As much as he’d once loved Renee, this was different. With her, the slope had always been slippery. Even before he discovered her addiction issues, she’d been unpredictable, prone to irrational bouts of anger that kept him—and Stephanie—constantly off balance, waiting for the next explosion.

Sarah had her own experiences with waiting for the anger and living on the edge. Other than an occasional flinch when she was touched, you’d never know it to be around her. She was serene and peaceful and delighted with the simple things in life. Like him, she was grateful to be free of a past that had kept her every bit as imprisoned as he had once been.

Now that he’d been able to tell her—and show her—how much he loved her, he was hoping they’d get to spend the rest of their lives together. Once she got past the trial and her divorce was final, it would be time to make some plans. Charlie couldn’t wait for that day. It was nice to have something to look forward to again.

After sending his wife a text asking her to meet him at home, Big Mac went to the house to wait for her. His mind raced with questions and implications and worries. He was deeply concerned about how Linda would react to hearing he’d fathered a child with another woman. Granted, it had happened before he met her, but still… He knew his wife and was worried the news would upset her.

Though it was only ten thirty, he thought about having a drink to calm his nerves but decided against it. He wanted to be at his best for this conversation. His thoughts kept wandering back to the beautiful young woman who’d appeared out of nowhere bearing life-changing news for him and everyone he loved. Had he been foolish not to agree to her wishes to let her go without anyone the wiser that she even existed?

“No,” he said out loud. He’d never have a minute’s peace if a child of his were walking around alone in the world when she could’ve been part of his large and loving family. Blowing out a deep breath, he ran his fingers through thick, wiry gray hair as he thought about the time he’d spent with her mother.

Theirs had been a brief fling, spanning most of the winter before he met Linda. That was before he owned a home on the island, so he’d gone to stay with Frank in Providence after the season ended. Neither he nor Diana had taken their relationship all that seriously, and when it came time to move on, they’d done so with no ill will or hard feelings.