She hated lying to him more than anything. It's not like she'd really done it before, she knew that he'd trusted almost no one. In fact she'd mentioned that to him before and he'd told her that he trusted her.

That statement meant more to her than just about anything but she knew she'd just lied to him. Not that she'd wanted to do it but he couldn't know the truth about what had happened.

It'd been Burke who'd come after her probably to silence her because of what had happened when they'd crossed paths back in San Francisco. She didn't want to remember it so she pushed it away. Being able to do that kept her calm enough to plan what she had to do which was to deal with Burke.

After all she thought she'd left him behind in the city when she'd returned to Paradise but he'd wound up here too. She didn't think he'd come looking for her but had somehow wound up working for Darrin. She knew she couldn't share a town with him, having to worry about running into him every day, when it was hard enough to not run into him in her dreams. She'd told Ethan some of what had happened but not all of it and once he found out the truth about Burke…he do something that would get him locked up in prison forever or get him killed. Burke was far more dangerous than Ethan possibly realized even in a fair fight and Burke didn't fight fair.

If Ethan didn't know the truth then Burke might not view him as a threat and Amelia knew she'd find a way to deal with Burke…to get him to leave Paradise one way or another. After all, it was her town not his…she'd spent years here doing her part to help it grow and thrive during boom periods and keep alive when everything went bust.

So she knew she had to keep the truth from him as hard as that would prove to be with a man who read people as well as Ethan did…but she'd have to try hard.

His freedom and life might depend on it along with the welfare of the children.

"Hey you're awake…"

She smiled at him sitting up on the bed. Her body still ached but not as badly and even the pain in her head had faded thanks to John Taylor's tea.

"I feel a lot better," she said, "I should leave soon and you should go back to the ranch."

He sat on the edge of her bed.

"John Taylor will drop by on them," he said, "I'll just head into town to check in with Dakota on the murder investigation."

"You're doing one…oh good…I think that man deserves some justice."

Ethan rubbed his forehead.

"It's not going to be easy," he said, "Darrin's going to do what he needs to do to keep his men from being questioned. Elmer mentioned that he saw Burke…earlier."

Amelia paused not knowing what to say.

"You didn't see him did you?"

She looked at him.

"Only in passing," she said, "but you know that Darrin's hiding him from questions. You might not be able to find him let alone talk with him."

"I'll find a way," Ethan said, "Right now, he and Trevor are my main suspects."

Amelia knew that no one else would emerge who could have possibly caused any harm to Walton. She knew that Burke had already killed but if she explained that to Ethan she'd had to explain how she knew not so much to him but to everyone else.

"Darrin's not going to be able to hide them forever," he said, "or I'll make life difficult for him."

She knew that Ethan could be dogged when it came to looking for what he wanted to find or getting what he wanted. If their first courtship hadn't taught her that…but she didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Ethan just be careful..."

He touched her face.

"I will be…if those men did it I'm going to make sure they get locked up."

Ethan had left Amelia in the cabin after she started to drift off again to sleep. She still needed a lot of rest even after she went back to her cabin at Bella's ranch. But he found himself thinking about what she'd told him.

About her injury being the result of an accident. He wanted to believe what she told him but he had a difficult time. She was an excellent rider and even though that didn't mean she couldn't fall off, it still didn't explain how she'd wound up some distance from the trail in the river. But there'd been no evidence of anyone else being there and it wasn't clear what had caused her head injury. Whether she'd struck her head on a rock when she'd fallen or she had been hit by someone intent on hurting her.

Dakota met up with him outside the saloon where he'd been talking with Charlie and Scotty. They were going to set up a booth for refreshments during Founder's Day. He'd pretty much forgotten that holiday had been coming up but there was to be another meeting tonight on the planning by Martha, Margaret and Annabelle.

"Ethan you might want to be there," Dakota said, "It might be a good time to ask Darrin some hard questions."

"I don't know if it'll do much Dakota," he said, "No one there cares about a man they think is a vandal dying in a jail cell."

"Maybe it's time to just provide a report on it," Dakota said, "Tell them it's part of doing security for the event."

Ethan thought that sounded weak but maybe not a bad idea.

"So how's Amelia…I heard she got banged up bad."

"She's doing better," Ethan said, "I've been staying with her…don't know if I should leave her alone until late tonight."

"She'll be okay," Dakota said, "She's a strong woman."

"Who someone tried to hurt," Ethan said, "even though she won't admit it…but if someone did this to her, they could try it again."

"They can't find her can they?"

"I don't think so," he said, "but that won't stop them from trying and she's been through a lot and not just from this."

Dakota just smiled at him.

"She's got you…and once you two understand that you got to go with what you got, the rest of us can breathe easier."

"I think we both guessed that by now," Ethan said, "We both did a lot of thinking while we're apart."

"You were difficult to deal with so I hope you did…she makes you happy even when you're arguing."

Ethan had realized that too…it was like she was his other half in ways he didn't fully understand but he knew that life had definitely gotten better with her in the same town…if not the same roof yet.

"Claire said that Axelrod's going to make a proposal tonight," Dakota said, "about adding even more security."

Ethan sighed.

"Darrin's already building an army here and most of them, they could be outlaws for all we know."

"You mean people like Burke and Trevor?"

Ethan nodded.

"He brings them in faster than we can keep track of them."

Dakota paused.

"I think they went back in and killed him…I do but I don't know why."

"I think why…is back in San Francisco," Ethan said, "Something to do with Warrick's death."

The death that Amelia had said she witnessed, he remembered but she'd only identified the killers as being private security men…as were Burke and Trevor…so did that mean…?

"I guess we'll have to find out more on them," Dakota said, "That reporter seemed to know more."

"He wants headlines to help himself."

"Still, maybe I'll see how much he likes to play poker," Dakota said, "Worth a try."

Ethan would try anything at this point.

"Okay…game tonight?"

Dakota nodded.

"Need to do something to relax after those meetings…you want to join us?"

Ethan shook his head.

"I'll go check on the ranch and then head out to see how Amelia's doing."

Dakota shook his head.

"Tell her hi for me," he said, "And be sure to tell me when you're getting hitched."

Ethan didn't respond, as he knew that they were so far away from doing that right now, but he knew it'd come in baby steps.

He walked to the office and found Martha waiting for him there.

"Ethan…I don't know what's going on here but my father told me all about your search for those two men."

"It's part of my investigation," he said, "They were the ones who brought him to the jail."

"They didn't do anything after that," she said, "My father would never hire murderers."

Ethan went to his desk.

"He won't give us the history on either of them…what's he hiding then?"

She just stared at him.

"Nothing…there's nothing to tell," she said, "They're both from San Francisco and came highly recommended from their last boss."

"Who was that boss?"

"I…I…I'm not sure," she said, "You can ask my father."

"He'll be at the meeting tonight."

"Yes he will…Ethan you look angry…don't be. They're good men…if that man died, he died from something else."

"I don't think so…and I'm going to find out who killed him."

"Why don't we talk about it over lunch…"

He shook his head.

"I've got an investigation to do with or without your father's help."

Then he walked away from her.