BooksBarbecue
Back Gilt Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

Elodie bristled. Did Sloan know about Gemma, too? The thought made her chest tighten.

“I’ll be in touch as soon as I’m back from vacation,” she said.

“Fabulous. In the meantime, let’s get the paperwork wrapped up this week. My PR department is chomping at the bit to announce.”

“It’s in the works,” Elodie said, which was technically true. But by the time she ended the call, she was in a sweat. She pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sank into it. With both elbows on the table, she put her head in her hands. She looked up at the sound of a dog barking. It wasn’t Pearl. She turned just as Tito and Bart walked into the room.

“I was hoping I’d find you around,” he said, smiling. “We’re headed to the beach. Care to join?”

Elodie glanced at the printer, her invoices piled in the tray. They could wait, but the ticking clock for the contract could not. She wasn’t in town for the sun and sand. She needed signatures.

“Not today,” she said. The disappointment on his face was surprising, even if he quickly recovered. Well, it wasn’t her problem.

She wasn’t there to make friends, either.

39

Elodie, July 1994

Elodie planned the romantic weekend down to every last detail: the menu (steaks on the grill), the flowers in their room (bluebells for Liam’s favorite color), the CDs in the stereo (Oasis for him, Dave Matthews for her), and the activities: tennis doubles with their friends, pool time, and most important, a midnight stroll on the beach.

They’d been spending nearly every weekend at the Hamptons house, sometimes with her parents, sometimes alone. Either way, it felt like she and Liam were the only two people in the world.

And yet, something between them had changed. There’d been a subtle shift in his attitude toward her, a certain tenderness when he looked at her that made her heart skip a beat. But it didn’t quite feel romantic, and they hadn’t had sex in months.

Elodie was nothing if not analytical, and it didn’t take her long to do the math: The shift between them started after her father’s announcement about the Electric Rose. She was certain of it. And it made sense: They were together, they were in love, and the logical next step was engagement. But how could he propose to her if the traditional symbol of commitment—the diamond engagement ring—had been taken out of his hands? Liam had a lot of pride.