Page 38 of Desk & Deception
“What I have planned will make it worth your while,” I promised, circling the vehicle to open the passenger door for her. “And you can nap on the way there. Two hours should be enough for you to be fully awake.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Two hours, huh?”
“Yup, and that’s all you’re gonna get for now.”
I gave her a quick kiss before shutting the door. I hadn’t told her what we were doing since I’d planned it as a surprise.
She didn’t fall asleep, and the conversation during the drive was easier than it had been in months.
“You know,” she murmured, glancing over with a playful glint in her eye, “if this involves tiny plates, I’m staging a protest.”
I laughed at the reminder of how we’d stopped at In-N-Out for burgers after dinner one night because neither of us had gotten enough to eat at the upscale restaurant I’d chosen. “I learned my lesson. There will be plenty of food. You have my word.”
She grinned. “Good. Because I’m hungry and expect to be properly fed today.”
The teasing came naturally again. We bantered back and forth, listening to each other and laughing without tension. It felt like we were slowly learning how to be together again—only healthier this time around.
As I drove, I felt a quiet thrill over giving her the day she hadn’t even known we lost.
We started the day at a beautiful vineyard nestled in the hills of Temecula, one of her favorite places to visit. The morning sun warmed the rows of vines as we sat at a private table on the terrace, sharing a full brunch spread while sipping a variety of mimosas.
“This is perfect.” Lila leaned back in her seat and patted her stomach. “All my favorites in one meal.”
“I can be persuasive when it counts,” I replied with a small smile.
She laughed softly. “Yes, you can.”
Later in the afternoon, I drove us about an hour down to a beach north of San Diego, where we met a guy who drove us to a quiet field a few miles inland.
When Lila spotted the colorful hot air balloon waiting, her eyes widened. “Reid, are we really doing this?”
I nodded, enjoying how her face lit up. “You’ve always wanted to try it.”
As we climbed into the basket with the pilot, the man grinned and said, “Glad you two could finally make it. We were sorry to hear you had to cancel last time.”
Lila glanced at me curiously but waited until we were in the air, the balloon gently rising over the rolling hills, to lean closer and ask, “What did he mean by that?”
I kept my arm lightly around her waist as the wind brushed past us. “This was supposed to be our Saturday date. The one I had planned the weekend everything fell apart. I was too upset to even think about canceling properly, so I just didn’t show. They were nice enough to let me rebook it with a small change fee.”
She was quiet as she watched the landscape spread out beneath us. Then she turned to me with a soft smile. “You really planned all of this back then?”
“Yes.” I brushed my lips against her temple. “I wanted to give you the day we lost now that we’re finding our way back to each other.”
We spent the rest of the flight laughing and teasing each other. When she pointed out a funny-shaped cloud, I pretended to take it seriously. “Clearly a dragon.”
She rolled her eyes but grinned. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I stand by that assessment.”
At one point, she murmured, “I think he’s underselling how beautiful it is up here.”
Darting a glance at the pilot, who’d probably been up in one of these hundreds of times, I nodded. “You’re right. It’s better when you describe it with fresh eyes and very specific color descriptions from your knowledge of cosmetics.”
She glowed at the compliment, a light in her expression that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Seeing her relaxed and happy like this filled me with deep satisfaction.
The balloon drifted peacefully over the hills as we enjoyed the view, the distance between us feeling smaller with every passing minute.
After the sun set and we were back in my car, I stopped at a quiet overlook where we could see the lights dotting the valley below.
