Yellowstone

Chapter 13 - Bread And Water

"This is whatcha call low-man work, Jimmy." Walker huffed, tossing his head a little.

"Whaddya think you are?" Lloyd snapped, making Walker grin smugly.

"Hey, why isn't Jake out here?" Jimmy asked, licking the sweat off his lips.

"He's a day-worker, Jimmy." Rip told him. "His ass stays in the saddle."

"Worked on a few ranches..." Walker started, tossing the post pounder over his shoulder. "My ass never left the saddle either."

"Yeah well maybe you should've stayed there, Walker." The foreman hissed.

The raven-haired wrangler's grin returned. "Don't I know it." He added with a slight chuckle.

Rip's head snapped up. "What's that?"

Ryan gave his cousin a nudge in the shoulder, prompting her to look up. His eyes were wide with anxiety as Rip left his post to approach Walker.

Elisabeth bit her tongue upon hearing Rip's words. She knew the tone he was using. She knew it well. And he only ever used that tone when someone who had crossed him was in deep shit.

"I didn't hear you." Rip spoke again. Elisabeth swallowed the ever-growing knot in her throat.

It was taking every ounce of self control in her body not to speak up and defend her lover. She knew better than to say 'Wait, he didn't mean it' or 'He's just being cocky, leave him be'

Defending Walker would land her in hot water and that one little hint could potentially reveal their relationship to Rip. But she knew better, so she held her tongue and kept quiet while watching the scene unfold.

"Won't fight, won't work..." Rip grumbled as Walker tossed the post pounder away to begin fidgeting with his gloves.

"But you'll sure eat our food, won't ya?" Walker lifted his head. "And sit in our field, and sing like a goddamn tourist."

"So this is your field, is it Rip?" The wrangler said with a soft smirk. "Mhm."

"Hey, these are set." Lloyd interrupted, tapping Rip on the shoulder. Elisabeth silently thanked whatever higher being there was before continuing on, still watching from the corner of her eye.

"Jimmy. Go get on the quad." Jimmy quickly obeyed, recognizing the sour mood that his boss was in.

"Ryan, go ahead and square it off."

The rumble of the vehicle caught Colby's attention as Rip directed Jimmy forward.

"Keep it tight, boys." The brunette foreman ordered. "Bulls will walk through loose wire like it's barely even there."

Everyone got to work on the newly unwrapped wire, all except Walker, that is.

"Hey." The hazel-eyed wrangler looked up. "The fuck are you doing standing there? Start wrapping wire."

"Hell, I'm leavin' tonight." Walker retorted.

Ryan gave Elisabeth a harsh side eye while she cringed to herself.

A few nights before, Walker had gone to her and revealed his plan to leave the Yellowstone despite being branded. Whilst explaining, Walker had expressed his desire to bring her along with him.

"You can spend my week's wages at the bar for all I give a shit." Her lover's words brought her back to reality.

Rip chuckled and dipped his head. "All these great ranches that you worked at, Walker, how come you didn't go back to one of them? How'd you end up in my truck?"