Watching You: KJ Elite Inc. by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

know.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
    I woke to the sound of my cell phone blaring Brantley Gilbert’s, ‘More than miles in my rearview’. Reaching over to the clutch, eyes still closed, I retrieve the phone and pick up. “Hello?”
    “Good morning baby! How are you?” My mama's sweet and smooth as honey, southern twang hits my ears and I feel at total peace despite the recent goings on.
    “Mama, what time is it?” I glance at the clock.
    “For me or you?” She said, far too happy for whatever hour of the day it would be. Unless it was happy hour. I was always really happy during any happy hour. Too bad mama didn't drink.
    “Me.”
    “5 AM.” She said pointedly, making it 4 AM for her. Oh, sweet baby Jesus.
    “Mama, you are my heart and soul but do you know that not everyone in the world is up with the roosters when you are?” Sleeping in was the first indulgence I allowed myself when I left the farm.
    My mother simply laughed and began divulging all the family and town gossip she had been collecting over the week since our last call. I fought desperately to stay awake while she did so. Once mama got started, it was best not to stop her.
    “Vicky!” A loud, rushed voice called out to her as if running in the room at that instant.
    “I’m on the phone Cyn, what is it?” Despite her attempt at annoyance, mama and Mrs. Cynde were like sisters and family just the same to us all. She also happened to be the neighbor, one of mama’s best friend since childhood, our godmama and unknowingly so...my mother in law. Yeah.
    “Turn on your computer! Look at this!” She said just a little shakily as if she had run all the way over from her house. I could still imagine her with her brown, bobbed hair, soothing brown eyes and always with that apron on. Cynde was major on the arts and crafts and her horses. If she didn’t have her apron on with some sort of project’s proof on the front of it, she was trying to ride in her spare time, doing what the men would allow on the farm.
    “Oh my goodness! Our little girl is famous!”
    “What is going on?” I grumbled, rolling over and putting a pillow over my head.
    “You’re on the front page of almost every magazine and gossip website!”
    “Don’t joke with me mama.” Panic struck me in my heart. I froze and felt the blood in my veins turn to ice as I sat straight up in bed. Welp, that did it. I was certainly awake now, no mistaking.
    “You are wearing the most breathtaking dress I have ever seen. You could have done with a sash or a little more over your special goods, but you still look so pretty baby.” Mama beamed through the phone line.
    “Is that Tay? Ooh, tell her I love her and am so proud of her! I miss that little chicken something fierce!”
    “She can hear you Cyn. You aren’t exactly the quietest woman in all of the southern region.”
    “Hi baby, we love you! All of us!”
    I wasn’t quite hung-over enough, unfortunately, that I didn’t catch the insinuation behind her emphasized ‘all’. It was an unspoken rule that we simply didn’t talk about Tommy or me and Tommy. Though mama was used to getting her way, after a few months’ time she would ‘accidentally’ let some news slip on him, then apologize profusely. She’d say, “Well, he is just as important to me as you are, it was an accident baby, I’m sorry! It won’t happen again, no, no, it won’t happen again.” I came to know that was a fib after about the fifth time it happened. Thankfully she hadn’t done it in a while; longest time she’s gone since doing it but I wasn’t going to go asking now. No, now I was a little more concerned with what she and Cynde were arguing over in the background.
    “Can we get back to why exactly I am on the cover? I wasn’t recognized or do anything for that matter.” I grumble and throw my forehead into my free palm, resting my elbow on my knee. Couldn’t just one thing go my way, just once?
    “Well, it