Kinkaid's Heir

Chapter Five:

"So" Allen looked disapprovingly at Dean. "Find out anything in your little fact finding mission to town yesterday?"

"Unfortunately, no. I was unable to find out much of anything as no one seems to know anything. All anyone really knew was that her mother was from a neighboring town, though no one seems to know exactly which one, and that she came back here to take over from old Doc Harold who is apparently an old family friend. Other than that it was like she just dropped into town one day from the sky." Dean huffed in exertion and frustration as he worked.

"Maybe you should just let her alone. She doesn't seem to want any attention from men. I understand she has been asked out by every single man in the area and quite a few who aren't as a matter of fact. No one has gotten so much as a promisin' smile in return." Allen paused staring hard at Dean trying to catch his eye which seemed determined to avoid his gaze.

I think maybe Gloria is right and she just wants to be left alone. Maybe she just got her heart broke or something.  I don't know but my wife is usually right about women things and she certainly is givin off the 'I'm not interested in anythin more than friendship' attitude." Allen put a restraining hand on Deans forearm to get his attention.

Hey now I'm talking to you right now."

"And I am obviously trying real hard not to hear what you are saying right now." Dean shrugged the hand from his arm and glared down at the shorter but no less powerfully built older man. "Ok! I heard you but no I am not going to give up."

Allens eyes narrowed as he studied the face of the younger man he had always loved like a son and worked closely with since the boy could walk and hold a rope. "Why?"

Dean blinked in surprise his features shifting quickly from annoyed to confused. Allen repeated his question. Deans eyes slid past Allen and fixed on some distant point in his minds eye but did not immediately respond.

Allen asked his question a third time somewhat gentler. He saw Dean was thinking and not just ignoring him again. "Why? There are so many other women who would like to go out with ya. Why the one who doesn't seem to want to go out at all?"

After a few more minutes Deans eyes slid back to Allens showing what looked to Allen like unease. "I'm just not sure. I mean I find her incredibly sexy but she's not like the other women." Dean paused and ran a hand through his sweat damp hair

"Exactly! Other than her good looks she has almost nothin in common with any of the other women you have chosen to spend time with." The older man pointed out. Dean shook his head meeting the piercing gray eyes still fixed sternly on his face.

"I think..." Dean paused again before continuing. I think it's because she's different. She's, I don't know, something more." Dean waved a hand as if hoping to pull the answer out of thin air. "Besides I know she was interested in me too. I could see it and feel it. She responded to me as much as I did to her. I have no idea why she seems to set against getting involved with anyone but I plan on finding out!" Deans face grew calmer as he talked, more sure of his goal and path to get there. A plan had formed in his mind as he spoke.

Allen sighed and his posture relaxed. "You know I love ya boy, but I am tellin you to go easy with this gal. She seems a might skittish and when they are skittish like that there is usually a damn good reason for it."

Undaunted he decided to actively persue her in a way he had never done in the past. He had never needed to before and he wasn't entirely sure what the best way was to go about it. He had decided to arrange 'accidental' meetings so she they could get to know each other and perhaps he could learn more about her and show her that there was more to him than she might think.

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For the next few weeks Sarah could scarcely go anywhere without running into Dean. At first she thought it was just normal for a small town but then it kept happening almost everyday no matter where she went. Try as she might she just couldn't seem to avoid him and he had a habit of approaching her every time he saw her and trying to talk to her.

Good lord! Is there anywhere in this town I can go without running into that man? Sarah fumed about her most recent "accidental" meeting with Dean at the grocery store shortly before. Frustration causing her to put away her groceries with undue force only forcing herself to calm down once the carton eggs ended up in a runny mess on the floor.

All these run-ins cannot be purely coincidental. After what I learned from Amy I am really not interested in getting to know him any more. I will not be another one of his easy women! Sarah was getting very uncomfortable with the continual encounters as she was trying to avoid him altogether after learning about his reputation from an overly talkative Amy once she learned about Sarah's riding lesson with Dean. She had also learned he was the Kinkaid heir and a well known womanizer.

Although in all fairness Amy was clear that he was actually known as a down to earth nice guy with good manners and seemed to treat everyone well. He just didn't want to settle down or commit for more than a week at a time. Apparently he was very upfront about it but that hardly made it any better in Sarah's eyes. To her all he wanted was a good time and she was NOT just another good time girl. No matter how he made her feel inside she was not going to do that to herself.

Yeah, so I had thought about using him for sex myself but that was purely for therapeutic reasons. It's completely different! She tried to convince herself but the hipocrisy of her thoughts mocked her.

It doesn't matter anyway. Sarah argued with herself. He is a local fixture and practically a damn celebrity in this town. There is no way he would work as my test run with sexual intimacy. She was uncomfortable with how disappointed that thought made her feel and decided she didn't want to share that particular tidbit with her therapist.