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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 spaced herself far enough away from the dolphin procession that she felt comfortable she wasn’t crowding in. They stopped the first stretcher about twenty yards from the water and moved the first dolphin onto what looked like a blue tarp on the sand. Elodie saw the animal fully revealed. It was very still, and she couldn’t tell if its eyes were closed or if that was simply the way it always looked. It was tan on the under half and black on the top, its dorsal fin lying flat. It seemed lifeless, and the high she’d felt watching the team in action gave way to the sobering realization that the outcome might not be good.

A group transported the second dolphin, and then four more teams, each with a dolphin, reached the first. The only thing she could hear was the lapping of the waves. The smattering of onlookers were completely silent, reverent in the face of delicate work. She watched Tito in conference with his team, and after a moment they reconfigured around the tarp and lifted the dolphin, taking slow and steady steps to the water until everyone stood waist-deep. The rest of the groups followed them, and they fanned out, side by side, standing about ten feet apart, each surrounding their dolphin.

Elodie expected the dolphins to perk up and swim right off, but nothing happened. Minutes ticked by, and her curiosity turned to anxiety.

“This is normal,” a woman next to her said. “They need to get their muscle memory back. It’s almost as if they forget how to swim when they’re out of the water for a while.”

Sure enough, Tito’s team shifted as their dolphin wriggled free of the tarp and swam off. Seconds later, another dolphin followed. After a few more minutes, all of the animals were free. She wanted to clap or cheer and waited for her fellow onlookers to do the same, but the respectful silence continued until the rescue workers turned to walk back to the parking lot. Then the applause began, a smattering that turned into a raucous shouting and whistling.

Tito gave her a wave, and her heart began to race. She wanted to throw her arms around him. She wanted him.

Standing with her feet planted firmly in the sand, she knew the dolphins weren’t the only ones resuscitated that day.

She couldn’t deny it any longer: She was falling for Tito Barros.

PART TWO

diamond ornament

Jewelry is a covert language full of secrets.

—GEOFFREY MUNN IN CHERIE BURNS’S DIVING FOR STARFISH

44

Elodie, 1994

Thanksgiving Day was bright but shockingly cold. Elodie fortified herself with a glass of scotch before the bracing walk three blocks north on Park Avenue. She’d been tempted not to show up after all. But she couldn’t let her father down.