Yellowstone

Chapter 40 - Shelter

Elisabeth opened her eyes to look down at Walker's sleeping frame, one of his arms resting just beneath her belly to cradle it.

Seven months. She was seven months pregnant, and the two of them couldn't be happier.

Their last doctors appointment had been just the day before, and they'd been offered to find out the sex of their baby.

To the nurse's surprise, they'd chosen to wait until their child was born.

"I don't care what you think baby, I know damn well it's a girl." Elisabeth had told Walker.

Walker had smirked at her cockiness, but he went along with it.

In the end, neither of them cared about what their baby was. As long as it was healthy and able to live a good life, they'd be happy.

John and Kayce had even taken her side in the gender of the baby, having a strong inkling that it was a girl as well.

Ryan was still just giddy what he'd finally get the role of the "fun uncle" despite actually being the baby's second cousin.

He had already made plans to spoil the little one, amusing both Elisabeth and Walker.

Elisabeth carefully slid out from under Walker's arm and dressed herself, walking out to the back porch of the bunkhouse.

There she saw Beau, sitting alone and smoking a cigarette with a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Mornin'." She murmured, taking a seat across from him.

"Mornin' darlin'." He answered, turning his head away from her to exhale a cloud of smoke.

"You sleep alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah... I slept good."

Beau cocked a brow as he butted out the cigarette. "Don't lie to me, Izzy."

"Damn you." She said with a slight chuckle.

"Took me a long while to fall asleep but after that I was ok."

"Yeah... me too." He admitted, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?"

Elisabeth shook her head. "Nah... I'm good. But thank you, though."

Beau knitted his brows together, seeming unconvinced.

"I'm fine, Beau. I promise." She told him with a slight smile, but her weary eyes betrayed her true exhaustion.

Beau gave her a look, a look he'd always given her when he knew she was lying.

"Fine. I haven't been feeling too great." She admitted with a huff.

"There she is." Beau chuckled lightly, setting his mug down.

"So what's goin' on?"

"I haven't been sleepin' good because of my damn bladder. Not to mention the fact that the belly gets in the way." Elisabeth spoke with irritation obvious in her tone.

"Ah... I see. Anything else?"

"Well..." She paused, trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say.

"Go on. You got it." The brunette told her, almost as if he could see the gears turning in her head.

"Something just feels... off."

Beau cocked his head to the side, pursing his lips. "What do you mean? Like with you and... dammit, I forgot his name. Or with the baby?"

"With the baby..." She spoke softly, glancing inside as all the other wranglers began to wake up and ready themselves for the day's work.