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?

The man frowned. “I don’t do Truro or Eastham or Wellfleet. Just Provincetown.”

“Yes, that’s where I’m looking.”

The man laughed. “Listen, gorgeous, I know I have a reputation as a miracle worker, but I don’t have a time machine. Hello—it’s June!”

All Elodie heard was the word “gorgeous.” No one had ever called her gorgeous in her life. She’d read once that the light in Provincetown was special. Maybe that was true.

“I’m willing to go beyond the asking price. I’ll make it worth their while,” she said.

“I’m renting for next summer. Why don’t we plan ahead for you, hmm?”

“Mr. Henry, I have no intention of being here next summer. I simply have some business to attend to and need a rental for a few weeks.”

“Where are you staying now?”

“I have a room at the boatyard.”

He nodded. “Manny and Lidia’s place. Sweetheart, I suggest you stay there.” He handed her a business card. “If you change your mind about next summer, you know where to find me.”

This was ridiculous. Elodie walked back outside in a huff.

Her phone rang. It was Sloan Pierce.

“Sloan, I was just thinking about you,” she said, stomach tightening.

“I don’t mean to push but . . .”

Elodie felt a flash of anger. How could her parents have put her in this position?

“Working on it. Just a few bureaucratic loose ends. Just keep the ball rolling on your end and I’ll do the same.”

“Elodie, I am extremely excited to get to work on this. We all are. But we do need the legal formalities out of the way. Do you want to come to the office sometime next week to finalize the contract?”

“Actually, I’m on Cape Cod at the moment.” Across the street, a woman with a curtain of blond hair blowing in the breeze caught her attention. “Provincetown. Quite a distance.”

Was that Gemma? So she’d come to town after all.

“Sloan, I have to call you back.”

On her walk back to Celeste’s, Gemma stopped in front of a store called Ball Beachwear, the windows dressed with bathing suits for men and women and two dresses in a 1950s silhouette, a white one with a cherry pattern and the other blue polka dot. She wondered what it would be like to simply be in town on vacation, hitting the beach and having drinks with friends.

She checked her phone to find the departure time for the afternoon ferry.

“Gemma?”

She looked up to find her aunt Elodie crossing the street, dodging a bike soaring against traffic.

What was she doing here? Had she mentioned in her phone call that she was in town? No, she hadn’t. Gemma would have remembered. It would have made her think twice about heading out here herself.