Penny for your Thoughts : A Yellowstone inspired story

*Hell of a Nightmare*

The entire ranch is on its second day of gathering herding cattle across the vast landscape. Beth is taking a rare nap in the shade of a tree when Rip approaches, his voice gentle but insistent.

"Sweetheart?"

Beth stirs, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Wow. I never sleep during the day. I've slept through a few, but I don't nap."

Rip smiles, his eyes warm with affection. "Come on. I got something I wanna show you. Jump on your horse."

They ride together for a while, Rip leads Beth into a beautiful meadow filled with yellow flowers, surrounded by majestic mountains and towering trees. The scene is breathtaking, a hidden gem in the wilderness.

Rip stops his horse and looks at Beth, his expression soft. "Is this more your kind of beautiful?"

Beth dismounts, her eyes wide with awe as she takes in the vastness of the meadow. The beauty of the place is overwhelming, and she feels a deep connection to it.

Rip watches her, a mix of emotions playing across his face. "Penny, I found it a year ago."

Beth turns to look at him.

Rip continues, his voice thick with emotion. "She found it for you and made me promise to keep it a secret. She wanted to show you herself but there was never a right time."

Beth whispers under her breath, a light smile touching her lips. "A perfect meadow."

Rip dismounts and ties up their horse's reins. He nods towards a particular tree. "Go on, check it out."

Beth walks over to the tree and sees a carving that Spencer had made. Within a heart, carved into the bark, are the initials "B+R=S." Tears well up in her eyes as she turns back to Rip, her emotions spilling over.

Rip watches her, his heart breaking at the sight of her grief. Beth hugs him tightly, sobbing into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Rip. I'm so sorry for not being better at this. You shouldn't have had to deal with all of this alone and—"

Rip cuts her off, holding her face gently. "You have nothing to be sorry for, darlin'."

Beth nods, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I think I'm ready now. I'm ready to say goodbye."

Rip hugs her back, whispering in her ear, "You don't need to be ready yet."

In that peaceful moment, Beth is jolted awake, gasping for air. She looks around, disoriented, and realizes she is in a hospital bed. Rip is beside her, concern etched on his face.

"You alright, darlin'?"

Beth looks at him, confusion and panic mingling in her eyes. "What? Why are we here?"

Rip gives her an odd look, unsure of how to respond. Before he can say anything, a small voice next to Beth says, "Mama? Is everything okay?"

Beth turns slowly, her heart pounding. Next to her is her little girl, wearing a hospital gown and lying in the bed with her. Beth's breath catches, unable to believe her eyes.

Rip's voice is soft, trying to ground her. "Beth?"

Beth gently cups Spencer's cheeks in her hands, staring at her as if she might vanish. "Mama, you're doing that staring thing again," Spencer says, her voice light and familiar.

Beth chuckles through her tears, stroking Spencer's head. Rip rubs Beth's back, his voice tender. "You must have had one hell of a dream."

Beth looks into Rip's eyes, her voice trembling. "It was hell."

Rip kisses Beth's forehead. "I'll go grab us some coffee." He leaves the room quietly.

Beth holds Spencer close, her heart full. Spencer looks up at her and smiles. "I missed you so much, sweet P."

Spencer snuggles closer. "I missed you more."

Beth smiles, peppering Spencer's face with kisses, making her giggle. "Well, I missed you most."

Spencer calms down and asks, "Mommy, can you sing me my favorite song?"

Beth smoothes Spencer's hair and nods. "Of course, baby."

As Beth sings, Rip walks back towards the room with coffee in hand. He stops just before the door, listening to the melody and watching the tender scene from a distance. The sight of Beth and Spencer together fills him with a profound sense of peace.

Spencer soon falls asleep, her small body nestled against Beth's. Rip quietly enters the room, his footsteps soft on the linoleum floor. He carries two steaming cups of coffee, the rich aroma filling the room. He hands one to Beth, who accepts it with a grateful nod, her fingers trembling around the warm cup.

"Are you sure you're alright, darlin?" Rip asks, his voice thick with concern, his eyes searching hers for any sign of distress.

Beth nods, but her voice betrays her lingering fear. "I thought we lost her, Rip. My dream felt so real. She was so cold and I held her in my arms. I.. I.."

Rip sits on the edge of the bed, his presence a solid anchor in her tumultuous sea of emotions. He takes her hand, his grip firm and steady. "The doctor said the lung transplant worked, Beth. It was a perfect match. She's going to be alright."

Beth's breath catches, her voice faltering as she begins to speak. "But I remember the doctor said—"

Rip gently cuts her off, his thumb brushing soothing circles on the back of her hand. "Beth, this is real. Our baby girl is right here."

Beth's eyes fill with tears as she looks at Spencer, her heart swelling with an overwhelming surge of love and relief. She pulls her daughter closer, feeling the soft rise and fall of Spencer's chest against her own. Whispering a silent promise, she vows never to take these precious moments for granted again.

Rip watches them, his own eyes misting over. He reaches out, brushing a stray tear from Beth's cheek. "It's going to be okay."

Beth looks up at him, her vision blurred by tears but her heart clearer than ever. " I just... I just never want to lose this again."

Rip gently kisses Beth on the forehead, grounding her in the reality of their shared love and resilience.

In the quiet sanctuary of the hospital room, with the rhythmic beeping of machines and the soft hum of life going on, Beth and Rip find a renewed sense of hope. Together, they sit, holding onto each other and their daughter, cherishing the present and all the promises it holds for their family.

---

Surprise! Penny is alive and it was all just a dream. Sorry for all the false tears everyone went through in earlier chapters.

Sorry, it took so long for me to update. I was going back and forth on how to continue the story and I really like writing for this story and I figured this would be a good way to keep the story unpredictable especially for future chapters to come.