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Back The Village Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘Then invite her over here next time. Let her do the running.’ Naomi winked. ‘It doesn’t do to be too keen.’

Morgan nodded. She couldn’t speak. All the emotions of the last few weeks had built up to a crescendo, and she didn’t trust herself not to cry.

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Naomi inhaled a deep breath, treading carefully around Morgan’s feelings. ‘I know you’ve had a tough time of it. The last few years have turned your life upside down. But we’ve got a chance here, to be something special. A real family.’

Morgan cleared her throat. ‘You don’t mean that. Not really. I’ve been awful to you.’

‘Water under the bridge.’ Naomi stared, unblinking, until Morgan met her gaze. ‘Look. My parents divorced when I was your age. It sucks. But you’re not being disloyal to your mum by staying with us. Things will get better . . . if you let them.’

‘I did something bad.’ Morgan’s words fell like stones into a shallow pond.

‘Whatever it is, we’ll face it together,’ Naomi said. ‘That’s what families do.’

‘Not my family.’ Morgan sulked. ‘They run for the hills.’

‘Not any more.’

Morgan looked into Naomi’s eyes and saw determination there. She meant it. But this would change everything. ‘You’ll hate me,’ she said, feeling suddenly afraid. The bond between them was so new and fragile, she didn’t want to lose it. ‘But I think I know who was in the woods.’

‘Talk to me,’ Naomi said. ‘I promise. I won’t turn my back on you.’

Morgan heaved a sigh. There was no going back now. She knew Naomi wouldn’t leave until she offloaded, and she didn’t want her father walking into this.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

‘Let me lock the doors first,’ Naomi said, as the windows rattled in their panes. The truth was, she had already locked them, but recent events had frightened her, and she wanted to check how far Ed had got on his journey home. As she slid into the corridor, she pulled up the Friend Finder app on her phone.

‘Dammit,’ she muttered, as the app refreshed. He was still in Scotland. She checked her texts. He was held up by road closures. There was no point in calling. She’d already filled him in on a sanitised version of the truth.

We’re fine, she texted. Don’t rush. I’ll keep a close eye on Morgan.

She didn’t wait for an answer before slipping her phone into her pocket. Her heart-to-heart with Morgan could not wait.

‘All safe and secure.’ Naomi smiled as she returned to the living room. It was a relief to be making some headway with her stepdaughter, but she couldn’t help feeling that danger wasn’t far away. ‘You said you know who was in the woods?’ Naomi sat across from her, watched her draw the duvet up to her chest.