Ethan hit the main street just as soon as he spotted a familiar face. He couldn't believe it but Boone Walton was standing not far from his office in town. He had known him back when he'd been a lot younger. In fact, they had met up while they had been tailing Bella Rogers and her gang.

Oh what a reunion this might prove to be. But first he had to deal with the business of finding out whether Dylan Daggett and his set were going to pay them all a visit. So he rode his horse up to the hitching post in front of his office and dismounted. He walked up to Boone who stood there with Dakota and Charlie all talking.

Charlie seemed in awe of him and Dakota treated him like the icon he had become which Dakota didn't do with a lot of his elders. When Boone saw him, his eyes widened, the crows feet around them disappearing as he extended his hand to Ethan.

"Hi there…long time since we last stood in the same place," he said, "Laredo? I didn't know for sure it was you until I saw your face."

Ethan nodded. It had been back in some wild days that had been replaced by wilder ones. The West in so many ways still waited to be tamed even in its larger cities. Ethan guessed that Boone knew that as he did.

But he shook the man's hand and found his grip as firm as he remembered. He tipped his hat to him.

"Hi Boone…what brings you to these parts?"

The man sighed.

"It's mostly professional but also personal family business."

Ethan read his face and saw both sides of it right there in the lines that defined it.

"You're here about Walton…you're related to him."

Boone nodded.

"He's my brother. He's had his share of problems but when I heard he turned up dead in one of your cells, I came special. I came to claim his body as next of kin and to find out what happened to him."

"Someone killed him," Ethan said, "He was put in jail overnight for destruction of property and while my deputies were checking on a disturbance down the street, someone came in there and killed him."

Boone looked skeptical not that Ethan blamed him.

"Someone…who somehow got into your office and inside a locked cell…?"

Ethan glanced at Dakota and Charlie.

"Keys were left in the desk," he said, "Someone most likely knew where to find them. Someone who'd probably been watching and waiting…maybe even created the disturbances as a diversion."

Boone frowned.

"That'd mean more than one person."

"Yes…at least two and it was two men who brought them to the jail," he said, "Private security working for a man in town…he manages the bank."

Boone shook his head.

"Don't trust those damn private security guns," he said "I never did."

"Not all of us are bad…I worked security at the mines and just did my job as long as I could and sleep at night."

Boone chuckled.

"Meaning you quit more than once when you couldn't stomach what goes on inside most mines."

Ethan nodded.

"Exactly…but these men were hired before we could check their pasts," Ethan said, "and the businessmen, most of them lined up to sign on to them after being hit by a sudden rash of petty crimes."

Boone harrumphed.

"I can imagine…you know the scam as well as I do Cord," he said, "The man who's running this operation is the one causing all that."

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know that but I can't prove it," he said, "Until I catch them in the act of committing a crime, can't do nothing about them."

"I know…but you've got to catch them at something…where these guys from anyway?"

Ethan paused.

"Don't know about all of them but at least two came from San Francisco," he said, "Darrin Wyatt, he's the banker said they worked for some powerful men there."

Boone gritted his teeth.

"God…if they killed my brother, I'm going to make sure they pay for it."

Ethan led him to his office where they continued talking. Dakota and Charlie stood against the walls where the Wanted posters were attached.

"I don't know for sure yet Boone but I do know that there's a reporter here who knows about another young man being murdered in San Francisco some months ago."

"Anyone solve that crime?"

Ethan shook his head.

"No…they tied it to the Daggett gang but I don't believe Dylan and his boys were involved."

"They're a newer band of outlaws hitting banks," Boone said, "Last I heard they were heading to Virginia City."

"So did I…and I don't think they had anything to do with what happened to Warrick…he's the young man but the trail's gone cold."

"There were witnesses…in San Francisco."

"What'd they say?"

Ethan went to pour them both some coffee and handed Boone a cup.

"One witness hasn't identified the killers yet."

"Why…didn't get a good look?"

Ethan just fell silent not wanting to say anything further about it. Amelia had been sketchy in what she'd told him about the identities of the men which was basically nothing. Whenever he tried to find out more she cut him off and he didn't know why.

"I don't know…it was night after all when Warrick was killed."

Boone sipped his coffee and didn't ask any more questions but Ethan read the determined look on the man's face. He knew that he wouldn't stop at anything until he found out who killed his brother.

Amelia reached the ranch and ran into Bella in the barn. She'd been working some yearlings all day and looked beat. After unsaddling her own horse, she joined Bella inside the main house where Rosie served them both some tea.

They sipped it on the front porch and Amelia told her about Boone.

"Now there's a blast from the past."

Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"You know him?"

Bella snorted.

"Like I know Ethan…they were both looking for me once…back when I wasn't doing right by anything and Boone's just about the most determined man you'll ever meet when it comes to tracking his targets. He wears most of them out with sheer doggedness."

Amelia sipped her tea.

"Saw that in him. He reminds me of Ethan in that way. He's here because the man that was killed in town…Walton…is his brother."

Bella sighed.

"Damn…then whoever killed him is as good as caught."

"I don't know if it'll be that easy," Amelia said, "I know it was Burke and his friend…they were the ones who put them in jail in the first place and we don't really know why. No witnesses came forward."

"Not anyone there or no one who wanted to come forward," Bella said, "so their word stands and they'll stay out of prison."

Amelia looked down at her hands.

"And you know they belong there for what they did to Warrick back in San Francisco…and what they did to you."

Amelia shook her head.

"What they did to me…didn't happen…according to the law and I don't want to try again."

Just saying the word s made her remember and she didn't want to do that right now. She was trying to put some distance between herself and her memories.

Bella sighed.

"I know what you're trying to do Amelia and I understand," she said, "but these men have killed another man…someone we both know was in San Francisco too. Maybe he knew what happened to Warrick…and who did it. Maybe he followed them here….and they got to him before he could tell anyone."

Amelia had considered that…she hadn't stopped thinking about it. She knew how dangerous the men were firsthand and she knew what they could do to anyone who tried to stop them. What they could do if they decided to go after Ethan who if he knew the truth…wouldn't think about the danger going after them. She had to do that for him.

When she'd come back to Paradise it hadn't been to put his life in danger…it had been to help Bella and the other women get a fresh start in the best possible place for it and to see him again.

I know but what if that happened to Ethan? If anything happened to him because I returned…he's got four children who depend on him now."

Bella smiled.

"Yes he does…he's a family man now and it suits him," she said, "He struggles with his old life cutting in like I do but he needs to know…so he can do his job and protect his town…and that includes his family."

"He'd send the children away."

"Maybe…but a man's got to do what he's got to do to protect those he loves…and I know he loves you so damn much. I never saw anything like it in most men like I do in him. And I have to tell you…I didn't think a man like him could ever fall in love with a woman."

Amelia smiled at that because she knew the road both of them had taken to get together because they both had serious roadblocks that they themselves put in front of them as formidable as any others already there. But somehow the time they spent apart helped them realize they were better together struggling at making it work rather than separated by distance and wondering what might be.

"It'd hurt so much to lose him," she said, "I'm at the place where I could go forward if I had to…with the children…but I still…it would break my heart."

Bella rested her hand on Amelia's shoulder.

"That's love for you…not that I'd know much about that but I do know that you need to be honest with him about those two men…and what they did…I think he can handle himself. He knows that's he's got much more to live for than to die over."

Amelia felt her eyes sting and she nodded because she did understand that. She just didn't know how she'd tell him…and protect him as she'd been unable to do with Warrick.

She'd have t find herself a way.