Yellowstone

Chapter 3 - Broken Window Serenade

"Goddammit!" Jamie exclaimed. Elisabeth looked up from her book, a copy of Flint by Louis L'amour.

"What's goin' on James?" She asked.

"Don't call me that. And the governor is gonna drive me crazy with all these things."

She huffed, a lopsided smirk on her face.

"Chill." She muttered, turning her attention back to the book.

Slowly, Jamie walked over to her. He slid his hand under one side of the book and shut it.

Elisabeth looked up at him, as he now stood over her. "I didn't mark my page, dude." She murmured, slightly annoyed.

Jamie smirked, his pale blue eyes glimmering with slight mischief.

"I know. That's why I did it."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Uh huh... then why are you standing over me?"

He shrugged. "Oh I don't know. Maybe because I'm gonna... TICKLE YOU!"

He tackled her and started tickling her, his fingers digging into her ribs.

"Jamie you asshole!" She laughed, trying to shove him off. "Get off me!" She hissed, playfully holding up her fist.

He got off her, chuckling to himself. Her breathing was now ragged due to all the laughing.

"Don't ever do that again." She panted, flopping down onto her back.

Jamie cocked an eyebrow. "I make no promises."

She huffed at him, not lifting her head.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Fine. I promise."

She lifted her head, smirking. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back to the bunkhouse." She grunted, standing up.

"Aww c'mon." He murmured.

"I want my damn paycheck, Jamie." She said jokingly, heading out with the book tucked under her arm.

Walker perked up when she walked in. Despite only knowing each other for five days, they had grown rather close.

Rip was beginning to pick up on it, which worried Elisabeth. She knew that Rip wasn't afraid to beat the hell out of Walker, or anyone for that matter.

She laid down on her stomach on her bunk. Rip walked over to her, his heavy leather boots clomping against the wooden floor.

He knelt down beside her bunk, his head tipped slightly to the side. "Whatcha reading?" He asked, studying the book's appearance.

"It's called Flint." She replied.

"Who wrote it?"

She furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment. "Louis L'amour."

Rip nodded. "He's got some pretty good books."

She nodded in agreement. Her eyes never wavered from the pages.

"You get everything done today?" She asked, still not looking at him.

"Yep. You?"

"Mhm. Still gotta feed Milo and Lady but that's all."

Rip chuckled. Milo and Lady were Elisabeth's horses.

Lady was a quarter horse mare, her coat tinted a dark palomino and adorned with dapples.

Milo was a buckskin appaloosa gelding with one blue eye and one brown eye.

Lady was used mainly for smaller work like pulling in feed or checking the fence lines, whereas Milo was used for wrangling and catching loose livestock.