Book 11 Gansett After Dark
Their dreams are within reach. But first, they’ll have to put the past away.
Owen Lawry is days away from leaving Gansett Island to attend the trial of his father, who is charged with assaulting his mother almost a year ago.
He has spent his entire adult life trying to outrun his violent past, but the upcoming showdown with the father he hasn’t seen in more than a decade has him spending far more time in the past than in the present.
His biggest challenge is convincing his pregnant fiancée, Laura McCarthy, to sit out the trip.
The last thing he wants is to expose the woman he loves to the pain of his past.
Laura is determined to stand by Owen’s side throughout the trial and into the life they have planned together.
The trial and her final divorce papers are the only things standing between them and the wedding they have looked forward to all year.
Can she convince Owen to let her in and allow her to help him through this difficult time?
And what will become of the man she loves if his father walks free?
Main Characters:
*Owen Lawry, engaged to Laura McCarthy and stepfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Laura McCarthy, engaged to Owen Lawry and mother of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series
Supporting Characters:
*Sarah Lawry, involved with Charlie Grandchamp in LONGING FOR LOVE.
*Charlie Grandchamp, involved with Sarah Lawry in LONGING FOR LOVE.
*Holden Francis Newsome, son of Laura McCarthy and ex-husband Justin Newsome, stepson of Owen Lawry, born in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE, stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil.
*Dr. David Lawrence, living with Daisy Babson in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Tobias “Slim” Fitzgerald Jackson, Jr., pilot.
*Shane McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction.
*Seamus O’Grady, engaged to Carolina Cantrell in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Carolina Cantrell, engaged to Seamus O’Grady in WAITING FOR LOVE, grandmother of PJ Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell, son of Joe and Janey Cantrell, born in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, grandfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Big Mac McCarthy, grandfather of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Linda McCarthy, grandmother of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Mac McCarthy, married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE and Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Ned Saunders, engaged to Francine in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Francine Chester, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy and Hailey McCarthy, engaged to Ned Saunders in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Adam McCarthy, involved with Abby Callahan in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Abby Callahan, involved with Adam McCarthy.
*Evan McCarthy, engaged to Grace Ryan in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Grace Ryan, engaged to Evan McCarthy in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Grant McCarthy, engaged to Stephanie Logan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Stephanie Logan, engaged to Grant McCarthy in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Sydney Donovan, interior designer, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Betsy Jacobson, mother of Steve (deceased).
*Daisy Babson, living with Dr. David Lawrence in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Alex Martinez, engaged to Jenny Wilks in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Jenny Wilks, engaged to Alex Martinez in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Jared James, co-owner of The Chesterfield, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, co-owner of The Chesterfield, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Erin Barton, twin sister of Toby Barton (deceased), friend of Jenny Wilks.
*Mallory Vaughn, daughter of Big Mac McCarthy and Diana Vaughn (deceased).
*Dan Torrington, engaged to Kara Ballard in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Kara Ballard, engaged to Dan Torrington in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Judith Ballard, mother of Kara Ballad and her ten siblings, from Bar Harbor, Maine.
*Chuck Ballard, father of Kara Ballard and her ten siblings, owner of Ballard Boatworks in Bar Harbor, Maine.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady in TIME FOR LOVE.
Tom Corcoran, assistant commonwealth attorney, prosecuting the case against Mark Lawry.
*General Mark Lawry, estranged husband of Sarah Lawry, father of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, Josh, John and Jeff Lawry.
*Adele Kincaid, mother of Sarah Lawry, grandmother of Lawry siblings.
*Russ Kincaid, father of Sarah Lawry, grandfather of Lawry siblings.
Eva Lewis, friend of Sarah Lawry, who testifies against Mark Lawry.
*Julia Lawry, office manager, daughter of Mark and Sarah Lawry, sister of Owen, Katie (twin), Cindy, John, Josh and Jeff.
*Katie Lawry, nurse practitioner, daughter of Mark and Sarah Lawry, sister of Owen, Julia (twin), Cindy, John, Josh and Jeff.
*Cindy Lawry, hair stylist, daughter of Mark and Sarah Lawry, sister of Owen, Katie, Julia, John, Josh and Jeff.
*John Lawry, police officer, son of Mark and Sarah Lawry, sister of Owen, Katie, Julia, Josh and Jeff.
Josh Lawry, engineer, son of Mark and Sarah Lawry, brother of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, John and Jeff.
*Jeff Lawry, student, son of Mark and Sarah Lawry, brother of Owen, Katie, Julia, Cindy, John and Josh.
*Riley McCarthy, engineer, son of Deb and Kevin McCarthy, brother of Finn McCarthy.
*Finn McCarthy, engineer, son of Deb and Kevin McCarthy, brother of Riley McCarthy.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, father of Riley and Finn McCarthy.
Deb McCarthy, estranged wife of Kevin, mother of Finn and Riley McCarthy.
GANSETT AFTER DARK Headlines…
Owen and Sarah are preparing for Mark Lawry’s trial in Virginia!
After finally hearing her story, Charlie insists on going to Virginia to support Sarah!
Seamus and Carolina surprise everyone with their wedding!
Grant convinces Stephanie to finally set a wedding date!
Big Mac has another daughter! Introducing Mallory Vaughn!
Jim Sturgil gets arrested after he assaults Dan at his and Kara’s engagement party!
Adam and Abby get engaged!
Sarah rejects the plea deal becase she wants Mark to admit he’s guilty! The trial will proceed!
When a woman from their past comes to testify against him, Mark pleads guilty and will be going to jail!
Owen, Sarah and their supporters return to Gansett to prepare for Owen and Laura’s wedding!
We meet Owen’s siblings: Julia, Katie, Cindy, John and Jeff!
Shane rescues Katie from drowning on Laura and Owen’s wedding day!
Hello to Uncle Kevin McCarthy and his sons, Riley and Finn McCarthy!
Kevin and his wife, Deb, have split up!
Owen and Laura get married!
Mac and Maddie host Ned and Francine’s wedding, a surprise to the happy couple!
Ned and Francine finally get married!
Owen Lawry is sitting on the deck of the Sand & Surf Hotel, rocking his stepson, Holden, and thinking about the changes he’s made in the last year.
He gave up his previous no-commitment lifestyle for Laura, Holden and the surprise twins they’re now expecting.
He’s looking forward to his upcoming wedding but dreading his father’s trial.
Owen is due to leave in a few days for the trial in Virginia, which stands as a gigantic mountain to climb before he can marry the love of his life.
The upcoming trial is due to the years of abuse his father inflicted on Owen, his siblings and his mother, including the most recent incident in which Mark Lawry beat Owen’s mother, Sarah.
She came to Gansett Island and Owen for help.
For a while now, Sarah has been dating Charlie Grandchamp but has yet to tell him about the history of abuse she and her children endured.
While they sit together on the deck, Owen encourages Sarah to tell Charlie before they leave for the trial.
Owen doesn’t want Laura to come on the trip because of her pregnancy with twins.
Laura wants to support Owen, and Charlie will want to be there for Sarah when he finds out why they’re going to Virginia.
The thought of Charlie knowing about her past makes Sarah shudder with revulsion.
Sarah and Charlie have dinner at his home that evening.
After they eat, she asks if she can hug him, which he sees as an important step forward for them since Sarah has shied away from his touch.
While Charlie holds her, Sarah says, “He beat me and my children. He beat me so badly last October that I knew if I stayed, he was going to kill me, so I finally left. It took me way too long to leave. My children grew up in a nightmare, and there was nothing I could do to protect them.”
The words, once she lets them out, spill forth in a great rush, almost as though she fears that if she doesn’t say them right now, she never will.
“He was a general in the air force, and everyone was afraid of him—no one more so than his wife and children. He goes on trial next week in Virginia. That’s where I’m going.
Owen is going, too. We both have to testify. ”
“What day are we leaving?” Charlie asks.
She raises her head off his chest to find his deep blue eyes staring at her fiercely. “No… You can’t…”