“Thanks, Captain.” Harper ripped her helmet off and looked down at Regan.
Her blonde hair was a wild tangle, her face was pale and marked by what everyone who worked in space called space hickeys—bruises caused by the skin’s small blood vessels bursting when exposed to the vacuum of space. Please be okay.
“Here.” Blaine appeared, holding a portable breather. The big man was an excellent marine. He was about six foot five with broad shoulders that stretched his spacesuit to the limit. She knew he was a few inches over the height limit for space operations, but he was a damn good marine, which must have gone in his favor. He had dark skin thanks to his African-American father and his handsome face made him popular with the station’s single ladies, but mostly he worked and hung out with the other marines.
“Thanks.” Harper slipped the clear mask over Regan’s mouth.
“Nice work out there.” Blaine patted her shoulder. “She’s alive because of you.”
Suddenly, Regan jerked, pulling in a hard breath.
“You’re okay.” Harper gripped Regan’s shoulder. “Take it easy.”
Regan looked around the module, dazed and panicky. Harper watched as Regan caught sight of the fabric stretched across the end of the module, and all the plants floating around inside.
“God,” Regan said with a raspy gasp, her breath fogging up the dome of the breather. She shook her head, her gaze moving to Harper. “Thanks, Harper.”
“Any time.” Harper squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “It’s what I’m here for.”
Regan managed a wan smile. “No, it’s just you. You didn’t have to fly out into space to rescue me. I’m grateful.”
“Come on. We need to get you to the infirmary so they can check you out. Maybe put some cream on your hickeys.”
“Hickeys?” Regan touched her face and groaned. “Oh, no. I’m going to get a ribbing.”
“And you didn’t even get them the pleasurable way.”
A faint blush touched Regan’s cheeks. “That’s right. If I had, at least the ribbing would have been worth it.”
With a relieved laugh, Harper looked over at her captain. “I’m going to get Regan to the infirmary.”
The other woman nodded. “Good. We’ll meet you back at the Security Center.”
With a nod, Harper pushed off, keeping one arm around Regan, and they floated into the main part of the science facility. Soon, they moved through the entrance into the central hub of the space station. As the artificial gravity hit, Harper’s boots thudded onto the floor. Beside her, Regan almost collapsed.
Harper took most of the woman’s weight and helped her down the corridor. They pushed into the infirmary.
A gray-haired, barrel-chested man rushed over. “Decided to take an unscheduled spacewalk, Dr. Forrest?”
Regan smiled weakly. “Yes. Without a spacesuit.”
The doctor made a tsking sound and then took her from Harper. “We’ll get her all patched up.”
Harper nodded. “I’ll come and check on you later.”
Regan grabbed her hand. “We have a blackjack game scheduled. I’m planning to win back all those chocolates you won off me.”
Harper snorted. “You can try.” It was good to see some life back in Regan’s blue eyes.
As Harper strode out into the corridor, she ran a hand through her dark hair, tension slowly melting out of her shoulders. She really needed a beer. She tilted her neck one way and then the other, hearing the bones pop.
Just another day at the office. The image of Regan drifting away from the space station burst in her head. Harper released a breath. She was okay. Regan was safe and alive. That was all that mattered.
With a shake of her head, Harper headed toward the Security Center. She needed to debrief with the captain and clock off. Then she could get out of her spacesuit and take the one-minute shower that they were all allotted.
That was the one thing she missed about Earth. Long, hot showers.
And swimming. She’d been a swimmer all her life and there were days she missed slicing through the water.
She walked along a long corridor, meeting a few people—mainly scientists. She reached a spot where there was a long bank of windows that afforded a lovely view of Jupiter, and space beyond it.
Stingy showers and unscheduled spacewalks aside, Harper had zero regrets about coming out into space. There’d been nothing left for her on Earth, and to her surprise, she’d made friends here on Fortuna.
As she stared out into the black, mesmerized by the twinkle of stars, she caught a small flash of light in the distance. She paused, frowning. What the hell was that?
She stared hard at the spot where she’d seen the flash. Nothing there but the pretty sprinkle of stars. Harper shook her head. Fatigue was playing tricks on her. It had to have just been a weird trick of the lights reflecting off the glass.
Pushing the strange sighting away, she continued on to the Security Center.
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