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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?

“When I left for the city last week, Tito told me that he’d never visit Manhattan,” Elodie said. “My first thought was, well, that’s the end of that. And I think he knew it, and we both thought there’s no way to compromise. But then, I was in Manhattan, and it didn’t mean anything without him. And maybe, while I was gone, he realized the same thing because he asked me to move in with him. It was a gesture, something to show me he’s all in. I don’t know if we’ll work or how, but it means a lot to me that he made the gesture. You need to show Jack.”

“How?” she’d said. But of course her sister couldn’t give her that answer. No one could.

Lidia busied herself slicing tomatoes on a cutting board.

Celeste sat in one of the chairs around the table. “Lidia, I would never ask you to be in the middle. That’s why I haven’t come over to talk to you before now. Before I wasn’t ready to tell Jack that I was wrong. I’m really sorry, Lidia. I know deep down Jack is traditional, and that he tried to forget that to accommodate me. But I’m ready to be his wife now. If he’ll accept me back.”

Lidia put down the knife, her eyes softer now. “Celeste, I love you like the sister I never had. And I want nothing more than to see you and Jack together in the way that Manny and I are. But you can’t get married to make someone else happy.”

“I know. That’s what I’ve struggled with. But truly, it’s what I want, too. It just took me some time to get here.”

“Well, then don’t waste any more time yapping here with me. Jack’s out back helping Manny set up the bar.”

Celeste nodded, feeling buoyed by the conversation. One down, one to go. She stood to leave.

“Just one more thing,” Lidia said. “I hope everything goes great. I hope we’re all laughing about all this over drinks tonight. But just in case it doesn’t . . . I think it’s best if you leave. It’s Jack’s birthday and I don’t want anything to spoil the day.”

“Of course,” Celeste said, swallowing hard.

Outside the house, neither Manny nor Jack noticed her approach. They weren’t, as Lidia had suggested, attending to the bar. Instead, they were at the edge of the dock with Jack tying a rope on the back of a skiff.