Amelia woke up in the morning and the rain had stopped. The colt was nursing at its dam's side and Ethan was stoking up the fire to make some coffee. He glanced over at her.
"Good morning…"
She smiled at him as she went to check on the mare that seemed to be doing just fine. He was a strappy little colt, with spindly long legs and a good build that indicated he'd grow up strong and fast. But first they had to get him back to the ranch.
"Coffee's ready…"
She went over to get herself a cup of it. It'd hit the spot this morning because the cave had been quite cold when she woke up…until he started the fire.
"We'll be heading back soon…they must be wondering where we are right now."
He nodded.
"I'll carry the foal and you lead the mare."
"Okay…that'll work," she said, "Ethan I'm sorry out got caught in all this."
He handed her some jerky.
"I'm not. You need help to get the foal back and you shouldn't have been on your own."
She bristled.
"I can handle myself Ethan."
"Didn't say you couldn't Amelia just that I'm glad I found you."
She felt that way too though she didn't say it. When he wrapped his arms around her and she'd fallen asleep in them, she hadn't dreamed. She woke up feeling rested for the first time in a long time.
"But Ethan…Martha must be wondering what happened to you."
He sat down and ate jerky with his coffee.
"She had a meeting with her father this morning so I don't think she missed me."
Amelia sighed.
"How does her father feel about the two of you…working together?"
Ethan paused.
"He takes issue with almost everything I do…but he's quieter when it comes to me and his daughter."
She digested that. It'd been over a year after all and Ethan was a man who attracted female attention. She had been the one to break off the engagement and then leave him. She never expected him to pine for her or anything like that.
Even though she'd missed him a lot.
"I'm not seeing her if that's what you're thinking."
She just looked at him.
"I thought you were…it's okay if you are Ethan…I left you remember?"
He watched as she got up and started to pack her saddle bag. They'd be heading out soon.
"But you came back…I missed you too….a lot…I used to sit on the swing by your old house and remember what it'd been like."
She furrowed her brows.
"Ethan…I thought about you every place I stayed at. When it got quiet and before I fell to sleep…but I couldn't stay…I thought if you'd died I die too."
He just looked at her and she waited for him to say something.
"I know…better now than I did then," he said, "but I wish it hadn't taken you leaving…"
She walked over to the horses and the foal wandered over to her under the protective eye of its mother. When it brushed its nose against her, she stroked its neck.
"I think he's ready to go."
Ethan nodded and they got their own horses outside and she helped him maneuver the foal so that he could get it in front of him on the saddle. The foal settled down pretty quickly and Amelia grabbed the lead so that the mare would follow behind her.
It'd be a gentle ride back but the sun had risen and the rain clouds had dissipated. The meadows looked green tinged with brown and clusters of trees.
"Ethan I knew I had to leave for a lot of reasons," Amelia said, "but I know why I came back too. It's just that got more complicated than I ever thought."
He thought he knew why, that something had happened.
"Bella told me her story…about what she wanted to do to help women in the city help themselves…"
"The women that came with you…like Clara…"
She nodded.
"Women…including those whose husbands died or left them…they didn't have much choice in what to do to survive…not like I did when Pierce left me."
Ethan knew that Amelia had the bank and that had kept her going in more ways than just financially. But other women had to do things they didn't want to do to put food on the table, shelter themselves or families.
"So how does Daggett factor in with these women?"
She hesitated and he saw the change on her face…not that he understood it yet.
"He and his gang frequented some of the…saloons and they were some of the customers but I think it was more than that."
"You think he helped run it?"
"I don't know…but he seemed tied with a man named Mark Diamond who controls a lot of businesses including saloons."
"What about security…at the saloons?"
She shook her head.
"No…Diamond had his own men for that…like what Darrin wants to do here but some of them were just as shady."
Ethan knew that some of these businessmen either didn't know enough about these men or they didn't care and hired some that were one step away from being outlaws. That's what he didn't want to happen in Paradise.
They passed the lake which looked smooth as glass save for a couple birds landing on it.
"But Daggett wants to get Clara back…"
"Yes because he had his eye on her as a saloon girl," she said, "but she deserves much better than that Ethan and besides…"
"Besides what?"
She remained silent even longer.
"I…..she helped me when I needed it."
She rode a little bit ahead and he urged his horse to keep up with her.
"When was that?"
She paused longer.
"We're almost there…another couple of miles until we see the fence line."
He just shook his head as they headed closer to the ranch. She was making it difficult for him and he'd have to figure out what to do about that.
Amelia sighed as she rode back to the ranch leading the mare. Ethan was hitting her with all these questions and she didn't want to answer them. She felt trapped between wanting to tell him what had happened and not telling him. Ethan was a man of action and of few words and if he found out the truth…action would take over.
She didn't want anything to happen to him, not after returning back to Paradise. She just wanted him to be alive even if it wasn't with her.
They rode into where they saw the fence line and Bella on horseback with Carla who'd shown great aptitude at riding despite not having much of a background with horses. Bella rode up to her at a canter.
"You found them…and it's a beauty."
Amelia nodded.
"She had the foal last night but with the rainstorm, Ethan and I…we camped out in a cave until morning."
Bella looked over at Ethan.
"I'm glad you found her," she said, "He said he was going to find you Amelia. We were worried when the weather turned."
"I'm fine and the horses are both fine though they probably should stay inside the barn for a while."
Ethan helped Bella get the foal down and Amelia handed the lead to her. The mare would make it back and the foal would follow.
"You two ready for some food," Bella said, "Rosie's cooking up a recipe I taught her and there's going to be plenty of it."
Amelia nodded.
"You too Ethan…whoever's waiting for you in town, just let them wait."
He finally nodded and they headed back towards the barn. Amelia rode up ahead with Clara and they sped off ahead.
"So I guess I owe you some thanks for helping with the horses."
"You don't owe me anything…I know we were on opposite sides back then but you were honest and fair and I didn't forget that."
He remained with his thoughts as they rode back.
"And when most of the town's trying to run us out as outlaws, you're giving us another chance."
"It's my job."
"I know but a lot of marshals aren't like you Ethan…they don't think that way."
Ethan had met some like that including those who'd come to Paradise.
"Amelia was right about you," she said, "Everything she said…down to your good looks."
He smiled good naturedly.
"She said all that?"
Bella nodded.
"Don't let her push you away Ethan."
"I keep asking…and she talks about something else."
Bella shortened the reins on her horse.
"It's hard to talk about it Ethan…I know that because I'd been there."
"Talk about what?"
She paused.
"It's not my story to tell but she'd been to one of my events where I talk to women who've fallen on hard times and she left with a young gentleman."
"Gentleman…?"
"Yes, oh don't worry she wasn't interested in him that way," Bella said, "He was telling her about his work."
Ethan didn't know how to respond to that so he just waited for her to continue.
"They found him lying dead in the street two blocks away, shot to death."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"He had some enemies," she said, "Some people think that Daggett and his gang did it but I don't think so. Daggett didn't respond either way, he doesn't care what people think."
"What happened to Amelia?"
"She wasn't with him," Bella said, "and you'll need to ask her that."
Ethan digested that as they reached the barn.
"You know her better than I do Ethan," she said, "You know just how to it."
As he thought about it on the rest of the ride back, he knew that she was right.