Amelia and Ethan got off of their horses and looked at Bella who had walked up to them.
"You're back," she said, "Someone left us a notice on one of the fences tonight to watch our backs."
She handed it to Amelia who looked at the piece of paper that looked weathered but the writing was clear.
"Is it a threat or a warning?"
She handed it to Ethan who also studied it. Bella sighed.
"I don't know…we heard some noise outside when we were eating dinner," she said, "and there it was on the fence. We didn't see anyone else."
Ethan turned it over to see if there was anything else written on it. Amelia shook her head.
"Who could have done it," she said, "Was it those men?"
Bella shrugged.
"I don't know. The leaders, you know Buster and Simon haven't been back since…Ethan talked to Darrin but we know the Wyatts want us out of here."
"Maybe it's someone else," Amelia said, "Maybe it has something to do with Daggett and his men."
Bella frowned.
"Maybe…if he found out that we had Clara here but I think he'd just try to grab her after everyone was asleep…use the element of surprise."
Amelia thought that made sense. She knew that he'd been enraged when he lost the young woman after she and Bella had gone to help her escape. But if he snuck into town, they might not know until he made his move against them.
"We'd better have someone looking out at night," Bella said, "Men like Daggett don't play around when they're after something."
Ethan looked at Amelia.
"I'll do it."
Amelia just looked at him.
"Ethan you can't…you have your own family to look after," she said, "We've got enough of us to take turns here."
He just looked directly at her.
"You're family too and it's my responsibility as marshal."
She softened.
"I know but we need to be able to defend our ranch," Amelia said, "or we'll never be able to stay here."
Bella nodded.
"Amelia and I are good shots," she said, "and we've been teaching the others how to use a gun."
Amelia looked over at Ethan and could tell he didn't like it. But he couldn't spend all his time here and she knew that between her, Bella and the others they would be able to keep safe even if Daggett and his gang showed up.
"I don't know if Daggett has made it this far yet," Ethan said, "Last wire put him still at least 50 miles north west."
Amelia thought back to the guards working for Darrin who had harassed them on their own property already.
"The new guards arrived didn't they?"
Ethan nodded.
"Same time as the reporter from San Francisco," he said, "I saw them but didn't talk to them."
She nodded.
"I just don't trust them," she said, "after all the trouble they've caused and…"
But she stopped talking and just shot a look at Bella who looked back at her. Ethan caught the glance but didn't say anything.
"Well, I just don't consider them any different than outlaws."
She didn't look at him when she said that. But Ethan couldn't argue with that as his encounters with private security guards hadn't been positive. He'd had to go after a few that had committed crimes rather than preventing them. If anything happened like that in Paradise…
"I'm going to check on them in the morning. Meet up with them and tell Darrin none of them are to come out on the ranches."
Bella smiled.
"Thank you…not that those men seem the type to listen but maybe if Darrin realizes it's going to be more trouble than it's worth…"
Ethan would make sure of that.
"After all they're not stopping crime," Bella said, "In fact that rash of thefts and vandals happened after their arrival.'
Amelia nodded,
"Yes and before the merchants like Axelrod and Amos started paying Darrin for their services."
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.
"If Darrin's running a scam, I'll find out," he said, "I already told Dakota to keep a closer eye on them because he lives in town."
Amelia knew that more similar crimes would occur which would lead more and more merchants to sign up for security and then Darrin might start ratcheting up the costs to get more money out of them.
"Why would he do something like that," she said, "He's already got all the money he could ever need. All these investors giving even more and he said he's putting it into Paradise."
"Maybe it's not what it looks like," Ethan said, "After all, so far he hasn't spent much money, just to fix up the building and to loan Scotty to use on the hotel and saloon."
Bella shook her head.
"He gave that Sam a raise too," she said, "Rosie and Scarlett said he was a mean guy to them…threatening them if they didn't earn enough money for the saloon."
Amelia narrowed her eyes.
"Does Scotty know?"
Bella shook her head again.
"I doubt it…I don't think he'd go along with it if he knew," she said, "but he's been so busy with the saloon…maybe he doesn't keep a good eye on him."
"It's just not like him to do that," Amelia said, "He's a good man and his wife's working there with him."
Rosie walked up to them.
"Amelia…you're back."
Amelia smiled at her.
"Yes…"
"Clara's in the barn with the mare and foal and she wants you to check on them."
Amelia nodded and looked over at Ethan.
"I'd better go…I had a good time tonight."
He walked over to her and slid his arms around her. He lowered his mouth on hers, kissing her. After he released her, he stroked her lips with a thumb watching her face.
"Good night Amelia…"
She smiled and walked to the barn to go check on the horses. Ethan watched her go and turned back to Bella who smiled at him.
"So how was your night out?"
He smiled back at her.
"We had a good time…ate a good meal and…talked."
"She was looking forward to it," Bella said, "She still has very strong feelings for you."
He paused.
"I love her and since she's been back…I can't stop thinking about how much I want to go after what we almost had before she left."
Bella pursed her lips.
"I know she wants that too," she said, "She talked about you a lot and how hard it was to walk away from you."
He grew pensive.
"I waited for her to come back," he said, "A good friend of mine who's very wise said that she hadn't left for good."
"You mean John Taylor…and yes he is very wise. Helped me a time or two back in the day."
That didn't surprise Ethan as John Taylor had become a legend in these parts.
"She's not telling me everything."
"Oh you mean about what happened in San Francisco…"
Ethan felt frustrated because he knew Bella held back from giving him information as well. She'd told him already that it was Amelia's story to tell but his ex-fiancée wasn't sharing very much.
"Did she tell you about Warrick?"
Ethan furrowed his brow.
"Who…?"
"Warrick, he was a businessman who came from Chicago," she said, "He met up with her at the party…oh not in a romantic sense but they did spend a lot of time talking with each other."
"No I didn't know about him."
"Oh…then she hasn't told you very much."
Ethan didn't know what to say next because the more details he heard the more they confused him.
"She left with him," Bella said, "He didn't want her to walk alone back to her hotel so he was walking there with her. He's a nice man Ethan; it was just concern, that's all."
"It's not my business Bella," he said, "but what happened to Warrick after he took her to the hotel?"
She paused before she sighed deeply.
"They didn't make it back," she said, "He was the man that was found dead in the street."
Ethan felt charged up when he'd been reminded of that detail. Someone had found Warrick dead of a gunshot wound and Amelia hadn't been there.
"So what happened to her?"
He almost didn't want to ask but he had to do so.
"That's the part I can't tell you," she said, "I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone and I don't think she told me everything that happened."
"So when did you see her again?"
She bit her lip.
"Two days later," she said, "Clara saw her first."
Now Ethan knew he didn't like it, not at all. He felt so many emotions inside of him right now; he couldn't identify one of them.
"Look I think she wants to tell you," she said, "I just don't think she knows how…or how you'll respond…what you'll do and that scares her. Given your track record, I can't blame her for that."
He took that criticism knowing that Bella was probably right. That Amelia wasn't telling him much because of how he might respond.
Because she knew him as well as he knew himself.
Amelia examined the colt who walked over to her and looked over at Clara.
"He's doing very well," she said, "getting bigger and stronger."
Clara smiled, her eyes shining.
"I fed the mare already," she said, "She's eating a lot to feed her baby."
Amelia nodded.
"She'll do that until it's time to start weaning him though that's a while off."
Clara started stroking the colt's neck and judging by the way he butted his head against her he seemed to like it.
"Is Ethan here?"
"Yes he is…we just got back from dinner."
"He's nice. I like him."
"So do I…"
"Are you going to marry him?"
Amelia paused at that question, not expecting it.
"No…we were engaged once but things have changed."
Clara looked puzzled.
"You don't love him?"
Amelia shook her head.
"That's not it…I love him very much but I'm not the same anymore…the woman that he wanted to marry."
Clara looked dismayed.
"Because of that day…"
Amelia knew what she meant, the day that she had seen Clara. She couldn't answer because if she did, it would make it real again.
It would make her relive it all over again.