Free A Scarred Soul: A Small Town Love Story (Safe Haven Book 2) by Erin Sloane

Lulah’s calm and his carving, but now it came rampaging through. He knew he should get to the medicine cabinet, take the drugs before the pain took hold, but he couldn’t stop staring at the wad of papers.
    He didn’t recall opening them, smoothing them flat to the table, trapping with his hands the corners that wanted to fold back up and hide the message, but when he studied the papers their words spoke right back. Taryn had filed for divorce.
    Why was it such a surprise? Why did it feel like another thump in the gut when he expected it all along? He wanted to do the decent thing and bring some peace to his family. It would allow Gable to grow up without him affecting her. The papers slipped from his grasp, back to the table. They had to be read. There would be conditions and terms that he should become familiar with, but what the heck? He’d already told Taryn she could have what she wanted. There wasn’t much of him left, but they were welcome to pick over the waste of what remained.
    A glance at the wall clock told him it was past time to leave for the Sanctuary, so he called Calliope to his side and headed out to the pickup. It wasn’t until he started the engine he realized he’d completed the exercise without performing his usual anxious yard reconnaissance. And it wasn’t till the thudding set up in his head that he realized he’d never made it to the medicine cabinet. Calliope threw him a concerned look from the footwell of the vehicle. He had to slow down because he was scaring the only friend he had left.
    There was Lulah, of course, but surely she’d distance herself as soon as she saw the real Vince.
    At the Sanctuary he parked up by Marlo’s office rather than down at the HQ where most of the dog training work took place. Apparently he had to meet with the service dog trainer before actual training began. He climbed from the truck and could see everyone waiting for him: Marlo, Lulah, a guy who must be the trainer, heck, even Adam.
    He flunked his way through the introductions trying to focus on listening, watching Calliope, and keeping the pain in his head to a minimum. His anxiety stretched his limits and he knew he was close to a state where a flashback wouldn’t come as a surprise. In minutes, from a subconscious need to protect himself, he’d dissociated.
    There he was, back as security camera guy —watching, but not taking part. He hoped nobody would notice, but Marlo spoke to him, her voice floating, away in the distance. Calliope thunked her head into his lap, and he placed his hand on her, feeling her warmth. But, dammit, he couldn’t pull himself out of that corner.
    Suddenly he heard Lulah curse. Oh, bad girl, Lulah. No dirty language in front of handsome, totally-got-his-shit-together, Mike, the dog trainer. She approached him, he could smell her and, at the same speed as he’d left, he was back. Lulah reached out to touch his shoulder, and he heard Adam warn her not to crowd him.
    Misery washed through him like a dirty tide. He wanted to leave, hating feeling this way, like the lunatic at the picnic. He stood, easing his thigh out from beneath the press of Calliope’s head. “Sorry,” he spoke to the space on the floor a foot ahead of him, “I have to go.”
    In that moment, Adam was alongside him. He took hold of his sleeve, out of the view of the others in the room, and bent close to his ear. “Hey, Vince, where are you at the moment?”
    Vince stared back at him, his mouth dry, the smell of dust in his nostrils. “I’m nowhere. Absolutely nowhere.”
    Adam tugged his sleeve. “Okay. You and I are stepping outside for a couple of minutes for you to take some air, and when you’ve recovered, we’re coming back in here. Understand?”
    It sounded so close to a threat that Vince wanted to thump him. “This isn’t going well,” he replied through clenched teeth.
    Adam hadn’t moved or released him. “And that’s why we’re stepping out together.” He turned to the