The One & Only: A Novel (54 page)

I am so grateful to Stephen Lee, the most loyal publicist in the world. I can’t imagine this publishing journey without your friendship. Thanks, too, for the never-ending supply of peanut M&M’s.

To my editor, Jennifer Hershey: thank you for believing in me and elevating this story the way you did. Your notes nearly killed me, but you were right, and I’m so glad I trusted you.

Many thanks to my entire A-plus team at Random House, including Gina Centrello, Libby McGuire, Kim Hovey, Theresa Zoro, Susan Corcoran, Jennifer Garza, Sanyu Dillon, Debbie Aroff, Melissa Milsten, Cynthia Lasky, Scott Shannon, Loren Noveck, Susan Brown, Kate Childs, Joey McGarvey, Matt Schwartz, and Paolo Pepe.

Deep appreciation to my brilliant agent, Theresa Park, for the unwavering guidance, wisdom, and thoughtfulness—and to everyone at Park Literary, especially Emily Sweet, Abby Koons, and Pete Knapp. Thank you to Mollie Smith for being the consummate behind-the-scenes pro, and Rich Green for all your work to bring my stories to the big screen.

A few words to my friends at St. Martin’s Press, especially Jennifer Enderlin, John Murphy, and the late, great Matthew Shear: you remain in my heart, and I will forever be thankful for our decade and six books together.

I’m enormously grateful to three college coaches who are also among my dearest friends: Dave Odom, Jim Boeheim, and Billy Schmidt. I have loved your passionate, colorful, quirky world since I was a little girl, and although I changed basketball to football for this story, much of the dynamic is the same. Thank you for your generous insight into Coach Clive Carr. He had some big shoes to fill (but Coach O: he
still
walks around barefoot in his house).

Thank you to Jennifer New, Allyson Wenig Jacoutot, Doug Elgin, Lisa Ponder, Kate McDavid, Julie Portera, Jim Konrad, Kevin Garnett, Ralph Sampson, McGraw Milhaven, J.R. Moehringer, Michelle Fuller, Cameron Sherrill, Vahe Gregorian, and Bill and Kristina Giffin, for fielding various queries about this book or its cover.

Thanks also to Coach June Jones, Brad Sutton, and Herman Hudson for allowing me to soak up the atmosphere at SMU’s spring practice. (Go Ponies!)

On the home front, I am indebted to Kate Hardie and Martha Arias for their daily support and kindness—and to Jeff MacFarland for keeping me physically and mentally strong enough to meet every deadline along the way.

To all other family and friends: while you may not have contributed in tangible ways to this novel, I thank you for your love, moral support, and uplifting emojis.

And, finally, I thank Buddy Blaha for wearing so many hats, including football consultant, proofreader, short-order cook, workout partner, car-pool driver, homework checker, Little League coach, chicken caretaker, friend, husband, and father to our three beautiful children.

Edward, George, and Harriet: I love the chaos around here, most of it happy, none of it dull. Life with you sparkles.

Something Borrowed

Something Blue

Baby Proof

Love the One You’re With

Heart of the Matter

Where We Belong

E
MILY
G
IFFIN
is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full-time. The author of six
New York Times
bestselling novels,
Something Borrowed
,
Something Blue
,
Baby Proof
,
Love the One You’re With
,
Heart of the Matter
, and
Where We Belong
, she currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.

www.EmilyGiffin.com

Facebook.com/EmilyGiffinFans

@emilygiffin