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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?

“Yeah,” she said. Then realizing she was being cryptic, added, “It seems a woman who’s planning the auction might have a lead on my mother’s engagement ring. Or she’s going to tell me the trail is cold. And then I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know what you’ll do?”

She shrugged. “I mean, the ring is the only thing I have left.”

He smiled and reached for her hand. “It’s not all you have left. There’s always the money.”

The alarm bells returned, deep and loud. “What money?”

“Your family fortune. You’re a Pavlin, Gemma. What are you worried about?”

She pulled her hand away. “I wasn’t raised a Pavlin. I have nothing to do with that side of the family. Before this summer, I hadn’t seen my aunts in over a decade.”

Now Connor sat up. “You’re telling me you’re like . . . the poor relation?”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t you think you might have mentioned this at some point?” His voice was low but clearly aggravated.

“It’s not really any of your business,” she said. “And besides, I’ve been telling you all summer I need an investor for my company. Why would I do that if I had my own money?”

“Everyone looks for outside money,” Connor said. “I know I still am. And I was hoping you could help.”

“Me? How?”

“I need an infusion of cash. I was hoping you’d be one of my investment partners.”

Wait—she thought he could help her meet money people, and all this time he’d thought she was a money person?

“If you need money, then how did you make an offer on this house?” Oh, but he didn’t. She hadn’t been cynical earlier in the week—she’d been right. What else had he lied about? “Is that even your gallery?”

“It’s my family’s gallery, yes. But I want to go off on my own.”

She stood up, pulling on her clothes as fast as she could manage.

“Don’t contact me ever again, don’t come by my aunt’s store . . .”

She’d made a huge mistake. Again.

PART THREE

diamond ornament

Love is simple. We make it hard with our trappings.

—IYANLA VANZANT

59

Constance, 2004

She hadn’t left their bedroom since the funeral one week ago. It was hard for her to imagine ever stepping outside again. She didn’t want to live in a world without Paulina.