Coast-to-Coast Hot Air Balloon Race - Final
Location: Charlotte, NC
First place: Team Float Away
Second Place: Team Beautiful View
Third Place: Team Wind Drifters
Sandbag drop winner: Team Big Red
Emily had won!
Reid had never been so proud of someone or for someone in his life. He had just pulled up to the landing field when she touched down. He hurried to where she was being congratulated by the officials.
He grabbed her as she slipped over the edge of the gondola. She stiffened in his arms. “Thank you,” she said loud enough for others to hear before she whispered in a tight
voice, “Let me go.”
Reid released her and stepped away. It hurt but he deserved it. He took the tether rope from her. “I’ll see to the balloon while you enjoy the moment.”
He’d hurt her especially with his comment about Skytech helping her. That wasn’t what he’d meant to do. He’d thought if he explained it right, she might understand. But nothing he said seem to get through the wall she’d erected between them.
Now he needed to get to Washington and show the Defense Department Skytech. He had seen to it that Emily had gotten what she wanted. It was time to focus on what he needed. He would straighten things out with Emily when he had the company put to rights. Time was ticking down of the loan coming due.
People crowded around her. She looked so happy. Her smile was bright until her gaze met his then her happiness dimmed.
The race committee chairman made his way through the crowd. “When all the balloons have landed, we’ll make the presentations.”
Emily had been far enough ahead of the other balloons in points scored there was no way any of them had a chance to move past her. When there were only a few people coming up to Emily she started to help him bring down the envelope. With it on the ground, he began to detach it from the load lines.
“What’re you doing?” Emily asked from behind him.
“I’m taking this off. I need it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s going with me. I have a meeting with the Department of Defense. They want to see it.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right it belongs to you.” Her words were sharp and bitter as sour grapes.
Reid made no comment as he worked. He could feel Emily’s eyes boring into him before she went back to seeing about the equipment in the gondola.
Half an hour later the announcement was made over a bullhorn that the ceremonies would begin in five minutes.
Reid looked at Emily. “If you don’t want me there, I won’t go.”
“I don’t have any choice. You’re part of my team and everyone knows it. I won’t have people asking questions about why you didn’t show up.”
Reid had predicted Emily’s reaction would be much as it was. In the early days of the race, he didn’t care if she’d be upset when she learned the truth. He had sponsored her, and she’d received what she wanted. But now it mattered. He should have told her earlier.
He’d been given chances and he hadn’t taken them. More than once he’d found what he thought was a good excuse, but it hadn’t been. It was just an excuse. He’d hurt Emily. Could he make it up to her? Would she let him?
They were called up on a presentation stage which had been set up on the side of the field. Emily was introduced and he joined her there as part of her team. She smiled and laughed with those around her until she looked at him then the radiance faded. The sooner he left, the better. Emily accepted the hot air balloon shaped trophy. He’d given anything not to have been the one to dampen this moment for her.
He stepped away when they awarded her with a giant-sized check written for $35,000. The media flashed pictures and asked questions. Emily fielded them like a pro, especially when they asked about ballooning itself. She loved it and it showed. Emily lost no time in letting them know she would be starting her own business in Napa Valley. She invited them all to come fly with her. Her many thanks were gracious, and she didn’t fail to mention his company as sponsor.
Reid headed back to the Suburban before the media let Emily leave. He stored the remaining equipment. He needed to make plans to get to Washington.
A car pulled up.
Surprise shot through him. “Roger, what’re you doing here?”
“I flew in this morning on the red eye. If we can catch a plane in,” he checked his watch, “One hour and thirty-seven minutes, we have a chance to talk to Senator Childs who chairs the Defense Committee before he heads out of town for the Congressional break.”
Reid looked to where the crowd still stood around the stage. A bad taste filled his mouth. He didn’t want to leave things between he and Emily like they were, but this chance with the Defense Department meant too much to his future. His heart and mind wared with each other.
“We’ve got to go now if we have any chance of catching that flight.” Roger voice had a note of urgency.
Reid had no choice. “Open the trunk. This box needs to go with us.”
“Why?” Roger opened the car door.
“It has Skytech in it. We can show them the physical product.”
Roger helped Reid load it. He looked toward the stage once more his heart torn. Disappearing might be more than Emily could forgive. That sadden him all the way to his soul. He was choosing between life in heaven or hell.
“You can call her later and let her know where you’ve gone.” Roger got back behind the wheel.
Reid climbed in the car. “Step on it. We don’t want to miss that flight.”
As Roger drove out of the field, Reid looked for Emily’s hair. A tightness filled his chest. An emotion called loss. Deep loss. He couldn’t see her.
After winding through the Napa Valley, Emily pulled her car to a stop beside the small white building off the main road. Nothing had gone right that morning starting with the alarm not going off. She had been in overdrive since returning from the race six weeks earlier.
With her winnings in hand, she’d visited the bank again. This time they were willing to loan her the money she needed to start her business. Soon she’d bought the land she wanted.
It had a small building on it that she’d redone into an office. She was ready to open for business.
She had enough winnings to live on until she could show a profit. Two other balloonists had leased her land for landings. Others would follow, she was sure. Her calendar showed her booked for the next two months for morning flights. She would start giving pilot lessons next month generating more income. Yet something was missing. Reid.
He’d disappeared after the race. He’d called several times, but she hadn’t answered. He’d left a message telling her he was sorry, apologizing for leaving without speaking to her. He’d had to go to Washington right away. The other messages had asked her to return his calls, still she’d not done so. After a while, she deleted his new messages without listening. It was too hard to hear his voice. She missed him. Hurt for want of him. His smile, his humor, his body, his lovemaking. But she needed someone she could trust in her life. Not someone out for only himself.
On the long flight home, she’d thought about what he’d said about going to Washington and what he hadn’t said. He’d given up what he believed was his only chance to meet with the Department of Defense to crew for her on the final leg. She hadn’t seen it then. Now she recognized it far too clearly. He’d deceived her, but the material had been tested. He’d needed the race as much as she. What had he really done that she hadn’t? They’d both used the race as a means to an end.
She just couldn’t bring herself to tell him so. Anyway, he hadn’t said anything about having feelings for her. She had been just a convenient way of killing time. He didn’t really care for her. He’d never said he did. But hadn’t he shown it?
Going to the back door of her office building, she unlocked it and entered. Moving down the hallway, she opened the front door letting the cool air in then headed for her office. She picked up the mail off the floor on her way.
She loved her workspace. To her it represented achievement. She circled the desk facing the door. As she did, she ran her forefinger along the frame of the painting hanging on the side wall. The artist had caught a balloon lifting off against the morning sun perfectly. She loved the picture even though it brought back bittersweet memories.
One morning, a crate arrived at her home. Reid had shipped the balloon envelopes to her along with a note and the painting. She opened the crate to find the painting she’d admired at the craft show. He had noticed how much she’d like it. That fact meant more to her than she wanted to admit.
Inside the business envelope she found a note written on Reid’s letterhead. She quickly read it. It stated from a scientific lab that the envelope had been cut. Below it in Reid’s handwriting it said she should be careful of Brian if she ever raced against him again. Warmth filled her chest. Reid was still trying to protect her.
She missed him so acutely she’d give anything to just hear his voice. If he’d only call again, she’d answer. After thinking about what he’d done, she let her righteous indignation cool. She started to see the truth. The problem now was she’d been so ugly to Reid, she couldn’t imagine how he would ever accept her apology. Dwelling on Reid did her no good.
Punching a button on the answering machine, she listened to her messages. Disappointment pricked her. She sifted through the mail. There was nothing in it that couldn’t wait.
Opening the newspaper that had come with the mail she saw on the front page the announcement that Reid’s company would be going public. The stock was expected to be in high demand since Engineered Materials had been awarded a new government contract. He’d done it. Emily had been expecting some type of announcement for days. Reid’s actions during the race indicated he’d do anything to get what he wanted.
“Well, I admit you surprised me. You did it.”
Emily’s stomach roiled at the sound of Brian’s voice. Her head jerked up. He stood in the front doorway. She continued to move papers around on her desk to make a show of dismissing him. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to check in on you. See your place. Offer my help.”
Why that slime. Take the high road. “I don’t need or want your help. Thank you.”
“You and I could build this into a great ballooning business.” He looked around his attention landing on the painting Reid bought.
The muscle in her right jaw twitched. How like Brian to see an opportunity and try to take advantage of it. She was no longer the kind of woman who would allow that. “I can take care of my own business. I don’t want to do business with a cheater.”
“Cheater? I’m no cheater.”
By the tell-tale tick in his jaw, she had him. “You deny you bumped into me, made that anonymous call? Oh yeah, stole my gloves and emptied my gas. And worse, cutting a hole in my envelope. You could have killed me with any one of those.”
“I explained about the bump.”
She glared at him. “Yeah, but you and I both know that you did the other stuff as well.”
He smirked. “You can’t prove that.”
“Maybe not, but we both know it’s true. I saw thread like what was used on my balloon in the cup holder of your truck when I was walking by after the final ceremonies. I know you did it.”
“You still can’t prove it,” he spat.
“Maybe not but you and I both know you are a cheat and liar.”
His voice turned syrupy. “Emily, we used to have something special.”
She stood. Her fists went to her hips as she pierced him with a look. “What part was special? The part where you used me to impress your friends? The part where you made it so I would have to quit my job to get out from under your thumb? The part where you told me I wasn’t a good enough pilot to win the race? Or the part where you hit me with your balloon? And cut my envelope where I might have been killed. Excuse me if I don’t see the special in any of those. I’ve been done with you for months. Now get out.” She pointed toward the door. “Before I call the police and tell them you are trespassing.”
He stepped toward her. “All I want you to do is listen—”
“I’m not listening to you ever again. About anything.” Her voice approached a yell.
Brian took another step.
She picked up her phone. “If you don’t get out now, I’m calling …I don’t think you want that making the media.”
His lips thinned into a tight line before he stalked toward the door. “You were nothing when I started seeing you and you’re no better now.”
Emily breathed a sigh of relief when he left. That felt good. She should have told Brian off months ago. Should have believed Reid when he’d said Brian was behind the stuff happening to her. She just didn’t want to believe it. Now, because of Reid and her accomplishments, she was confident in her abilities. Caustic people in her life like Brian were no longer welcome. She was through with letting others make her feel less than she was. She could do anything she set her mind to. Like getting Reid back.
Reid knocked on the front door of the home he’d grown up in. It was also the house he’d left after harsh words with his father when he left the company.
His mother opened the door. “Hi, honey. Come on in.” She gave him a hug he returned with warmth. Even when he’d departed in a temper, he’d known his mother loved him, yet she would side with his father. Looking back on it, he’d had a wild streak that needed taming and his parents had done the right thing. But after he settled down and had a good job, his father still didn’t trust him. The hurt went deep. No matter what he did, it seemed impossible to change his father’s mind. Maybe the success of Skytech would make the difference.
“Your father is in his study. He’s expecting you.”
Reid walked down the hall of the ranch style house. Tapping on the door, he entered when his father called out. He pushed the door open to find his father sitting behind his all too familiar large desk. The TV on the opposite wall was turned to the golf channel.
“Dad.”
His father looked up. “Welcome home. How was your three-week vacation?”
Reid took a deep breath. He actually been home triple that amount of time by now, but he been too busy and wanted to have business settled before he saw his father. Reid had hoped their conversation wouldn’t be like this. “I was actually working.”
His father gave him his full attention. Skepticism filled his voice, “How’s that?”
“Roger and I developed a new fabric.”
“You were supposed to be watching over my company. Not messing around with stuff,” he snapped.
“Hal,” Reid’s mother said as she pushed the door wider, “you shouldn’t get upset.”
His father settled back in his chair but continued to glare at Reid.
“Dad, the company was going under whether you want to admit it or not. I’ve been working on the idea for a new fabric since I was at the plant years ago. Roger and I developed it and I’ve been testing it on a hot air balloon for the last few weeks. It works great. I’ve already showed it to the Department of Defense, and they want it.”
“You did what without my knowledge?”
Reid’s mother put her hand on his father’s shoulder then left the room.
“We have a defense contract, Dad. That contract alone should keep the company in the black for years.”
“So all this time you’ve been going behind my back and making a fabric I haven’t agreed to.”
They were back to the age-old problem. His father wanted Reid to toe the line and Reid couldn’t do it to his satisfaction. “So Dad, what’s the problem? That I’ve grown into the responsible person you always wanted me to be or that I’ve saved your company? Which one are you having the most difficulty accepting?”
Reid had walked off in anger the last time, this time he refused to. His father would hear him out.
His father studied Reid. He watched as emotions crossed his face. Finally, his father said, “Have I really been that big of an ass?”
“At times.”
His father leaned forward his arms crossed on the desk. “Tell me about this material—”
“Skytech.”
“Skytech. I like the name. What can it do?”
For the next hour, Reid explained the qualities of Skytech in detail and what he’d learned during the race. His father listened with interest, nodding thoughtfully.
“This Emily Kerr, the name sounds familiar. Do I know her?”
“She’s the daughter of Martin Kerr who used to work for us and will again if I can convince him to come back.” Reid gave his dad a pointed look. “I need his experience in the factory if we’re going to produce Skytech at the rate the Department of Defense contract demands.”
His father looked away. “I thought I was doing what I had to in order to keep the company running.” He looked at Reid again. “That didn’t mean I didn’t lose sleep over it.”
It was the first time Reid had ever heard his father even come close to admitting he might be wrong about something. It was a start.
“Something in the way you talk about Martin’s daughter makes me think that it ended up being more than a business trip?” His father smiled.
“Yeah. I just hope I’m as successful with her as I have been with Skytech.”
Four mornings after Brian had shown up, Emily pulled her car in front of her office again. Billy’s truck was already parked there. He still helped her out when he could. His father was recovering well. She’d have to start looking for someone to replace Billy when he started college in the fall. Grabbing her jacket with the Float Away logo on it, she went around to the shed attached to the back of the building to where she stored the balloon equipment. Billy was there pulling the basket out.
“Morning.”
“Hey.” Billy stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
“I have a champagne breakfast flight this morning. Can you put out the things I need? Probably some guy planning to ask his girl to marry him.”
“Sure,” Billy agreed before going back to work.
“I need to check my messages and then I’ll be out to help you.”
From her office she glanced out the window. Billy was using the golf cart she’d bought to move the gondola out to the flight area. She checked her watch. Heading outside, she walked to the balloon and began helping Billy inflate the envelope. Billy had chosen the one Reid had made.
With the balloon ready to go she looked toward the road. “Where’s our customers? It’s getting late.”
A black late model sports car turned onto the dirt road that wound to her office.
“That must be them. I’ll get the picnic basket and be right back.” Billy drove off in the golf cart.
Emily returned to double checking the hookups. The sound of the golf cart returning made her looked up from where she’d placed the step beside the basket.
Her ‘welcoming the customer’ smile faded into one of disbelief.
Reid.
Emily’s breath caught. Her palms turned damp.
He stopped the cart beside her and stepped out. Dressed in a navy golf shirt and tan shorts, he looked so good, so handsome, and so sexy all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and tell him how much she’d missed him. What was he doing here? She couldn’t get the words out.
“Hey, Em.” He grinned. “Surprised?”
Em. Oh, how she’d missed hearing him say her name.
“Ah…hi. What’re you doing here?”
“Aw, come on, Em. You can do better than that. That certainly doesn’t sound like you’re happy to see me.”
She gave him a sad look. “I am. And I’d really like to talk but I’m expecting someone for a flight this morning.” Would he wait for her to finish her flight?
“That would be me.”
“You?” She looked around for another car. A band of pain wrapped her chest. Was he here to ask someone to marry him? Was he so angry with her he’d propose to another woman in front of her? Hundreds of feet in the air where she’d be forced to watch?
“Yes. I paid for a flight. Aren’t you going to take me up?”
“Uh…sure. Is someone else coming with us?”
“Nope. Just me and you.”
“I thought you were afraid of heights.”
His gaze met hers. “Some people are worth facing your fears for. Let me get the basket Billy sent.” Reid returned to the cart, lifted the picnic basket out and placed it inside the gondola. “Ready when you are.”
Relief filled her. She didn’t know what was going on but at least she wasn’t going to have to listen to a proposal. “Okay.”
Reid’s low chuckle made her heart beat faster. As always, he knew exactly what he did to her. She stepped on the stool preparing to climb over the edge. Strong sure hands lifted her. A thrill of pleasure flowed through her. She’d missed Reid’s touch.
What did it mean him being here?
Reid handed her the stool then climbed in, dwarfing the space inside the basket. He came to stand near her. “I decided I needed to face my fears, or I’d miss out on something that could change my world.”
“Like what?” she asked softly not daring to look at him.
“Like you.”
Her blood raced.
“Em.” Her name from his lips sounded reverent. “Please look at me.”
With her pulse racing her head turned. His lips met hers.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him tight. He deepened the kiss. Emily pulled back, far enough she could clearly see him. “I forgot to say congratulations on winning the defense contract. I’m sorry for all the hateful things I said to you. You jeopardized your chance to sell Skytech for me. I see that now. It took me awhile to realize it, and then I didn’t know how to say—”
“I should have told you what I was doing. None of it matters now.” He kissed her deeply. “What matters is that we’re here together.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“Aw, Em you have no idea how much I have missed you. Why don’t you take us up and we’ll have that breakfast you’ve packed?
She went to work getting them into the air.
Reid stood nearby. “I thought you might like to know Brian has been suspended from flying for a year.”
Emily glanced at him. “How do you know about that?”
“I might have told Mr. Jones, the committee member, of what we suspected Brian of doing during the race and showed him the lab results.”
“I asked you not to say anything.” Yet, she found it rather nice Reid wanted to defend her.
Reid shrugged. “Mr. Jones came to the plant to see about having an envelope made and asked me about what happened to you. I told him what I thought. Turns out Mr. Jones has ways of getting Brain to talk. Enough about that SOB. Let’s enjoy this beautiful morning.”
Emily gave the balloon heat and they rose higher catching the wind current. A few minutes later they were floating over the green rows of vineyards of Napa as the sun bathed the land in gold.
Reid dug into the picnic basket and came out with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. “Shall I pour?”
Emily smiled. “That would be nice.”
Reid popped the cork and filled the glasses as she concentrated on leveling off. He handed her a flute. Attached to the stem was a white satin ribbon with a diamond ring glistening in the sunlight.
Emily stared at the ring, then looked at Reid.
He knelt on one knee, took her empty hand in both of his. “I love you, Em. Will you marry me?”
Her heart soared. She looked at his handsome earnest face. “Reid, I love you too. Yes, yes, yes. I’ll marry you.”
Reid stood. Emily stepped into his arms. She had no doubt she’d won the race of a lifetime. The one to true love.
THE END