Lance
Hathaway House, Book 12
Dale Mayer
Books in This Series:
Aaron, Book 1
Brock, Book 2
Cole, Book 3
Denton, Book 4
Elliot, Book 5
Finn, Book 6
Gregory, Book 7
Heath, Book 8
Iain, Book 9
Jaden, Book 10
Keith, Book 11
Lance, Book 12
Melissa, Book 13
Nash, Book 14
Owen, Book 15
Hathaway House, Books 1–3
Hathaway House, Books 4–6
Hathaway House, Books 7–9
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
About This Book
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
About Melissa
Author’s Note
Complimentary Download
About the Author
Copyright Page
About This Book
Welcome to Hathaway House. Rehab Center. Safe Haven. Second chance at life and love.
Lance Mayfair sought out Hathaway House at the recommendation of a friend, who told him it was an answer to prayer. Lance knows more about prayers than answers, but, if he can see progress in one particular area of his life and health, it will be worth the effort and the pain. He’ll do anything he can to play music again. It’s all he has left now that his days as a Navy SEAL are over and, with them, any chance of a happy, productive life.
However, the shoulder injury that ended his career pretty much guarantees he’ll never play his beloved instruments ever again.
Unless Hathaway House and Jessica can work a miracle.
Jessica has worked with many patients at Hathaway House, but she connects with Lance in a way she didn’t with any of the others. She can see the need inside him—his desire to create again, to heal through music. And his goal becomes her goal: to see him play music in his soul again.
Only his music isn’t all he wants or needs, and making him happy goes a long way to making her happy, but it’s not enough. Both want and need so much more.
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Prologue
Lance Mayfair stared at the picture from Iain. In fact, multiple photos. None of them were registering as being from his friend. How was that even possible? Iain had left the same VA hospital where Lance still was, but Iain had been a mess. A determined jokester but somebody who would turn his life around. They hadn’t talked too long or too deep about their real issues because it had been painful for them all. But Lance never really expected to hear from Iain again. Instead, here he was, sending photos and letting Lance know that there was life after the VA hospital. Not only life but a crazy-good life. Lance stared in shock, and then he read the message again.
The text message with the photos was simple. Get here. It’ll make all the difference in the world.
Lance quickly responded and wrote, But will it? Or is it just more false hope?
Iain answered almost immediately. No, it’s not false hope at all.
And then his phone rang. Lance picked up and answered, knowing it would be Iain. “Are you sure? Because, man, these look like they’ve been through Photoshop. Many times over.”
Iain’s laughter boomed through the phone. “I know they do,” he said. “However, I would never steer you wrong. It’s a completely different world now. Take a look at that last photo. That is me right now,” he said. “So compare that to where I was when you saw me last.”
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
“I know it’s unbelievable, but it happened here, and you can do it too. Don’t mess up. This is one of the biggest opportunities you’ll ever have,” he said. “Send in your application, and I’ll put in a good word.”
And, with that, Iain hung up and left Lance to his rather dark thoughts. It was hard to be in the same place forever with no progress. The doctors had pretty well decided he was as good as he would get, and that was it. So what would he do with his life? How was he supposed to deal with that when everything seemed to be so off-kilter? It’s not what he wanted for his life. This wasn’t what he expected, and so much anger was inside that he just didn’t know how to deal with it.
If he listened to Iain, Lance might have another chance at something more, but that didn’t mean that Iain’s progress would be the progress Lance would see. And that was one of the hardest things he had experienced in life. Realizing that something worked for everybody else, but you were the one exception. You were the guy it wouldn’t work for. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want any more of that same depressing “likely to be your future” results.
But, after looking at those photos, Lance wondered about that small voice which asked Lance if he really would pass up the one opportunity that might make a difference. And, of course, he didn’t dare. Because his world hinged on it. He quickly followed the link in the email to the Hathaway House application form. He looked at it, took a slow but deep breath, and quickly downloaded the file.
If he just filled it out and sent it in, that action alone was a whole different story. He could at least say he tried. With one last look at the photos from Iain, Lance completed the application, quickly attached it to an email, and sent it off, using Iain’s and Jaden’s names as references. Because Lance would do anything he could to be that man who Iain had showed him was possible.
Now Lance just had to hope that one more miracle was left for him too.
Chapter 1
Lance’s arrival seemed to be just one more blip in the long day, both his stamina and his patience put to the test as he waited at Hathaway House to be admitted. The chaos at the front reception desk did little to ease his own insecurity about his arrival here or his confidence in his decision. In the back of his mind he couldn’t help but remember that Iain was a joker of the highest order. What if he had been joking with all those emails back and forth, with the photos that had inspired a little flicker of hope in Lance’s seemingly hopeless situation?
Again he
