"Come on, bitches! It's fuckin' hot out here!" Ryan howled, taking off his hat and fanning himself. The cloudless sky allowed the sun to beat down on everyone, causing extra sweat and discomfort.
The horses were all hosed down and put up in their stalls with extra water. Pretty much everyone had made the decision to go swimming in the creek, since the water was cool almost year round.
Aside from Rip, as he had some other things to attend to with John.
Elisabeth laid out on the grass beside the creek, kicking off her boots. The heat had caused her even more exhaustion than her lack of sleep.
"Why don't you hop in the water?" Walker asked, taking his boots off and looking down at her.
"I will... just give me a second." She huffed, waving her hand dismissively.
He only arched an eyebrow before taking his shirt and jeans off, wading into the water with only his boxer briefs on. She heard him sigh as the cool water enveloped his body.
Elisabeth sat up and avoided looking at the now shirtless Walker in front of her. She took her shirt off, suddenly feeling a little self conscious about her figure.
Despite being well muscled and relatively thin her whole life, her mother's words of belittlement always stuck with her.
Most people would say that she had the body that most people could only dream of, but she never believed it.
She rolled her shoulders a couple of times before standing.
Walker shuddered as he heard the sound of her belt unbuckling.
She took off her jeans, leaving her in boyshorts and a bra.
She slid down into the water, the cool temperature relieving all the tension and strain from her muscles.
Elisabeth sat in the water so that her stomach was hidden.
The sound of Ryan and Jimmy splashing around and fighting like children interrupted her thoughts.
"Fuckin' man-children..." She huffed, rubbing her face with a hand. She could hear Lloyd encouraging it.
"Sweet Jesus..." She grunted, standing. The water was now up to her waist.
"Where are you goin'?" Walker asked.
"To make sure the man-children don't drown each other." She mumbled, walking past him.
Walker couldn't help but let his eyes follow her.
'Dammit...' He thought, quickly tearing his gaze away from her.
Her muscles were accentuated by the sun. Her eyes seemed a bit brighter now that she was out of the bunkhouse and working.
Elisabeth had always hated being cooped up.
Whether it was when she was sick, injured, or simply needed sleep, she would always still try to get out and work.
"Hey!" She barked. Ryan, Jimmy and Lloyd froze as she came into their view.
"Don't fuckin' drown each other. That's my job!"
Walker heard a loud splash and immediately knew that Elisabeth had tackled one of them.
'That woman is something else...' Walker thought to himself as he headed over to the group.
When he met up with them, he realized they were all drenched head to toe from play-fighting.
"Fuck it." He whispered.
A play fight erupted between all the ranch hands. Water went everywhere and their laughter echoed through the woods.
When everyone managed to calm down, Walker glanced at the only female ranch hand. For the first time, he saw her brand.
The brand was burnt into the left side of her sternum, a tiny bit higher than her breast.
She shook her head quickly, droplets of water darting off the tips of her hair.
"Y'all are fuckin' crazy." She panted, resting her hands on top of her head.
Ryan glanced at Walker and paused. He was gazing at Elisabeth. The little glimmer in his eyes was unmistakable.
She had wormed her way into Walker's heart and he had developed a soft spot for her.
Maybe it was more than just a soft spot, but Ryan didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
"Alright. We've had our fun. Let's head on back." Lloyd chuckled, running a hand through his damp grey hair.
Jimmy and Ryan followed him out while Walker and Elisabeth returned to where they had left their clothes.
Elisabeth pulled herself up out of the creek, sitting on the grass ledge. Her feet dangled down in the water.
The water was still up to Walker's waist. He craned his neck to look up at her, squinting one eye due to the sun. She brushed a free strand of hair away from his forehead.
"You're a crazy woman, you know that?" He said after a bit. Elisabeth shrugged. "So I've been told." She replied with a smile.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When my workin' day is over
We'll go swim our cares away
Put your toes down in the water
And a smile across your face
And tell me that you love me
YOU ARE READING
Yellowstone
FanfictionBeing practically raised by the Duttons seems like a dream for some. But Elisabeth had it rough. Her dad was a runaway and her mom was never around. When she turned 12, she found work all the way up in Montana at the Yellowstone Ranch. Not only did...
