Space in His Heart (36 page)

But today was
too bittersweet for even the most seasoned soul in the NASA family
to stay dry-eyed.

After thirty
years, a hundred and thirty-five missions, and countless hours in
orbit, the era of space-shuttle travel had come to an end.

And, so, Deke
thought, had an era of his life. But then, a new one had begun
thirteen days ago. He inched around the camera to eye the crowd,
most of them still focused on the runway in the distance, but one
face turned toward him and their eyes locked.

“She asleep?”
Deke mouthed.

Jessie nodded,
laughing at the irony only the two of them fully appreciated.

“We’ll go back
to Deke in the booth in three minutes,” the news director announced
in Deke’s ear. “We’re staying with the shuttle to pick up Commander
Ferguson’s comments to the crew.”

Three minutes
was a lifetime in television, certainly enough time for Deke to
unhook his earpiece and return to his wife and their newborn
baby.

“Hey.” He put
his arm around Jessie. “We have three minutes.”

Her eyes
glistened, bright against the shadow of sleeplessness. “So you want
to see your girl.”

He grinned and
placed a soft kiss on her hair. “Both of them. How’s she
doing?”

“She slept
through the twin sonic booms and that last cheer,” Jessie said.
“Why can’t she sleep through the night?”

Stuart Rosen
approached, his eyes crinkled in hearty laughter. “She’s not even
two weeks old, Jess. You expect perfection already?”

“We have
perfection,” Deke said, reaching to take the baby from Jessica,
still in awe at just how light a seven-pound baby girl really was.
“Skye is perfect.”

“Her timing
is,” Stuart said. “Arriving on launch day and taking her first
outing to the most historic landing in our history.”

“We waited
twelve years for this miracle, Stu,” Deke said. “And her first act
was to prove she isn’t going to follow our schedule.”

Jess and Deke
shared a look, the memory of the morning she’d gone into labor two
weeks early still fresh. He stroked the little blue NASA cap that
warmed Skye’s head, grateful he’d been able to get an ambulance in
time for Skye to arrive safely in a hospital. Barely in time.

Jess laughed.
“That’s for sure. She’s sound asleep all day and wide awake at
night. But…” She took the baby’s tiny fingers. “So worth the minor
disruption.”

“Deke, change
in schedule.” The cameraman called over. “You’re going live in ten
seconds!”

“Oh, I’ll take
her,” Jess offered, holding out her hands.

“No time,” he
said, already heading back to the reporter’s stand in front of the
NASA emblem. “She can come with me.”

“Deke, you
can’t take her on camera!”

He threw a grin
over his shoulder at his wife. “Mom’s been running Kennedy Space
Center public affairs for a decade and Dad’s been on TV since he
retired from the astronaut corp. Skye Stockard is right where she
belongs.”

Still holding
the baby secure in one arm, he snapped in his earpiece and picked
up the count.

Three, two,
one…

The camera
light turned red and Deke blasted a smile he’d been wearing for
quite a few years.

“
That was
Commander Chris Ferguson giving congratulations to his crew on a
successful mission and safe landing of
Atlantis
, the fifty-fourth such landing at Kennedy Space
Center in the long and impressive history of the space shuttle
program. Here at Kennedy, there are a lot of tears, a lot of
memories, and…” He glanced down at the baby. “Some are oblivious to
the historic moment.”

He paused, his
gaze shifting for one millisecond from the camera lens to the woman
who stood next to it, getting that sweet jolt the sight of Jessica
Marlowe Stockard always gave him.

“I can tell you
there’s an air of both bliss and sadness up here in the press
booth.” He lowered his voice in a way that warned viewers he’d be
getting personal. That wasn’t unusual; Deke had been sharing the
“astronaut’s view” of the space program with his audience for
years, and the personal approach had not only made him a popular
correspondent, it had done a huge service by elevating public
opinion of the program.

Not enough to
keep the federal funding of the next generation of shuttles… but
enough to help raise the capital for a private fleet. And that,
like the baby in his arms, made for a very exciting future.

“
As you
may know, I’ve been involved in this program in one capacity
or
another for nearly fifteen
years. I had the honor of commanding four separate missions, played
a role in the safety program, and have been privileged to bring the
space story to CNN’s viewers for six years. I even…” He grinned and
winked at Jess. “…got to be a NASA spokesperson for a brief time
and have to say that was the most, uh, unforgettable chapter of my
career.”

A dozen or so
friends joined Jess by the camera, friends who were more like
family after all the years they’d worked together. He skimmed the
crowd, smiled at Jeff Clark, and nodded to a few others before
returning his gaze to the camera.

“The era of
space travel by shuttle has ended,” he said softly. “And I admit
that deeply saddens me and the thousands of Kennedy Space Center
workers who are here today to celebrate three decades of amazing
success.”

He hesitated
briefly, swallowed the lump in his throat, then lifted his
beautiful baby daughter just enough to make her shudder with a
sleepy sigh.

“But if anyone
out there thinks this is the end of space exploration, then let me
assure you, it is not. Woven into the fabric of our country is the
need to stretch our boundaries, our knowledge, our capabilities,
and our world. Our children will want to be astronauts, engineers,
scientists, and…” He glanced at Skye. “Pilots. And they will be.
The end of the space shuttle program is not the end of our story.
In fact, thanks to the foundation of success laid by every person
at NASA for the past half a century, today is just the
beginning.”

The room
exploded in applause, just loud enough for Skye to open her eyes,
blink in surprise, and look straight up at her daddy.

“You want to be
an astronaut, honey?” he whispered, lifting her closer. “I can help
you with that.”

She
opened her mouth and wailed, almost drowning out his signoff and
toss to Atlanta, and earning a burst of applause from the crowd.
And that just made her cry louder.

Jessie was next
to him in an instant, taking the baby with a certainty that already
impressed and amazed him. They’d given up trying for a baby several
years ago, content with their busy careers and happy married life.
Until the total jaw-dropper of a surprise nine months ago.

“Nice speech,
Commander,” Jess whispered, up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.
“I couldn’t have written better sound bites than that.”

“Came from the
heart, as you know.”

“It made me
think of the day I met you.” She lifted Skye gently, which quelled
the crying for a brief moment.

“When you
plastered my face on a screen in Headquarters and announced I’d be
your poster boy?”

“No.” She
leaned her head on his shoulder. “When you marched down those
auditorium steps and made a speech about astronauts and explorers
and what NASA is all about. Do you remember?”

“I remember
your cleavage.”

She elbowed
him. “I’m serious.”

“I remember the
day, sweetheart. I remember how I hated your idea and jumped down
your throat and tried to get you to back down.” He laughed softly,
stroking Skye’s cheek. “Don’t even think about getting Mom to back
down, kiddo.”

“You reminded
me of that just now. That man who believes so much in his mission
that you can see the fire in his eyes.” She smiled up at him.
“Let’s give that passion to Skye. Let’s teach her to grab hold of
space, reach for the stars, and shoot for the moon. Promise we’ll
do that for her?”

Skye sucked in
a breath and launched into high C, so loudly that Deke had to lean
closer and put his mouth near Jessie’s ear. “Count me in, spin
doctor.”

The End

About the author:

Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times
bestselling author of almost thirty novels of suspense and
romance. Her most popular romantic suspense novels feature an
elite cadre of bodyguards called The Bullet Catchers. In addition,
she has published a trilogy focused on a family-based security firm
known as The Guardian Angelinos. In 2012, Roxanne is launching a
contemporary romance series set in fictional Barefoot Bay, as well
as her first young adult novel,
Don’t You Wish
.

In addition to being a five-time RITA nominee
and one time RITA winner, Roxanne’s novels have won the National
Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for two
consecutive years, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT
Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, and many
others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and
are routinely included as a Doubleday/Rhapsody Book Club Selection
of the Month.

Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and
two teens and can be reached via her website,
www.roxannestclaire.com
,or on her Facebook Reader
page,
www.facebook.com/roxannestclaire
.

If you enjoyed
Space in His Heart
,
check out these other romantic suspense titles by Roxanne St.
Claire:

The Bullet Catchers

“
Nonstop, fast-paced, action-filled
romantic adventure”

Romance Novel TV

“
Deep and exotically sensuous
emotions.”

The Winter Haven News

“
When it comes to dishing up great
romantic suspense, St. Claire is the author you want.”

Romantic Times

The Bullet Catchers (in series order):

Kill Me Twice

Thrill Me To Death

Take Me Tonight

First You Run

Then You Hide

Now You Die

Hunt Her Down

Make Her Pay

The Guardian Angelinos

“
A bold new series! Readers will thrill to
this non-stop action, sweet and sexy romance, lively characters,
and celebration of family and forgiveness.”

Publishers Weekly

“
Rip-roaring fun, griping intensity, and
sizzling passion.”

Romantic Times

“
A heart-racing series that will enthrall
you all the way through!”

Romance Reviews Today

Edge of Sight

Shiver of Fear

Face of Danger

Don’t miss all of Roxanne’s titles available
in every digital format. You can also visit www.roxannestclaire.com
for excerpts, news, a complete booklist, and sneak peeks at her
latest releases!

“
Roxanne St. Claire touches off a
bold new series with this taut, complex and intelligent
page-turner, skillfully blending deep romance with labyrinthine
mystery and hard-boiled action. Readers will thrill to this dynamic
tale and its nonstop action, sweet and sexy romance, lively
characters, and celebration of family and forgiveness.”

-Publishers Weekly

The following short story

is a free read prequel to EDGE OF SIGHT.

Copyright 2010 Roxanne St. Claire

“
St. Claire has become the go-to gal for romantic
suspense. Rip-roaring fun, gripping intensity and sizzling passion
span the pages of Edge of Sight.”

-4.5 Stars from Romantic Times Magazine

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