Amelia held onto Ethan for what felt like forever but when she finally released him, he'd just looked at her. Not as if she were less of value but as someone he loved. That scared her almost as much because although she loved him, she didn't know if it would ever be the same. He smoothed back her hair off revealing the silvery line over her eyebrow.

"That's how you got the scar isn't it?"

She nodded.

"They hit me against something hard to get me to do what they wanted," she said, "I don't remember everything. Just enough…"

She saw him close his eyes momentarily and knew he had envisioned it. She saw concern and anger too on his face. Both were difficult to handle. She didn't know what he'd do about either. Would he want to go hunt these men down and get revenge? She didn't know if she could handle that. If anything happened to him that got him into serious trouble or dead…it'd just add to everything. He released her and looked into her face tilting it to look at him.

"What are you thinking?"

Because a part of her had to know even if it scared her…he'd been so quiet as he'd held onto her.

"That having you back here means more than anything…however way you did it. If those men had killed you…"

She sighed.

"Sometimes I'd wished they did."

He shook his head and smoothed a tendril of hair off her face.

"Whatever happened life is better."

She heard the trace of pain and sadness in his voice and remembered the stories he had haltingly told her about his youth, when he'd fallen in a bad way with a ruthless man who'd shot his only friend right in front of him after barbaric treatment. He'd faced his own demons in the form of the man who'd done that to him and had wanted more to kill than he wanted to breathe. But the man had been dying, Ethan had built a life for himself and had much to live for and sharing the painful tale with the woman here with him had in its own way helped him to finally put it behind him.

Nodding slightly, she tried to get back on her feet and he helped her, wrapping his arms around her. They walked together and she looked at the lake.

"Good bass fishing there I heard."

He smiled at her reference knowing that he'd made it back when he'd first gotten to know the mysterious young woman when she'd shot a bank robber to death. He'd gone to the lake to fish or seek counsel from John Taylor but mostly to watch her swim by the waterfall like she hadn't a care in the world. She looked so much more carefree and exuberant than she had all dressed up in fancy clothes running the bank. But he knew that life hadn't given her many reasons to laugh and when she felt the desire to do so, she chose to keep it private.

Not to mention that she'd been beautiful to watch. The most beautiful woman he'd seen, the one who had grabbed hold of his heart and wouldn't surrender it. He'd enjoyed the company of quite a few women and done his share of carousing but he'd not really surrendered to stronger emotions than pleasure. His profession and the constant travel didn't allow relationships and it wasn't until he settled down with the children that he'd the time and soon enough the interest.

"The riding was the best part of my day," she said, "To just get on horseback and take off galloping feeling the air rush against my face…I thought I was alone or else…"

He knew it'd made her uncomfortable when she realized she had an audience at the lake but she hadn't stopped riding out there.

"One of my best parts too."

She looked away from him but he caught her smile. So he reached for her hand and she slipped it in his as they continued walking.

"I missed all this," Amelia said, "There's no place like it."

Ethan nodded in agreement and she knew he hadn't wanted to be tied to one place let alone Paradise any more than she had but both had wound up calling it home though it took them different journeys to get there.

They watched the birds fly over the lake, fish rippling at the surface.

"It was a beautiful area for a house."

He looked over at her squeezing her hand.

"Still is…"

She thought about what he said but life had grown so complicated.

"I still own the land."

"So you want to finish your house…that'll be nice and it'll give the children more space."

"Our house…"

She felt taken aback by that and didn't know how to respond. What was he saying that he wanted to continue as if nothing had happened? She didn't think she could do that. After what had happened…she didn't feel she had anything left to give anyone.

"But…"

He pulled her around to look at him and took his other hand in his own.

"Amelia I've got you back. I'm not letting go this time."

She sighed.

"Ethan…I can't even think of anything like that now," she said, "I'm still trying to get through each day as it comes."

"That's fine…but I'm still working on the house. My skills being what they are it's going to take me a while to get it finished."

She remembered that carpentry and construction hadn't come to him as easily as being a lawman and she'd nursed more than a few bruised thumbs and cut fingers.

"Okay…you're not going to change anything are you?"

He looked at her.

"Just little things…"

They started walking back to their horses as they still held hands. She didn't know how she felt right now, a bit like a weight had been removed that she'd been carrying without knowing it but she felt as if she were treading cautiously.

"Why don't we go into town and get some dinner?"

She thought about it and then nodded.

"Okay…you've got work to do don't you?"

They reached their horses and untied them.

"Dakota's doing some extra patrolling," he said, "I might join him. See if we can catch these thieves and vandals in the act."

Amelia knew that he more than suspected that the rash of crimes led back to Darrin and that his hired men were responsible. All to drum himself up some more business and put cash in his pocket…as had happened back in San Francisco.

"Just be careful Ethan," she said, "These men can be ruthless and somehow I don't think that Darrin has good taste in them."

They got back on their horses and headed on back to town.

Riding back, Ethan's mind swam with all the information that Amelia had shared with him. He'd been so angry so quick and there'd been no one around to be angry at who deserved it. The men who hurt her were nowhere around and they were many miles removed from where it happened.

Ethan being a man of action knew all about retribution and revenge and he'd sought both from the time he'd been a teenager. His hands had wanted to curl into fists to slam into the men who did this and they weren't too far away from his guns. But something stronger than his instincts told him that he had to put that aside. He had to be stronger in a way that didn't come as naturally to him. She needed him to be there alongside her not someplace miles away hunting these men.

It'd taken a lot for her to come back to him and he intended to take full advantage of that. He knew what he wanted and that he'd get it. He knew that somewhere deep inside of her she wanted that too but didn't see it right now.

They crossed the covered bridge and she looked over at him.

"I don't know what to do Ethan," she said, "I don't know what kind of person I am anymore."

"You're not different in any way that matters," he said, "You'll see…"

She didn't quite look like she believed him but he knew that she'd figure out soon enough that he loved her no matter what. But they 'd been friends first and that's the part of him that she needed right now. They reached the saloon and got off their horses.

Dakota walked up to them.

"What is it?"

The deputy sighed not looking happy.

"Those new men…Trevor and…Burke," he said, "Nothing's coming back on either one of them as if they didn't exist before they came here."

Ethan frowned.

"No one knows anything about them?"

Dakota shrugged.

"Just that they originated in San Francisco…"

Ethan knew as much already but he wanted to know more about the men providing security to businesses in this town and Darrin wasn't giving him much information.

"Any complaints about them…?"

Dakota shook his head.

"Axelrod really likes Burke but some of the customers don't…"

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll keep an eye on him," he said, "I'm getting some dinner and then I'll see you later on."

Dakota smiled at Amelia.

"Keep him in line."

She smiled back.

"I'll try but it never works…"

They watched Dakota go back to the office and headed to the saloon. Mary walked up to them.

"Amelia…Ethan…nice to see you," she said, "You're seating two?"

Ethan nodded and they followed her to a table.

"It's good to see you again," Mary said, "Amelia, are you coming to the ladies auxiliary meeting?"

Amelia thought about it and nodded.

"Okay…I think I can stay for a while before I head on back to the ranch."

"I'll be done by then Amelia," Ethan said, "I'll ride back with you."

She nodded and Mary left them.

"I'm fine Ethan if you need to stay in town later."

"I don't think you should ride back alone," he said, "Not after…and besides I'm not comfortable with these security men…"

She sighed.

"Maybe they're okay," she said, "They're not all bad people."

Ethan knew that to be true but he didn't like not being able to find out more about the ones who came to Paradise. He needed to quell the suspicions building up inside of him one way or another.

But first he would enjoy dinner with Amelia while trying to figure out a way to prove to her that they belonged together.