The Charming Storm Chaser - Page 4

She sighs. “That was years ago, Cami. It’s ancient history. You have to stop assuming every guy is a commitment phobic spear fisherman who’s content to live alone on a boat in the middle of the ocean.”

I can’t help but giggle. “But so many men are.”

She rolls her eyes. “Besides, if Bobby hadn’t broken up with you, you’d have gone insane in a month. There’s no way you could have handled the isolation of living on a boat. Plus—” she starts, picking up her fork for another bite “—you hate seafood.”

I nod in agreement. Bobby and I couldn’t have been more wrong for each other, but that didn’t stop me from falling head over heels in love with him. “Kane is famous for being a commitment phobe, though,” I point out.

He’s rich, famous, goodlooking, and a daredevil, so he’s been a mainstay in magazines and tabloids for years. Everyone knows his reputation for breaking hearts. Not even my optimistic best friend can deny that.

Jae chomps on a piece of bacon. “I bet Kane Charming isn’t as charming as people think,” she says thoughtfully. “They probably just call him that because of his name.”

“Right?” But somehow, I know that’s not the case. As soon as I got the job, I started watching his YouTube channel. Originally, I was just watching for research purposes. But I quickly found myself drawn to Kane, skipping over any videos that were submitted by other scientists and storm chasers to view his exclusively. The way his face lights up when he talks about storms—it’s fucking beautiful.

“Right,” Jae confirms.

“Right,” I repeat once more, trying to convince myself. “Plus, I’m a strong woman. Even if he does hit on me, I can say no.” So what if he’s the type of guy that’s usually like catnip to me?

And who’s to say he’ll be attracted to me at all? Especially if I make every effort to not look my best.

It’s worth a shot to protect my heart.

With a satisfied nod, I lean across the table to steal a bite of Jae’s pancakes.

She smacks my hand away and wields her fork like a weapon. “See what I mean? You crave danger.”

Chapter 3

Kane

My phone rings and I grin when I see the face on the screen. I punch the button to answer the call. “How are things in Mercury Ridge?”

“Things are great, man,” Oz Metzer says in a contented voice. “The baby is sleeping through the night now, and Marjorie’s campaign for mayor is going well. Thank you for your generous donation, by the way. I know the mayor of small-town Mercury Ridge doesn’t affect you in the slightest.”

“That’s not true,” I argue. “You know the saying ‘a happy wife equals a happy life?’ You and Colby are my biggest content providers, so I need you both to have very happy lives.”

Oz laughs. “To be fair, Fergus and Nate get most of the footage these days. Colby and I are doing very little storm chasing now, despite being the co-owners of the business.”

I smile, thinking of how Colby and Oz were the toughest sons of bitches I ever knew—until they got married. “Fine,” I concede, “Mercury Ridge Storm Chasing Tours is my biggest content provider, whether the storm footage is coming from you or one of your employees. And actually, I need a favor—for which I’ll pay you handsomely.”

“Favors are usually done for free,” he points out.

“True, but I have the money to pay my friends for their help.” I quickly explain that I’ll be shooting the TV show for the next two weeks and will need someone to take care of the YouTube channel in my absence. Since the best footage comes from my friends in Mercury Ridge, it makes sense for them to take control of the reins. “So, what do you say?”

“I’ll need to run it past Colby, but I’m sure we can handle that.”

After a few more minutes of chitchat, we end the call. Then I punch in Lil’s number.

She answers after the second ring. “I have Governor Sorosiack on the other line.”

I chuckle. “You put the governor of Indiana on hold to talk to me?”

“Of course,” she says without hesitation, and my chest swells with emotion for my little sister. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” I admit. “I just wanted to hear your voice. The TV show begins filming tomorrow and I’m kind of nervous.”

“Really? You’re no stranger to the spotlight.”

“I know, but this is different.” I swallow, hating myself for what I’m about to say. “The TV show will have a broader audience than my podcast.”