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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?

Celeste smiled at her, feeling bad for only thinking of herself. “I’m glad you two are happy. It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.”

Alvie thanked her for understanding and scampered back out to the sales floor. Celeste sighed, reaching for her phone to send off a text to Jack when her computer pinged with an incoming email. Another customer inquiry could wait. But a quick glance told her this one wasn’t from a customer. It was from her niece, Gemma Maybrook.

Alvie and the store were immediately forgotten.

16

Elodie awoke to Pearl’s wet kiss, sun streaming through the flimsy curtains. Disoriented, she wondered if her dog walker was on the way and then realized with a start that she was still on Cape Cod, not Park Avenue. She was the dog walker.

She sat up quickly, checking the time. It was seven in the morning.

“Up we go,” she said, pulling a button-down shirt over her pajamas and slipping into a pair of Tory Burch ballerina flats. She pushed back her hair with a headband and picked up Pearl. The solidness of her little dog body never failed to make Elodie smile. So much spirit packed into that compact corporeal form.

She carried Pearl down the hall, down the stairs, and outside to the deck, where she knelt to fasten the leash. Behind her, the screen door opened and she turned to find the man who’d been working in the boat rental booth the day before.

“What are you doing here?” she said.

He broke into a wide grin. “I live here,” he said. “At least, for the summer I do. Tito Barros. Pleasure to meet you. I assume the room worked out?”

“Uh, yes. It did. Thank you.”

Pearl barked and only then did Elodie notice a dog by the man’s feet. Another black pug.

“And who’s this?” Tito said, reaching out to rub Pearl’s head.

“This is Pearl. And yours?”

“Bart,” he said. “I’m taking him to the beach. You’re welcome to join us.”

“I’m just walking her,” Elodie said.

“All the dog parents around here go to the beach at the West End Parking Lot just down the way. Come along.”

Well, why not? It was a beautiful day out, and the beach would probably be a great place to find someone she could hire to do this work for her.

Elodie followed Tito down Commercial, cyclists whirring by in both directions. Couples strolled past holding takeout coffee and eating pastries out of paper bags.

They passed a gated Coast Guard station before the street curved even farther left toward the water. On this end of Commercial, the shops gave way to classic Cape Cod houses lining both sides of the street. The lawns were lush with green grass and colorful hydrangea bushes. A few front yards had a more untamed aesthetic with thickets of wildflowers.

“So what brings you to P’town?” Tito said.