AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The corners of my lips turned down, trying to keep in my smile. Now, wasn’t he the cutest? “I love it. It’s perfect.” I snuggled next to his side, and my arms wrapped around his waist.
A hint of a smile surfaced. “And I did bring the wine, if you were wondering.” He lifted up his picnic basket.
Ahead of us, the two men had spread the balloon flat across the field. The nylon was an array of bright colors of the rainbow—vibrant yellows, oranges, reds, greens, purples and blues.
“Can both of you assist us?” James called out.
They positioned us at the bottom of the balloon, at the opening, which was called the mouth.
James placed the edge of the balloon in my hands. “All you have to do is hold on tight. We’re going to get the burners started and fill this baby up. Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
I nodded, but my heart was beating like crazy.
Charles was on the other end, mirroring holding the mouth of the balloon. He staggered his stance, and so did I. When Noah ignited the burners, hot air blasted in my face, but then the balloon inflated, getting wider. The bigger the balloon got, the harder it was to hold the nylon. It felt as though I was being pulled. I planted my feet firmly on the ground and took in the multitude of colors in front of me. I almost felt like I was inside the balloon; watching it blow up to its full capacity was beyond amazing.
There went my cute ponytail. Escaping strands were everywhere. But it didn’t matter because as I got whipped by my hair, I was smiling like a loon. I peered over at Charles, and he was beaming, a full-on, all-out smile. It was beautiful. It lit up his face.
They tilted the wicker basket to its side and positioned it at the opening of the mouth. I stepped back, watching as they tied the balloon to the basket. And then James and Noah tipped it over until it was standing up.
One hand flew to my mouth as I tilted my chin all the way back, taking in the height and mass of the vibrant balloon.
“Ready?” Charles yelled above the burners blowing.
I nodded, and he ushered me to the basket. It was tall, the top resting right underneath my breast line.
“You’re going to have to hop up on the lip, and we’ll help you inside,” Noah said. “Like this.” With his arms, he used the lip of the basket to lift his butt to the edge and swing his legs inside the basket in one swift movement. “Easy.”
I laughed. “Sure. Says the man who’s a good head taller than me.”
“I’ll help you up,” Charles said, dropping the picnic basket on the floor.
“No, I’m pretty sure I can …” I was struggling when, without warning, Charles lifted me like I was a feather, his body close to mine, his hands at my sides. My breath hitched when my feet came off the ground. I was supposed to grab the lip of the basket and use my arms to get me on the edge, but I failed, falling into him.
Heat rushed my body everywhere we were connected, my breasts crushing against his hard chest, hip to hip, thigh to thigh. And when I peered up at him, I saw the mirrored heat in his eyes.
“Let me help you up, Becky,” Noah said, oblivious to the fireworks going off between us.
Charles flashed him a not-so-happy look, and his eyes met mine again. “Listen, use your arms to pull yourself up and anchor your butt on the edge.” He tipped his chin toward Noah. “And then you can help her when she swings her legs into the basket.”
I smirked.Is he jealous?There was a definite fiery spark in his eyes as he stared Noah down. I think he is.
“Ready?” he asked.
I used my arms to pull myself up with all the strength I had. When I was at the edge of the basket, I lifted my knees to my chest and fell in backward.
I yelped before Noah caught me, and then I stood and pushed my hair out of my face. I looked over at Charles, who handed the picnic basket to James, and then he hopped in gracefully, as though he’d done this a million times before.
He had asked me, but I’d never asked him.
“Have you ever ridden in one of these?”
“No. I always wanted to. I wanted to take the girls, but they’re not tall enough to see over this basket, so what’s the point?”
Our attention was back on Noah as he said, “Okay, we’re going to take off soon. Sky is clear, and there is no sign of rain. Let’s go.”
Tony unhooked the anchors, and we were off. I leaned over the edge of the basket, watching Tony and his truck shrink into a little figure below. We brushed against some tree branches as we were lifted higher. We were flying. Really flying. Above the houses, above the trees.
It felt unbelievable. I felt free and, at this height, like I could breathe freely. I inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air.
