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Back The Mother Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Author
  5. HALLOWEEN
  6. Seven Weeks Before Halloween
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. HALLOWEEN
  11. Six Weeks Before Halloween
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. HALLOWEEN
  16. Five Weeks Before Halloween
  17. SEVEN
  18. EIGHT
  19. HALLOWEEN
  20. NINE
  21. TEN
  22. HALLOWEEN
  23. ELEVEN
  24. TWELVE
  25. Twenty-Five Days Until Halloween
  26. THIRTEEN
  27. FOURTEEN
  28. HALLOWEEN
  29. FIFTEEN
  30. SIXTEEN
  31. SEVENTEEN
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. NINETEEN
  34. TWENTY
  35. HALLOWEEN
  36. Eighteen Days Until Halloween
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. TWENTY-TWO
  39. HALLOWEEN
  40. TWENTY-THREE
  41. TWENTY-FOUR
  42. Eleven Days Until Halloween
  43. TWENTY-FIVE
  44. TWENTY-SIX
  45. Eight Days Until Halloween
  46. TWENTY-SEVEN
  47. TWENTY-EIGHT
  48. TWENTY-NINE
  49. HALLOWEEN
  50. THIRTY
  51. Four Days Until Halloween
  52. THIRTY-ONE
  53. HALLOWEEN
  54. THIRTY-TWO
  55. Two Days Until Halloween
  56. THIRTY-THREE
  57. The Night Before Halloween
  58. THIRTY-FOUR
  59. HALLOWEEN
  60. THIRTY-FIVE
  61. Halloween, Present Day
  62. THIRTY-SIX
  63. THIRTY-SEVEN
  64. HALLOWEEN
  65. THIRTY-EIGHT
  66. HALLOWEEN
  67. THIRTY-NINE
  68. HALLOWEEN
  69. FORTY
  70. HALLOWEEN
  71. FORTY-ONE
  72. FORTY-TWO
  73. FORTY-THREE
  74. FORTY-FOUR
  75. HALLOWEEN... NOW
  76. FORTY-FIVE
  77. Seven Months Later
  78. FORTY-SIX
  79. FORTY-SEVEN
  80. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  81. ALICE SWANSON’S
  82. Reader's Guide
  83. Questions for Discussion
  84. Booklist

“About your story,” I said quickly. “Listen, I really would prefer you not use any images of our house. It’s just—with Adam being the principal and all, well, we’ve decided we don’t want to be part of it.”

A pause. “Well, Theresa. Unfortunately, we’ve already edited the segment. I can’t change it at this point. You did give your consent for us to film.”

I got up from behind my desk, walked the length of my office and back, thinking furiously. Out my window, an orange fox was slinking across the street in broad daylight, tail raised proudly.

Be a bitch, Theresa. Pretend you have power.

“I’m sure you can understand our dilemma,” I said firmly. “You do something you regret. Like, you know, when Bo got into that little fight with Cole McCaul at school recently?” Taunting, Adam had technically said. And he wasn’t supposed to talk about discipline issues, but I could’ve heard it from Kendra. I needed the leverage. “I’m sure he wouldn’t want that on his record and endanger his status on the swim team, right?”

If I didn’t get myself out of that story, I was done for with the Ivies. They’d think I betrayed them.

“Anyway,” I continued. “I’m sure you have other B-roll you can use. It would really be in everyone’s best interests if you could swap that out.”

The second pause was even worse than the first. I thought I’d gotten cut off. Then Maggie spoke, her voice even brisker than before. “I’m sorry, Theresa. The story’s done. And you don’t have to worry about Bo. He’ll be just fine.”

She hung up.

I collapsed at my desk. I’d gone too far. Screwed up royally. It was dumb enough to lie about Jackie—but now, how was I going to explain the story? When it aired, what would the Ivies think? I’d only seen them at Full Moon, though I suspected that party prep would switch into high gear over the next few days and I wouldn’t be able to avoid them for much longer. I’d just have to be honest—that I’d talked to Maggie before I knew they didn’t want a story. That I’d gotten confused when they asked if I knew her—maybe less honest. But they’d understand. I’d make them understand.

The front door opened. Adam was hanging his coat in the closet as I came down.

When he leaned in and kissed me, he smelled like pine. “Guess what?” he said. “That fox is still burrowing under our porch.”

“I just saw it run across the yard,” I said. “Maybe it’s looking for a home for winter.”