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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 see.” Maud nodded as if it were completely reasonable—as if people walked in every day off the street talking about cursed diamonds. Maybe they did. “I have an idea,” Maud said. “But we’ll need your other aunt’s help, too.”

Gemma groaned. “Can’t we do this without her? Elodie’s . . . difficult.”

Maud smiled at her with a gentle expression, as if she were a child. “There’s no way around difficulty, Gemma. Only through.”

She didn’t need the cards to tell her that. The universe was giving her the message, loud and clear.

67

Tito was unusually quiet. Typically, they talked nonstop while the dogs frolicked on the beach at the municipal lot. Today, instead of sitting on one of the benches, they found two egg crates someone left in the sand and they used them as seats.

“Are you upset with me about something?” Elodie said.

“I’m not upset with you,” he said. “But your sister did break Jack’s heart.”

This was about Jack and Celeste?

“What do you mean?”

Tito looked over at her. “You don’t know? Celeste canceled the wedding.”

No, Elodie did not know.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea. To be honest, we had a bit of an argument yesterday morning and we haven’t spoken since.” A small crab scuttled out from the bottom of her crate.

“What’s she mad at you for?”

“A business decision I made,” Elodie said.

Tito shook his head. “I never understood that woman. They would’ve been hitched a long time ago if it were up to Jack. Celeste’s a free spirit and that’s fine. But in a relationship you gotta give a little.”

She looked at him, incredulous. “In a relationship you have to give a little? Says the man who refuses to spend time with me in New York.” Pearl, at the edge of the water, turned at the sound of her raised voice.

Tito looked surprised, then understanding dawned and he rubbed his brow.

“Okay, you got me there.”

“Look,” she said, her voice softening. “It was a lovely gesture for you to ask me to live with you. But I already have a home. If we’re going to be together, I need you to be part of that life, too.”

He looked out at the water. The egg crate underneath her suddenly felt very wobbly. She watched Pearl, trying to pretend she hadn’t just given the man she loved an ultimatum. And really, who was she to push him to compromise when she hadn’t been completely honest with him all summer? He didn’t know that she was the one who lured Gemma to the Cape, or about any of the infighting in their family that might have given Celeste a damn good reason to be afraid of commitment. Tito believed she truly intended to open a Pavlin & Co outpost on Commercial Street!