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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

“Look,” Greg continued. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. We go way back, right? You did me a favor once, and now I’ve done you one. This is what old friends do.”

The way he said it—a favor. As though I’d let him borrow a book or picked up his dry cleaning. As though our past hadn’t stamped its mark on us, changing us forever.

“It’s not just the job, Greg.” I felt the frustration boiling inside me. “Adam doesn’t know about any of that either. Neither does Lily.” I stared hard at him, hoping it would sink in without me having to say the words out loud. “And they never can.”

SEVENTEEN

Kendra

I loved Bettina. I did. But she spoiled the shit out of her daughter.

Sloane’s birthday parties were always grand affairs. The child had an airbrushed Peter Rabbit smash cake when she turned one. When Sloane was in fifth grade, Bettina rented a pony to prance around the yard giving rides to the kids. Next year, when Sloane was old enough to drive, I was sure we’d all be gasping with faux surprise at a zippy Volkswagen Jetta with a big red bow affixed to the hood.

Alice and I strolled into their backyard for this year’s festivities. As Alice’s kids ran out, on the hunt for things to destroy, we spotted Bettina attempting to tape down an unruly tablecloth. Sloane’s friends offered dismissive looks and checked their phones. I had a massive headache that I was hoping wouldn’t tip into a migraine. I should’ve skipped this whole affair, but here we were.

We said happy birthday to Sloane, gave her our gift cards. She was wearing fur-lined knee-high boots and a cowboy hat with a dress that was so short I wouldn’t have let her out of the house.

“I’m so glad I had boys,” I muttered as we approached the food table, where Bettina had set out a buffet of sugar. Pumpkin-shaped cupcakes, candy corn cookies, and a giant sheet cake with a picture of Sloane twirling a baton in the middle.

“Tell me about it,” Alice said. “Poor Greta’s going to have a rough time. You remember that ruthless Connor girl, what a little bitch she was.” Alice bit off the word bitch with distaste—she hated cursing, but any threat to her kids riled her up. “And now there’s a girl in her day camp passing her notes saying her teeth look like horse teeth. I swear to sweet Jesus I’m going to tear her dirty hair out of her head before it’s all over.”

Alice snagged a handful of caramel popcorn. “But while we’re on the subject of notes,” she said, “I’m glad you were right, Kendra. I haven’t gotten any other messages.”