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.”
YouTube has made me a millionaire several times over, but in the back of my mind, I can imagine Miranda sneering at my success. Whenever I doubt myself, her words echo through my mind. You’re just trailer trash… trailer trash… trailer trash. Sometimes, my brain twists her words, and I hear her say, “You’re just a YouTuber."
Lil sighs, seeing right through me. “Is this about the rich bitch? It’s been nearly two decades, Kane. For the love of God, stop trying to impress her. You’re rich, famous, and still have your looks—unlike her. You’ve won!”
A grin stretches across my face. I love when Lil’s catty about Miranda. But I also know she’s lying. Miranda married a wealthy businessman and is still as beautiful as ever.
“Are you calling me a rich bitch?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.
“Hmm,” she says thoughtfully. Leave it to Lil to take the question seriously. “You’re rich, but you’re not a bitch.”
I laugh. “Thanks, sis.”
She sighs. “I’d better go. The governor has a million stupid questions about wind turbines. Can you believe he asked if there are any studies linking wind energy to hair loss? How do these fools keep winning elections?”
My face splits into a grin. The irony isn’t lost on me that we’re both obsessed with wind. Lil’s work is far more important than mine, of course. She designs and engineers wind turbines that harness enough energy to power cities. But I have deep pockets to help with fundraising and funding, so I do my part, too.
When Lil disconnects the call, I’m pleased to discover that my mood is lighter than before. The TV show will be great. And I’ll finally be able to bury Miranda’s words to the deepest recesses of my mind, once and for all.