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FORTY-NINE

SIX MONTHS LATER

The whistle echoes through the gymnasium, urging everyone to stop. The girls lean forward, eager for a break.

“You all have to get in shape before the season starts,” I tell them, but they can do little more than try to catch their breaths.

“Should we have them run sprints again?” Coach Reynolds asks me, ready to blow on his own whistle. The girls look terrified at the idea.

“We’ll do a few more drills,” I say, looking back at them, “but if I see any more lazy shots, you’ll all be running.”

They nod, gratefully, and get back into position. I check the time on my watch.

“Get on out of here,” Reynolds says, watching me. “I can finish up practice.”

“Are you sure?”

He nods. “We still on for dinner tonight?”

I feel my cheeks turning red. “I’ll be there.”

He shoots me a mischievous smile before blowing his whistle, restarting the practice. Over the past few months, our friendship has shifted into something more romantic. I needed time, after everything that happened with Connor and Joanna. Instead of getting married last summer, I spent the break focusing on myself, but now I’m ready to see how things with Reynolds play out.

I walk out to the near-empty parking lot. We’re the only ones still at school this late in the day. In a few weeks’ time, this same lot will be packed with vehicles, people arriving to see if this year’s team can take another championship. This new group of girls isn’t as talented as the last, but grit and hard work can make up for anything.

After everything that happened with Evie, I was fearful about losing my job. Instead, it was Mr. Lake who decided to step down. Once the truth came out—the other teammates bullying Evie with no repercussions, the fact they’d been messaging a Manning Academy employee online—he decided it was easier to walk away than fight the firestorm.

Coach Reynolds took his place as athletic director. Not only was he adamant about keeping me as head coach, but he even decided to work as my assistant. We make good partners, in more ways than one.

As I enter my old neighborhood, I drive past the street leading to Evie’s house. I don’t usually stay in touch with students after they get promoted to high school, but Evie is an exception. Our experience last spring in Melinda Terry’s basement brought us even closer together.

I’m not the only safe adult in her life. After hearing everything Nadia did to help me find Evie, Crystal changed her mind about allowing her in their lives. Evie now takes full advantage of having an aunt she can go to for guidance, and I think this new relationship does as much good for her as it does for Nadia.

Nadia. Her name pops up on the screen signaling an incoming call. When I answer, there’s noise in the background.

“Are you still at work?” I ask her.

“On a break,” she says, the commotion in the background only getting louder. Gone are the days of conning and stealing. She’s working at one of the most popular restaurants in town, until she decides what she wants to do next. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous.” My hands are shaking so much I squeeze them between my knees to keep them still. “I still don’t know what to say. This could be an awful mistake.”

“Just take it easy,” she says. “You’re not the only one who feels that way.”

I shake my head, trying to calm myself. “And you’re sure this is the right address?”

“Yes.” She pauses. “Everything is going to be fine, but I’m here if you need me.”

When I hang up, I exhale shakily, staring at the house in front of me. It’s not the one I grew up in, but it looks the same. Small and outdated, although I can tell the lawn is kept up, and there’s even a seasonal sign hanging on the front door. When I finally work up the nerve to get out of my car, I walk straight to it and knock.

I’ve taken ownership for my own mistakes and realize it’s time I let others do the same. Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to start at the beginning. It’s time that I ask for forgiveness for what Nadia and I did all those years ago.

A man with a hunched back and slight limp opens the door. He’s wearing a plaid shirt tucked into blue jeans, and there’s a smattering of age spots climbing his neck and face. At first he looks at me with confusion, then tears fill his eyes.

“Hi, Dad,” I say, as he pulls me in for an embrace.

* * *

If you couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out why Evie had vanished, you won’t want to miss Not My Mother , Miranda Smith’s gripping bestseller! What if the person you trust most in the world is lying to you? Marion will face this terrible dilemma when the police come to arrest her mother…

Get it here or keep reading for an exclusive extract.