Free Royal Trouble by Becky McGraw

have some money.  That didn't mean Leigh Ann could really afford to pay for dinner.  But she wanted to do that to pay him back for her failed attempt at breakfast.  She owed him that much, and a lot more for letting her stay here. 
    "And I'll start looking for somewhere else to live next weekend.  I should have enough money then for a deposit."
    If she lived on canned beans, and slept on an air mattress, until she could buy furniture.  Leigh Ann would do what she had to do though, to give them both some breathing room.  She knew if she continued living here, she would get too comfortable, lulled by the domesticity of it all, and that would lead her to get attached to both Wes and his son.  A fatal mistake for her heart.  And that she couldn't afford.
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Wes buttoned the last button of his black western shirt, and re-tucked it into his newest jeans, which weren't new at all.  He hadn't shopped for clothes for himself in years.  Picking up his black belt, he fastened the large silver buckle and stepped back to make sure he looked okay.  It was stupid for him to be nervous, but his stomach felt like a quilting bee was set up in there, the needles flying fast and furious.  Leaning on the dresser, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to release some of the tension.
    This isn't a date, dumbass .  Wes knew that, but it didn't mean a thing.  He was taking Leigh Ann Baker out to dinner, and for whatever reason, his body thought it was a date. 
    At the last minute, his mother had showed up at the office insisting Trey had promised to go to dinner with her and his father at the pizza parlor in town tonight.  Some special kid's cartoon character was going to be there.  Between the cartoon character and the train that brought drinks to the table, it didn't take Trey long to ditch Wes for what he considered a better offer.
    Now, he was going to dinner with Leigh Ann alone.  That's probably what had him so tied up.  He heard her blow-drying her hair in the hall bathroom and his stomach rolled.  He had told her not to worry about dressing up, they were going to a casual restaurant, but when he passed the bedroom across the hall a few minutes ago, he saw a dress laid out on the bed.  And lacy underwear...red and black underwear...to match the red dress she was going to wear.
    With resignation to his fate, Wes slid his dress black Stetson on his head then ran his hand over his smooth face.  He grabbed the bottle from the dresser and slapped cologne onto his cheeks.  Wes heard Leigh Ann's bedroom door slam and figured the coast was clear to go downstairs and make himself one quick drink.  A little liquid courage would go a long way to help him get through this. 
    He had just put the tumbler of Crown and Coke to his lips, when Leigh Ann appeared at the bottom of the stairwell.  His heart stopped, then ran laps around his chest.  The drink dribbled down his chin instead of going into his mouth.  He sat it down and swiped at his face, then his shirtfront, before his eyes locked on hers.
    "I told you not to dress up," he said as his eyes took their leisurely time to catalogue every curve of her delicious body.  God, he wished she hadn't dressed up, or put on makeup, or curled her hair.  And he damn sure wished he didn't know what she had on under that dress either.  That underwear mixed with those come-fuck-me heels she wore with the dress put all kinds of images into his mind that shouldn't be there.
    "I know, but I haven't worn anything but jeans in a week, so I felt like it," she replied, looking down at herself, then back up to him. "Um, is that okay?"  She gnawed on her lower lip, and Wes almost groaned.  The devil wore a red dress, and Wes knew he would be in hell tonight.
    "Wes?" she asked shyly walking toward him.  The soft skirt swirled around the middle of her thighs hypnotizing him.
    Sucking in a breath, he dragged his eyes to hers.  "Yeah, you look nice," he said and