“I always wondered,” Sarah said softly, “how a boy grows up to be that kind of man. He never spoke of his childhood. After the funeral, we never spoke of his father again.”

“He said that was the first time he hit you,” Owen said.

Her hand covered her left cheek. “Yes. I said something about feeling sorry for his father dying the way he had, and he slapped me across the face, saying his father was exactly where he belonged, in hell with the devil, and I was never to mention that son of a bitch’s name again. I never did.”

Next to her, Owen noticed Charlie wrestling with his emotions. It was hard for him to hear about the abuse she’d withstood at the hands of her husband.

“The divorce papers should be landing on Dan Torrington’s desk any day now,” Owen said, sharing the good news now that the harder part was out of the way.

“What?” Sarah asked, wide-eyed.

“He told me if I took his call, he’d give you the divorce. He promised he’d sign the divorce papers and mail them the day I talked to him, which means you should get them soon.”

“Oh, Owen,” Sarah said as she put it all together. “He convinced you to take his call by telling you he’d sign the papers if you did?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does! How can you say that doesn’t matter?”

“Because it doesn’t. Not anymore. You’re getting what you wanted, and we’ll all have some closure.”

“At what cost to you?” his mother asked tearfully.

“I’m okay, Mom. I swear. I’m fine. Ask Laura.”

His wife nodded in agreement. “He was thrown for a loop at first and anxious about telling the rest of you, but he’s good now.”

Sarah sat back in her chair, seeming stunned by the turn of events. “He signed the papers.”

Owen smiled at her. “He signed the papers.”

Sarah began to laugh and cry at the same time.

Charlie hauled her into his arms, kissing her square on the mouth right in front of her children and their partners.

Even Katie smiled at Charlie’s rare loss of control. She leaned on Shane, her expression softer now that she’d had a few minutes to process what she’d heard.

“We can get married,” Charlie said in a gruff whisper.

“We can get married,” Sarah replied, staring into his steel-blue eyes.

Owen glanced at Laura, who dabbed at her eyes. They shared a smile, full of love and relief and optimism for the future now that the past was where it belonged once and for all.

Chapter 27