the opportunity, Wes, but I just want to pack...I'll be out of here in a few minutes," she told him, her voice trembling over the words.
"It's not that big of a deal, honey. Calm down and talk to me," he cajoled, his voice even and warm, not angry and cold like it had been a few minutes ago.
"It is a big deal...this isn't going to work out. You can find someone a lot better than me for this job. I almost burned down your house, corrupted your son and broke your dog's tail, I'll save you the trouble of firing me," she told him morosely.
Leigh Ann recognized when it was time to throw in the towel, and it was now. She didn't think she could stand being fired again...especially by Wes Jepson.
"Everyone is fine, Leigh Ann. I'm not going to fire you," he said with a huffed breath then pushed the door again gently.
Leigh Ann stepped back then turned away from him to hug herself. God only knew how she looked, probably exactly how she felt, sick at her stomach. Leigh Ann knew she was not a pretty crier, the end of her nose got red and swollen, her eyes swelled, and she looked like a sad bullfrog. Thank goodness she hadn't put on makeup yet, or it would've been worse with mascara streaks on her cheeks. Wes didn't need to see that.
"I'm firing myself then, you can do better than me. It was a mistake to let Rocky recommend me for this job. I'm not qualified, and I'm imposing in your home."
She heard another deep sigh, then his hands closed over her shoulders and tingles danced down her arms to her fingertips. Wes turned her toward him and lifted her chin with his finger, so she had to look at him.
"You are not imposing. I'm sorry I made you feel that way," he said gently.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth. He moved his thumb to trace her lower lip, before resting it at the corner of her mouth. Leigh Ann stopped breathing and her heart bounced around in her chest. To her it looked like he was going to kiss her. Anticipation shot through her and her lips buzzed.
Instead, Wes swallowed, his voice dropped an octave and he pleaded, "Please don't leave...we'll work this out."
The emotion behind his words matched the vulnerability in his hazel eyes. The way he spoke the words made her think he had uttered them before, maybe to someone else, and this time he was hoping for a different outcome. It dug a hole in her heart and she sighed.
Leigh Ann didn't want to leave, honestly she didn't have enough money to go out on her own yet, but she didn't want to stay where she wasn't wanted either. Always doing what was best for other people was her curse. That was just her nature, and how her mother had raised her to be. Even if it wasn't what was best for her.
Leaving would be best for all of them, but "Okay," popped out of her mouth, and she was rewarded by the first wide smile she had ever seen on Wes's face. The clouds in his eyes parted warming her heart. Leigh Ann finally breathed again when he stepped back from her and his hand dropped to his side.
"Everything's gonna be fine," he said. "I want to take you to dinner tonight to apologize for being an ass, and to celebrate you making it through your first week here."
Leigh Ann wasn't so sure they should be celebrating just yet. Yeah, Rocky had proclaimed her trained now, and the week had gone pretty smoothly until now, but most of her other jobs had lasted at least a week too. She wouldn't feel comfortable it was going to last for at least another month. And Leigh Ann didn't think being around Wes out of the office any more than she had to was a good idea.
"Is Trey going with us?" His son was a good buffer between them.
"Well...um, I don't know." Wes looked genuinely perplexed. "Probably."
"Okay, then yeah, I'll go, but I'm buying to apologize to you for almost burning down your house," she insisted.
Wes would pay her for the week before they left the office today, so she would
"It's not that big of a deal, honey. Calm down and talk to me," he cajoled, his voice even and warm, not angry and cold like it had been a few minutes ago.
"It is a big deal...this isn't going to work out. You can find someone a lot better than me for this job. I almost burned down your house, corrupted your son and broke your dog's tail, I'll save you the trouble of firing me," she told him morosely.
Leigh Ann recognized when it was time to throw in the towel, and it was now. She didn't think she could stand being fired again...especially by Wes Jepson.
"Everyone is fine, Leigh Ann. I'm not going to fire you," he said with a huffed breath then pushed the door again gently.
Leigh Ann stepped back then turned away from him to hug herself. God only knew how she looked, probably exactly how she felt, sick at her stomach. Leigh Ann knew she was not a pretty crier, the end of her nose got red and swollen, her eyes swelled, and she looked like a sad bullfrog. Thank goodness she hadn't put on makeup yet, or it would've been worse with mascara streaks on her cheeks. Wes didn't need to see that.
"I'm firing myself then, you can do better than me. It was a mistake to let Rocky recommend me for this job. I'm not qualified, and I'm imposing in your home."
She heard another deep sigh, then his hands closed over her shoulders and tingles danced down her arms to her fingertips. Wes turned her toward him and lifted her chin with his finger, so she had to look at him.
"You are not imposing. I'm sorry I made you feel that way," he said gently.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth. He moved his thumb to trace her lower lip, before resting it at the corner of her mouth. Leigh Ann stopped breathing and her heart bounced around in her chest. To her it looked like he was going to kiss her. Anticipation shot through her and her lips buzzed.
Instead, Wes swallowed, his voice dropped an octave and he pleaded, "Please don't leave...we'll work this out."
The emotion behind his words matched the vulnerability in his hazel eyes. The way he spoke the words made her think he had uttered them before, maybe to someone else, and this time he was hoping for a different outcome. It dug a hole in her heart and she sighed.
Leigh Ann didn't want to leave, honestly she didn't have enough money to go out on her own yet, but she didn't want to stay where she wasn't wanted either. Always doing what was best for other people was her curse. That was just her nature, and how her mother had raised her to be. Even if it wasn't what was best for her.
Leaving would be best for all of them, but "Okay," popped out of her mouth, and she was rewarded by the first wide smile she had ever seen on Wes's face. The clouds in his eyes parted warming her heart. Leigh Ann finally breathed again when he stepped back from her and his hand dropped to his side.
"Everything's gonna be fine," he said. "I want to take you to dinner tonight to apologize for being an ass, and to celebrate you making it through your first week here."
Leigh Ann wasn't so sure they should be celebrating just yet. Yeah, Rocky had proclaimed her trained now, and the week had gone pretty smoothly until now, but most of her other jobs had lasted at least a week too. She wouldn't feel comfortable it was going to last for at least another month. And Leigh Ann didn't think being around Wes out of the office any more than she had to was a good idea.
"Is Trey going with us?" His son was a good buffer between them.
"Well...um, I don't know." Wes looked genuinely perplexed. "Probably."
"Okay, then yeah, I'll go, but I'm buying to apologize to you for almost burning down your house," she insisted.
Wes would pay her for the week before they left the office today, so she would
Similar Books
