Martha just looked at him.
"Where have you been," she said, "I thought we were meeting at the hotel last night."
Ethan had just walked into the bank to talk to Darrin again over the men who'd be arriving this day or the next. He'd heard that three more were due from different cities including San Francisco and Stockton. But the businessman had holed himself up in his office just as he had two days ago. Dakota had told him that his attempts to meet with him hadn't born much fruit either.
She folded her arms.
"We were supposed to have dinner."
He had forgotten about that because he'd been so busy with the horses and Amelia.
"I was out at Bella's ranch."
That didn't make her very happy. She just looked at him as if she couldn't believe it.
"You were out at that woman's ranch?"
He nodded.
"Yes it is…that's my job," he said, "One of the mares was out in the meadow about ready to foal in that storm."
She looked incredulous.
"That's your emergency? My father is getting bad reports from some of his men…"
Ethan stroked his jaw.
"I ran into a couple of them the other day," he said, "Buster and Simon…"
She nodded.
"They've worked for my father for years…mostly in other cities but he wanted the best out here to make sure that the businessmen were happy with the security."
Ethan knew this was all about Darrin's private racket. He just needed to find out who was really responsible for the recent rash of petty crimes in town. The ranchers had told him that no one had been coming to town using the roads before the thefts started. He also knew they started after the first group of Darrin's men arrived.
"There hasn't been any more crimes."
She smiled.
"I know that's because of my father's men…and you and your deputy of course."
Ethan just looked at the bank remembering how it used to work and how it looked now.
"I need to see him Martha about what his men have been doing."
Martha smiled.
"He'll be ready to see you when he's done with his business this morning."
"When will that be?"
Martha shrugged.
"When he's done Ethan," she said, "You know my father's a busy man."
Yes he did but he also knew he didn't trust the guy, not since he'd first arrived in town. There were different kinds of outlaws and some just dressed in finer clothes than others. He didn't know that Darrin and his campaign to change Paradise separated him much from other outlaws.
Maybe not so much at all.
Martha smiled at him.
"Why don't we go to the saloon," she said, "I'm hungry, how about you?"
Ethan shook his head.
"I need to see him…and I'll wait here until he comes out."
Martha's smile dimmed.
"Ethan why are you being so difficult…so stubborn about it? You think he's avoiding you?"
He looked straight at her.
"Is he?"
She looked taken aback.
"No…not at all," she said, "one of his partners sent him a proposal on the morning stage and he's been studying it."
Ethan just stood there.
"Like I told you, I'll wait for him."
Martha didn't look happy but Ethan meant it. This situation with Darrin dealing in private security, it could get out of hand very fast. If an influx of men carrying guns came to Paradise that Ethan didn't know. But when he'd spoken to Axelrod and some of the other merchants, they'd been very happy to have the armed men on their properties.
They carried a hefty price tag and Axelrod had grumbled a bit about that but he said he'd never felt so safe in his store and that his customers felt the same way.
"Catch the vandals yet?"
Ethan shook his head because whoever had done it hadn't left a trace and yet it had gotten quiet after Darrin's men arrived.
Claire walked into the bank looking at Ethan.
"Those men make me nervous."
Ethan arched his brows.
"The guards at the mercantile?"
She nodded.
"They just stand there staring," she said, "I don't know why he even hired them."
Martha gave her a sharp look.
"Because of the recent thefts and vandalism on this street," she said, "If we let the guilty get away with it then they'll just get brazen."
Claire looked confused.
"But who's guilty? No one's in jail and I was there when those men bothered the women at Bella's ranch."
Martha frowned.
"They were just there to ask questions," she said, "Nothing bothersome about that…unless those women are hiding something."
Claire shook her head.
"They're not hiding anything. They work very hard just like my brothers and I work our ranch. You should have seen how much has been done. The garden's started…the horses…and a mare just had a baby."
Martha's mouth remained set in a line.
"Ethan told me about that," she said, "He rescued the mother and foal in a storm."
Claire tilted her face.
"Actually it was Amelia who went looking for them first. He went looking for her."
Martha narrowed her eyes looking at Ethan as she tried to smile.
"Oh your uncle didn't tell me that part," she said, "but then he got interrupted when he was telling me the whole story."
Claire smiled.
"The foal's doing great and so is the mare," she said, "Bella's keeping them inside the barn for a while."
"So how was Amelia," Martha said, "I haven't seen her in a few days."
"She's been busy," Ethan said, "She's helping her with the horses."
Martha pursed her lips.
"That's…nice work…to keep herself busy since she sold the bank."
Ethan wondered why she brought it up as Amelia had sold it ages ago. Even before she left Paradise to go traveling…
"She keeps plenty busy," he said, "She's picked out a horse for Ben and George. I'm going to pick it up when it's ready for them."
"That's…nice but you don't want to associate too closely with Bella Rogers and any of her followers," Martha said, "You're the marshal after all and it's just not seemly."
Before Ethan could respond, another man walked into the room. He looked neatly dressed, definitely from some place away from Paradise. They all looked at him. He tipped his hat.
"Hello, can someone direct me to the hotel?"
Martha smiled.
"It's just across the street near the livery. Are you visiting our fine town for Founder's Day?"
The man looked puzzled and then smiled.
"I'm Ernie Buckley from the San Francisco newspaper and I'm here to interview Bella Rogers. Do you know where I might find her?"
The other three just looked at each other. Martha put a hand on her hip.
"Well Ethan should I give the kind man directions to her ranch along with the hotel?"
Ethan just looked at the man.
Amelia sat up on the corral fence watching the horses in the enclosure It'd been a long morning of riding out and herding back some of the stragglers. She'd checked on the mare and foal and they were doing fine in the barn for now.
She hadn't seen Ethan in a couple of days but she knew he'd be busy in town. The boys came out to help Bella and her today after school and they were now visiting the puppies which had grown large enough to scamper around the barn. Ethan hadn't weakened on letting them take home one of the pups but she knew that by the time they were weaned, that would change.
Bella came up to her.
"How's it going?"
Amelia smiled and flipped her braid back.
"Really good…Clara's in the barn with the foal," she said, "He seems to have taken a liking to her."
Bella climbed up to sit next to her.
"She's great with horses," she said, "You'd never know she hadn't been around them before in her life."
"Some people just take to them naturally," Amelia said, "and she's got patience plus a good pair of hands."
Bella paused.
"Ethan will be here to pick up the boys."
Amelia kept looking at the horses.
"I know…but I'll be busy out here…besides he's got Martha…"
Bella just shot her a knowing look.
"He doesn't want that city girl," he said, "He wants to get back with you."
Amelia sighed.
"He might think that but I told him everything had changed."
"Not everything…not the most important thing…"
Amelia paused.
"What's that?"
Bella smiled indulgently and Amelia knew she was being patient with her.
"That you love him and he loves you," she said, "That part hasn't changed."
Amelia paused for a long time, looking back at the horses.
"He doesn't know the truth."
Bella sighed loudly.
"Because you won't tell him," she said, "I'm almost tempted and I will…at least enough of it if you don't do it yourself."
Amelia reacted quickly.
"Why…why would you do that to me?"
"I'm not doing it to you," she said, "but you'll regret it if you don't."
"Well it won't be my only regret," Amelia said, "I don't know how he'll react to it…I'm afraid to know…that he'll do something he can't take back."
"Amelia…Ethan's a smart guy," Bella said, "He can handle himself and you know that…at least you should know."
"I do…but he can't fix this and he can't avenge it," Amelia said, "He couldn't do any of that and I don't know if he could…Ethan always feels like he has to right every wrong…"
"He's a marshal…goes with the territory though I've been on the opposite side plenty of times."
"But even before that," Amelia said, "It made me afraid for him sometimes and this…"
"It's a secret that shouldn't be kept," Bella said, "It'll just fester and it'll mark your life Amelia in way you don't want."
Amelia couldn't argue with that as she felt that already. But she didn't know what to do with Ethan. If he did something…something that got him killed…or in prison, she'd never be able to deal with it. He was a man who had four kids to raise…and if anything happened to them…she knew she'd take over but she also knew the children needed their uncle alive and with them.
"Think about it at least Amelia okay?"
After she said that, Bella got down off the fence and went back into the barn. She'd left Amelia some food for thought but she felt more indecisive than ever. She'd missed him so much and had thought of all the ways she'd return to Paradise and see him again.
But what actually happened hadn't been one of those scenarios.