because that feeble attempt was all she had. Tears that had nothing to do with the smoke inside the house burned her eyes. Leigh Ann nodded, sucked in a breath then darted toward the sliding glass door. Silas had moved and she didn't see him laying by the door, so she stepped on his tail on her way inside. He let out a long pained howl then slunk off to hide underneath the picnic table.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" she yelped as she staggered into the wall of the house, before righting herself and running to make sure the dog wasn't injured. Shooting her a frightened look from beneath the table, Silas hid behind Wes's legs.
Leigh Ann straightened to look at Wes. He shook his head, then with tight lips, reached under the table to scratch the dog between the ears, before running his hand along the dog's tail. Staggering back, Leigh Ann turned and ran inside. She went to the sink and leaned over it. The burnt offering in the pan there mocked her. Grabbing a scrub pad from the dish beside the faucet, she turned on the tap and went to work on cleaning it.
With every rotation of the pad, more emotion built up inside of her. Thoughts swirled through her mind just as fast as her hand circled, the foremost being this was never going to work out here. She would never fit in here, no matter how many pairs of jeans and cowboy boots she owned. Wes didn't want her here, that was becoming obvious to her.
Leigh Ann was a pretender, an imposter, and Wes needed someone better than her to help with his vet practice. She wasn't even fit to be around his ten-year-old son, or his dog. Her sister had been trying to do her a favor, but Leigh Ann was going to call her just as soon as she finished mopping up this mess to tell her that she'd made a mistake. Ask her to come and get her to take her to her car at Dylan's trailer.
Leigh Ann had enough money left from her check for gas to head back to Dallas where she belonged. Her mother would help her fix things, even if it wasn't how Leigh Ann wanted things fixed. If that meant marrying Lester Fallon, so be it.
What other option did a washed-up unemployable beauty queen have?
Leigh Ann shut the tap off with her forearm, then ran her arm over her cheek to swipe at the hot tears that burned tracks there. She laid the skillet face down on the counter, picked up the dishtowel and put a little soapy water on it to wipe down the counter, the stove and the cabinets. Under the cabinet, she found some air freshener and sprayed it generously around the room, then put it back.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she made her way to the stairs. With each tread she took up, failure weighed heavier on her shoulders. By the time she reached the landing, her legs were weak. Sitting on the top step, she dropped her head onto her knees and hugged them to her. Sucking in a shuddering breath, she fought the tears she couldn't seem to stop.
"Leigh Ann!" Wes yelled, his voice coming from somewhere near the kitchen.
Her heart stuttered in her chest when she heard his footsteps heading toward the stairs. Quickly, Leigh Ann jumped up, and turned to step onto the landing. Footsteps beat double time on the stairs behind her as she hurried toward her room, hoping she could get inside before he saw her. Her hand grasped the knob, just as his feet hit the landing.
"Leigh Ann..." he said walking toward her.
She threw up a hand, but didn't look at him, because she knew if she did she would break down. "I cleaned up, please just leave me alone for a little bit." The sound of her nasally voice mortified her. Leigh Ann twisted the knob and went inside the bedroom. Before she could shut it behind her though, Wes put his foot in the gap and his hand on the door.
Hesitantly, her eyes met his then she looked away then shoved at the door again, but he held it open. "Let me in, Leigh Ann." The low timber of his sexy voice worked along her nerve endings.
"Thanks for
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" she yelped as she staggered into the wall of the house, before righting herself and running to make sure the dog wasn't injured. Shooting her a frightened look from beneath the table, Silas hid behind Wes's legs.
Leigh Ann straightened to look at Wes. He shook his head, then with tight lips, reached under the table to scratch the dog between the ears, before running his hand along the dog's tail. Staggering back, Leigh Ann turned and ran inside. She went to the sink and leaned over it. The burnt offering in the pan there mocked her. Grabbing a scrub pad from the dish beside the faucet, she turned on the tap and went to work on cleaning it.
With every rotation of the pad, more emotion built up inside of her. Thoughts swirled through her mind just as fast as her hand circled, the foremost being this was never going to work out here. She would never fit in here, no matter how many pairs of jeans and cowboy boots she owned. Wes didn't want her here, that was becoming obvious to her.
Leigh Ann was a pretender, an imposter, and Wes needed someone better than her to help with his vet practice. She wasn't even fit to be around his ten-year-old son, or his dog. Her sister had been trying to do her a favor, but Leigh Ann was going to call her just as soon as she finished mopping up this mess to tell her that she'd made a mistake. Ask her to come and get her to take her to her car at Dylan's trailer.
Leigh Ann had enough money left from her check for gas to head back to Dallas where she belonged. Her mother would help her fix things, even if it wasn't how Leigh Ann wanted things fixed. If that meant marrying Lester Fallon, so be it.
What other option did a washed-up unemployable beauty queen have?
Leigh Ann shut the tap off with her forearm, then ran her arm over her cheek to swipe at the hot tears that burned tracks there. She laid the skillet face down on the counter, picked up the dishtowel and put a little soapy water on it to wipe down the counter, the stove and the cabinets. Under the cabinet, she found some air freshener and sprayed it generously around the room, then put it back.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she made her way to the stairs. With each tread she took up, failure weighed heavier on her shoulders. By the time she reached the landing, her legs were weak. Sitting on the top step, she dropped her head onto her knees and hugged them to her. Sucking in a shuddering breath, she fought the tears she couldn't seem to stop.
"Leigh Ann!" Wes yelled, his voice coming from somewhere near the kitchen.
Her heart stuttered in her chest when she heard his footsteps heading toward the stairs. Quickly, Leigh Ann jumped up, and turned to step onto the landing. Footsteps beat double time on the stairs behind her as she hurried toward her room, hoping she could get inside before he saw her. Her hand grasped the knob, just as his feet hit the landing.
"Leigh Ann..." he said walking toward her.
She threw up a hand, but didn't look at him, because she knew if she did she would break down. "I cleaned up, please just leave me alone for a little bit." The sound of her nasally voice mortified her. Leigh Ann twisted the knob and went inside the bedroom. Before she could shut it behind her though, Wes put his foot in the gap and his hand on the door.
Hesitantly, her eyes met his then she looked away then shoved at the door again, but he held it open. "Let me in, Leigh Ann." The low timber of his sexy voice worked along her nerve endings.
"Thanks for
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