Owen Read online

  Owen

  Hathaway House, Book 15

  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

  Percy, Book 16

  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

  Epilogue

  About Percy

  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.

  Uncle Sam’s Navy wasn’t kind to Owen Powell. After he walked too close to a landmine, he was left with leg and back injuries and a rough road to regaining his health. His career is down the drain; his future is uncertain, and every day is a struggle toward better mental and physical health.

  The last thing he expects to find is love in the midst of therapy at Hathaway House.

  Penny Abigail has spent all her adult life trying to prove to her family that she’s strong enough after a lifetime of illnesses to live her life on her own terms. Although frail, she’s worked hard to get to where she’s at today. She has created several charities and hands out large sums of money to deserving organizations, including Hathaway House.

  Meeting Owen wasn’t part of her plan, but she’s willing to run with it. The problem is convincing her overprotective family that the broken SEAL is good enough for her and is not just after her money …

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  Prologue

  Owen Powell checked his email on his phone, wondering what that last ding was. Then he realized it wasn’t an email; it was a text message. He stopped and stared.

  Hey, Owen, this is for real.

  He clicked on the image. The only reason he would have was because he recognized the sender’s phone number. Owen saw the picture of Nash, standing tall and straight, in shorts, with a bare chest, showing his scars, but obviously in a lot better shape than Owen had seen him the last time, and Nash had his arms around a beautiful woman. Owen stared at the couple in shock. When the phone rang in his hand, he wasn’t much surprised to see it was Nash himself.

  “Did you see the picture I sent?”

  “Dude, okay, so first off, whose body are you in, and, second off, does it come with a girl?”

  Nash laughed and laughed. “No, the girl came with my broken body,” he said. “But thankfully I am now sporting that body.”

  “Is that really you?” he asked. He couldn’t look back at the phone and keep talking, so he pulled the phone from his ear and stared down at the image on his phone and shook his head. He hit Speaker. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “You look unbelievably good.”

  “Well, I still have a couple more weeks of fine-tuning,” he said, “but I also got accepted into the local college to become an arborist. And you need to congratulate me because I’m getting married.”

  The shocks just kept going through him. Owen said, “I remember, not all that long ago, having you in the bed beside me, absolutely devastated because your trip to Hathaway House had been pushed back.”

  “Now you know why I was so devastated,” he said. “I knew, I just knew I had to come to Hathaway House. I was hopeful that I would have some great results, but I didn’t expect to have these kind of results. And I never expected to have Alicia back in my arms again.”

  “Again?”

  “Yeah, she is the ex-girlfriend I talked to you about. We went out a long time ago, and she’s been through quite some things in her life, and, of course, I have too. So now we’ve come together in a way that I hadn’t even thought was possible.”

  “I still wouldn’t think it was possible, if I wasn’t seeing it for myself,” Owen said.

  “An empty bed is coming up here.”

  “Sure, but also a huge waiting list too.”

  “Well, I’ll put in a good word for you, but you have to get your application in now.”

  “I don’t want to take anybody else off that waiting list. I know what it’s like when somebody else preempts you.”

  “Well, I put you on the waiting list a long time ago,” he said. “So that’s something you need to consider.”

  “You did what?”

  “Hey, Owen,” Nash said, “I know that you were there with me, sharing a VA room, but I know you can be a whole different man. You can be the man you want to be, if you only get here. I can lead you to water, but it’s up to you to drink it.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I’ve already sent your name in. It’s up to you to fill out the rest of the paperwork and to ask for that bed,” he said. “I know you’ll be happy you did.”

  “Well, if I go by your results,” Owen said, “I don’t see how I couldn’t be.”

  “Remember that,” he said. “Maybe, if you get here in time, you’ll come to my wedding.” And, with that, Nash gave another bark of laughter and said, “Hurry up.” Then he hung up.

  Owen stared at the picture for a long moment and then reached for his laptop. As soon as he filled out the form, he wrote out a personal email, saying that he looked forward to every opportunity they could give him. And he hit Send. Thank heavens for Nash. Owen was grateful that he had the opportunity to apply now. What were the chances that Hathaway House could bring him the same miracle it had brought Nash?

  Chapter 1

  Owen Powell slowly worked his way up the ramp, his pride choosing his crutches, keeping him mostly vertical and mobile. He just felt so much better about that, rather than being in a wheelchair. But, as he stepped into the front lobby, he noted all the other people staring at him—probably readying to catch him if he dropped. So, whatever he thought he was trying to achieve, they didn’t necessarily approve of it, having seen it before.

  The woman behind the front desk smiled at him. “Hi, welcome to Hathaway House. May I get your name?”

  “Owen Powell.” He tried hard to control his breathing, but he was gasping for breath and struggling to not show it.

  She nodded quickly. “Do you want to take a seat, while we do our intake?”

  He walked slowly over to a series of chairs sitting nearby, and, with less finesse than he’d hoped, he collapsed downward.

  One of the guys beside him turned toward Owen, smiled. “It’s a tough trip, isn’t it?”

  “It so is,” Owen gasped out. “But I’m here now.” He studied the stranger, who looked vibrant and buff, full of health. “Are you visiting someone?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I’m leaving. I’ve been here for the last four and a half months.”

  Owen stared at him in shock. “I’ve got to tell you that it doesn’t look like you belong here at all.”

  “I looked like it when I got here.” He reached out of hand. “My name’s Jake.”

  “Nice to meet you. You’re a walking poster child for this place,”
Owen joked.

  “A lot of us poster kids are here.” He shrugged. “They’ll take care of you, but you’ve got to listen, and you’ve got to do what they tell you.”

  “And that’s far from easy to do all the time,” Owen admitted. “Sometimes you get your hopes up, and it doesn’t happen the way you think it should, and you end up losing some of that confidence, and then you start dealing with all kinds of related problems.”

  “Or you’re afraid to succeed, like I was,” Jake confessed. “And then you’re pretty sure that nothing they say will make a difference. But I was wrong, and I’m not afraid to admit it.”

  “I’m really glad to hear that.” Owen nodded. “I came because a friend of mine was here, and his recommendation got me in.”

  “What friend was that?”

  “Nash. We were in the same VA unit together. Both of us had to have corrective surgery and shared the same room in the hospital, while we were recuperating.”

  “I know Nash. Good man, and he hasn’t steered you wrong. You’ll do just fine here.” With that, a honk was heard outside, and Jake grinned, bounced to his feet.

  And then Owen noted that Jake was missing his lower leg and wore a prosthetic. Wow. And I’m having a hard time handling some back and leg injuries? I should be more grateful. Granted, his doctors kept telling Owen that he had endured severe enough trauma that they wondered if they could save his leg. Thankfully they did.

  Jake headed out and added, “Remember to trust.” Then he was gone.

  Owen sat here, thinking about that, as a woman stopped in front of him to catch his attention. He looked up. “Sorry, I was drifting off again.”

  “You’re tired. It’s been a long trip,” the woman acknowledged, with a gentle smile. “Come on with me. I’m Dani, the manager of this place. Let’s get you to your room.”

  “No forms?” he asked hopefully.

  “Sure there are, by the triplicate, dozens of them, I’m sure,” she added, with a laugh. “But let’s get you to your room. Let’s get you to unwind and to destress a bit. Then we’ll go over some things, and you’ll have time to sort your way through it all, on your own time frame.”

  He liked the sound of that. It took effort to get back on his feet.

  Dani stopped, considered him. “So have you had enough pain-inducing pride yet?”

  “Is there such a thing?” he asked gamely.

  She pointed to a wheelchair nearby. “Look at where you are. You’ve made it to Hathaway House. If you want to take it easy for these last few steps, it wouldn’t hurt you in the least.”

  He looked at the wheelchair, shook his head. “I’m fine.”

  “Of course you are,” she replied cheerfully. “Come on then.” She walked down a side hallway at a much slower pace than it appeared she had originally intended.

  He struggled to walk behind her on his crutches, and, when he finally saw her turn into a room, Owen let out a heavy sigh of relief. She smiled, knowing exactly what he was thinking, he was sure.

  She motioned to the bed. “Sit up here.” She brought out a set of steps from underneath the bed, so he had easier access. Taking the crutches from him, she laid them at the bottom of the bed, as he turned and slowly sank atop the bed.

  “Let’s get you adjusted properly.” She gave him the remote to the bed, and they quickly shifted the bed height, so that he was in a better position. “Is that more comfortable?”

  Owen relaxed into the bed and shook his head ever-so-slightly. “God, yes.”

  “See what stubborness gets you?”

  “Gee, you act like you see this all the time.”

  “I do.” She nodded. “It’s amazing how much you guys want to arrive on your own two feet, as if it’ll make a difference. I guarantee you, Owen, that you’ll leave on your own two feet, but there’s no convincing you until you’re ready.”

  “I hear you,” he said, but doubt filled his tone. “It’s because of Nash that I’m here.”

  “Yep, we’ve talked to Nash about it, and, on his recommendation, we brought you in. You got lucky with your timing because of the way the bed situation worked out,” she explained. “We had opened a new wing with more rooms in Hathaway House.”

  “Business is that good?”

  “Life’s that bad,” she corrected. “I would absolutely love nothing better than to shut down because not enough of you guys are out there, needing our services.”

  He believed her. Something was so sincere and heartwarming about her words. He let his head relax on the pillow, felt the body pains start to build inside, and he knew he would be in for a long night.

  She turned to him. “Here’s your tablet and let’s go over some of the ways our system works. Maybe Nash gave you some of the information, but I want to make sure you have what you need.”

  “He only told me that it was a miracle or something along that line.”

  “Good enough. Let’s take a look and see what we can do.” With that she opened up the tablet, explained how it worked, where to find his schedule, what he could expect for the first couple days, then Dani would leave him alone, giving Owen a chance to relax, unwind, and recover from the trip.

  “Does it ever take anybody longer to recover?” he asked.

  “Yep.” She nodded. “We’ve even had to send a few people back to the hospital because they overdid it.” He winced at that. She smiled. “Let’s hope that’s not your case.”

  “I hope not. I feel like I have been to Hell and back to just get here.”

  “I understand. And I hear that from everyone upon arrival.” She handed him some paperwork. “Read these, sign them, and I’ll collect them later. Now, do you need a cup of coffee? Do you need food? Do you need anything at this point to help you relax and unwind?”

  He stared at her in surprise. “It depends if it means getting back up again. I don’t think I can.”

  “I’m happy to grab you something.” She smiled knowingly. “This is why we don’t like people to push it just to get here because it’ll make your recovery a little bit longer than we like to see.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he stated.

  “Now you’re just being stubborn,” she noted cheerfully. “I’m going to get coffee. Would you like one?”

  “Yes, please,” he replied, with a smile. “Also, if perhaps I can get a snack to eat with it, or when is there food again?”

  “Right, I forgot to mention the meals.” She quickly explained the hours for scheduled meals. “Also there’s always food available, if you’re hungry. We only ask that, if you take it, you eat it. That’s the way we keep costs down here, by not being wasteful.”

  “That makes sense anyway,” he noted. “The world is in a mess. Why add to it?”

  “Glad to hear that. So, coffee, tea, juice, milk? I’ll see what options we have for a quick snack. You okay with muffins or do you prefer a sandwich?” She looked at her watch. “Dinner starts in about three hours.”

  “Something small—a muffin or half a sandwich. Then maybe I can just rest for a little while, until dinnertime.”

  “As soon as I get you some coffee and a snack, I’ll tell Nash you’re here,” she added, “although he may let you be, to recover and to get acclimated over the first few days. Also, if you’re not capable of making it to the dining room for dinner, give us a shout by pressing this button on your tablet, and somebody will come help you get there.”

  He frowned at that.

  “Remember. You were already toughing it out on the crutches when you first made it here, and now you’re in pain and in bed,” she pointed out. “But, if you insist on continuing to be tough, it will work against you, especially if your body isn’t ready for this level of exertion.”

  He nodded, slowly realizing just how much damage he might have done to himself by overdoing it. “Maybe Nash has got a few moments?” he said hopefully.

  “I’ll find out for you. Also, lots of food is here, and somebody will always help you get through everything, so keep that
in mind.”

  “Thank you.” As she disappeared, he relaxed. He had a fancy tablet, one he hadn’t seen before. He would have to up his techno skills; he was really a good hand with a cell phone, but he wasn’t so great with these things. Never had been much of a computer nerd but had been forced to deal with all kinds of computer stuff in the navy, and that had been good; it kept his knowledge updated but not enough. He felt like the tablet was a bit beyond him. But he was determined to figure it out and to not appear to be quite such a dunce.

  Nash poked his head in. “Hey, buddy.”

  “Nash, you made it by.” Owen grinned, attempted to sit up.

  “Don’t move,” he said rushing forward. “Everybody remembers the agony of the first day traveling here. And I got word that you powered in on crutches, so you’re really paying for it now.”

  Owen shook his head, as a sigh slipped out. “Yeah, maybe.”

  “It’s okay. We learn by our mistakes, right?” He stepped closer to the bed. “I won’t stay long. Today you need to rest up because the PT here is killer.” He laughed. “But it works. I can attest to that.”

  “You look amazing,” Owen said.

  “You will too. Just takes time and perseverance. So, before I leave, do you need anything?”

  Owen shook his head. “Dani’s bringing me coffee and a snack.”

  “Dani’s always got us covered.” Nash patted Owen on the shoulder. “Rest up. I’ll check on you later. Glad you’re here, man.”

  “Me too. Good to see you.”

  And then Nash was gone, but it was good to touch base with him. Owen needed a friend here.

  As he relaxed, he felt some of the tension easing, but, at the same time, he also felt his muscles knotting up. He had been stubborn; he’d wanted to come in on his own two feet, to prove to Hathaway House that he was capable, that he would be somebody who would work with them, who would fully participate in his own healing. Instead he came off as stubborn and likely a knothead. What else was new? Just as he drifted off, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway and turning into his room.