Where We Belong (Hideaway Bay, #1) by Lauren Harbor

Author:Lauren Harbor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sexy Small town romance second chance romance reunion, contemporary romance Friends to lovers best friends tortured hero scarred redemption, Fourth of July Independence Day Christmas holiday romance, Firefighter hero law enforcement cop police officer shooting PTSD therapy anxiety psychologist, Animal romance stories animals pet dog german shepherd, Sexy romantic comedy Funny comedy humor humour fun playful, Tomboy romance novella romance short story love story
Publisher: Lauren Harbor
Published: 2019-08-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Dad’s stopped tossing and turning at night... but I still sneak under the covers.

~ Duke Harper-O’Connor

Ryan's life fell into two distinct categories.

Before the shooting.

After the shooting.

Happiness.

Loss.

Now his worlds collided. Was he was insane for bringing Haley to his safe space tonight? The familiar old red brick walls and grey linoleum flooring of Hideaway Bay's Community Center seemed a little foreign with Haley by his side. In truth, his whole world had been slightly off-kilter since their chat the night before.

He glanced around the space with fresh eyes. Only a few folding chairs remained empty. Familiar faces watched him and the woman beside him with undisguised interest.

He'd introduced her to the group over pre-meeting coffee and donuts. Everyone had heard so much about her these past months, and understandably she'd seemed a little disconcerted by that at first, like he may have painted her as a villain in his story, but she soon relaxed as others welcomed her warmly, like any other new member of the group. He'd been truthful about knowing his blame in the situation, and these people witnessed his journey of figuring that out.

The meeting followed its usual format, starting with a discussion about dealing with anxiety, this week's theme being mindfulness, including techniques ranging from yoga to coloring books. Then the floor opened for group members to speak. He hadn't expected Haley to take that step tonight. His first meeting had been so overwhelming that if he hadn't been the one to organize the program, he'd happily have sat at the back of the room pretending he wasn't even there. But that wasn't Haley's style. She faced things head on.

She stood at the front of the group fidgeting with her watch, her gaze darting from person to person until it settled on him. He sent her an encouraging smile which she returned before taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders with the same determination she showed getting ready for a sparring match.

“My name's Haley and I'm an officer with the Hideaway Bay Police Department. A year ago, my partner and I were called to a domestic disturbance and I was shot.”

He listened, captivated by her explanation of all that happened that fateful day, the consequent unraveling of their relationship, and her struggles at work. The fellow cops in the room nodded in agreement as she discussed the need to project confidence and control at all times.

He'd known it would be painful hearing Haley express how she saw the events unfold, but it hit him harder than he'd expected. His guilt at missing the signs of what she'd been going through sat heavy in his gut, but he'd learned to accept those difficult emotions were part of the process and he needed to sit with them, then let them go.

But the longer she spoke, her story so entwined with his, a small sense of unease settled over him. Tonight should help her sort through her own issues, but even now she focused so much on him

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