Dandelions on the Road (16 page)

The van lurched to a stop. “Everyone out,” Brian called over his shoulder.

So much for the polite chauffeur, Eva climbed out followed by Kurt and Pete. They stood by the van chatting while Mike got the equipment and crew arranged near the other vehicle.

Once two cameras were on them, Brian stood taller and spoke. “This evening, you’re in for a treat. You will experience the Indianola Balloon festival in a way most people only dream about. Spectators come from all over the country to watch the balloons take flight. You will see that flight, but you will have an even better view.” Brian pointed to the sky. “We arranged for you to fly in a passenger balloon. Most of the balloons at the festival are in the contest. They race, drop flags, and participate in a number of competitions all week long. But a couple of balloons take people for rides and tonight, that’s just what you’ll get.”

Eva tried to gauge her date’s reactions. Pete looked slightly green while Kurt looked excited.

“There’s one dandelion on this date and Eva will choose between the two of you. She can make her decision any time. The man who receives the dandelion goes on with the show. The man who does not will return home.” Brian raised his palms to the sky. “With that being said, it looks like the balloon-meister has a green flag flying. That means all systems are a-go.”

“Balloon-meister?” Pete squeaked.

“These balloons can’t fly in high winds. If the winds are any stronger than ten miles an hour, they stay grounded.” Brian explained.

“So it’s possible it’ll go up? The wind, I mean? Before we fly?” Pete stammered.

“Anything’s possible. But for now, everything looks good.” Brian motioned toward the field. “Go take a closer look at your ride.”

BRIAN SHADED HIS eyes from the sun as Eva approached the balloon field with Kurt and Pete following her. Pete looked pale and terrified, but Kurt seemed up to the challenge. Brian wasn’t sure Pete would go through with it, but he looked forward to finding out. He assumed Pete had a fear of heights and wondered if Mike knew about it. That could be why Mike pushed to have Pete on this date instead of the others. He was searching for drama.

Brian stayed behind the cameras and heard Eva gasp when she saw how many balloons were on the field. “There must be dozens of them,” she exclaimed. He wanted to conduct an interview with each bachelor before the launch. Pete was staying well behind Eva, probably to hide the changing tones of his skin. Brian grabbed his elbow.

“Care to chat for a minute?” he asked.

“Be right back,” Pete said to Eva.

Brian noticed Kurt place his arm on Eva’s shoulder as he and Pete walked away. Brian jerked his head at a camera operator and the crewmember followed the pair. Once they were up the fence a ways with a few balloons blowing up in the background, Brian stopped and the cameraman adjusted the lens.

“How do you feel about being on a two-on-one date?” Brian asked. He’d get to the balloon aspect in a minute.

“Well, I figure I have a fifty-fifty chance of coming out the other side. So far, Eva hasn’t seen the best of me, but I’m hoping she will tonight, though I’m not sure flying in a balloon will bring that out.”

“You aren’t looking forward to the ride?”

“Quite the opposite. When I read the card from Eva that said she hoped to find love in the air, I never expected to actually go up into the air.” Pete shrugged. “I’m a big guy, Gravity isn’t my friend.”

Brian chuckled. “What are you going to do?”

“You know what they say,” Pete’s cheeks puffed out. “Fake it till you make it. I’m a man, I can handle it.”

One of the striped balloons began inflating behind Pete’s left shoulder. The sound of the fire startled him and he turned.

“I guess I just don’t like the idea of floating through the air with nothing keeping me up there other than a tarp and some fire.”

Brian pursed his lips. “I can see your point.” He clapped a hand on Pete’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. You can go back to Eva. Would you mind sending Kurt over?”

“Sure.”

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 feet 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?