BooksBarbecue
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

There had been shame in it. I knew what we were doing was wrong. But I didn’t really understand how wrong then. It seemed exotic—like living the part of a movie where love conquered all. Like playing with fire. A pretty little secret I could twirl around and hold in the palm of my hand. A thrill of the forbidden.

If I hadn’t inserted myself into their lives, would Ellen have grown up with a mother? Would Jackie have stayed in Ivy Woods?

“Where is your ex-wife now?” I sipped my coffee.

“New York, last I heard,” he said. “Last time I talked to her, she made one of those half-hearted attempts and said she wanted Ellen to stay with her for a while. Or come here to visit. I have no idea if she’ll actually follow through, so I haven’t said anything to Ellen, but who knows?”

I imagined reporting that news to Kendra. It didn’t sound like Jackie was reliable, but what if this time was different? What if she really was trying to make amends? What if Kendra reached out, convinced her to come back? Two moms, both with graduating seniors. Planning events, growing closer again...

I felt my chest tighten, but tried not to show my anxiety. “Maybe she’s having regrets?” I asked. “About leaving?”

Greg shrugged. “It’s possible.” He took a sip of his drink and, satisfied with the sweetness, pushed the plastic top back on. “I’m not holding my breath, though. Jacqueline always seemed to love Ivy Woods, to love being a mother, but then she ran away from it. Like she runs away from everything. She enjoys the mirage of the high life. In New York, she sponges off people, stays with friends, borrows money. She hasn’t had a home address in years.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t dump all this on you.”

The coffees steamed curlicues in the air between us. I reached across and squeezed his wrist. “Ellen seems to be doing well without—I mean, you’ve done a really good job with her, Greg.”

“Thanks.” He sat back in his chair. “As you know, it’s not easy. God, that was a tough time,” he murmured. “First you, then Jackie. Like two bullet wounds. Bam bam.”

“But you broke up with me,” I said, then wished I hadn’t. It made me sound like I wasn’t over him, when I was.

“Ah, I did,” he agreed. “It was the only way I could think to try to save my marriage, Theresa. For Ellen’s sake. Clearly, it didn’t work.”

Wow. I’d known they’d broken up soon after we’d ended our affair, but I hadn’t realized Jackie had left town then, too.