and he
replied, “ Ja, we could do that.”
Taking Nathaniel’s hand, she climbed into the wicker basket connected to the balloon
above by a series of strong cables. The basket was large enough to hold sixteen people
and open enough to keep her from feeling claustrophobic. If she wanted to, she could
climb over the side and jump out any time she wished.
Nathaniel sat beside her on a portable box with the picnic basket between them. Kim
discovered the bottle she’d seen in his hand earlier wasn’t wine, but champagne.
“Is this a champagne brunch?” she inquired.
Nathaniel took the bottle, popped the cork, and poured her a glass. “When people first
began ballooning, the balloonist would carry champagne to soothe angry or frightened
spectators at the landing site.”
Kim smiled. “Perfect for me.”
“These days a champagne toast is tradition upon landing,” he told her. “But since
we aren’t going anywhere, we might as well have some now.” Raising his glass, he said,
“To soft winds and gentle landings.”
And to soft, gentle kisses. Kim glanced at his mouth. She wouldn’t mind if he kissed her.
“Nathaniel—does everyone call you Nathaniel, or do you go by Nat or Nate?”
“They call me Nathaniel. To reduce the name my parents chose for me would dishonor
them.”
Kim took a sip of champagne and smiled. “Why? Are you part of royalty or something?”
He laughed and shook his head. “No. Not royalty. But my mother couldn’t love me any
more than the most upstanding person, and this is how I show her respect.”
Kim raised her brows. “I never thought about it like that. Everyone I know uses nicknames.
Seems easier in a fast-paced world.”
“What is your full name?” he asked.
“Kimberly Nicole Burke.”
“Doesn’t anyone in your family use your full name?”
“My mother did.”
“And your father?”
Kim smirked. “He doesn’t call me much of anything, and when he does, it’s Kim. My
father likes to keep things short.”
“And sweet?” Nathaniel prompted.
“No, just short,” Kim corrected. “My relationship with him . . . is difficult.”
“Kimberly is a beautiful name. I like it very much.”
He leaned close enough to take her breath away, and her heart pounded in her chest.
But no kiss.
“Would you like to go higher? Ten feet?” he asked, his hands already on the burner,
ready to pump the flame.
She nodded and gripped the edge of the box on which she was sitting. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Nathaniel worked the burner and the fan, which directed the hot air from the short
bursts of flame into the gaping mouth of the balloon. To Kim’s surprise, a thrill
of excitement instead of fear shot through her, and when she looked at Nathaniel,
she couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’ve always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon,” Kim admitted, pulling herself
over to the edge and gripping the cable attached to the balloon. “Do you want to go
higher?”
Nathaniel’s eyes sparkled. “Do you?”
“At least to twenty-five feet,” she suggested.
The balloon lifted, and a great weight she didn’t even know she had been carrying
seemed to lift with it, leaving her light and bubbly. Could it be the champagne? Doubtful.
She hadn’t even finished one glass.
“Oh, Nathaniel, isn’t it wonderful? Imagine flying over the hillside, past the cupcake
shop, and across the Columbia River to the other side. Imagine the sights we could
see!”
“You don’t have to imagine, Kimberly. Some sights were meant to be seen firsthand.”
He tied the rope to secure them at twenty-five feet and came back to sit beside her.
“I could tell you about my homeland in Sweden, but if you were to go there and see
it with your own eyes . . . well, it’s a different thing altogether.”
She thought of her bulletin board in her room filled with pictures of all the places
she’d like to travel. Thought of the empty pages of her blank
replied, “ Ja, we could do that.”
Taking Nathaniel’s hand, she climbed into the wicker basket connected to the balloon
above by a series of strong cables. The basket was large enough to hold sixteen people
and open enough to keep her from feeling claustrophobic. If she wanted to, she could
climb over the side and jump out any time she wished.
Nathaniel sat beside her on a portable box with the picnic basket between them. Kim
discovered the bottle she’d seen in his hand earlier wasn’t wine, but champagne.
“Is this a champagne brunch?” she inquired.
Nathaniel took the bottle, popped the cork, and poured her a glass. “When people first
began ballooning, the balloonist would carry champagne to soothe angry or frightened
spectators at the landing site.”
Kim smiled. “Perfect for me.”
“These days a champagne toast is tradition upon landing,” he told her. “But since
we aren’t going anywhere, we might as well have some now.” Raising his glass, he said,
“To soft winds and gentle landings.”
And to soft, gentle kisses. Kim glanced at his mouth. She wouldn’t mind if he kissed her.
“Nathaniel—does everyone call you Nathaniel, or do you go by Nat or Nate?”
“They call me Nathaniel. To reduce the name my parents chose for me would dishonor
them.”
Kim took a sip of champagne and smiled. “Why? Are you part of royalty or something?”
He laughed and shook his head. “No. Not royalty. But my mother couldn’t love me any
more than the most upstanding person, and this is how I show her respect.”
Kim raised her brows. “I never thought about it like that. Everyone I know uses nicknames.
Seems easier in a fast-paced world.”
“What is your full name?” he asked.
“Kimberly Nicole Burke.”
“Doesn’t anyone in your family use your full name?”
“My mother did.”
“And your father?”
Kim smirked. “He doesn’t call me much of anything, and when he does, it’s Kim. My
father likes to keep things short.”
“And sweet?” Nathaniel prompted.
“No, just short,” Kim corrected. “My relationship with him . . . is difficult.”
“Kimberly is a beautiful name. I like it very much.”
He leaned close enough to take her breath away, and her heart pounded in her chest.
But no kiss.
“Would you like to go higher? Ten feet?” he asked, his hands already on the burner,
ready to pump the flame.
She nodded and gripped the edge of the box on which she was sitting. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Nathaniel worked the burner and the fan, which directed the hot air from the short
bursts of flame into the gaping mouth of the balloon. To Kim’s surprise, a thrill
of excitement instead of fear shot through her, and when she looked at Nathaniel,
she couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’ve always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon,” Kim admitted, pulling herself
over to the edge and gripping the cable attached to the balloon. “Do you want to go
higher?”
Nathaniel’s eyes sparkled. “Do you?”
“At least to twenty-five feet,” she suggested.
The balloon lifted, and a great weight she didn’t even know she had been carrying
seemed to lift with it, leaving her light and bubbly. Could it be the champagne? Doubtful.
She hadn’t even finished one glass.
“Oh, Nathaniel, isn’t it wonderful? Imagine flying over the hillside, past the cupcake
shop, and across the Columbia River to the other side. Imagine the sights we could
see!”
“You don’t have to imagine, Kimberly. Some sights were meant to be seen firsthand.”
He tied the rope to secure them at twenty-five feet and came back to sit beside her.
“I could tell you about my homeland in Sweden, but if you were to go there and see
it with your own eyes . . . well, it’s a different thing altogether.”
She thought of her bulletin board in her room filled with pictures of all the places
she’d like to travel. Thought of the empty pages of her blank
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