Chapter 70 Up, Up, and Away
“I know how you felt on the airplane, but you’re not afraid of heights are you?” Case asked as he drove Andrea out into the country away from LA.
“No usually,” she said. She had no idea where they were going, but leaving the big city in the rearview mirror made her shoulders relax a little. The air just seemed fresher out here, and her worries melted away.
“Good.” He was holding her hand. His fingers felt so natural, intertwined with hers.
This was their last day together. Tomorrow morning, Andrea would have to go into the studio to continue filming, and Case would be leaving to go back to North Carolina. It made her heart heavy to think about not seeing him for a week. She’d be flying on his jet to Charlotte next weekend, but the thought of not seeing him for five days made tears fill her eyes.
Case noticed right away. “Hey, none of that. We promised. No tears. Remember?”
Andrea nodded and tried to smile. He had asked her to try and be happy on his last day there. He had a whole afternoon and evening planned so they’d have one last date to remember before he left. “I’m sorry. I’m just going to miss you.”
He squeezed her hand. “You’ll be so busy with your movie, you’ll hardly notice I’m gone. And then, I’ll see you next weekend.”
“I know. I’m looking forward to that.”
Patting her reassuringly on the knee, Case continued to head out into the countryside until they finally pulled in the driveway of a large Italian-style house. “Is this a winery?” Andrea asked.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
The grounds were large, and she could see open spaces as well as what appeared to be rows of grapevines. It had to be a winery.
Case parked the car, and the front door opened. A handsome man with gray hair stepped out, a smile on his face. “Ah, Mr. Meyer,” he called as Case opened Andrea’s door. “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”
“Hi John. This is Andrea.” Case shook John’s hand and then placed his hand on Andrea’s back as she stepped forward to shake John’s hand.
“Welcome, Ms. Sparks. We’re so happy to have you here.”
“Thank you.” She was still confused. “Please, call me Andrea.”
He nodded, and Case added, “And I’m Case.”
“Perfect. Right this way, please.”
Case offered his arm, and Andrea took it as they followed John around the back of the house. There, Andrea could see clearly what she was doing there.
A crew of four men was working diligently to inflate a large, colorful hot air balloon. Andrea watched in awe as hot air filled the envelope, bringing the giant flying pocket of air to life. Vibrant yellow, with blocks of red, blue, and green, snapped into place as fire warmed the air and raised the structure off of the ground.
“Have you ever been in a hot air balloon before?” Case asked.
Andrea shook her head. “No, but I’ve always wanted to.”
He smiled, proud of himself for coming up with something she’d never done before. “I think you’ll like it. It’s so different than being in an airplane. It’s like floating on a cloud.”
“I can’t wait.”
Eventually, the men signaled that the balloon was ready to go. Case led Andrea over to the large basket, and one of the men helped Andrea climb over so she was standing inside. Case followed her, and then John got in as well.
“I’ll be your pilot today,” he said with a smile. “Let me tell you about the balloon so you know what I’m doing, and we can all be safe.”
John went over how the mechanics of the balloon worked and a few rules about safety. He explained that the men on the ground would be following along in order to give them ride back when the balloon touched down. John had little control over where the balloon went. It all depended on the wind. “Now, unless you have any questions, let’s go.”
Andrea’s smile widened. She was excited to see what the world looked like from so far above with nothing between her and the clear blue sky.
John heated up the balloon, and the rest of the crew assisted him in getting them off of the ground. Soon enough, Andrea found herself flying over the landscape in the crisp winter air. The countryside was just beautiful. Vineyards and houses dotted the land, with streams of crystal blue water and mountains of green capped with white fog.
“It’s so beautiful!” Andrea exclaimed, unable to believe her eyes.
“Not as beautiful as you are,” Case said with smile.
She felt herself blushing. “Thank you—for arranging all of this and for spending the last few weeks with me.”
“Thank you, Andrea. I know none of this has been easy, but every day I get to spend with you is even better than the last. I love you, Andrea.”
Andrea couldn’t help but smile up at him. “I love you, too.”
Case leaned down and kissed her, taking the sensation that she was floating away to a new level. Despite all that they’d been through, Andrea was certain they belonged together, and nothing could stop their love—nothing.
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