Amelia looked up at Clara, a part of her relieved about the interruption. She knew that Ethan had questions that he wanted her to answer but she just couldn't do that and she wished he'd stop pushing her.

Clara looked excited.

"Bella's back and she brought that reporter."

Ethan and Amelia looked at each other.

"What's he doing here," she asked.

Clara pointed to the barn where sure enough Bella stood there with a man.

"He's doing a story on Bella on account that she used to be an outlaw and isn't one anymore."

They started walking back to the barn to join the others. Amelia fell behind Clara and Ethan a bit while Carla talked nonstop about it.

"Bella's told him already about what she did back in the city…how she found me and got me away from Daggett and…why we all came here."

Ethan nodded.

"That sounds like it might make for a good story."

Amelia just remained silent not wanting to allow Ernie to interrogate her like he'd tried to back in San Francisco. He's been an ambitious reporter who wanted the big story to work his way up to a better position. Yet he did seem to care about Clara and what happened to her but when it came to her own story, she hadn't wanted to say anything. Putting Daggett a known outlaw in the role of being the one masterminding the crime in San Francisco made for good copy but it wasn't the truth and she knew it.

She'd been a savvy businesswoman for a long time now and she'd learned that meant sometimes associating and meeting up with some unsavory people. Sometimes you had to overlook people's character flaws in order to come out of a meeting with what you wanted. But what happened in San Francisco was much different than what often happened and even more so from what Ernie had written. Then again the publisher of the newspaper often lunched at the fanciest eateries with people in high positions suspected of being part of a criminal gang.

Ernie and Bella looked up as they approached and Amelia didn't look at the reporter directly.

"Hi Ethan, Amelia...Clara told me you were here looking at horses."

Ethan nodded.

"They're very impressive," he said, "You should have no problem selling them."

Bella smiled.

"That's the plan and a lot of hard work has gone into them…I brought Ernie with me, he's a reporter for a big paper back in San Francisco….Ernie this is Ethan Cord, former gunslinger and town marshal."

Ethan reached out to shake hands with Ernie.

"Nice to meet you…I heard so much about you from Bella and others I interviewed," he said, "Some people think you're crazy for giving her a chance."

"So I've heard," Ethan said, "but I'm not playing favorites. Anyone deserves a second chance."

Ernie looked around him.

"It's beautiful out here, much different than the bustling city."

Bella chuckled.

"Many ways different…some ways the same," she said, "But I'm glad I came here. Amelia was right about this place."

Ernie turned his attention to Amelia.

"Nice to see you again…"

"Likewise…"

She looked at him but then looked away. Ethan watched the exchange between the two of them but said nothing.

"You used to own the bank here right?"

She nodded.

"Ever think of going into that type of business again?"

She folded her arms.

"No…I'm happier working outside and with horses again," she said, "That's how I grew up back home."

"In Australia," he said, "Before you came here and married the son of the people who sponsored you."

A hint of a smile.

"Something like that…only it was a nephew not a son."

Ernie jotted down some notes on some paper he pulled out.

"You're divorced…"

She nodded again.

"He'd surfaced in San Francisco," Ernie said, "You knew that didn't you?"

Ethan arched his eyebrows when he heard that for the first time. Amelia knew the news surprised him but she hadn't felt like sharing it.

"Yes but I never crossed paths with him," she said, "Which suited me just fine."

"He's long gone if he was there," Ernie said, "He got caught up in some questionable real estate transactions."

She sighed.

"Why are you telling me about my ex-husband? I haven't seen him in nearly two years."

Ernie looked as if he was getting warmed up and she just wanted to walk away from him but she couldn't. Bella spoke up.

"Hey go easier on her," Bella said, "Exes are not our responsibility once we sever our ties with them. That's the rule."

Ernie appeared to consider that.

"Did you know that some men were trying to kill him a few months ago?"

She didn't answer that, she just stared at him as if she were surprised at the question. That wasn't true of course but only Bella knew that.

"I didn't know that…and if I did why would I tell you?"

A lie except for the second part of it because she wouldn't ever tell him.

"He supposedly owed a lot of money, swindled the wrong people."

Ethan looked sharply at Ernie.

"What are you getting at? Why are you hitting her with those questions?"

Ernie didn't look chagrined.

"I'm here to do a story…"

Ethan didn't budge.

"I thought you were here to write about Bella's life."

Ernie nodded.

"A man was killed in San Francisco and his murder's never been solved."

Amelia shook her head.

"You said it was Dylan Daggett who killed him. What's more to write about?"

Ernie sighed.

"I'm not so sure about that now."

"Oh but you were back then weren't you?"

She felt ire rush through her because she remembered what it had been like back then.

"Why are you attacking me Amelia? I was just doing my job."

Amelia just wanted to storm away from him but then that would just lead to more questions from Ethan.

"Were you?"

He took a step forward. Ethan stepped between him and Amelia.

"Why don't you stop with the questions," he said, "She's made it clear she doesn't want to talk to you."

Amelia sighed as Ernie focused his attention on Ethan instead of her.

"You her beau or something…?"

Ethan looked over at Amelia who looked away from both of them towards the barn. That's where she wanted to head.

"I think you'd better leave now."

Ernie tilted his face.

"You are telling me what to do on private land?"

Ethan looked at Bella who just shook her head at Ernie.

"You know Daggett didn't kill Warrick," she said, "Why are you acting like you got it right?"

Ernie sighed.

"I'm just asking the last woman to see Warrick alive some questions about his death."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"And her ex husband has something to do with that?"

Ernie stared directly at Amelia.

"He might…because after Warrick turned up dead, the debt that Pierce Lawson owed was lifted. That was the word anyway but he's still alive."

"What makes you believe that had anything to do with a man's killing?"

"I think Amelia knows the answer to that."

Ethan looked over at Amelia but she just looked angry all of a sudden, in a way he'd only seen a couple of times since he'd known her.

"I'm not telling you anything," she said, "Now if you excuse me I've got work to do."

Her voice sounded calm but just barely. Ethan knew she was going to take off quick but he didn't know why.

"Amelia…"

She spun around and faced him.

"No…I've had enough and I'm not staying around for more of it," she said, "I'm sure if you listen to him enough he'll tell all the sordid details of what he thinks happened… but I'm not going to hear them."

Now Ethan felt totally confused.

"Wait a minute…"

She shook her head. Her eyes looking deadly.

"No…just get out of my way…please"

He knew better than to challenge her when she was like this, so angry along with other things. She rushed away back to the barn and Ethan knew she was going to get her horse and take off. Ernie just shrugged.

"I guess she didn't want to answer my questions. Maybe there's something to the rumors…"

Bella shot him an angry glance.

"Ernie…no…."

But he ignored her and looked at Ethan.

"There's a rumor going around that she….spent some hours with the men who were after her husband…if you know what I mean."

Ethan's eyes widened but because he was furious with what the reporter said. His fingers itched to clench into a fist and punch him out.

"You know she hit me too back then," Ernie said, "She's got a mean right hook."

Ethan knew that Amelia's father had been a boxer among other things and had taught her some of his skills to protect herself.

Bella glared at Ernie.

"Whatever she gave you, it's because you deserved it," she said, "Now get off my ranch."

He walked slowly away.

"What if I write…"

"I don't give a damn what you write," she said, "I've survived dime store novels that I've had to live up to, I can survive you."

Ethan didn't say anything, he just wanted to knock the man flat. Ernie walked up to his face.

"You are going hit me too?"

Ethan shook his head.

"You're not worth it," he said, "Men like you always get what's coming to you."

Ernie started walking away from him but Ethan's attention was on the barn where Amelia walked out of it with her horse. He headed towards her with Bella but she climbed on her horses and urged her off at a gallop towards the main road.

"Ethan…she's in a world of hurt over this…If I had known Ernie was going to use me to get to her, I'd never invited him here."

"What's going on here," Ethan asked, "What did she do?"

Bella paused a long moment.

"It wasn't what she did Ethan; it was what was done to her."

Ethan went to get his horse.

"I'll go find her…"

"Do you know where she went?"

He hesitated only a moment.

"I know where she's gone and I'll find her."

With that, he untied his horse and got aboard to go ride after her.