The Barros boatyard was strung with twinkling lights and filled with dozens of friendly faces. Jack and Manny stood in front of one buffet table, drinking bottles of Red Stripe.
Gemma felt awkward, considering what was going on between Jack and Celeste. But he’d been so kind to her since day one. Of course she would celebrate his birthday.
“Happy birthday,” Gemma said, giving him a hug.
They smiled at each other but fell into a silence that she was able to break only when she noticed Clifford Henry waving at her wildly, his arm linked with that of an attractive younger man. The younger man was talking to a familiar woman: She was in her sixties, extremely thin with silvery blond hair in a knot at the back of her neck. Gemma noticed she wore a yellow gold Pavlin tank watch.
“Clifford’s calling me over,” she said, excusing herself.
The music changed, switching decades from Spice Girls to Phil Collins, “In the Air Tonight.” She grabbed a glass of red sangria from the bar.
“Gemma,” Clifford said. “This is my husband, Santiago.”
Santiago smiled at her with beautiful big brown eyes that gave her a pang, reminding her of Sanjay.
Clifford leaned forward conspiratorially. “Such a shame about Celeste and Jack. But then, marriage isn’t for everyone.” He turned to the woman beside Santiago.
“And this lovely lady is Susan Harrison,” Clifford said. “She rented out Maud’s jewel of a house on the West End for the summer.”
Gemma blinked, suddenly feeling overheated. Connor’s place.
“Are you . . . related to Connor Harrison?” she said.
The woman gave a small laugh. “I’m his mother.” She narrowed her eyes. “Have we met?”
Gemma realized why she recognized her. “I saw you once in his gallery.”
“His gallery? You mean my gallery.” She rolled her eyes and gave a wink to Clifford. “Though I’m done with that money pit. Another failed venture courtesy of my son. Are you an artist?” Susan Harrison asked.
Gemma reached up and reflexively touched her charm necklace. She felt a hand on her arm and turned to find Elodie.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Elodie said. “May I speak with you for a moment?” Elodie was dressed more casually than she’d ever seen her, in a khaki dress and wedges in red canvas that tied around her ankles. Her only jewelry was pearl earrings.
“What’s up?” Gemma said, looking around. “Have you seen Celeste today? She was gone from the house when I woke up this morning and I haven’t spoken to her.”
“Well, you’re not going to find her here, unfortunately. A little birdie told me her conversation with Jack didn’t go very well.”
Gemma closed her eyes. She felt awful for her aunt. She knew what it was like to make a mistake and not be forgiven. If she suffered this much after losing Sanjay after just a few months together, she couldn’t imagine what it was like for Celeste after decades with Jack.
“I can’t believe Jack won’t forgive her.”
Elodie crossed her arms. “Well, I suppose forgiveness is complicated. Can you forgive?”
Gemma sipped her drink. “I don’t think this is the time and place to get into all that, Elodie.”
“I’m not asking for myself. I’m asking because I want you to really consider my offer to work at Pavlin & Co. I would hate to see you turn it down because of things that happened in the past. I know that your mother—and my mother, for that matter—wouldn’t want that.”
Gemma felt a lump in her throat. Of course she’d thought about the job offer. She’d thought about little else all day. And she believed Elodie was right: Her mother wouldn’t want her to walk away from it just because it had taken this long for the Pavlins to welcome her back. But she also knew she couldn’t accept for her mother. She’d spent too much time looking back.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I appreciate the offer. I really do. I just need some time.”
Gemma smiled at her aunt. As she surveyed the crowd, she saw Maud and Alvie a few feet away, posing for a photographer.
And the photographer was Sanjay. Her first thought was, This sangria is so strong I’m hallucinating.
The music changed again, to the hypnotic slow burn of the song “Delilah” by Florence + The Machine. And then Sanjay looked up and their eyes locked. Gemma’s chest constricted.
“Excuse me,” she murmured, drifting away from Elodie. Each step felt like it was happening in slow motion, through water.
“Hey,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
He started to say something about Maud but then looked past her. It took a second for her to realize everyone was gazing in the same direction, looking back toward the Barros house. She turned to see what everyone was staring at.
And saw Celeste walking into the party in her wedding gown.