.
"Why…I said I'd stay to help with the ranch but it wasn't easy coming back Ethan. I still remember what happened with us."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"No…no not really," she said, "It taught me a lot and I did so much thinking when I went away. No matter how far you go, some things stay with you. I thought a lot about you and what I wish I'd said that last day."
"I put you through a lot Amelia," he said, "and I never owned up to it. I just don't know any other way than what I do. I live by the gun and sometimes that means killing to do what's right or to keep from being killed."
She listened to him attentively.
"I know and I should have understood that. You do important work Ethan. You help people…people who've been victimized by the worst outlaws. I understand that better now."
He listened to what she said and knew it didn't come easily but she remained an enigma to him. This woman who had returned after months away from him, so much of her he recognized but a part of her he didn't.
"I learned too," he said, "I learned that I have to fit in being a marshal with my family. It's been hard on the children and hard on you."
She shrugged.
"That's the past and there's nothing to be changed in it now but I'm trying to decide what to do after I'm finished here."
He heard the resolve in her voice and didn't know what to say next. But he had to find a way to change it.