ten miles.”
Ten miles. Was there any traffic where she could hitch a ride? Now she wished she’d spent some of her time up in the air studying the layout on the ground.
Just as she heard the burners fire up again, she heard the honking horn and turned to see the chase team racing down the narrow road, horn blaring.
“They’re here!” Amalia said, jumping up from the stump she’d been sitting on for most of the afternoon. “We’re rescued!”
Rafael laughed. “We didn’t need rescue. We’ll refuel and lift off again. This time you won’t be so afraid. You know how it all works.”
By the time the balloon lifted again, Amalia hoped she would discover a way to be far gone.
* * *
But she didn’t. Working in perfect synchronization, the team swapped full propane tanks for the empties, keeping the envelope almost full. In less than thirty minutes one of the chase team called to Rafael that he saw the other balloon.
“Oops, time to go,” Rafael said. “Come on, Amalia.”
She wanted to argue, but the camaraderie of the ground crew and the pride she felt that she’d actually survived the morning mellowed her thinking. If all these people thought the event worth taking part in, maybe she needed to give it one more chance. And, truly, if she didn’t look down, she had grown used to the gentle movement of the gondola and almost gotten used to the sudden noise when the burners were engaged.
She had not gotten used to Rafael, however. Still, she could do this, what choice did she have?
She looked up and saw the other hot air balloon almost overhead.
“They’ll get ahead of us,” she said as she grabbed the jacket she’d discarded and hurried to the gondola. By the time they rose enough to catch the current, Vicente’s balloon would have a slight lead.
Rafael turned his head to smile at her. “We’ll catch them if they get ahead. Fire up the fans,” he called as he opened the burners and the roaring filled their ears. In only seconds the balloon began to rise rapidly.
Amalia watched, her attention torn between their own efforts and the balloon sailing silently overhead.
“They’re getting ahead,” she said. If her boss outdistanced Rafael the first day, would that settle the race? Glancing at the charged energy Rafael showed, she doubted it. He’d fight to the last second to gain even an inch of distance.
“You come and take the controls,” Rafael said. “I need to consult the weather maps of the area. Keep the burners going until the temperature gets near the limit.”
Amalia stepped closer to the center. She grabbed the lever and pulled down, feeling almost like a pro. They were gaining altitude rapidly now. Soon they were level with Stefano’s balloon, though some distance behind.
Rafael glanced up from the charts and maps he was perusing and looked around. He jotted a note on the margin of the paper.
The trees had dropped away, the surrounding hills were left behind. The burners roared and Amalia laughed in sheer delight. She’d done it! She wasn’t about to go near the edge of the basket, but she’d lifted the balloon from the ground. Looking at the other balloon, she saw they were rapidly passing it in elevation. Would a different air current sweep them past?
She glanced at Rafael and found him grinning at her. “Told you it would get better,” he said.
The euphoria she experienced allowed her to incline her head regally and agree. “So you did. How long do we have to keep the burners on?”
“You judge. Keep an eye on the gauge.”
Amalia watched, and when it got close to the high temperature, she closed the controls. The silence echoed in her ears, ringing from the sound of the burners.
She kept her hand on the lever for balance and looked triumphantly at Rafael.
“We’re higher than Stefano’s balloon.”
“Well done. Come here and I’ll show you the route I think the currents will take us.”
She hesitated a moment, glancing straight out over the side of the basket. But they were so high, she could see little. Her heart lurched and she quickly sat down beside Rafael. He held out the edge of the paper and she drew it closer. Leaning near, Rafael pointed out the topography and explained how air currents rose and fell, some on different currents, some impacted by the terrain and the heat of the day. His shoulder brushed hers and Amalia caught her breath, forcing herself to concentrate on his words and following where his finger pointed.
Turning her head slightly, she saw the faint lines radiating from the outer edges of his eyes, as if he squinted in the sunlight a lot. His skin was tanned and taut, covering high cheekbones. His dark eyes sparkled with the excitement of planning where he’d try to take their balloon.
He glanced at her, and Amalia quickly turned back to the map, trying to quell her rapid heart rate. Surely he could hear her blood pounding through her veins? Better if he thought she was suffering from fright than the true nature of her feelings. She was too much attracted to the man!
“Any questions?” he asked.
“How did you get involved in this?” she asked, daring to look at him again.
“This race or hot air ballooning?” he asked, standing and doing a 360-degree scan.
“I know how you got into this race, I meant the entire sport.”
“It was something new to try and I liked it once I did.”
“Flying airplanes and scuba diving isn’t enough?” she asked.
He raised one eyebrow in silent question.
She refused to admit she’d been interested enough in him to look him up and find out about him before the race.
“I like challenging myself,” he said at last. “And exploring unusual things. I’m thinking of taking part in an archaeological dig in the Holy Land next spring.”
“At least that would be safer than depending on hot air to keep you above ground,” she said. “Doesn’t your family worry about your recklessness?”
He laughed. “No one worries about me,” he said. “And I’m not sure they’d consider what I do reckless, anyway. I’m not, you know.”
“Now, how would I know that? I scarcely know you.”
“I’ve been doing business for Vicente since before you were hired.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I’ve worked for the firm for more than seven years. It’s only the last three I’ve been Stefano’s PA.”
“And before that?”
“I worked for another company. It didn’t offer the chances for advancement that I needed. I do have my brother to care for, remember.”
He nodded, his expression becoming thoughtful.
