Amelia showed up at the saloon and saw Ethan standing there by the doorway talking to Dakota and Charlie. When he saw her, he smiled.
She smiled back after getting off of her horse and tying her up on the rail. She'd dressed up more than she had in a while, wearing a dress and her hair off of her face. The men took notice. Charlie actually removed his hat.
"Good evening Amelia," he said, "You dressed like that just to have some of Scotty's home cooking?"
"I missed it while I was gone. Especially the apple crisp…"
Charlie patted his stomach.
"I had my supper already plus the crisp. It's very tasty tonight."
Dakota grinned.
"I'll be there after I win this night's poker game."
Charlie chuckled.
"That's if Tiny doesn't take home all the money like last night."
Dakota's smile didn't dim nor did his confidence.
"I've got a new strategy tonight," he said, "which I'll reveal at the end of the night."
The two of them set out to go to the poker game while Ethan just looked at Amelia. She thought he looked very handsome in his more formal attire. But then she always liked the way he looked.
"You look…"
She smiled at him.
"Thanks. I don't get much of a chance to dress up," she said, "We're so busy right now."
He placed his hand on her back and led her inside the saloon where Scotty welcomed them and led them to a table. Amelia looked where Sam stood glowering by the bar as Rosie and Scarlett hardly spent any time working there anymore. They had gotten into working at the ranch and learning new skills that they felt less and less like spending their nights working at the saloon.
Sam would have to get over it. She wondered how his operation including its more illicit side fit into the Wyatts' vision for Paradise. After all the private security men that Wyatt had brought in and sold to the merchants as the solution to their problems, he didn't seem so concerned about gambling, drinking and saloon girls which more often than not attracted trouble.
"Ben and George are excited about their new horse."
He poured the wine at the table and she took a glass from him.
"He's coming along very well. Clara's good with horses and he'll be ready for you to take home soon."
"They still want one of the pups."
She smiled.
"They'll be weaned soon," she said, "We've got to find homes for them and I think it'll be good for them to have a dog."
Ethan had given it more thought but still hadn't decided.
"You really enjoy what you're doing don't you?"
She sipped her wine.
"Yes I do…I thought I'd miss working in banking and finance but I don't…I like working outdoors and riding around the ranch…reminds me of where I grew up."
Back on the edge of civilization and near the Outback back in Australia…it seemed like a world away. But she'd grown to love her adopted country.
"Sam doesn't look happy."
Ethan looked over at him.
"He'll get over it," he said, "What I don't understand is why Darrin hasn't sent his security men after him."
"Saloons are big business in any small town," Amelia said, "and help keep it alive during the bust periods. Besides you know who Darrin has branded the criminals in this town."
Ethan paused.
"I talked to him about his men," he said, "They shouldn't show up at the ranch again."
"They shouldn't have been there," she said, "They scared Clara…and some of the other women…who've had bad experiences with that ilk."
"Back in the city…?"
Amelia nodded.
"It's much different there," she said, "There are families who hold a lot of power and control in different parts of the city and they all use their own security to protect their borders and their businesses."
"So I heard…I spent time back east working my way to here," he said, "and I had a couple of those families hire assassins to find me."
She remembered a couple of them including one who sent more than one hired killer after him. He'd faced them down finally and had avoided being hung. But it had been close…much more so than she wanted to remember.
"Some of the families didn't like what Bella and her supporters did," she said, "They didn't see the women she helped as being people at all."
"She's a tough woman, always been that way."
Scotty brought them their food and it smelled so delicious. Amelia found her appetite quite hardy and she dug into it.
"I wish I was that tough sometimes."
Ethan smiled.
"You're the toughest woman I know. When I see you in action, I'm always glad you're on my side."
"We haven't always been on the same side Ethan…there were times we couldn't be further apart."
He looked at her earnestly.
"Not on the really important things…and I know that a lot of times you were right."
She shook her head.
"Not always Ethan…on some things I was very wrong."
He sighed.
"I understand why you left," he said, "and you weren't wrong to do that."
"Maybe not but I really didn't mean to hurt anyone," she said, "I just needed to get away. That night in the hotel really scared me."
He reached his hand out and she met it halfway across the table. She squeezed it.
"What matters is that you came back," he said, "and we're here together again."
She smiled but her eyes didn't hold it.
"I know…I just don't know if I'm what you want."
He blinked his eyes obviously wondering what she had just said to him. Then his eyes grew serious.
"Amelia, you're exactly what I want. All the time you were gone I knew that and I thought about…the last time I saw you."
She had relived that conversation over and over much more so than she'd certainly planned. She saw the look on his face, stricken that she'd ever walk away from him without looking back. After all, she'd gotten on that stagecoach once, he'd put her on it and yet…he'd chased after it on horseback to bring her back home.
"Thanks for not coming to try to bring me back Ethan," she said, "I needed to get away for a while and just travel and…think about a lot of things."
"I meant what I said…you're the woman I want…"
She shivered when he said that because she knew he meant it but not just because she loved him. Fear intermixed with the anticipation of returning to him. He wanted the woman he thought she was, the one who had been his fiancée but she wasn't that woman anymore. And how would he react when he found out?
Would he still want her then?
She didn't want to find out, a part of her just wanted to freeze time so that she could pretend nothing had changed.
"Amelia did I say something wrong?"
She just looked at him and she saw the look on his face. She shook her head and smiled.
"No you didn't…I was just thinking of…what it was like the last time you said that."
He smiled, his eyes sparkling.
"If I recall, I also showed you…"
She felt her skin flush because she remembered that well. What it had been like as his hands had glided over her skin exploring it and how his mouth felt and tasted. She'd been so eager then and so had he but he'd also been tender and warm.
"Yes you did…"
Tension filled her when he looked at her that way. Scotty cleared their plates and then brought them some of his famous crisp.
"This is really good Scotty," Amelia said, "I missed it a lot…"
"Good to see you back in town eating it."
Scotty seemed pleased by the reception of his prized dessert as he headed back to the kitchen and she finished eating it. Ethan ate his too and she watched him enjoy it as he did so many things. She knew that he had enjoyed her as she did him and that just made everything so complicated now.
He walked her back to where she left her horse. The streets were fairly deserted and the night quiet. Much different from when she'd been in San Francisco.
Suddenly he took hold of her hands and pulled her closer to him. She relaxed and let him do that and when she first felt his lips brush against hers, she felt happiness…the taste of him and the way his beard tickled her skin. His hands rested on her hips as they kissed and everything else faded away.
But then something changed and she suddenly pulled away from him. He just looked at her confused and she turned from him.
"Amelia what's going on?"
She sighed and reached for her horse.
"Nothing…I'd better go now…it's getting late."
He grabbed her arm.
"Is that what you have to say?"
She turned around to face him and she felt cornered for no good reason. All he had done was kiss her like he'd done so many times and she'd enjoyed each time but now…it had started that way but then she didn't feel good, she felt smothered.
"Ethan I had a good time but I don't think I can do this…"
"Why?"
She just got back on her horse and pulled up the reins to leave. Her horse pranced a bit feeling her rider's tension. He sighed.
"You're not riding back alone in the dark," he said, "Let me get my horse."
"I'm fine…I can take care of myself."
"I know that but where you're staying is next to my ranch…so it's on the way."
She nodded finally conceding that point but she really didn't want to be around him right now. Not after what had happened. Her eyes stung with how wonderful it had felt to kiss him again but…now she just wanted to be alone.
He went to get his horse and they rode down to the main road out of town. She knew he felt bewildered by what had happened but she didn't feel like explaining it. If she did that…it would change everything between them. But at the same time she wanted what she felt the truth blocked.
They rode in silence until they reached Bella's ranch and then moved to the cabin where she now lived. She got off her horse and put her in a small pasture behind the cabin. Then the two of them looked up and saw Bella walking toward them quickly.
She looked deeply concerned and they knew something had happened.
"I have to tell you something…"