Royal Trouble Read Free Page A

impose here." 
    Rocky thought for a minute, then smiled slyly.  "I think my friend Dylan has a trailer in town, I'll ask him if you can stay there temporarily, until you can find a place in town."
    Excitement shot through Leigh Ann.  Her own place?  Somewhere she could be alone and wouldn't be a bother to her sister or anyone else?  Leigh Ann squealed and threw her arms around her sister.  "Thank you!  It will be my first place by myself!"
    Now, if she could just find a job to pay for it, her new life could begin.
     

CHAPTER TWO
     
    At ten until five o'clock on Friday evening the intercom on Leigh Ann Baker's desk buzzed, and she knew she was about to be fired.  Again.  For the fifth time in the same number of weeks.    Leigh Ann knew the signs now, and this was hers.  A blazing neon sign. 
    Leigh Ann felt like a bird held captive all its life that was suddenly sent out into the world to fend for itself, without the survival skills it needed to live.  Leigh Ann had the social and interview skills to get jobs, she just didn't have the office skills to keep them.  This job had been easier for her than the rest, and she thought she was doing a good job, so she had no idea why Mr. Templeton was going to fire her.
    With every pink slip she received in the last five weeks, the doubt that she had made the right decision leaving Dallas grew.  If she went back there now, she could probably get modeling jobs.  It would be easy, and she was realizing that was about the only thing she was qualified to do.  But taking that route would mean admitting her mother was right, Leigh Ann was useless other than being pretty.  And Trudy Baker would use it to convince her to marry Lester Fallon.
    Modeling was a rat race anyway, brutal and unforgiving.  With the extra ten pounds she'd gained in the last few months from comfort eating, the wrinkle she found the other day in the mirror, and the fact she was only five foot four, who was she kidding? 
    The intercom buzzed again, this time twice in a row. 
    Sucking in a breath she picked up the receiver and pushed the button.  "Yes, Mr. Templeton?"
    "Miss Baker, I need to see you in my office, please," he said shortly then disconnected.  She heard the receiver in the man's office slam down in the cradle and flinched.  His door was opened a crack and it was only ten feet from her desk.  This office was small, so the short, bald attorney could just have just yelled for her. 
    Another sign.
    Leigh Ann pushed back her chair to stand, straightened her suit skirt and jacket, then inhaled deeply, before walking to Mr. Templeton's door to knock.
    "Come in," he invited and she pushed open the door to stand in the doorway.
    "Yes, sir?" Leigh Ann grimaced hoping he would drop the hammer softly, instead of reaming her out for forgetting to give him the message from the judge this morning.  Leigh Ann would have remembered if her mother hadn't called on her cell phone to distract her.
    "Sit down, please," he said softening his tone.  "Shut the door."
    Another sign.
    Leigh Ann walked inside and shut the door behind her, then sat on the edge of the burgundy leather chair in front of his desk, folding her hands in her lap.  Mr. Templeton's face was ruddy with what looked like a mix of anger and embarrassment.
    He leaned forward to tent his hands in front of him on the desk, before saying bluntly, "Leigh Ann...I can't keep you."
    Can't keep her ?  That was an odd way to put it.  He made it sound like she was a stray puppy he'd brought home, and his mama told him he had to get rid of it.  It was also a cop out, because he offered no explanation as to why he was firing her.  Leigh Ann needed to know what it was, so she could make sure she didn't do it again at her next job.
    She squirmed in the chair, but lifted her chin to ask him, "What do you mean, Mr. Templeton?  If this is about that message this morning, I can explain..."
    He held up his hand to shush her, which was a relief,