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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?

“I want to! Please. It’s the least I can do. I’m living at your house for free.”

After Celeste tried on the dress and declared it perfect, Elodie took the gown and draped it over her arm. She headed down the stairs to pay, and it felt so good to be doing something for her sister after such a long time. It felt so good, in fact, Elodie had an idea for another gift—a wedding gift. It would be a fitting gesture to make peace with the past, and might assuage some of her own, more recent feelings of guilt. It would just require a quick trip back to New York.

The prospect should have excited her, but the thing was, she didn’t want to leave town. Not even for a weekend. Not if it meant missing time with Tito. But she could invite him along. Yes, of course! She’d experienced his world, and now he could get a glimpse of hers.

Elodie felt Celeste’s footsteps on the stairs behind her. She glanced back at her with a smile. Truly, she never imagined that someone else’s engagement could be so much fun.

Tito took Elodie for a motorboat ride. He wanted to show her around the oyster farm, where the cages were set underwater.

The sun pummeled them. Elodie adjusted the wide-brimmed straw hat she’d bought at Mad As a Hatter for the beach. Then she rolled up the sleeves of her white linen shirt. Her golf shorts would stay dry and the borrowed boots offered enough protection for her to climb out of the boat and wade through a few feet of water to dry land.

Tito had just come from picking oysters on the flats and was dressed for action in rubber coveralls, boots, and a black baseball hat that read Helltown. One thing about Tito that was so different from other men she’d known was that he always seemed eager for activity. She couldn’t imagine him paging through The New York Times or spending hours in a board meeting. Around him, she was forced to be a more energized, open version of herself.

For decades she had been most comfortable walking into the Pavlin & Co offices wearing a St. John suit and a string of twelve-millimeter pearls. But now she was wiping salt water off her face with the sleeve of her shirt. And she’d never been happier.

Still, it would be fun to show Tito around New York. She wanted to experience Central Park, the museums, even Café Carlyle with him. If she could don a pair of rubber boots for the afternoon, he could put on a tie for a few hours. Hopefully he’d enjoy the change as much as she enjoyed the things he was bringing out in her.