BooksBarbecue
Back Gilt Save as PDF
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?

“No . . . I’m scared I’m losing Jack. I don’t know what to do. And I can’t talk to my best friend about it, because that’s him. I can’t talk to Lidia, either, because she’s his family, so of course she has to take Jack’s side.”

Celeste put down her bucket and looked out at the sea, taking a deep breath. She needed to keep it together. Provincetown was a small place and news of a public breakdown would spread through town faster than you could say “community Facebook page.”

“You can talk to me. I’m here. And Gemma, too.”

Wait, had Elodie and Gemma patched things up? Had hell just frozen over?

She wiped her eyes with the edge of her caftan and looked at her sister in confusion.

“We’ve both realized that our shared affection for you overrides our differences,” Elodie said.

“Well, that’s a lovely thing to say.” She looked at her, shielding her face from the sun as it sank lower, its splintering rays making it impossible to see even with her sunglasses.

“It’s not just words, Celeste. Gemma and I are going to help you with this Jack situation.”

Celeste didn’t know whether to be moved by the naïve sentiment, or irritated that her sister and niece thought her issue could be solved so easily.

“And Maud, too,” Elodie added.

Now, that got her attention.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m listening.”

“Tonight—the full moon—we all need to meet here at midnight.”

Wait—what? Celeste had been fully expecting Elodie to jump into a plan full of logistics and strategy, her usual tactical approach to any problem. But her all-business sister was finally speaking her language.

The relief was so overwhelming, all she could do was throw her arms around her. Elodie, caught off-guard, tumbled back into the sand, pulling Celeste with her. After a stunned few seconds, they both broke out laughing. Celeste picked up her bucket, putting back the stones that had fallen aside.

“Wanna collect stones?” Celeste said. “I call the green ones.”

69

Constance, 2015

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was a two-hour drive from Manhattan. When her driver pulled up to the high school, Constance felt she might as well be in Kansas.

Her intention to go unnoticed—to blend in with the crowd—was undermined by her choice of attire. Constance was the only one wearing a Chanel suit. But what else would one wear to a graduation? As far as she was concerned, every important occasion called for Chanel.

Ten years earlier, at the lowest point in her life, she never would have imagined a time when she felt like celebrating again. But thanks to recent widowhood and modern technology, she’d found a way to be in her granddaughter’s life. From afar.