Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) (13 page)
Read Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) Online
Authors: Clarice Wynter
“Ugh. You’re still into potions and witchery? Now I
am
worried.”
Lydia made a face and set the clipboard on the desk behind her. “If you mean, do I practice spiritual medicine, biofeedback, and swear by organic food…then yes. I’m still what you city folk would consider a witch. But I promise not to put any hexes on you while you’re in my clutches. Tell me, how did you convince your jailers—I mean your bosses—to let you have two whole weeks off?”
The slight hint of amusement left Riley’s voice. “Actually, I was ordered to take a vacation.”
Lydia let the phone slip off her shoulder into her hand. “A major law firm ordering their star recruit to take time off? Why? Did they catch you sniffing correction fluid in the supply closet?”
“No…doctor’s orders not partner’s orders. I had…well, sort of a—”
“A breakdown?” Lydia clutched the phone. From the moment she’d met Riley at law school five years earlier, she knew his drive and determination to succeed would take him far, but she’d also worried the same relentless attention to detail and his inability to relax would do him in long before he got his name on anyone’s letterhead.
“No, not a breakdown.”
“I can hear you rolling your eyes. If it wasn’t a breakdown what was it?”
“A little bit of…well, I had chest pains. I went to the ER last Friday, and they ran some tests.” His casual tone sounded forced.
“Oh, Riley. I’m sorry. What did they find?”
“Nothing…nothing serious. Anxiety, they said. Stress.”
“Those are the precursors of something serious.”
“Well, don’t you sound like just like my doctor? So…I’m under orders to take two weeks off and do nothing. I was going to just hang around at home, study some briefs, read…but Lily called me and gave me a thirty-minute lecture on why I needed to get away from everything.”
Lydia’s friend Lily Jarvis worked at Lakeside Hospital, in the ER. Lydia had introduced her to Riley during a seminar they’d gone to at the hospital while they were in school. “I’ll have to call her and thank her.”
“She walked me through filling out the reservation form, and now I’m going to go to a Green Solutions Relaxation Retreat. She insisted it was the best place in the world to get over stress.”
“She goes on a retreat once a year. I’m making a note as we speak to comp her a seaweed wrap and full body massage on her next trip.”
“Can I skip those?”
“Trust me, by day three, you’ll be begging for them. Don’t sell this short, Riley. You need it. You’re what—a month short of thirty? And you’re having chest pains?”
“Stress. Just stress. Everybody has stress.”
“Not everybody ends up in the ER with their stress. You need to do something about it now before it eats you alive.”
He sighed, a sound she’d heard so many times before when they’d argued over their differences in lifestyle. His regimented, full-court press approach had gotten him a law degree, a job at a premiere firm, and pretty soon the right to affix the term Esquire to his name. Her more organic views had led her to quit school halfway through her second year and sign on as a Retreat Coordinator for Green Solutions. She’d never make the money she would have if she’d finished her degree and took the bar, but she could be fairly certain stress would never put her in the emergency room. He used to call her flighty, a tree-hugging hippie, and she’d used to call him uptight, the guy with a stick up his…
“Well, Lyd, I’m putting myself in your hands for two weeks. As long as you promise not to turn me into a toad, I’ll do whatever you tell me I have to do to relax and feel better so I can get back to work.”
“So
that’s
your goal? To get back to work?”
“Sure it is. What
should
my goal be? Wait, don’t answer that.”
“Maybe learning how not to work yourself to death?” She couldn’t help herself, the words slipped out.
“I’m not going to work myself to death. At least not in the next two weeks. Anyway, the reason I called was because the reservation package I have says I can’t bring my car. Do I really have to go on the bus that leaves from your office?”
“That’s right. No driving.”
“Uh…what about emergencies?”
“We have cars at the retreat. If you have to leave for a real emergency, someone will take you.”
“Hmm. I’m not totally comfortable with that.”
“Listen, by day three you won’t care if you ever get behind the wheel of a car again. Trust me.”
“What exactly happens on ‘day three’?” he asked, skepticism creeping into his voice. She’d heard that same tone from so many guests at the retreats, and none of them had ever complained once they got a real taste of the peace and quiet at the Green Solutions resort.
She grinned wickedly, certain he’d hear it in her voice. “That’s the day your tree-hugging brainwashing is complete.”
“You’re not instilling any confidence in me.”
“You just said you were going to put yourself in my hands. Give me
a chance.”
“All right. I’m all yours.”
“He he he.”
“Stop with the creepy laughing.”
“I’m not creepy laughing. That’s my real, witchy laugh. We don’t cackle anymore, you know.”
“Great. I feel better already.”
“No, you don’t, but by the time I’m done with you, I guarantee you will.”
Considering herself the third of two voices, Clarice Wynter is the contemporary romance alter ego of a multi-published paranormal and science fiction romance author. She lives in the Tri-State area with her husband and her children and a trio of cats.
To learn more about
Clarice and her books visit her website and blog:
Look for the rest of the Spring River Valley Series-to be released throughout 2013
Jilted in January
Fixed up in February
Mixed up in March
An Affair in April
Matched up in May
Jaded in June
Jealous in July
Awakened in August
Seduced in September
Outmatched in October
Naughty in November
Desired in December