One Ranch, Two Brothers

Chapter Six

By Kitkats

Miroku grunted and put his caked boot on the handle of the shovel, he pushed down submerging the tool into the sludge on the ground. He scraped it under the mess and brought the shovel up, now full of mud. Miroku flung it roughly over his shoulder; it sailed through the air and landed in a pile a couple of feet from him.

An unexpected mid-day shower had brought everyone inside, it had poured for roughly an hour and a half, and now it only misted. The ditch that ran along the entrance to the ranch had overflowed with rain water and mud, and now the entry way was caked over with the sludge.

His shirt had come off because he was in no need of one when he was shoveling mud, it hung on the fence that separated the property from the road, and it was damp and soaked through.

Miroku finished off another bit and threw it over his shoulder, he envied Kagome and Souta, warm and dry in the barn. Kagome was treating a sick horse, wet hay always made the animal's sinuses react.

Sesshoumaru was counting cattle and other stock elsewhere on the property, it was routine to check to see if during the confusion of a storm if an animal got spooked and escaped.

The location of Kouga was a small mystery, he hadn't been seen since the arrival of "Sesshoumaru's cousin" but Miroku had a strong hunch he was probably prowling around in the shadows of one of the barns. It would be just like him, he liked to catch people off guard.

He finished shoveling at long last. Miroku set the shovel down and leaned against the fence, his chest heaving from exhaustion, what he'd do for a late lunch and a nap right now.

A small squeak erupted through the silence of the area, Miroku turned sharply and his eyes scanned the front gate, it hung open. How he hadn't heard it open was a mystery, he looked down and a smile tugged at his lips.

Sango sat on the bank of the ditch; she had slipped while coming in and had landed on her backside in it. She scowled ferociously and attempted to get up, the boots she wore sunk further into the ditch and she flung her arms out trying to keep her balance, the sudden change of movement made her slip forward. Her hands blocked her from falling face first into it, they sunk beneath the surface and she winced at the feel of mud oozing between her fingers.

"Need some help dear?" He asked biting back the urge to chuckle.

She glared at him from beneath her lashes, "Get over here." She said in a low voice.

He waded into the deeper part of the ditch. The mud came up to his thighs but he didn't so much as blink, she was on the outer bank of the ditch where it was only a foot and a half deep, her legs were stretched, her back arched as she tried to keep from sinking into it.

Miroku held out his hand to her and she cautiously pulled one of her hands out of the mud, adjusting her weight so that she didn't tip over, Sango reached for him and he grabbed her hand pulling her up.

Her other hand gave out and she lurched forward, colliding into him full force. They fell backwards and landed in the deeper part of the ditch.

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Sesshoumaru watched Sango and Miroku fall completely into the ditch, he chuckled darkly and turned going back to the house. "Smooth move there Miroku, you'll get the lady yet." He murmured this to himself his eyes shining with a hidden mischief.

He saw Kouga on the deck and made his way over to him, he clambered up the steps to the deck and shoved the clipboard at his boss, "We're missing one of the hounds."

Kouga took the clipboard and his blue eyes scanned it briefly, "No horses, cattle, or any of the smaller stock is gone then." He muttered, "Which dog?"

Sesshoumaru paused trying to remember the female's name, "Lady, yes Lady, she's missing." Kouga frowned and rubbed his temples.

He handed the clipboard to Sesshoumaru and looked towards the barn and then at the front of the property, he noticed his brother and the woman he was currently interested in getting out of the ditch. "Sango's here?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and took a seat in one of the three rocking chairs, "She just arrived a couple of minutes ago, she and Miroku are having some difficulties with the mud. I was supposed to tell Miroku that Kagome went to get more vaccines in town but I didn't want to interrupt their fun." The corners of his mouth tipped up in a mocking smile.

Kouga had tuned out Sesshoumaru after hearing the new veterinarian's name; he had just been at the barn and had seen her there with Sesshoumaru's cousin Souta. The sight of them together had made him grind his teeth together. She was supposed to work not chum up with one of Sesshoumaru's family members.

Which was exactly why a woman shouldn't be working his ranch, women distracted men from their work. Heck, women would always be distractions. He didn't agree with Miroku for hiring her, she seemed to get side tracked too easily. She had an evil charm about her, something that appealed to everyone that worked on the ranch.

He winced as something connected hard against his forehead. Kouga looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing over him, the clipboard held in a position that made it seem likely that that was what he had been hit on the head with.

"Are you done spacing out? Or do I have to knock you back to reality a couple more times?" Sesshoumaru asked sarcasm dripping from his tone of voice.

"You seem to have quite the sense of humor now, Sesshoumaru." Kouga growled as he rubbed his forehead grudgingly. He had a thing about showing weakness to people.

"Hiring a new Vet does wonders for a man, she's perfect for brightening up the darkest of people." Sesshoumaru said mildly.

"Hasn't worked on me yet though." Kouga challenged.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

Kouga dismissed the subject with a roll of his eyes, "There's things to be done." He grunted as he stood up, he went down the stairs and headed away from the house. There was still the matter of finding the hound; Lady was a heck of a good dog, a dog he wasn't going to just forget about.

Sesshoumaru watched him go and stood up as well, "Utterly blind, can't even understand his own stupid emotions." He muttered darkly. There had been no mistaking the look on Kouga's face when Kagome had been brought up, but the stubborn lad shoved past it with a hundred mental excuses.

He may have fooled himself, but he couldn't fool Sesshoumaru.

He thought about Miroku's love problems and then about Kouga's, "They seem to have a lot in common." He pulled the screen door open and the smell of dinner cooking lured him inside.

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"You did that on purpose!" Sango all but yelled. She was now covered from feet to neck in mud and the disgusting sludge that filled the ditch. The mud had worked it's way into the back pockets of her jeans and filled up her boots to the top. It was in her nails and caked over the sterling silver necklace she wore.

Miroku hadn't come out any better then her, it was in his hair and was dried in clumps on his face, and he could have even sworn he felt it in the back of his mouth. His jeans appeared to be browns pants as it covered them perfectly; the only part of him that had been saved was his chest. But that was only because Sango had fallen on top of him and blocked it from getting on him.

"I did not, sorry Sango but I don't much go for ditch baths. I prefer soap and water any day." He growled. Miroku was tired, annoyed beyond belief, and she was picking a fight with him again.

"And here I thought you were completely Stone Age, it's a wonder you know what soap is." She muttered half under her breath. Miroku caught the comment and swore under his breath.

"What did I offend you?" She snapped. If Miroku was annoyed, she was downright pissed off. She didn't even want to be here, but he had left his stupid wallet at the store.

He didn't say anything as he stood up, she felt a slight rush as he looked down at her. His bright violet eyes watching her like a cat watching it's prey. But then she pushed it aside as feeling cornered. The word Dangerous came to mind, it had been the word she had associated with him since the start.

Well, that word was only one that described him. She also considered him stupid, aggressive, and-and the thought trailed off as the words became more praising than insulting.

Sango managed to stand; she took a couple steps back and toed off her boots. Relief surged through her, her feet had been cramped enough as the boots were a half a size too small, but filled with mud only increased the pressure on her poor feet.

She dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out the leather wallet, she flicked off some of the grime that had managed to get on it and tossed it across the ditch at him.

He grabbed it and slid it into his back pocket, "Thank you Sango."

Sango nodded and picked up her shoes, "Well I need to get back to the store Hojo's liable to be cranky. He hates to be behind the counter for too long." She rolled her eyes and started to the gate.

"See you Tuesday." he called with his charming grin, she rolled her eyes and kept walking knowing he wouldn't take offense. He never did.

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Kagome readjusted the bags and balanced one on her hip. She cursed herself for not thinking to borrow one of the worker's cars. It had been a hard enough walk to the general store, but coming back had been even harder, it was uphill and she had three bags of stuff.

She reached the ranch and nearly collided into a woman walking out, the woman had long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that reached the middle of her back, and she was covered in mud and was holding her shoes in one hand.

"Sorry." Kagome murmured flashing her an apologetic smile. The woman didn't smile, she froze on the spot, "Let me guess, coming to see Miroku?"

Kagome raised an interested brow at the woman's tone, she was jealous. Kagome didn't even know the woman and yet she could read the vibes coming off of her like an open book. She seemed to be in a pissed off mood, but then Kagome wasn't so sure.

"You don't even have to answer the question, it's obvious." Sango said harshly. She pushed past Kagome and went to her blue Honda that was parked a ways down along the fence.

Kagome blinked in surprise and nearly dropped the bags she was carrying, "Someone's mad." She commented lightly as she went in, she dodged the mud and skipped over the puddles managing to not slip the entire way coming in the entry.

She looked around for Miroku, but caught sight of Kouga coming towards her, "Grab a kit from the barn and come with me," He ordered as he took the bags, "One of the hounds escaped and I just caught sight of her a moment ago, I'll drive you over there."

Kagome nodded and pulled one from the bag, "I stocked up on them." She said holding up the first aid kit. It specialized in ointments and bandages that were proper for an injured animal.

"Come on." He said gruffly, he set the bags by the fence, not really caring about them at the moment. Kagome jogged to keep up with him as he sprinted across the grass and headed towards a beat up four by four black pickup. The paint on the truck was in a bad need of a new coat and it had to be at least five years old, it looked like it hadn't been moved since it had come to live on the property.

He opened her door and she grabbed a hold of the side of the truck to pull herself up into the cab, Kouga slid in the other side and jammed the keys into the ignition. She closed her door just as he shifted it into drive and took off, spraying mud from the back tires.

"Where did you see the dog?" Kagome asked as she scanned the area, nothing but land.

"A couple of miles from here, you haven't seen the complete property yet, we have a lot more than it appears. I'd have said we'd walk but the trail up there is rough and takes a while to walk, going by vehicle is better plus Lady isn't a skinny dog, she weighs a lot and would be hard to bring back if she's unable to walk."

"Is that her name? Lady?"

Kouga nodded, "The best of all the hounds on the Ranch, can't lose her." Kagome looked out the window and grinned when they passed Miroku, the man was covered in mud. He saluted in a mocking way and she rolled her eyes.

The silence invaded the cab of the truck as Kouga took her into the more dense part of the land; there was nothing but trees and grass out in this part. The house was now a speck in her mirror.

"So, tell me about Sesshoumaru's cousin." He said a moment later.

She read the tension as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Kagome questioned it but decided not to put a label on it until the conversation went a little further, "What about him?" She asked carefully.

"You seem to be chummy with him, but then that isn't a surprise." He scowled as the edge in his voice became very clear.

Kagome stared at him unable to think of anything to say, the truck lurched suddenly and she hit her head on the window, "Ouch." She muttered and rubbed her head. The truck bounced again and she realized this is what Kouga had been talking about when he had said it was rough.

His knuckles were chalk white as he held the wheel with an iron grip, he directed the truck over a large rise in the ground and they bounced again.

"So what if I'm chummy with him? He's a very nice fellow." She said trying to keep the conversation alive; it was better then sitting in silence. There was something about Kouga that made her feel as if she was constantly babbling.

Kouga rolled his eyes, "I already told you once that I don't need feelings getting in the way of the real work."

"It wasn't getting in the way, and who said I had feelings for him? Good lord you're quite the assuming son of a gun." He gave her a black look, "Nothin' is assumed; I see things how they are."

"Well you're seeing things all wrong." Kagome countered.

She bounced off the seat a couple of times and put her hands out in front of herself to keep from hitting the dashboard. Kouga glanced over at her and glared, "You stupid idiot!" He yelled, he took one hand off the wheel and it went in front of her, he grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it across her waist, he buckled it across her and then withdrew his hand back to the wheel.

"No wonder you were bouncing like a stinking rag doll." He growled more to himself then her.

The truck went over a small hill and caught, Kouga swore under his breath and put the stick in reverse, he backed up a bit and changed gears. He hit the gas and they jumped over the hill, going straight into a giant puddle of mud.

Kagome yelped as the truck hit a rock and the front of it sunk into the puddle. Kouga swore loudly and hit the horn blasting it on accident.

"Nice driving." Kagome sneered as she pushed the door to the cab open, she grabbed the first aid kit and jumped out.

"Shut up." Kouga growled as he too climbed out of his car, "You would've killed us long before now if you had been the one driving."

"Not even like you'd let me drive." Kagome challenged. She slammed the door shut and surveyed the damage, nothing that a couple of hard pushes wouldn't take care of, but there was still the matter of tending to Lady the hound.

"You have a point." Kouga said finally.

"We'll have to walk." Kagome summarized, she turned away from the puddle and made her way down the slope, and she went to the back of the truck and waited for Kouga.

"No kidding Sherlock." Kouga growled, he jerked his thumb in the direction of a clearing a bit from where they stood, "She's out there. C'mon."

Kagome jogged after him stumbling and tripping, her boots digging into the soft soil uncovered in dead areas of grass. Kouga directed her in the right direction and they started walking towards the clearing.

"Why does it matter if I have fun and talk to someone if I'm doing my job?" Kagome asked.

"Because it's my rules, and my rules are that you don't let your personal life interfere with the labor." Kagome frowned at this, "It's not like I'm branding the cattle or anything, I'm only taking care of the animals when they are sick, it's not only less work but it is less time consuming, forgive me for wanting to have a bit of a social life outside of tending to animals."

"Social life? Who needs one?" He growled.

"You must have been absent the day they handed out personalities and emotions, but I must inform you people do require a certain amount of interaction with others daily."

"Which would explain why you never shut up." Kouga said in a low voice. Kagome caught the comment and narrowed her eyes, "Proves my point, nothing underneath the surface you lack personality, emotions, and even a set of decent manners."

"Just 'cause I don't flirt with you doesn't mean I lack personality."

Kagome gaped at him, "I-I cannot believe you just said that! How dare you, you lowly selfish jerk! That was mean and uncalled for, I outta kick you..."

"What do you think I am? A slut?" She practically shouted at him, she jabbed a finger in his chest and managed to get him to look at her.

"You said it, not me." He retorted. He was so sick of her constant jabbering.

Kagome managed to control the urge to pick a stone off of the ground and beat him with it, what a stupid jerk he was. It dawned on her that they had reached the clearing and she ignored him as she searched for the hound.

"Lady?" She called out and looked around, she had never seen the dog but she didn't think that there'd be more than one dog out here.

There was a whimper that was undeniably canine, she followed the noise and found the dog on the ground a couple of feet from her. Kagome almost instantly fell in love with the dog. She wasn't sure why the canine was referred to as a hound because this dog was plainly a Labrador. She was medium sized, and blonde.

Kagome got on her knees by the dog's side and examined her; Lady was on her side holding up her right leg in a limp fashion. She hoped the dog's leg wasn't broken.

She checked her out with the kit and found nothing wrong besides the dog's occasional sniffles and her leg seemed to be either broken or sprained, she couldn't be sure either way

Kouga stood to the side and watched; even with her back to him Kagome felt his eyes burning into her back. She struggled not to squirm at the mental image of those icey eyes; they were too intimidating for words.

"Can you pick her up?" Kagome asked finally. Kouga said nothing but she heard the squeak of his boots. He stooped down and picked up the dog without any strained effort, he turned and started walking for the truck. Kagome put the supplies away and went after him at a regular walk. She was fed up at being rushed.

By the time she had gotten to the truck Kouga had placed Lady in the backseat of the cab in the truck and was leaning against the bed of the truck, waiting for her.

She meant to pass by him as she went for her door, but he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around easily. Kagome sucked in a breath as she looked into his eyes; determination was the only thing she could read. There was another emotion there but whether she didn't know what it was or if she was afraid to name it went unknown.

"Kouga?" She breathed as he stepped in close.

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