reminiscent of earth's sky; the furniture was sparse and functional. A shelf that took up an entire wall held an assortment of souvenirs from distant planets, as well as the numerous awards and citations he had received for meritorious service in the Fleet.
Gazing at the main living space, he thought how sterile it was, how empty, when compared to Lainey's house, which was cluttered with unicorns made of glass and pewter and crystal, with colorful pots of dried flowers, paintings, books, framed photos of people she cared for.
With a last look around, Micah closed the door and made his way across the compound to his shuttlecraft.
A short time later, he landed on the far reaches of the space station and made his way to the landing bay. Standing in the shadows, he picked out the craft he wanted, a sleek two-man ship that was big enough, and carried fuel enough, for a flight to Earth. It was the fastest long-range fighter in the Fleet, equipped with all the latest technological marvels.
Stealing the fighter went against everything he believed in, everything he had been taught, yet it was the only way. With his flight rank and status canceled, the tower wouldn't give him clearance to leave Xanthia. And so he would steal a ship and sneak away, a crime far greater than any other of which he had been accused. But it couldn't be helped.
Taking a deep breath, Micah crossed the distance to the ship, climbed in, and did a quick pre-flight check of the controls. Everything was in order; the galley was stocked, the fuel tanks were full, all emergency equipment was in place.
He set the proper coordinates, then sat back and waited. He didn't have to wait long. An Orizzon transport was getting ready to take off.
Slowly, the big bay doors began to open. It was now or never.
Muttering a hurried prayer, Micah fired up the engine and roared out of the dock ahead of the transport, soaring into the darkness, his spacecraft, and his thoughts, racing toward earth.
If all went well, if the ship didn't malfunction, if the Minister of Flight didn't send anyone after him, he would be with Lainey in three Earth months.
Lainey sat in her car, staring at the old Grayson place. She didn't know what had possessed her to drive up to the mansion in the middle of the night, probably just another foolish whim brought on by being eight months pregnant, like her craving for dill pickles and watermelon.
Still, just being there made her feel closer to Micah... Micah, who was never out of her thoughts. Micah, who had probably gone back to his old life... joined withAdana ...
The thought of Micah with another woman was like a knife in her heart.
Micah... If only there was some way to tell him about the baby. If only... Her thoughts came to an abrupt end as a blinding white light streaked across the sky and disappeared behind the mansion.
In spite of her expanded girth, she was out of the car in minutes, running toward the back of the mansion. It was just a shooting star, she told herself, nothing more, but she ran until her sides ached, and then she walked, past the house, up the hill.
Breathless, she stared at the long, slender spaceship, felt her heart climb into her throat as the hatch opened and a man dressed in a gray spacesuit and helmet climbed out.
Her heart was beating so wildly, she was sure she'd faint, but she couldn't take her eyes from the man as he stripped off his helmet and flight suit and tossed them into the ship.
"Micah?" His name sounded in her mind. Unknowingly, she spoke it aloud as well.
Slowly, the man turned toward her.
Lainey?
She nodded, tears streaming down her face as he began to run toward her. Effortlessly, he ran up the hill, and then she was in his arms, sobbing incoherently.
"Lainey, Lainey." He held her close, one hand caressing her back, her shoulders, touching her hair, her face, assuring himself that she was there, really there.
"You came back," she murmured. "I don't believe it."
"Believe it."
She stared up at him, her hands framing his face. He was even more handsome than she remembered. The moonlight shimmered in his pale blond hair, tempting her touch. His eyes were the same silver-blue that had haunted her sleep. His skin radiated a familiar blue glow.
"You're here," she whispered. "Really here."
For endless moments, they held each other close, and then Micah stepped back, his