A breath whooshed out of Zurie. Whew! She was just tired. But Lily’s suggestion was hilarious. Even if she had time to lie around and do nothing, which she didn’t, where would she find Mr. Tall, Hot and Irresistible in Bolan?
The image of a certain dark-haired guy flashed in her mind.
No way. Not him.
A laugh fueled another wave of relief as Zurie picked up her black designer tote from the chair beside her and put it on her lap. “That’s an interesting diagnosis. Since Mr. Tall, Hot and Irresistible isn’t available, are you giving me a B vitamin shot or a magic pill instead?”
“A shot or a magic pill won’t do it. You need a break from Tillbridge.”
“I have a stable and guesthouse to run.”
“And you have capable people who can do more so you can do less.”
“I can’t.” Zurie dropped her phone in her bag. “Especially now that there’s a movie being filmed on the property.”
Over the past few months, the filming of the sci-fi Western Shadow Valley had increased exposure and revenue for the stable, but it had also demanded more of everyone’s time.
Lily leveled her gaze on Zurie. “Your body is trying to tell you something, and you need to start listening.”
“Okay. I’ll work on getting more sleep.”
“What happens if Tillbridge loses you?”
Zurie’s phone chimed in with a call, but the concern on Lily’s face stopped her from answering it. “That would never happen.”
“It could if you don’t start taking better care of yourself.” Lily got up and sat in the chair beside Zurie. “You’re not eating properly. Your blood pressure is higher than it should be, and you’re probably working on an ulcer. If you don’t make some changes, there’s a possibility the next time we have this conversation, you’ll be in a hospital bed. You’re only thirty-seven. You’re too young to fall apart like this. Slow down before it’s too late.”
The voice mail alert pinged on Zurie’s phone as Lily’s words resonated. “You mean don’t be like my dad.”
Before her father, Mathew, had passed away, everyone had urged him to slow down, but he’d pointed to his full desk as the reason he couldn’t.
Natural causes had been the official ruling. Some believed that as a widower, he’d worked himself into an early grave trying to hide from the pain of losing his childhood sweetheart, but still...
The image of her father burdened by stress wove through the tapestry of Zurie’s memories like a too-bright thread, standing out. “If I had insisted he take time off, if I had begged, he might be alive today.”
Lily lightly squeezing her arm alerted Zurie that she’d spoken aloud what she believed in her heart. “I know losing your father was a tough blow, but you can’t blame yourself. No one knows what could have changed the past. I think the bigger question is, if your father were here right now, what would he tell you to do?”
Copyright © 2021 by Nina Crespo
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ISBN-13: 9781488075315
The Home They Built
Copyright © 2021 by Shannon Stacey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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The Home They Built Page 21
