Ethan ran into Amelia when she went to fetch her horse to head back to the ranch. She just looked at him.
"You know about Boone?"
He nodded.
"He wants the men responsible for his brother's death."
She appeared to digest that, a flash of something in her eyes that he recognized.
"And he believes that Burke and Trevor might be involved."
She pursed her lips and studied him.
"What do you think?"
He paused knowing it to be a loaded question. Her face told him that much not to mention the tone of her voice.
"I think he's probably right but don't got any proof and if Darrin's shielding them from questioning, just makes my job even tougher."
She paused.
"He knows what he's doing and he doesn't care. He knows what he hired in San Francisco."
Her voice took on a rough edge and he looked at her very carefully as she untied her horse's reins from the rail.
"What did he hire Amelia?"
Her hands stopped suddenly and she glanced up at him.
"They're security for some very powerful men there," she said, "In San Francisco, the different areas of the city…different blocks are controlled by different cartels of men. Sometimes they fight over who controls what…but most of the time there are agreements in place."
Ethan knew as much based on the stories he'd heard and what he'd seen but it hadn't been a place he wanted to hang out. Not that there wasn't enough to keep a marshal very busy but he knew there was a lot of corruption as well and that made the job much tougher. He'd be wanting to crack a few heads together among those politicians or cartel leaders and have to stop himself from doing that. No, he'd rather stick to a town like Paradise where most of the time life was less complicated.
"So they worked for someone there?"
She bit her lip not looking at him.
"You could say that…"
He pressed a bit harder sensing her reluctance but he needed some answers.
"Amelia I need to know…who did they work for?"
She looked at him then and he saw the tension on her face along with something else. But she shook her head.
"I don't know…Ernie the reporter must know," she said, "He's the expert but it might have been one of the men who wanted to shut Bella down. Her place to help women who were in trouble…a couple of the men said it brought crime and filth to the city."
Ethan thought about that.
"Sounds like she was trying to help keep them out of living her life."
Amelia nodded.
"She enjoyed parts of being an outlaw but it started out being about surviving…she was like you only she didn't have someone like Lucy…"
Ethan knew bits and pieces about Bella's history.
"Some of these power brokers made it very difficult for her and others including merchants like Warrick…he came all that way to build a new life, to enjoy prosperity…but he wouldn't pay the protection money."
"So they killed him and made it look like a random crime."
She reached for her horse and Ethan knew a part of her wanted to get on and ride away from him right then. Not him personally but from something else. He touched her shoulder with a hand and she flinched.
"Amelia…"
She looked at him and he knew she had tried to keep from jumping because just for a moment there…he knew what that was like and he didn't want to bring back bad memories her or remind her of anything evil.
"I didn't…"
She put a hand up.
"I know…there's no need to say anything," she said, "It's my life to deal with…something that happened in it…"
"Not by yourself Amelia," he said, "I'm always going to be here for you no matter what."
She sighed.
"That's a lot to take on Ethan…even in the best of circumstances, we had problems trying to deal with the parts of each other we were unwilling to change."
He nodded.
"I've changed…I know now that family's the most important thing…without it nothing else has much meaning and you're a big part of that…."
Her face softened as she looked at him.
"I know but I'm not that woman anymore…I've learned to live with that and what I'm doing now with Bella, the other women it's my life now."
He rubbed his chin.
"We're in the same place at least."
That meant something after all those months apart but she sighed, a trace of sadness in her eyes.
"Are we really Ethan? I wanted so much to come back and tell you that I was wrong to leave you like I did but…"
He interrupted her.
"You weren't wrong Amelia…I needed that wakeup call to figure out what really mattered," he said, "and it's you and the children…I can't just take off and go chasing after someone like I could…my family needs me."
She tilted her face and he knew she believed him. But she had her own demons.
"That's good Ethan and I'm happy that we're both here now…I almost believe sometimes I can go back to the way it was…when we're so happy…"
He placed his hand on her shoulder and this time she didn't react.
"We can be happy if you trust in that and in me," he said, "like I trust you."
He did trust her like he did so few others in his life but she'd been there so many times for him when the rest of the town wanted to run him out on the rails.
"I do trust you Ethan…it's myself I'm not sure about…everything's changed," she said, "I lost so much I can't get back."
She tensed her body up and he watched her as she reached for the reins again.
"I don't know how to move on from what happened," she said, "I just try to live each day not trying to remember…but it doesn't always work."
Her words came haltingly and he knew how difficult it was for her to say them. What had happened to he was so viewed with shame aimed at the women and not the men who abused them. He knew if the townspeople knew about it, it'd change the way they looked at and treated her…women in these situations often packed up and left in the middle of the night.
He couldn't let that happen to her.
"Amelia…I meant what I said," he said, "You matter to me an awful lot and you're family and I'm not letting go of that…or you…not this time."
He meant it more than he'd meant most of what he'd said in his life. She looked at him as if she understood that too but her eyes…she still looked wary.
"I don't think you know what you're saying…"
He reached out for her hands and they slid into his own easily enough.
"I do know…and I know it's not going to be easy or come quick but I don't care," he said, "I think we've got another chance and I'm not wasting it."
She sighed.
"I remember what it was like when we were together, what we shared…what if?"
He remembered the sweetness of those times too.
"Don't worry about any of that," he said, "The important thing was that we're together."
She looked at him a long moment and then she nodded. He looked around and saw Martha walking towards them.
"Mr. Cord...It's good I've run into you," she said, "My father and I have a business proposition to make."
Ethan and Amelia looked at each other and then back at her.