Dandelions on the Road (17 page)

“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 again. “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.”

Brian chuckled. “It was, but look where it got us.” He placed his hand around her waist and pulled her against him.

“Brian…” she whispered and he wondered if she wished they were alone as much as he did.

“Schaffer!” Mike yelled from the approaching vehicle. “That camera better be okay, Schaffer!”

EVA PLACED A hand on either side of Brian and pushed herself up. She didn’t break their eye contact and her physical side wanted to stay put. It was one thing to fall for more than one man on the show, that was to be expected. But falling for the host? Not cool. Besides, she wasn’t falling
for
him. She simply fell
on
him…right?

Eva raised her head as she climbed from Brian arms. Kurt stood in the field, his hands in his pockets and his face raised to the sky. She glanced to her right where Pete was still trying to untangle himself from the balloon pilot while mumbling and cursing gravity. What a group.

She extended her hand toward Brian and pulled him to his feet. He brushed the dirt from his pants and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. “So,” he said in a low voice. “Who will it be?”

Eva glanced between Kurt and Pete. “I think it’s obvious.”

Brian’s arm pressed against hers. “Me too.”

Eva’s breath caught in her throat as she narrowed her eyes and gazed up at him. What was he inferring?

“The camera’s okay!” Mike announced. “Eva, the sunlight is phenomenal. Here’s the dandelion.”

Mike shoved a weed into her hand and motioned for two camera operators to set up nearby. Eva waited a few moments so Pete could free his limbs from the man he fell upon. She noticed the balloon pilot rubbing his elbow among other things.

As Brian took a few steps away from her, his face changed. He put on his professional air and charged ahead. “Eva, the balloon ride was something else and you experienced it with two men, but you only have one dandelion. Who stays and who goes?”

Eva looked down at the weed in her hand. The decision had been made for her. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if she had a real choice. Luckily, she only had one option. “Kurt,” she said. “I respect your vocation and I admire you for hearing God’s call and answering it. I understand this means you won’t continue on the show, but I am grateful I had the opportunity to get to know you. I am a better person for it.”

Kurt smiled and bowed his head.

“Pete, I saw a different side to you today,” Eva continued.

Pete shuffled his foot in the grass.

“And I liked it.”

Pete’s face broke into a goofy grin.

“You’re obviously very masculine and strong.”

His chest puffed out.

“But I want someone who has layers and today, I saw several in you. Moving forward, I want to see more. Pete, will you accept this dandelion?”

Pete stepped forward. “On one condition.”

Eva quirked an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Pete pointed at the deflated balloon over her shoulder. “That you never make me do that again.”

Eva laughed. “You have my word.”

Pete took the dandelion and Eva embraced him. His strong arms made her feel safe and protected, though she knew his deepest fear and maybe even because of his weaknesses.

Brian pulled the bachelors aside for final post-date interviews and Eva watched the sun say its final goodbye. Pete and Kurt climbed into the van and Brian appeared at her elbow.

“A word?” he asked.

“Sure.” Eva searched for the camera. She hadn’t done a final interview yet.

“They’re packing up.” Brian threw his thumb over his shoulder. “But I can insert a voice over later if anything important transpires from the interview.”

Eva nodded. She wasn’t sure she understood what he wanted, but she rolled with it.

“It’s obvious how you feel about Kurt after what happened on the balloon  and you gave Pete the dandelion, so viewers will know you want to get to know him better.” Brian paused and Eva held her breath. “But what I want to know more than anything is…how do you feel about me?”

Eva blinked. Brian was lucky there were no cameras around. He likely wouldn't have asked such a brazen question had there been anyone to hear it.

“I…I…” He put Eva on the spot. She hadn’t processed the dates, much less what happened between her and Brian.

“I don’t want to pressure you.” Brian ran his hand through his short hair. “I’m trying to be professional about all this, but I have to admit, this process is driving me absolutely nuts.”

Eva studied his profile in the dusk light. He no longer looked like the formal newsman she was used to seeing. He had a boyish expression on his face. He was unsure…vulnerable…worried, nothing like the confident man relaying the daily news.

“Brian, honestly, I’m confused about a lot of things right now.” Eva laid her hand on his arm and glanced over at the waiting vans. No one was paying any attention to them. “If you were on the show, things would be different. I could explore whatever it is that’s happening between us.” Eva shuddered when Brian laid his free hand over hers and stroked her palm.

“But?” he asked.

“But you’re not on the show…as a contestant, at least. And I have seven men left who are. It’s not fair to them for me to concentrate on my emotions for anyone else. They have a lot on the line, you know? They left their jobs, their families and put time and effort into this.” Eva shrugged. “Seven is already six too many. I don’t have the capacity to spread myself any thinner than I already have.”

Brian drew his hand away. “I understand.”

Eva left her palm on his arm and stood with him in compatible silence until Mike called them to the vans.

AT THE HOTEL, Brian sat with his back against the door that joined his room to Eva’s. On the return ride, he listened to Pete recount every detail of the balloon landing. He described his terror, the tipping basket and his fall onto the balloon pilot. Brian had to admit, Pete had a decent sense of humor to go along with his muscles…and frequent burps.

But now, all Brian could concentrate on was the silence that grew deeper every second. If Eva were to make even the slightest move toward the door, he’d hear it and he’d be ready. But he resigned himself to the fact that she wasn’t coming. She’d said her peace and she was right. Brian wasn’t on the show. He couldn’t compete for her affections. It wasn’t fair to the other men.

Brian pulled his knees up to his chest and folded his arms on top of them. Sleep wasn’t an option. There was a conversation he needed to have and he had no idea how it would go. He had to talk to Mike and he’d have to find just the right moment.