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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?

He walked closer, looking at the display. “You’re selling your work here? That’s a great idea.”

“How long have you been with Monica?”

“Gemma—”

“I want to know. I want to know how long I’ve been needlessly blaming myself, feeling like an awful person, when you’ve already moved on.”

She thought, fleetingly, of Connor. But that didn’t count. She didn’t have real feelings for him. She hadn’t even slept with him.

Sanjay sighed. “It’s pretty recent.”

Two women walked in, both wearing patterned wrap dresses and strappy sandals, one blonde, one brunette, both with short haircuts and big sunglasses.

“We saw on Instagram that the GEMMA jewelry is being sold here,” the brunette said.

“Are you the designer?” the blonde said, pushing her sunglasses atop her head.

“I am,” she said. Then she turned to Sanjay. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”

50

Between the blackout and the heat, everyone had fled to the beach. With few customers, Celeste closed the store early and met Jack on the water.

The boat offered an escape. Out on the Pacheco, it was their own private P’town. Celeste leaned back on the bench seat and looked out at the horizon. The early evening light never lost its wow factor. Celeste had witnessed countless summer sunsets, and no two were ever the same. Once, she’d heard herself explaining this to a friend back in New York, and she realized she sounded just like her father talking about diamonds.

“Uh-oh. I know that look,” Jack said affectionately from behind the wheel.

“What look?”

“That line between your brows. Never a good sign. Come take the wheel for a minute. I’m losing the wind.”

She took his place behind the control panel while he adjusted the sails. The truth was she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time.

“Elodie finally told me what happened to Paulina’s ring,” she said. “My parents sold it after she died.”

Jack nodded thoughtfully. “You let all that go a long time ago. Now maybe your niece can, too.”

Well, that’s where he was wrong: She hadn’t let it go. And now her sister and niece were stirring it all up again. She found herself thinking, again and again, of her last conversation with Paulina. It had been the morning after Gemma’s eighth birthday party, her next visit after the stressful anniversary celebration for the Electric Rose.

The birthday party was yet another Pavlin extravaganza. Alan and Constance rented out the Plaza’s Oak Room for an intimate family gathering of, oh, two hundred people. When Paulina invited her, she felt torn. She wanted to be there for her sister and niece but hated the thought of making small talk with strangers all night, explaining why she lived so far away, and why she wasn’t married. Jack begged out of the spectacle, and she didn’t blame him.