The Weather Girl by Amy Vastine Read Free Book Online Page A

watch too much football on Sundays? Maybe your brother’s team got beat by Sweetwater back in the day?”
    “I don’t have a brother or a boyfriend. Not that it’s any of your business,” she grumbled.
    “I wasn’t trying to pry.”
    “Listen, my weather time matters to me. You were given my time.” There was another flash of resentment in her eyes. “I’m also allergic to people who are looking to make fun of me.”
    When had he ever mocked her? He had been nothing but nice to her even though she was the only person at the station who refused to jump on the welcome wagon. “I would never make fun of you for being passionate about something you love.”
    She regarded him with her head tilted slightly. “Is this your dream job? Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Maybe you should figure that out because sharing what I know about the weather is what I want to do with mine.” She retreated to her desk. All hope of her helping him become a more polished sportscaster evaporated. Travis dropped back into his chair. His indecision made him feel ridiculous. He wasn’t a child. He was a man who should know what he wanted out of life. Sadly, he did not.
    * * *
    TRAVIS   WAS   HARD - PRESSED to get any tips on improving his on-air performance. Summer Raines managed to be as elusive as...well, summer rain in Texas for the rest of the week. Travis and Summer’s work-related appearances kept them from connecting before newscasts. She was all-business and disappeared as soon as she finished giving her forecast. It was probably for the best. If they didn’t interact, she wouldn’t have the chance to make him feel guilty.
    Determined not to fail, Travis spent all his free time memorizing his reports. The less he had to rely on the Teleprompter, the better. His nerves still got the best of him now and again. He fumbled through the end of Friday’s five o’clock report. It wasn’t a complete disaster, but still not good enough. He resolved to hide in his car and practice during the break until it was flawless.
    He was surprised to find Rachel waiting for him by his desk when he stopped to grab his keys. “Great job at five, Travis. You’re really going to be a big draw.” She put her hand on his arm and not so subtly squeezed his biceps. She must have liked what she felt because she let out an appreciative hum. “You’ve been an excellent addition to the team.”
    Travis took a step back. He was far from excellent. He wasn’t even good yet. Over Rachel’s shoulder, he spotted Summer on her way to the elevators. She looked at him, then Rachel, before averting her eyes and ducking her head. She pushed the button on the wall and stared at the little arrows above the doors. As unpleasant as an elevator ride with the Weather Girl seemed, it was definitely the lesser of two evils at this point.
    Smiling graciously, Travis thanked Rachel and attempted to escape. She stepped in his way. “Did you bring dinner or would you like to join me for something to eat?”
    “That’s sweet of you, but—” he started.
    “Great!” Rachel slipped her arm under his. “I know this lovely place close by. The owners are big fans of mine. We’ll be treated like royalty.” She winked and led him to her desk to get her purse as Summer disappeared into the elevator alone.
    Intercepted.
    Thanks to Rachel’s love of attention, their dinner took forever. She posed for pictures with other diners and made Travis sign autographs. In the end, they didn’t get back to the station until it was nearly time to go on the air. Travis spent a few minutes hiding in the bathroom, practicing his report. It certainly wasn’t going to be flawless. He’d be lucky if it lived up to his mediocre performance at five.
    When he went to drop his notes on his desk before heading into the studio, Brian and Summer were standing nearby. “Come out for a couple drinks, Summer. It won’t kill you,” he heard