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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

“Get your foot in again,” I said, trying not to panic. “You can do it.”

“Theresa. My god. What happened?”

I turned to see her looming over us. A lone, dangerous fox.

Kendra.

Her voice sounded sincere.

But I knew better now.

“Stay away from us,” I yelled. Lily had gotten both hands back on the iron bar again, but she couldn’t pull up.

Kendra was too close. Just a few steps and she could easily take care of both of us. Was that why she was here? To finish the job she tried to do thirteen years ago? We’d be the next tragic accident to hit Ivy Woods. Kendra had done it before, after all. And had gotten away with it. Why not again?

“Stop being ridiculous,” Kendra said. “I’m here to help.” She crouched, somehow completely nimble even in knee-high boots. “We can both yank her up.”

“We don’t need your help,” I said, focusing back on Lily. Her foot was kicking out, but every time she tried the bridge, it slipped. She wouldn’t be able to hang on much longer.

Kendra was beside me now, holding out an orange-gloved hand. She was near enough that I could see her wide, black pupils. “Here, Lily.” To me, she said, “You can trust me.”

Like hell I could.

She took one of Lily’s arms, and I had no choice but to take the other. At the same time, Lily caught her foot again. This time at a higher point, so she was able to thrust upward. Kendra hauled her up, and I clutched the back of her dress until she was on the platform.

We all moved to the center of the bridge and stood for a moment, catching our breaths. I couldn’t let go of Lily’s dress, worried if I did she might slip away forever.

I hugged her tight to me, feeling her body against mine. Above us, small gnats hovered in the sky, ghosts of their own kind. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” I whispered. It occurred to me how close I’d been to losing Lily, and my knees nearly gave out. “My girl.”

Lily pushed away, tears streaming down her face. “I’m not your girl. I’m not your anything. How could keep that from me? Did you think I’d never find out?”

“Lily...” I was acutely aware of Kendra behind us. But she didn’t seem like a threat right now, not after she’d just helped save Lily. And Lily was my priority right now. She’d always been the most important. I’d just done a terrible job of showing her that. “I wanted to tell you,” I whispered to my daughter. “I just didn’t know how. I love you so much. You have to know that. I’d do anything for you.”