Brian leaned up against the fence and watched Kurt’s arm fall from Eva’s shoulders as Pete approached. Kurt quickly headed his way after Pete’s reappearance.
“Hey Kurt,” Brian greeted.
“This is amazing,” Kurt gushed.
“So you’re excited about the balloon ride?” Brian waved his finger in the air to tell the camera operator to keep rolling.
“Ecstatic. I’m so excited to be here with Eva. I’m thrilled about the location and the date in general, I couldn’t be happier. This will be a great test for our relationship.”
“In what way?”
“We’ll be as close to heaven as we can get up there.” Kurt tilted his head toward the sky. “Either God will bless us or it’ll be obvious that we weren’t meant for one another.”
Brian frowned. What did Kurt’s bio say about him? Oh yeah, it said he was currently unemployed, but that he’d been in school until recently. He couldn’t think of any other questions. “Thanks, Kurt. Go ahead and join Eva and Pete. I think your balloon is set to take off in about twenty minutes.
Kurt skipped down the fence and stood on the opposite side of Eva. Brian shook his head. This was going to be a date to remember. He couldn’t wait to see the reaction of both men as the balloon took off. And he would remain safely on the ground, enjoying in the view of the field as the balloons blossomed and took off. He could compose a few questions to ask the bachelors when they landed. There would be a camera with them as well. Between that and Brian’s post flight interviews, they’d have plenty of footage.
Brian squinted in Eva’s direction. She had a hand behind her back. Were her fingers crossed? No. And he couldn’t will them to change position so he could interfere with the date. She wasn’t his and soon enough, she’d belong to someone else.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
HOT AIR BALLOONS dotted the field and the view was breathtaking. Brian studied one balloon after another. He couldn’t decide on his favorite. He enjoyed the multi-colored striped balloons, but the character balloons were fun too. There was a bird, a monkey, and even a purple people eater. He couldn’t wait to see them fly.
The group stood next to an orange, red and yellow patterned balloon as it went from flat to fully inflated. The large basket beneath it was bigger than those under other balloons since it was for rides and not competition.
Mike sidled up next to Brian. “How are you with a camera?” he asked.
“What?” Brian tore his eyes from the field.
“Cameras. Are you confident operating one?”
Brian frowned. “I remember my intern days, I can hold my own.”
“There have been a lot of advancements since then.”
“Indeed.” Brian turned to the producer. “I keep up with technology. Why?”
Mike sighed and consulted the ever-present clipboard in his hand. “We have a slight problem.”
“How slight?”
“The plan was to send most of the crew out in the vans to track the balloon. Eva and the guys are going to need a ride back once they land and there’s no predicting exactly where they’ll descend. Plus, I wanted to get shots of them in the air and I wanted boots on the ground nearby when they land so we can catch their reactions immediately.”
Brian nodded along. He knew the plan. He’d read through everything before the trip and again in his hotel room before they drove over to the festival.
“Dale set up the handheld in the balloon. It’s affixed to the side of the basket so it’ll be stationary and won’t be in danger of falling if the basket gets thrown off balance.”
Brian stroked his chin with his fingers. He had yet to see the problem.
“But Dale is, well, let’s just say he’s incapacitated.”
“What’s wrong?” Brian’s eyes searched the fence that separated the field from the spectators. Dale, the cameraman assigned to ride in the balloon basket, was nowhere in sight.
“Don’t try the walking tacos, okay?”
“I won’t.” Brian assured him. “But where’s Dale?”
“He’s off yakking somewhere, I don’t know. I don’t think it would be very romantic if the camera guy has to throw up over the side of the basket, you know?”
“I can see how that would dampen the mood.”
“I need to stay here and direct the vehicles. You know, keep an eye on the wind and tell them what direction to drive so they can follow the balloon and get what we need, but there has to be someone in that basket.” Mike stared at Brian.
“Me?” Brian poked a finger into his chest. “You want me to go up in the balloon with the group?”
“It might actually be better that way.” Mike shrugged. “You won’t get any interviews one-on-one, but you can throw out questions and gauge the reaction of Eva and the guys as you go.” Mike tossed a hand into the air. “You’re all we’ve got.”
“Thanks, Mike. You make me feel so special.” Brian rolled his eyes.
“Get over yourself, Schaffer, and get in that basket.”
Brian returned his gaze to the balloon field and watched Eva take Pete’s hand and climb into the basket. Kurt followed her as Pete shifted from one foot to the other.
“Back to the salt mines,” Brian muttered.
“COME ON, PETE, you can do this.” Eva beckoned him with her finger. The large man suddenly looked very tiny and his face turned a pale shade of green. “It’s perfectly safe, right?” she turned to the balloon pilot who was going to operate their ride.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” he shrugged.
“Well, the material could catch fire and we could plummet to the ground, for one,” Pete replied.
The balloon pilot laughed. “Never happened to me before.”
“I should hope not,” Pete muttered.
“If you don’t want to go, it’s okay.” Eva dropped her hand to her side. “Fears are fears, I understand. I’m afraid of some things too.”
“Oh yeah, like what?” Pete asked.
Eva noticed Brian edge around the larger man and hop into the basket. He inspected the camera affixed to one side and pushed a couple of buttons. She heard the equipment come alive. She was officially on tape.
“Well, squirrels, for one.”
“You’re afraid of squirrels?” Pete laughed.
“Well, yeah, what’s wrong with that? I mean, they’re supposed to run from you, right? But every time I come across one, it just stands there and stares at me. I swear they’re forming a posse against me. It’s only a matter of time before they take action.”
“A posse of squirrels?” Pete’s shoulders relaxed. “What are they going to do, throw nuts at you?”
“Nuts can really hurt if they hit a soft spot!” Eva defended her fear with gusto.
“Not as much as plummeting to the earth under a burning balloon.”
“I’ll give you that one.” Eva held her hands up in defeat. “You say squirrels will never attack me and I say this balloon will not plummet. Will you give me that one?” She held her hand out to Pete.
“Okay.” Pete held eye contact as he stepped over the side of the basket. “There, I’m on. Happy?”
“Very.” Eva wrapped her arm around Pete’s massive bicep and laid her head on his shoulder. “This’ll be fun.”
She glanced at Brian. He took his hands out of his jeans pockets and fiddled with the camera. When he noticed her gaze, he offered a weak smile.
“Just along for the ride. Mike needed help filming. Pretend I’m not here.”
Eva smiled and turned away from the camera. Pretend he wasn’t there. That’d work about as well as forgetting she didn’t hit that gray squirrel on the road two years ago. Her bumper had hair on it for weeks. It was why the other squirrels were out for blood.
When the balloon pilot blew fire into the inflated balloon faster and for longer, it began to rise. Pete shrieked as the basket swayed beneath them. He grasped the edge and leaned over. “The ground is getting smaller.”
“It’s only a couple f
eet away.” Eva stroked his arm.
“Gravity is not my friend.” Pete inhaled.
Eva worried he would start hyperventilating. “Deep breaths, Pete. Deep breaths.” She was glad to see this side of him. He came across as a macho man with a hard exterior. It was good to know he had faults…other than eating too quickly and burping a lot. He was soft in some areas, just like anyone else. Maybe the ride would help her break through his toughness and she might find something beneath she really liked.
The balloon rose farther and Eva gazed out across the sky as it filled with other colorful balloons.
“It’s absolutely stunning.” She turned and caught Brian’s stare. He nodded but didn’t lower his eyes from hers to take in the view.
Pete’s breathing slowed, but Eva didn’t want to abandon him completely. She kept her arm through his and turned to Kurt. She had questions for him as well.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
Kurt turned to her with a look of wonder on his face. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I feel like God created this moment just for me.”
Eva smiled. So far their conversations remained on the surface, but she was happy to hear him reference God. She had a feeling Kurt was a man of faith and she wanted to hear more about it. She was a believer as well and a shared faith could really bond her to someone.
Kurt wiped his eyes. “I’ve never felt closer to God than I do right now.” He drew in a shaky breath. “I understand now. I didn’t get it before, but I do now.”
Eva reached over and grabbed his hand. It was awkward holding hands with one man and leaning against another, but she wanted that connection with Kurt and Pete needed her.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Kurt broke his mesmerized gaze at the unbelievable view before them and turned to Eva. He grasped her hand in his and raised it to his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Eva, I know what I have to do.”
Eva shifted her body away from Pete. She and Kurt needed to have a conversation alone, but that wasn’t possible in a balloon with three other men and a camera recording every move.
“I haven’t been fully honest with you about my past. You know I don’t have an occupation now and that I was in school before I came on the show, but you don’t know why I was in school. Eva, I recently left seminary. I was going to become a priest.”
Eva swallowed a lump in her throat as her eyes widened. “What?” Did she hear that right?
“I know it’s a shock. I’m on a dating show. I’m not a man of the cloth, at least not yet.”
Eva took a step away from Pete. Her arm was behind her and she was uncomfortable, but he was calm and she and Kurt needed as much privacy as the basket would allow.
“So…” She searched for the right question to ask. “What are you going to do with your life now?”
Kurt shook his head. “I made a mistake, Eva, a big mistake. It’s all clear to me now. I never should have left t seminary. I was right where God wanted me. I was blind, so blind, but now I see.” He looked out over the balloon field again. “I see the whole plan.”
Eva blinked and rubbed her thumb against his palm. “Are you saying you want to go back to seminary? You want to be a priest?”
Kurt’s eyes shone brighter than the blue sky behind him. “It’s not about what I want, but yes, it’s my calling. It’s what I was meant to do.”
Eva paused. She was witnessing a life-changing experience. Kurt had clarity that he didn’t have before. She felt privileged to be a part of his revelation, though she was saddened by what it meant for them.
“I’m sorry, I realize this means I can’t continue with the show. I’ve wasted your time and taken the spot another man could have had. It grieves me to know that I may have caused you hurt.”
Eva shook her head. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, Kurt. You’re a true gentleman and I don’t regret a single instant I spent with you. You have a servant’s heart and you will make an outstanding priest.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so.” She patted his hand and let go. “Please, enjoy the ride. God brought you here for a reason.”
Kurt grinned gratefully and directed his attention to the balloons around them. Eva turned back to Pete. The evening’s decision was made for her. Pete was the only man left. If she adhered to the “one stays and one goes” policy of the two-on-one date, she only had one option remaining. She didn’t want to ignore Kurt, but she needed to concentrate on her connection with Pete. Was he a man she could see herself with? If she didn’t find what she needed by the end of the date, she didn’t have to give a dandelion to him.
“How are you doing, Pete?” Eva slid her hand down his arm and grasped his wrist. He wasn’t shaking; that was an encouraging sign.
“I’ve been better, but I’ve been worse too.”
“Tell me about the worse.” Eva laid her head on his shoulder. The romantic setting was getting to her. The sun sank over the horizon and the sky turned orange and pink, highlighting the outlines of the balloons around them.
“I had to wear high heels and a dress to work once. That was probably worse.”
“Worse than plummeting to the earth in flames?” Eva asked.
“You had to bring that up, didn’t you?” Pete’s elbow jabbed into her ribs and she giggled.
“Sorry. So, why were you in a dress and heels?”
“I lost a bet. Over a girl.”
“What was worse, losing the girl or the heels?”
“The heels, definitely the heels.”
Eva glanced down at his feet. They were long and wide. She was amazed any heels fit him at all.
“The things we women do to impress men.” Eva sighed.
“You don’t wear heels all the time and you impress me.”
One corner of Eva’s mouth tilted up. “Thanks, Pete.” He surprised her with his sweet comment. Perhaps there was a softie inside the hard, manly exterior.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BRIAN FIDDLED WITH the camera as the sky darkened and the light changed. He was tired of listening to Eva and Pete’s conversation. The man was a brute who couldn’t go ten minutes without burping. But her attitude toward him seemed to be changing. She involved Kurt in the conversation from time to time, but he was so captivated with the view and his personal revelation, Brian didn’t think he recognized anyone else in the basket.
Brian saw Eva’s focus turn to Pete and he couldn’t help but eavesdrop. The quarters were too tight for him to turn his ears in any other direction, as much as he’d like to. He heard about Pete’s family, his childhood, his weight lifting goals, and plenty of other details he’d rather not know. His attention piqued when Pete questioned Eva. Brian liked hearing more about her.
And he learned plenty. She talked about the pets she had as a child. How she used to capture caterpillars just to stroke their soft backs. How her youngest sister was terrified of smoke alarms as a child. And how she liked to let her cereal sit for a few minutes and get soggy with milk before she ate it.
Brian soaked in the details as if his life depended on it. And in a way, it did. He couldn’t have her, but he was hungry for her. The more he knew about her, the more he wanted. Sure, he was gleaning information through her date with another man, but at that point, he would take what he could get.
Brian made sure he got a few shots of Kurt’s awed expressions and several frames of the balloon pilot expertly operating the basket across the sky, but most of the time, he focused on Eva. He included Pete in the necessary shots, but Mike would have plenty of images of Eva’s beautiful profile against the setting sun. Even after the sun went down and the light grew dim, her hair shone.
“I’ve spotted a field just ahead,” the pilot spoke during a pause in Eva’s conversation with Pete. “I’m going to land her there. The light is low and the spot is small, the basket is going to hit pretty hard. I recommend relaxing your knees so they’re ready to take the impact.”
Pete paled agai
n. “How hard is it going to land?”
The pilot shrugged. “Shouldn’t jar us too much, just prepare for a little bump.”
Pete turned to Eva and she stroked his arm.
“Come on, man up,” Brian muttered. Pete was a big, strong, macho man. Surely he could take a jolt.
The balloon lowered until the ground was six feet away. The balloon pilot was right, the field was small and it was coming up fast…too fast.
Brian jiggled the camera by his side. It was secure. He didn’t think it would fall off during “the bump” they were about to encounter. Mike would have his head on a platter if anything happened to the camera on his watch, whether it was his fault or not. Brian bent his knees beneath him as they neared the ground, grabbed on to the basket and braced for impact.
Moments later, the basket hit the ground on the opposite side. It skidded across the grass and tipped the other direction. Brian knew the angle was too large for the basket to right itself. They were going over and nothing he or any of them did would stop it.
Brian propped his backside against the basket so his head wouldn’t take the impact. He fell backward onto the ground and brought his hands up just in time to catch Eva as she flew into his embrace. He turned his head and watched as Kurt tumbled out of the basket beside him and somehow landed on his feet. Then he watched Pete let go of the woven side and give in to gravity. He landed like a rock on top of the balloon pilot on Brian’s side of the basket.
Brian brushed Eva’s hair away from her face. Everyone was safe, but the landing hadn’t been smooth. “You okay?” he asked.
She looked up into his eyes, her hands flat against his chest. “Fine. You?”
“Never better.” His chin was inches from her cheek. All she had to do was scoot up a tiny bit and he would have the perfect angle on her beautiful lips
Eva gazed into his eyes and Brian stared back. She had to feel the current running between them, it was undeniable.
“That’s what you call a bump? A bump, man?” Pete attempted to untangle his large limbs from the balloon pilot’s body.
Eva glanced away from Brian and giggled. “It was a rather big bump.”
Dandelions on the Road Page 13