AS ALWAYS, A big thank-you to my husband for dealing with my crazy. I get extremely involved in my characters’ world, and I love that even though he looks at me like I’m insane, he takes the time to listen and ask about what I’m writing. Love you, babe!
Thank you to the girls of Book Broads! This book is dedicated to you, because without you, I would have never had the courage to write Chase’s story. I understand this is a difficult story for many. Trust me, it was difficult for me, too. But the Book Broads helped me realize that even though we all miss Chase something fierce, we still needed more of him, and he deserved to be heard.
VERY big thank-you to my amazing editor, Tessa Woodward from HarperCollins; and to my incredible agent, Kevan Lyon from Marsal Lyon Literacy Agency. You ladies are incredible, and I don’t know what I’d do without y’all!
Amanda Stone, not only are you my best friend, I don’t know what I would do without you being my slave driver and always getting on me to actually write this book. It’s one thing to ignore the shiny place, better known as Facebook; it’s another entirely to sit on the phone with you for five hours talking about everything and nothing and being silent as we write. Love you, Sef!
Kelly Elliott . . . I swear where would I be without our weekly lunches? Probably going insane in a corner of my office! I love you and am so thankful for your friendship and our weekly vents!
Thank you to my BRGs: Colleen, Kim, and Lisa. Y’all helped me more than you could imagine by giving me an escape, and, Colleen, everyone reading this book has you to thank for giving me the drive to write the shower scene!
A.L. Jackson—a massive thank you to you for starting our writing sprints! Those first three were what got me to finish this book, so thank you, I love you BIG, BB!
To all the bloggers, friends and amazing readers who have helped with the cover reveal and sharing teasers and pictures, THANK YOU! I love y’all so much!
Keep reading for more fabulous stories from Molly McAdams.
FORGIVING LIES
1
Rachel
“CANDICE, YOU NEED to focus. You have got to pass this final or they aren’t letting you coach this summer.”
She snorted and her eyes went wide as she leaned even closer to the mirror and tried to re-create her snort. “Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell me how ugly I look when I do that!?”
I face planted into the pillow and mumbled, “Oh dear Lord this isn’t happening.” Lifting my head slightly, I sent her an unimpressive glare. “Snorts aren’t meant to be cute. Otherwise they wouldn’t be called something as awkward as ‘snort’.”
“But my–”
“Final, Candice. You need to study for your final.”
“I’m waiting on you.” She said in a singsong voice. “You’re supposed to be quizzing me.”
I loved Candice. I really did. Even though I currently wanted to wring her neck. She wasn’t just my best friend; she was like a sister to me and was the closest thing to family I had left. On the first day of kindergarten, a boy with glasses pushed me down on the playground. While he was still laughing at me, Candice grabbed his glasses and smashed them on the ground. That’s playground love. And since that day we’ve never spent more than a handful of days apart.
By the time we started thinking about college, it was just assumed we would go away together. But then my parents died just before my senior year of high school started; and nothing seemed to matter anymore. They had gone on a weekend getaway with two partners from my dad’s law firm and their wives, and were on their way home when the company jet had engine failure and went down near Shaver Lake.
Candice’s family took me in without a second thought since the only relatives I had lived across the country and I hardly knew them; if it weren’t for them I don’t know how I would have made it through that time. They made sure I continued going to school, kept my grades up and attempted to live as normal of a life as possible. I no longer cared about graduating or going away to college, but because of them, I followed through with my plans of getting away and making my own life. I would forever be grateful for the Jenkins family.
I applied to every college Candice did and let her decide where we were going. She’s been a cheerleader for as long as I can remember, so it shouldn’t have surprised me when she decided on a university based on the football team and school spirit. And granted, she was given an amazing scholarship. But, Texas? Really? She chose the University of Texas at Austin and started buying everything she found in that God-awful burnt orange color. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be a “longhorn” but whatever got me away from my hometown was fine by me . . . and I guess Austin was that place.