Read Online Mom's the Word by Marilynn Griffith - Free Book Online Page B

that man. He’s kind of fine in his way, don’t you think?”
    Yuck. “I don’t think. Just cut to the chase. Am I fired?”
    Fallon stretched and yawned. “Naw, Dee. Heather is. Poor thing. I tried to save her, but she got all snotty with Steve and well, you know the rest. As for us, we’re good to go with an added ten grand for the tour budget. That spot we did on Gospel Broadcasting last week has broken us into the inspirational sector. Evidently, the first print run is almost gone. He thinks you’re a genius and said to tell you so.”
    It was Dyanne’s turn to sit down. The TV spot on Gospel Broadcasting Network had been a fluke more than anything. She was trying to build up her contacts in preparation for rolling out the Christian line and a friend of a friend of a friend from college had turned out to be the network director. Dyanne had been shocked to hear the woman’s voice on the line, since she’d been one of the students adamantly against “the white man’s religion” in college.
    â€œMe, a Christian. Can you believe it? I tell everybody from back in the day that God has a sense of humor. He delights in turning big mouths like I was into believers,” the woman had said before offering a slot on an upcoming show on woman’s issues.
    With no one else available at the time, she’d offered up Fallon Gray as a guest, thinking she’d be rejected, but her pseudo friend had been delighted. “Oooh, I love her! Though she doesn’t say it, everything she writes comes straight from the Word. I’d love to have her on and let her discuss her faith more openly.”
    Dyanne had tried to explain that there might not be much faith to discuss, but Fallon had done the date and proved her wrong again. Not only had Fallon kept up with the host’s Bible references down to the chapter and verse, she’d ended the segment with an a cappella rendition of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” that had brought the house down, leaving even the cameraman in tears.
    Though everyone who watched seemed to have been amazed, Dyanne was a little annoyed about the whole thing. While it was great for Fallon to get such attention, the media exposure meant nothing since it was outside of the brand Dyanne had worked so hard to create.
    How many of the educated, professional women in Fallon’s reader base were up watching some Christian show out of the Midwest? Though she’d been glad for the favor from her old friend, she didn’t want to confuse or even offend the readers who kept Fallon on the bestseller lists. This kind of thing could be done, but it had to be planned strategically. Or so Dyanne had thought.
    â€œDid you say that the first print run is almost sold out? But the book just came out what, a week ago.”
    â€œUh-huh. A hundred thousand copies so far, I think.” Fallon was up now and heading for the kitchen. Despite her girth, she ate only raw foods and walked several miles a day. She said it was all the nuts she ate that kept her fat and that no man she’d known had ever minded.
    â€œSexy is all in your mind,” Fallon always said in her books and speaking engagements. The women clapped, but like Dyanne, none of them really believed it. But looking at Fallon now, with no hair and only a little gold lipstick, Dyanne didn’t know what to think except that this woman who so often drove her crazy had a beauty that didn’t make sense.
    Fallon pulled out a giant Vita-Mix blender from her bag and went straight for the spinach and mangoes she knew Neal kept on hand. That was how Fallon had first taken a liking to Neal. He had a mango in his cooler at a hot book signing in Dallas. Fallon had turned real slow to him and lifted her sunglasses at the sight of the fruit, saying, “Oh, I see, Dee Dee. You got you one of those sweet juicy brothers. Not every man can handle a mango, but I’ve never met a mango