An intimate scene with Beth and Rip, plus their new family dynamics; set after Yellowstone, season 4.

It was still very early on Saturday morning when Rip came in from the barn. He'd been up since well before dawn, as always, but now that his chores were finished, it was time to wake Beth. He stopped in the kitchen to make her a cup of coffee and was staring at the espresso maker when John came in.

"Morning, Rip," he said, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Sir," Rip replied by way of greeting. "Sir…" he continued, still staring at the coffee maker.

John chuckled. "That damn thing. Convoluted piece of shit, far as I'm concerned, but she does like it… Where's Gator?"

As if on queue, the ranch's cook came into the kitchen. "How the hell do you work this thing?" John barked.

Gator smiled at the old rancher and the rugged cowboy- the shiny chrome machine was clearly stumping them both. "For Miss Beth?" he asked, grabbing a coffee mug from the cabinet.

Rip grunted in the affirmative and watched as Gator started making the coffee. With the twist of a handle, the flip of a lever, and the press of a button, rich foamy liquid began to fill the mug. When it finished, Rip carefully took the steamy cup, thanked Gator, and went to find his new wife.

As he approached their bedroom, he saw light under the crack at the door and she knew she was already awake. Slipping inside and closing the door softly behind him, Rip could hear her singing along with the radio from the shower. "Beth?" He called out so as to not startle her. She stopped singing immediately. "Good morning, Mrs. Wheeler," he said entering the bathroom as Beth stuck her head out of the shower door.

"Good morning, Mr. Wheeler," she replied with a smile. She'd chosen to hyphenate her last name professionally, but at home, in moments like this, she was all his; Mrs. Wheeler, it was.

He kissed her and gave her the coffee, which she quickly pulled into the shower with her. "Bless you," she said, taking a long sip.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, kicking off his boots and unbuttoning his black work shirt.

"Good," she said, almost inaudibly, "but I missed you when I woke up."

Rip smiled as he finished undressing. She's sweet when she's sleepy, he thought.

"I'm sorry love." He opened the shower door again and stepped in behind her. Placing his big hands on her small waist, he pushed a lock of wet hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. "Can I make it up to you?"

Beth turned around to face him and sleepily rested her head on his chest. She traced the "Y" that branded his skin and landed on the tattoo in it, just above his heart- her initials in a fancy script. She kissed the ink tenderly; it was her own personal brand.

After a few more well placed kisses and lingering touches, Beth was wide awake and ready for her husband. They stayed in the shower together until the water ran cold, but neither of them noticed, too busy lost in one another.

Thirty minutes later, Beth and Rip joined her father and Carter downstairs for breakfast. "Morning Daddy-" she kissed John on the cheek, "-morning baby," she said to the boy, brushing her hand lovingly over his shoulder as she passed.

"You're in a strangely good mood," Carter commented to his pseudo-mom, eyeing her suspiciously.

"She is, isn't she?" John agreed, heaping his plate with eggs. "Maybe next time she wakes up in a… um, strangely good mood… she'll remember other people like hot showers, too." He gave his daughter a pointed look.

Beth laughed behind her orange juice and glanced at Rip conspicuously. He hadn't said a word and was, instead, focused on eating breakfast as fast as possible.

"I think I missed something," Carter said awkwardly through a mouthful of biscuit.

Beth laughed again and smiled at him, her boy. "That's okay, baby," she told him. "I'm just really happy here with the three of you."