Читать книгу Her Amazing Boss!: The Daredevil Tycoon - Nikki Logan, Anna Cleary - Страница 10

“ANY one of a number of friends,” Rafael said calmly.

But was it true? He had many business acquaintances, some casual friends to go to parties with or sail with. But except for Phillip Stanton and Marco Valdez from school days, he had a superficial relationship with most people. It had even been a number of months since he’d spoken to Phillip or Marco.

Or his brother.

For a moment he wondered what special tie connected Amalia and her brother. Banding together in the face of tragedy? Would he put his life on hold if Andreas needed him? Rafael liked to think so, but he began to wonder if Andreas would reciprocate.

“Good for you,” she said, looking out at the other balloon. “How long before we stop again?”

“Another two hours, I hope. The air is cooler today, meaning it’s easier for us to get lift with the hot air. As long as the propane lasts, we’re good to go.”

She sighed.

“Hey, this is a perfect chance to see Spain from the air. You’re missing a lot by not taking advantage.”

“Like heart attack, nausea, fainting.”

He laughed and crossed to her side. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her closer to the side. “I’ll hold on to you to keep you safe,” he said as he positioned her near the wicker, but not too close. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her back against his chest, leaning over slightly to rest his chin on her shoulder. “Look at that. It’s hard to imagine all that open land when we live in such a crowded city.”

Amalia slowly let her eyes drink in the view. It was breathtaking. Rafael had been right, it was lovely. Slowly she turned her head to see as much as she could. When she turned it the other way, she bumped into Rafael’s face. His cheek was warm. She could feel him smile.

“Nice, huh?”

What, the view?

Or being held by him, feeling safe and secure and almost cherished? She savored the moment. His arms held her securely to his rock-solid body. His feet were braced to balance them in the slight sway of the basket. She could let go of her fear and enjoy the spectacular vision spread out beneath them.

And her senses were far more attuned to the man holding her than to her fear of falling. It was a delight to savor the moment. She closed her eyes and tried to imprint every detail on her mind to remember through the rest of her life. Soaring over Spain, held by Rafael, her real life faded into the background. For these few moments, this was real.

By the time Rafael found a spot where he could safely put down the balloon, Amalia was more than ready to stop. A person could only stand being on edge for so long. She wanted to run on the ground, get away from his disturbing presence and touch base with reality.

Her boss’s balloon had put down twenty minutes earlier. She was beginning to suspect he didn’t carry as much fuel as they did. So they, once again, gained some distance, but Stefano could easily catch up and pass them while they exchanged tanks. They were still too close to predict any clear-cut winner.

The chase crew was already in the clearing, which Amalia found amazing.

Once the balloon was down and secured, a festive picnic lunch was served and quickly eaten as everyone stood. Using a GPS indicator, Rafael calculated the distance they’d already gone.

“Think we can make another one hundred miles this afternoon?” Julio asked.

“If the wind holds. It kicked up once or twice.”

“A problem?” Manuel asked.

“No.”

Amalia finished her meal and jumped up. “I’m going for a quick walk. Being in that confined space gets to me,” she said. Maria offered to go with her.

“Thanks, but unless you really want to, I’m fine. I’ll look at the scenery from ground level and relish not being airborne for a while.” She flicked a glance at Rafael.

“We leave in ten,” he said.

She started off along the road the truck was parked on. It was dirt, but packed hard and easy to walk on. It had grown warm and she left her jacket at the picnic area. There was plenty to do to ready the balloon for the next leg, but the others were far more competent than her.

And she needed some time to herself. Being with Rafael felt like a roller-coaster ride. She disliked being in the balloon yet she was captivated by her pilot. She resented his autocratic ways yet she yearned for a kiss.

That stopped her. She shook her head and started walking again. The very last thing in the world she needed was to be kissed by Rafael. She had a feeling it would spoil her for any man in the future.

And for him it would merely be another woman in a long line of women. He’d probably forget her name by Christmas.

Sighing softly, she tried to count her blessings and hope something would happen to speed up the race.

Amalia was just about to turn around when she heard a vehicle behind her. Stepping to the side of the road, she stopped. It was the chase truck. Rafael was driving. He stopped even with her and looked at her through the passenger side window.

“You walking home?” he asked easily.

She shook her head and opened the door. Climbing in, she looked at him.

“I was just walking. Has it been ten minutes?” She wasn’t wearing a watch, but surely she hadn’t been gone that long.

“Nine. We’ll be back in a sec and take off again.”

“Did you really think I’d try to walk away?” she asked. She hated being his partner, but she would not let him down, because she was starting to believe her boss needed taking down a peg or two.

“No. But if you twisted your ankle or something, it would have been hard for you to get back. Feeling better for the walk?”

“Yes,” she said.

It took only a moment to return to the balloon. Maria had a phone to her ear. When she saw the truck, she said something to Paolo and then headed to meet Rafael.

Amalia hopped out of the truck and watched as Maria came up to Rafael.

“The office is trying to reach you,” she said, holding out the phone.

Rafael took it. “Make it quick,” he said. A moment later he bit out an epithet. “Under no circumstances tell her you’ve talked to me. If she calls again, tell her you’ll relay the message and that’s all. Put Jaime on the phone.” Rafael walked away talking to the man on the other end.

Maria grinned at Amalia and said, “Girlfriend troubles.”

“Teresa Valesquez?”

“Yes, she keeps calling. I think Sophie is getting fed up with all the messages she’s left. Guess now Miss High and Mighty wishes she hadn’t thrown away her chance for the long jump after all. Though she was not a ballooner—you never heard such complaining!”

Amalia vowed to keep her own thoughts about ballooning to herself. She may not like it, but she wanted to give no cause for gossip.

Rafael was impatient to begin the ride. Amalia scanned the sky. There was no sign of the other balloon. Maybe they would maintain their lead.

Once in the basket and beginning to lift, she asked Rafael, “Do you think Stefano will have reporters there again tonight?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Rafael said, eyeing the balloon. Amalia was not able to judge their rate of ascent since she kept her eyes inside the basket and had nothing to gauge it by. She enjoyed watching Rafael when he was concentrating on something else.

When he turned off the burners, she looked around. Still no sign of Stefano’s balloon.

“So we got a jump on him this leg,” she murmured.

“Enough to keep the lead, I hope.”

Amalia stood in one corner and leaned against the propane tank.

Rafael took the map from one of the storage pockets and began to study it.

“Shouldn’t you be watching?” she asked.

“I’ll check it soon. You let me know if we’re going to crash into anything.”

She looked at the empty sky. They were far too high to worry about power lines, even if there had been any around. The other balloon was lifting in the distance.

“The scenery aside, there’s not much to do, is there? Are the festivals like this, too?”

Rafael shook his head and began telling her about the ones he’d attended. She liked listening to him as he talked, closing her eyes to concentrate better.

“Am I putting you to sleep?” he asked.

“No, I listen better with my eyes closed,” she said. The last thing she felt around him was tired. She could feel the heat from his body. She could smell the unique scent that would forever be imprinted in her mind as Rafael’s. Wishing she could record his voice to listen to years down the road, she smiled as he told her of the antics and contests at the festival. His description was romantic and dramatic, and surprisingly the stories did not all feature him as the star.

He fired up the jets and she opened her eyes to watch him. He was tall and slender, with broad shoulders and a tapering waist. His hair had been permanently disheveled since they started. She liked it. It made him seem that much more approachable.

By the time he switched to the last propane tank, dusk was drawing near. Rafael constantly scanned the horizon, but there was no place in sight to set down. The last thing he wanted was to have to land in the dark. There was no telling what dangers there would be.

Maria called him on the radio, the signal poor and staticky. “Lost sight of you … different direction … we can find.”

“Say again,” he replied.

“You are going in a different direction from the road. We cannot find a way to cut over. Do you see a landing site?”

“Negative.” He glanced behind him but did not see Vicente’s balloon. The man had been behind all afternoon and had probably put down at the wide area Rafael had seen about a half hour ago. He looked ahead again. Still nothing suitable.

Static again. Then “… us your GPS coordinates. We’ll find …”

Rafael glanced at the GPS device and then relayed the coordinates, saying them slowly and then repeating them.

“Got it.”

Rafael clicked off the radio and glanced at Amalia. He expected to be reproached or have her complain or say again she was frightened.

But she watched him calmly. Was that trust he saw in her eyes?

“So I’ll do the burners if you watch for a place to land,” she said, stepping close to him.

He let her hand brush against his when she reached for the lever. He was playing with fire to entertain any thoughts of getting involved with Amalia. She was content in her life and had her brother to raise. Heck, she probably didn’t even have a dress suitable for some of the places he liked to take women.

Though that would be no problem; he could buy her whatever she needed. He knew enough from the talk at social events who the leading designers were, where their gowns could be purchased. But maybe he’d take her for a weekend sail, just the two of them on the sea.

Frowning at the way his thoughts were going, he took advantage of her offer and rummaged in a side pocket for the binoculars he carried. Finding them, he began to scan the direction they were going. There had to be something opening up soon.

Had he been with one of his chase team who had experience in the balloon, he wouldn’t be as concerned. Meeting all challenges was one of the things he liked best about the sport. One couldn’t plan out as with plane flights, but meeting the unexpected and handling it was exhilarating. Or it would be, if he wasn’t constantly aware of his passenger and her fear of heights. The last thing he wanted was to give her any reason to fear during the flight.

There, in the distance, he saw an opening in the trees. He lowered the binoculars and tried to gauge how far it was and when they should start down. They had far outdistanced Vicente today. Tomorrow he’d get even farther.

In less than twenty minutes they were on the ground. Amalia jumped over the side and grabbed a tether rope. There wasn’t the need to find an anchor quickly this time, as the balloon was deflating, with nothing nearby to cause a problem.

Once the tug from the breeze died, he jumped over the side with her and took another rope, securing the basket.

“So we just stand here?” she asked.

“For a few minutes. The envelope is already almost down.”

“It’s not going to cover us, is it?”

“It won’t hurt if it does, we can just crawl out. But, no, it’ll go the other direction. There, it’s almost down.”

When the nylon was lying on the ground, Rafael dropped his rope and indicated Amalia could do the same.

She did so, hesitantly.

“Good job,” he said, joining her.

“Now what?”

“We wait for the others.”

She looked around. “I don’t see a road.”

“They’ll come.”

“We are not where we were when you gave them the GPS location.”

“Manuel and Maria both know how to calculate distance and direction. And we have a beacon that I can start that gives off a signal. When they are close enough, they’ll receive that. I haven’t been wrong yet, have I?”

“Not that I know of, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be,” she said, annoyed with him. He looked as fresh and energetic as he had that morning. She would love to sit somewhere and relish being on the earth again. She knew any hint of makeup she’d put on that morning was gone. Her hair had to be a mess. And she’d love to forget about everything and just veg out—preferably away from Rafael Sandoval.

He laughed. “True enough. But better for my image if every time I’m wrong, few people know about it.” He looked around, fists on his hips.

Amalia thought he looked the way a conquistador probably looked when landing in the New World and thinking he’d conquered all he surveyed.

“We can wait in the basket if you like,” he said.

“No, thanks, I’ve spent enough time there today.”

“Then help me with the balloon.”

They stretched it out, then began rolling it toward the basket. Once it was compacted, he reached in the basket for the blankets and a large plastic tarp.

“We cover the balloon, then we sit and wait.”

“Why cover the balloon?”

“To keep it dry. Wet nylon doesn’t inflate very well.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll take a blanket to sit on,” he said when the envelope was covered. He also took the last two sodas.

She handed him a blanket and then put hers down on the ground. Rafael sat opposite her.

“Will we have to spend the night here?” she asked as he tossed her one of the sodas and kept the other.

“Probably. I didn’t see any signs of civilization when looking for this space. I don’t want to spend a lot of time traveling back and forth when we could be airborne.”

“I’m not much for camping,” she said.

“Ever been?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Then how do you know?”

“I like hot and cold running water too much.”

“Look on this as a great adventure.”

“Yeah, that’s what my brother says. Who says I want adventure?”

Rafael laughed.

Amalia swallowed her drink wrong and ended up in a coughing fit. He pounded her on the back until she stopped.

“Thanks, I’m okay now.”

She looked around. The clearing was several acres in size. There were a few scruffy trees here and there, but otherwise it was a rocky flat area on the dry side of the hills they’d been following all day. She was already feeling the hard unevenness of the ground beneath her. How could she sleep on it? How could she sleep alone with Rafael?

Were there wild animals? She looked around, realizing how fast the light was fading.

“It’ll be dark soon,” she said.

“We have a couple of flashlights in the gondola. At least when it’s dark, you can see the stars like never before. Each one is crystal clear.”

“I’d think you’d dislike it even more than I do. Aren’t you missing the fancy restaurants like last night? The luxurious hotel with the fabulous spa tub?”

“You’ve been reading too many newspaper accounts. Sure I enjoy fine things. And I like eating good food. But I also enjoy climbing, hot air ballooning. Versatility is needed for both.”

“So tell me about climbing. How did you get into that?”

“Friends from school and I first went on a trek in France when I was around eighteen. I was hooked. Talk about a challenge—finding my way up the face of a cliff that looked as if it had never been scaled. Reaching the summit and feeling like I was on the rim of the world. You should try it sometime.”

Amalia shook her head in horror. “I can’t imagine much worse—unless it’s hot air ballooning.”

“So your hobbies are needlepoint or knitting, safe and secure?”

“Don’t turn your nose up at those kinds of hobbies. They’re probably fun for many people. But not for me. I like computers.”

“So you don’t take your brother on camping trips?”

“Is that a guy thing? He does plenty outside. He’s going on a science camp this week, with twenty other students. They’ll be camping out and exploring geophysical phenomena. He’ll love it, even if it rains.”

“I do admit to preferring four walls and a roof in the rain,” Rafael said.

He stretched out his single blanket, then lay down.

“Are you going to sleep?” Amalia asked. It was getting darker by the moment. She could already see a few stars in the sky.

“No, just wanting a good view of the sky. Once the crew gets here we’ll have a fire and lights and miss some of the spectacle.”

Rafael confused her. Every time she thought she understood him, he’d say or do something opposite to what she would expect. There was more to him than the playboy image he seemed to relish in Barcelona.

There was something rock solid about him. Even when he pushed for his own way, she knew she could count on him to keep his word and get her home safe.

She looked at the sky. If she sat looking up long enough, she’d get a terrible crick in her neck. Reluctantly she spread her own blanket and lay down. Shifting slightly to find a more comfortable spot she relaxed and enjoyed the starry sky. The darker it became, the more stars appeared. She could see the Milky Way.

“It is spectacular,” she murmured.

“It always puts things into perspective,” he said.

“Like?”

“Like work is not the be all and end all of life. That we are insignificant creatures in the great scheme of things. How many stars can you count?”

“I can’t count them all!” She laughed.

“They say God knows the name of every star.”

“I find that totally amazing.” She was silent for a moment savoring the beauty above her.

“You could have asked for the fifty thousand Euros for yourself,” he said.

“What?” She sat up. “Where did that come from?”

“I was thinking about your scathing comments about the bet. I’m sure you must have imagined what that kind of money could do for you and your brother.”

“I provide just fine for me and my brother. Soon he’ll be on his own and every penny I earn will be mine.”

“A gift, then,” he said.

“No, thank you. That’s not my style.”

He looked at her, silhouetted against the night sky. “So what is your style?”

“To earn my own way,” she said.

He smiled, though she couldn’t see in the dark. So idealistic. Refreshing after the women he usually dated. Then again, maybe the fault lay in his taste in women.…

“After this balloon ride, maybe you’ll feel you earned it. Or at least a bonus from Vicente for going above and beyond the duties of a PA.”

“Are you giving Helena a bonus?” she asked.

“Yes.” No need to tell her the thought had just come to him. Helena made a good salary, but this was certainly above and beyond.

“Money plays a big part of your life,” she said slowly.

Her voice moved as she lay back down.

“It does in everyone’s life,” he replied.

“Not so much in ours, mainly because we don’t have a lot. And we need to save for when Jose is at university. Besides, it mainly buys things. Not memories.”

“Like?”

“Like the afternoons at the beach we used to enjoy with our parents. We’d spend all day playing in the water, picnicking, being together. I miss those times. And holidays, when we celebrated together.”

“You paint an idyllic life. Real life doesn’t follow that.”

“Your parents didn’t do right by you and your brother.”

“So you’re now an expert on my parents?” he asked. The old wound threatened to reopen. He knew she was right, but years of hiding the disappointment he’d felt at being shunted to school and holiday resorts while his parents went their separate ways resurfaced. He would never subject a child to that. Which was why he planned to stay single all his life.

“Money can buy memories,” he argued, just for the hell of it. “Making enough to afford my interests is satisfying.”

“So you try flying, either by plane or balloon, and scuba diving, racing. High-adrenaline sports,” she said. “Sounds like something’s missing.”

“Nothing’s missing. I do well in business and can indulge myself with any sport I want.”

“If you were married, you’d have a family to build memories with. What happens when you’re eighty and can’t do all those sports?”

Rafael laughed. “I doubt I’ll want to if I live to be eighty. And I will have the memories you put such store in.”

“But who would you have to share them with?”

“Who do you have?” he countered.

“Jose for one. And I do hope to marry someday and have a family. Children to love and raise. A husband to grow old with, to share my life and his.”

“I can’t see my parents sitting on a veranda somewhere in thirty years swapping stories about the good old days.”

“I bet my parents would have. With grandchildren around. That’s sad your parents don’t have family memories.”

He sat up, not wanting to continue this topic. “Not sad, just fact. What about people who don’t have a happy life, do you think they want to remember that when they get old?”

She fell silent.

Rafael stood and looked around. It was dark with no ambient light but that from the stars overhead. He could make out the silhouette of the rim of hills behind them. No roads, but plenty of open land for Manuel to drive over. He hoped the GPS locator was functioning.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“A little.” She sat up, drawing the blanket over her shoulders. It was growing cooler.

“We have some snacks left. But dinner will have to wait on the crew.”

“And that could be six hours away,” she murmured.

“No, they’ll be here before long.”

“If not?”

“Then we bunk down here.”

“Just the two of us,” she said softly.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“Should I?”

“Depends on what you consider a problem.”

Amalia’s heart rate sped up. She imagined a lot of scenarios—none of which she’d classify as precisely a problem. Unless she considered being stranded with one of Barcelona’s more infamous bachelors a problem.

“Look on it as a great adventure.”

“I don’t think I’m the adventurous type.”

“Then it’s time you break out of your mold and see what you find,” he said. He sat beside her and nudged her slightly with his shoulder. “Live on the wild side for a while. Explore new things, push yourself. Find out who you really are.”

“And who are you, Rafael?” she asked.

“Someone hoping to go through life experiencing many different facets. Like sailing, soaring, kissing beautiful women.”

The low, sexy tone had her senses on full alert. What would it be like to be kissed by an adventurer?

She was about to find out, she thought, feeling giddy and breathless at the idea.

“Amalia?” he said softly, brushing back her hair from her face, turning toward her.

She saw his head blot the stars then felt his lips brush across hers.

Decision time. Should she scoot away and be outraged, or give in to rampant curiosity and indulge herself as he suggested?

He gathered her closer, blanket and all, and moved past the mere brush of lips for a full-fledged kiss that had her blood pounding through her veins, her head spinning and her own hands reaching out to grasp his jacket and hold on.

The hard ground was forgotten. He shifted slightly, bringing her even closer in his embrace as his tongue teased her lips, dancing with her own when she opened to him. Amalia felt like a top spinning. It was glorious. No wonder women vied to date the man. He set a new standard in kissing.

Too soon he pulled back a bit, his breath fanning her cheeks. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

Sorry! She pushed against that rock-solid chest and scooted back, suddenly feeling every pebble and rock beneath her. Disentangling herself from the blanket, she stood and moved even farther away.

“Try exercising more control next time you feel you can’t resist,” she snapped. She turned, tears of humiliation threatening.

“Hey, Amalia, it was only a kiss,” he said, coming up behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t mean anything,” he said.

That was the problem. It was the best kiss she’d ever had, and he didn’t mean anything.

He stepped up and leaned his head next to hers. She felt the warmth from his cheek next to hers.

“I’m sorry if you’re upset. I won’t do it again.”

Probably not. He was used to gorgeous sophisticated women, not some overworked PA who had to be forced to go on this race with him.

“I think we should keep this businesslike,” she said stiffly. She really wanted him to turn her into his arms again and say nothing was more important to him than her. She almost laughed at the expression he’d have if she voiced that crazy idea.

“I agree. Friends?”

“I doubt we can ever be friends. Just let it drop,” she said, shrugging out of his hold and stepping away. She dare not go too far, as she had no idea where anything was in the darkness.

Would they end up wrapped in the blankets, sleeping beneath the stars? At least the storms he mentioned hadn’t materialized. That would really be horrid.

The silence grew awkward and she knew she hadn’t handled things well. But she couldn’t risk getting too comfortable with him or she’d make an idiot of herself over the man, and then where would she be? She had her brother to get off to university and her own dreams to pursue.

It was almost thirty minutes later that the first glimpse of the headlights shone through the trees.

“Is that them?” she asked, jumping up and trying to see more than flashes of lights at ground level.

“Probably.” Rafael went to the basket and retrieved the radio. In seconds he was in contact with the crew and turned on both flashlights to show them where they were. In less than twenty minutes the truck arrived, lurching over the rough terrain, illuminating everything with its powerful headlights.

Amalia was so glad they’d arrived. She needed a buffer between her and Rafael.

Camping had never been high on her list of things to do, but with accomplished veterans, it turned out to be fun. The meal was cooked and shared by all. The crew and Rafael checked out the balloon, exchanged the propane tanks and made everything ready for the morning flight.

Then air mattresses were inflated, sleeping bags doled out and in less time than she’d expected, Amalia was warm and sleepy. She watched the sky for a few minutes, then closed her eyes and went to sleep—to dream about Rafael’s amazing kisses.

Rafael lay in his bag, watching the sky, thinking of the earlier kiss. He’d done it as a lark; only, it had backfired. Amalia hadn’t seemed to enjoy it, while he’d enjoyed it far too much. Who would have thought Vicente’s PA could kiss like that? He wanted another taste, another kiss to see if what he’d felt had just been a rebound from Teresa or if there was a special spark there.

Unlikely, he thought sardonically. Amalia just didn’t approve of his lifestyle. And to top it off, she wanted marriage and children and memories.

He was making his own memories. Doing things most men only dreamed about.

He thought about the various things he’d tried over the past few years. Turned out this balloon race was the best of the lot, and it was all because of his reluctant passenger.

Rafael frowned. Amalia was no more special than any of the other women he’d seen over the past decade. She was pretty in a very nonpretentious way. Perhaps lacking the sophistication he was used to made her a novelty? Yet she was genuine. Like the woman his brother had married.

But that would change given half a chance. Amalia could be seduced by diamonds and couture clothing, embassy parties and luxurious cruises. He knew what women liked. It was all well and good to talk about family and memories. He’d like to see her dressed in a beautiful gown, jewels glowing around her neck, hair elaborately done. He could take her to a reception, or maybe a Christmas ball. Show her a different side of Barcelona than she knew.

And then what? Move on again? It was what he did.

They were airborne at first light. Amalia had been avoiding him while they prepared for liftoff. Yet she was friendly with the crew, joking and laughing. It was only with him she became distant. And Rafael knew the others had noticed.

The balloon filled and tugged at the land-tethered gondola.

“Turn us loose,” he said. In seconds the ropes had been released and they began to soar. He kept the burners going full blast to heat the air to the maximum in the shortest time possible, and the balloon rose swiftly.

She sat in the corner, gazing up at the balloon. Without standing, there wasn’t a lot to see.

The other balloon wasn’t in sight. Satisfied he’d made a leap ahead of Vicente, he wanted to keep that lead. The farther ahead he got, the better he would like it.

By midmorning Rafael was tired of the silence. Amalia had dozed for a short time, and when she wakened, he beckoned her over.

She rose and glanced around. He could tell she was easier each day with the height. He felt a moment of regret that he’d forced someone so afraid to come up, but he’d honored the conditions of the bet.

“Take over. I’m getting a drink,” he said.

She nodded and stepped in his place.

“Want something?”

“Sure,” she said. Then she opened the throttle and the jets roared. The balloon rose even higher. Rafael smiled. She was getting used to it in a big way. Looking at a spot on the horizon, he estimated their air speed. They were being pushed by a current at a faster rate than he expected. Since the balloon gave little indication of movement, it was hard to gauge the exact air speed.

He searched for the other balloon. Taking the binoculars, he trained them behind them until he located the other balloon. It was quite a distance behind them.

“We’re going to win this easier than I thought,” he murmured.

“Great, my boss will be a bear in the office if he loses.”

“Prepare yourself.”

He raised the binoculars again and frowned.

“What?” Amalia asked.

He lowered them and looked at her. “Storm clouds on the horizon. That bad weather front they talked about might be coming.”

Amalia held out her hand in silent request for the binoculars. When she lifted them to her eyes and trained them on the distant horizon, she could see clouds. They didn’t look particularly threatening and were right at the edge of the horizon. How long before they’d catch up? Wouldn’t the air current they were on keep them moving ahead of the storms?

She asked Rafael.

“They will to some extent, but it depends on if the storm front is moving faster than this current.”

Rafael contacted the ground crew. They had refilled the propane tanks and were heading in his direction. Rafael gave their GPS coordinates and told them to contact him when they were below him, which Manuel said should be soon.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Now we see where to land to exchange tanks. And if we can outrun the storm,” he said.