Serving on a balloon crew was one of the best places to get started. David was here, too, making sure all went smoothly. He was great at teaching others. Together, they positioned Kyle’s balloon in the wide-open field next to the warehouse, where the Sky High balloons took off for their flights. In the cool of the morning, Kyle wore a light jacket over his T-shirt. A gorgeous dawn had broken, the sky painted with colors Kyle didn’t think he’d seen before, and the wind was less than 5 mph. A perfect day for flying. He could think of only one more thing—make that person—that could make the day any better. But he wouldn’t see Nikki today—her clients had canceled on her. One of Kyle’s clients flashed him a flirtatious smile. By the look of it, she and her friend might be a handful. He wished Mark had scheduled them to ride with Nikki instead of Kyle this morning. The two attractive women waited alongside the activity, taking pictures of each other posing in front of the balloon as it filled with air, looking as if it grew right out of the earth.
