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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

I stood up, brushing off my jeans, embarrassed that I’d fallen for the petty gossip. “Aw, thanks, guys.” We weren’t in high school—our kids were. “And you’re right. There’s amazing stuff here. I’m sure Lily will want some of it. Is it okay if I ask her what she needs before I lug it all over? It’s kind of supposed to be her thing.”

“No problem,” Alice said. “I can give you one of the extra keys, and you just come by whenever and grab it.”

“Here, take mine,” Kendra said, just as her phone started ringing. She frowned at the screen. “Hang on, I’ve got to get this.”

“Please make sure my littles haven’t broken any limbs,” Alice called as Kendra left the barn.

“Does Kendra ever stop?” I asked. “The poor woman is eternally busy, it seems.”

Alice waved a hand in dismissal. “Oh she’s always worn slap out around the party. It’s extra bad this year because it’s the last one before her youngest goes away to college. You know, like the end of an era.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way, Kendra as an empty-nester. “She’s so involved at Woodard, too. That will be weird for her.”

“I know, right? It’s like a million years away for me, so I can’t even.” Alice yanked another heavy box from a corner and started rifling through it.

“So, will you be taking over next year on the party? You know, like pass the baton?”

Alice paused. There was a smudge of dirt across her cheek that she tried to wipe away. “Are you messin’? No way. I’ve been here long enough to know that as long as Kendra lives in Ivy Woods, she’ll always be in charge.”

TEN

Kendra

Finally, a family dinner. Cole didn’t have swim practice. Paul had actually been home from work on time for a change. I had no fires to put out for my boss or urgent tasks for the party. And I hadn’t heard anything in days from Bettina or Alice about threatening messages. They had to have come to their senses and realized that Jackie’s lack of a social media presence didn’t mean she was on the lam and coming our way. I wasn’t even annoyed when Cole walked in with Ellen, who was dressed in camouflage boots, black leggings, and an oversize crocheted sweater.

“Your house is going to look great, Mrs. McCaul,” she said as we all sat down at the table. “Appropriately macabre.”