“Nope. I thought we’d eat at the Chart House.”
“Oh. Okay.” She bit back her disappointment. “Is it near here?”
That mischievous glint lit his eyes again, and he pointed skyward. “About seven hundred fifty feet straight up.”
Disappointment steamed away when her excitement boiled over. “I’d heard about the observation deck and the view from the elevator while going up, but whoever told me about those neglected to mention a restaurant up there.”
“They have a burger that’ll make your tongue sing.” He rested his hand on her back and guided her through the crowd. Apparently he already had tickets—how long had he planned this? “Do you like blue cheese?”
She nodded as they worked their way into an elevator.
“Then you’ll love this hamburger—grilled to perfection and served with this incredible bacon marmalade. Do you like bacon?”
“Who doesn’t? Never heard of it as a marmalade before.”
The elevator lifted and soon the downtown area came into view. Modern buildings overshadowed the old and historic, new construction promised a future. In the distance, vehicles zipped down the highway. If the Franciscan monks could’ve seen this place now.
They strolled the tower’s glass observation deck for a panoramic view of San Antonio. Occasionally, Mitch would rest his hand on her shoulder or back and point to something. The warmth of his touch distracted her to the extent she couldn’t concentrate on what he said. Good thing he didn’t intend to quiz her.
Sitting across the table from him now, she felt a strange sense of loss. He sat all the way over there. If she reached out far enough, she could touch him, but casual contact across a two-foot expanse didn’t seem as natural as when they’d been standing side by side in the observatory. Still, there was always the tight elevator ride back down.
They finished their burgers—or she ate as much as she could and requested a doggie bag for the rest. He hadn’t been kidding about it being the best in the city. Bacon marmalade. Who knew?
“I have to take you back to the hotel and go to my meeting this afternoon.” He took a sip of his tea and leaned back in his chair. “But I’m happy to say that you’ve just about completed the test. You’re zipping through it with flying colors. Pun intended.”
“What test?”
“I’ll fill you in later, provided you’ll have dinner with me.”
She reached for her glass. “You’re going to make me wait after you’ve piqued my interest? That’s just cruel.”
“Well, the test isn’t over yet.”
“Okay. What’s left to do?”
“You’ll see. If you have dinner with me.”
She’d see? She hadn’t seen anything yet that indicated she’d been tested. Not knowing what would happen from one moment to the next grated against her control-freak nature, but she’d enjoyed his company — and his casual caresses — all morning. Who knew what the evening would hold?
She squinted at him. “And you’ll explain what you’re talking about?”
“Absolutely.”
“What time?”
“Sun sets at nine. Can you wait that long?”
She held up her carry-out box. “If not, I have something to tide me over.”
Chapter 7
The only hint Mitch had given JoJo before dropping her off at the hotel left her no clue where they’d be having dinner: “It may be a little cool.” Texas summers were never cool — even night temps hovered around the mid-to upper-seventies — so perhaps the restaurant had a strong air conditioner. But which restaurant?
She’d spent the afternoon shopping the sales for a dress that could be considered casual enough for a burger joint and dressy enough for someplace high-class and fancy, and something to drape around her shoulders if she really did get cold. She’d found a slinky turquoise shift with spaghetti straps and a crocheted salmon-colored shawl. Something totally different from her usual style of jeans, boots, and tees with the sleeves rolled up. As long as she remembered not to walk like a bow-legged rancher dodging cow patties, she’d do great.
Shoes would make the difference for the evening — slip on ballet flats, and she’d look casual; with heels, she’d look ready for the society pages. She’d bought a pair of each. Now if she only knew which to wear.
She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror again, then checked the clock. He’d be in the lobby any moment. The dress looked great, the inexpensive bangle earrings she’d bought tickled her neck. Her makeup looked pretty good for someone who almost never wore it. Wherever he planned to take her, she would certainly wow him. And for the first time in her adult life, she really wanted to wow a man — this man.
If she only knew which shoes to wear.
She hated not being in control. If she’d been in control — or at least had enough information to make an intelligent decision — she’d know which pair to put on.
The room phone rang, and she hurried from the bathroom to grab the receiver.
Mitch’s baritone voice greeted her. “You ready?”
She glanced at her new shoes sitting beside the bed. Decision time …
“Yes.”
She rode the elevator down to the lobby, then crossed toward him on the polished floor in her bare feet. She held the flats in one hand and the sling-back pumps in the other. “Which do I wear?”
He appraised her with a luscious gleam in his eye. “I like you just as you are.”
“Uh-uh, buddy. I’m not going anywhere barefoot.” She raised her hands. “Pick.”
He laughed and pointed to the flats. “Those would probably be best.”
“Good.” She balanced herself on his shoulder as she slipped them on. “I was dreading the heels anyway. Haven’t worn them in years. Not much call for fancy shoes in the pasture.”
She left the other pair with the lady at the desk, then took Mitch’s proffered arm. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“That’s maddening. You know that, right?”
“Don’t like surprises?”
The doors swished open, revealing the Audi. Hot car, hot man — hot ideas of kisses and caresses that had rarely entered her mind. She was in unfamiliar territory. But she liked it.
As he helped her into her seat, she gave him her best smile and hoped it wasn’t too rusty. “I’m learning to love surprises.”
He drove a few blocks and parked near a high-rise surrounded by other high-rises, all of which looked like they housed offices. “Here we go.”
“There’s a restaurant around here somewhere?”
“So to speak.”
They left the car, entered the building, and strolled to the bank of elevators in the back of a marble-floored lobby lined with closed doors and darkened, etched windows. If there was a restaurant in this building, it must’ve had an amazing ventilation system. She smelled nothing more than the antiquity found in most old buildings.
She slanted a look at Mitch, but didn’t bother asking again where they were going. The man wanted to surprise her. She’d let herself be surprised.
The elevator stopped at the top floor, but he punched a key and entered a number on the pad, and the car lifted again — not far, maybe just one more floor. The doors opened into darkness. Only a red security light brightened a metal utility door.
He waved toward the door. “We’re here.”
She didn’t budge. “We’re where, exactly?”
He rested his hand on her lower back and urged her forward. “Not going to find out standing in the elevator.”
The metal door opened to the rooftop and a stunning lavender and rose sunset.
Mitch guided her left, past the little building housing the elevator access and to a small table set for two, its white cloth lifting lightly in the breeze. Oil lanterns hung on ornate wrought-iron stands, casting a gentle golden glow over the setting. On one of the china plates, two roses rested, one yellow and the other red.
He picked them up
and handed them to her, yellow first, “for friendship,” then the red, “for romance.”
Words escaped her. She buried her nose in the petals, then peeked up at him. “This certainly is romantic.”
The table had been set close to the roof edge, providing them a clear view of the river and the city lights. He pulled her chair out for her, and white-jacketed waiters she hadn’t noticed came to pour water and serve salads.
She thanked them, then draped her napkin over her lap and glanced at Mitch. “You certainly know how to pull off a surprise.”
“I had fun planning it, I have to admit.” His lips quirked up at the corners. “Even if it is part of the test.”
“Ah. The test. You going to finally tell me what that’s all about?”
He leaned forward. “I wanted to pinpoint just what it is about flying that scares you. Can’t be the speed. Judging from the way you reacted to our drive this morning, you’re a speed demon yourself. You don’t seem to have vertigo. You looked straight up at those bells of St. Juan Capistrano and didn’t once seem dizzy.”
“No, I’ve never had vertigo.”
“And though the idea of the jump rattled you, you don’t seem to be afraid of heights. The Tower of the Americas didn’t faze you. But the observatory is enclosed in glass. Here, there’s nothing between us and the concrete sidewalks but a short, brick barrier. You seem fine with it.”
“Wait a minute. You mean all this” —she waved her hand over the formally set table— “is just part of a test?”
“Yes … and no.” He took her hand. “I made myself clear the other night that I wanted to get to know you better.”
He traced circles in her palm, causing her heart to race. How was she supposed to think with him making her light-headed and muddle-brained?
She slipped her hand away and lifted her water goblet. So the day was part test, part date. She could live with that. “Okay, so let’s talk about the test. Speed doesn’t bother me, I don’t have vertigo, and I’m not as afraid of heights as I’d thought. So where does that leave us?”
“You have to tell me.” He sat back. “What was going through your head when we flew down here? What bothered you most?”
“Everything. All of it. The noise especially. That horrid engine whine on the jet.”
“The whine … ” He drummed his fingers on the table. “You’re from Hereford, right?”
She nodded.
“You’re a vet? You work on ranches and such, right?”
“Yes, and I see what you’re getting at. I live a pretty quiet life. Tractors and old trucks don’t get quite as loud as jet engines.”
“So it makes sense that the noise would get to you. And, I guess if you’re already anxious about the noise, the idea of the jump just compounded the problem.”
She shook her head. “I think it’s the other way around. I came here with the notion that jumping is insane. I’d been dreading it since I first agreed to do it. I didn’t know about flying or the engine noise until I was strapped to the seat.”
“Let’s take first things first. We need to get you over your fear of flying.” He continued to drum his fingers on the table, studying her with an untrustworthy gleam in his eye. Then he shifted his gaze to the space just over her left shoulder.
She squinted at him. “What are you thinking?”
“That you’d like flying if it wasn’t for the noise.”
“Well, that’s moot. Engine noise comes with the territory, doesn’t it?”
“Not always. Not so bad.” He grinned. “Not in a Piper Cub.”
Chapter 8
Standing outside a metal hangar the next morning, JoJo shielded her eyes against the sun and stared at a clunky-looking, single-wing prop plane with a green stripe down its side. Mitch must’ve been kidding. This two-seater seemed barely larger than one of those remote-controlled things kids played with.
He patted the fuselage. “What do you think?”
“Does that thing fly?”
“Of course it does.”
She shook her head. “If I freaked out in the Twin Otter, what makes you think I won’t freak out in this?”
“You’re not jumping out of this.”
He had a point.
He crooked his finger, beckoning her closer. “C’mon. Let me introduce you.”
As small planes went, it was a pretty thing for all its girth. Not streamlined like the Twin Otter, but it was clean.
She walked around to the right side and pointed at the name painted on the door. “Mary Beth?”
“My mom. She died before I got out of the Air Force.”
“Sorry,” she said. “Nice tribute.”
“Thanks.” He held open a half-door and offered his hand. “Ready?”
“I guess so.”
He showed her how to climb in. “You’re in front.”
“How will you be able to see?”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
She settled on the stitched leather seat with one leg on either side of a joy stick just like the one at the back seat. The control panel in front of her held a compass, an analog clock, and gauges for fuel, altimeter, and things unfamiliar to her. After Mitch helped her strap in, she tucked her feet close and slipped her hands under her thighs so she couldn’t accidentally touch anything.
He climbed to the back seat, then unlatched the plexiglass side-window from its hook on the wing and let it drop, closing them in. The propeller flipped to life, cutting the air with distinguishable chops until it picked up speed and sounded as blurred as it looked.
He tapped her shoulder, handed her a set of headphones, and yelled, “Put these on.”
She settled them over her ears, and the prop and engine noises disappeared.
“Better, isn’t it?” His voice came through the headset as clearly as if they were sitting side by side in a quiet theater. “Pull the mike down and we can talk.”
She lowered it toward her lips and spoke in a normal voice. “This is great.”
“Yeah, beats shouting at each other.” The plane started moving down the tarmac toward a turn-off, heading who knew where in this maze of concrete. “Bear with me while I talk to the tower.”
All the jargon between Mitch and the air-traffic controller floated through her headset. She understood little of it until they finally reached a long runway, and the controller said, “Clear for takeoff.”
She balled her fists and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the noise to penetrate her nervous system. The plane rumbled down the runway, gaining speed, but was up far sooner than she expected. She peeked out the windshield. There was still plenty of runway left, but they were already climbing into a clear blue sky. The tower disappeared over her shoulder as they banked and headed northeast.
Was the flight really this quiet?
She freed her right ear from the headset. The usual wind noise, the gentle chugging and hum of the engine—all at a speed slower than their drive down the freeway in his Audi. If she wasn’t careful, she’d learn to enjoy this.
The plane soon leveled, though nowhere near the altitude they’d been at in the Twin Otter. “How high are we flying?”
“Current cruising altitude is two thousand feet, at a nice leisurely pace of sixty-five miles per hour. Perfect for a tour around the city. How’s it going up there? You good?”
“Yes. I’m good.” And she was. As relaxed as she would’ve been on horseback. “This is really nice.”
“We can fly farther out, if you’d like.”
“I think I’d like that. I’ve seen all the buildings I care to.”
He took the plane to a higher elevation. The propeller spun, the engine chugged, and the plane leveled again.
After a while, he said, “We’re flying over New Braunfels now. Pretty town. Those rivers running through it are the Comal and Guadalupe. Keep following Interstate 35 down there, and we’ll end up in Austin. Of course, before we get there, we’ll pass a great outlet mall that covers s
everal acres. Want to see it from the air?”
Even more parking lots and buildings? She’d seen enough of both as they flew out of San Antonio. “No, that’s okay.”
He shifted the plane west, leaving the interstate behind. Before long, he said, “See that water tower? That’s the famous tower of Gruene, Texas. I don’t think there’s more than a hundred people who live there, but the population swells during tourist season because of its shops and wine tastings.”
“That’s nice.”
He chuckled. “Not too impressed, are you?”
“Well, it’s okay. I’ve just never been one to shop.” She’d met her quota when she bought her dress for last night.
“Are you nervous up here? Scared?”
“No, I’m enjoying myself. I think you were right about the noise.”
The sun glinted off the blue waters of a lake in the distance, and she pointed toward it. “What’s that?”
“Canyon Lake. My folks bought a condo there when I was in the Air Force. We still have it — right on the water. Dad comes and stays there now and then. Supposed to come down this weekend.”
Shaped roughly like a salamander, it looked like it had several coves just perfect for bass fishing. Seeing them from the air as they neared, she could almost pick which would be the hottest spot. “Can we get closer to the water?”
The wings tilted and the Piper Cub lowered into a slow curve down toward the lake.
He pointed to a set of docks with walkways leading up to a series of buildings. “Our place is in there.”
“Why don’t you live out here?”
“Can’t get my pizza delivered.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. I can see how that would be a problem. Can you go fishing out there?”
He laughed. “Why am I not surprised you like to fish?”
“Hey, I’m a country girl. Some girls shop for clothes and jewelry, others shop for lures and reels.”
“You want to go?”
She caught herself from bouncing in the seat like a toddler, and instead twisted partway around to see him. “Can we?”
“Sure. You want to fly back?”
It seemed rude to cut the flight short, and she was enjoying it. “Well, only if you do.”
Skydiving to Love Page 4