Page 213 of The Storm Boys Series Collection

“Okay,” I murmured, peeling his fingers free of the seat. He transferred the death grip to me instead. “Um, ouch.”

He looked at our hands. “Sorry.”

“Would you like me to show you the radar,” I said, pointing at the screen. “And you can see the storm, see the numbers and stats, and you’ll know that you’ll be okay.”

He shook his head again, his mouth a thin line. “It’s not the storm.”

Ah, damn.

“Jeremiah, you’ll be fine. You’re with me.”

He nodded.

“I know you don’t like boats.”

“Well, technically, it’s probably not so much the boat as it is the crocodile-infested water the boat is currently bobbing up and down in.”

“Would you feel safer if we headed out?”

His eyes shot to mine. “But you said this inlet is protected against the wind, and I therefore assume the storm.”

“That’s true.”

“So, which is worse? Open sea in a storm, or a partially protected inlet which may or may not be home to crocodiles?”

“Well...”

Don’t tell him crocodiles also exist in the open sea. Don’t tell him that. Don’t say it.

“Oh my god, there are crocodiles everywhere, aren’t there?”

“Not technically everywhere.”

“For the love of all that is holy.”

My knuckles were starting to grind. “Can we lessen the death grip? Because, ow.”

He released my hand from his vice-like grip. “Sorry.”

“Would you feel better if you wore a life jacket?”

He made a face. “Not particularly.” Then he seemed to reconsider. “Maybe.”

“Let me get it for you.”

“And you. I’d feel a lot better if you wore one too.”

“Okay.”

Yep. Awesome boat sex was well and truly out of the question.

I helped him into his vest and clipped mine on, and he did seem to breathe a little easier. But then thunder rumbled overhead.

“I think this will be the first storm I’ve not actually enjoyed,” he said. Both his hands were balled into fists on his lap.

I sighed and took his hand, trying to unfurl his fingers. There was only one way to help him, and that was distraction.

“When you went to South America to see the Catatumbo storms for your thesis studies, did you go on any boats then?”

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