on her first day home from the hospital. Convinced that their meeting was meant to be, certain that Jock must be the man from her dream, she'd thrown aside the reason that had guided her all her life and went to bed with him. Without protection. And after learning she was pregnant, a consequence of that one night, they'd done the right thing. Only it had turned out so wrong. Never in a million years would she regret having Ian and Ilana, but the marriage? She winced. What did she expect, playing dream interpreter, believing a man she'd never met was her one and only, her true love, who had transcended the dreamworld to be with her?
She'd learned her lesson. Never again would she mistake fantasy for reality. The Vash man was real, but the man from her dream wasn't. Any similarity between the two was coincidence and nothing more.
Jas extricated herself from her tangled sheets. It was nearly six-thirty a.m., later than she'd thought. As she finger-combed her hair into a ponytail, she stared bleary-eyed at a basket of clean laundry sitting by the bed. Her socks were wrapped one inside the other in matched pairs; her panties were tidily folded; her running shorts were stacked one atop the other. So neat and ordered.
So unlike her immediate future if she went ahead with her plan to hitchhike into space.
She dressed in a pair of jeans, an apricot silk blouse, and a pair of socks decorated with little Halloween pumpkins. Then she picked up the telephone and called Dan Brady. Of all the people close to her, no one was better equipped to help.
* * *
By nine a.m., the coffee shop near the Arizona State University campus was crowded. She told Dan about the tall, rebel Vash, the argument she'd overheard in Congress, and what she wanted to do. As she'd hoped, he listened with interest and respect. "In other words," she concluded, "I've found the vehicle and the driver. Now I need the incentive."
Dan cradled a cooling latte in his hands and regarded her soberly. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't rather keep you here."
You're indispensable; everyone needs you. Jas let out a breath. She was leaving her children behind; she was disappointing Betty, her family, and now Dan. Steeling herself against a resurgence of doubt, she replied more harshly than she intended. "The plan is only for six months, Dan. Six months. For God's sake, people take cruises for longer than that."
"Hey." His expression gentled. «That wasn't said to make you feel guilty. I'll miss you, that's all."
Her fists clenched convulsively. "Sorry," she whispered.
He relaxed in his seat and stretched out his legs. "Now explain how it is you think I can help."
"It sounds like he expected to make money while he was here, but the others won't let him. That's where we come in. You've served on or headed up every major business association in town. You have plenty of contacts."
"I know the governor," Dan conceded. "So do you."
"I know his wife. We need more than that. And we don't have much time. Lahdo gave him a week to pack his bags and get out. And we've already lost a day. That leaves us six more. And there's the weekend to consider."
"No problem. I do quick work. Everyone seems to have their eye on space these days. If it's resources our Vash friend wants, he won't be lacking in Arizona economic and leadership support by the time we're through." He picked up the pad and pencil she'd laid on the table and began writing out a list. Flooded with gratitude, Jas stilled his busy hand. Dan must have seen the question in her eyes. "Yes, I'm doing this for you," he replied frankly. "But naturally I'm very, very interested in the outcome."
She shared his slow grin. "I can tell. Your capitalist heart is beating hard."
"Oh, yes," he said. "No doubt about that."
* * *
Jas wrapped her son in a fierce hug. Ian's Harley-Davidson T-shirt blotted the tears she tried to hold back. "Call Dana," she said
She'd learned her lesson. Never again would she mistake fantasy for reality. The Vash man was real, but the man from her dream wasn't. Any similarity between the two was coincidence and nothing more.
Jas extricated herself from her tangled sheets. It was nearly six-thirty a.m., later than she'd thought. As she finger-combed her hair into a ponytail, she stared bleary-eyed at a basket of clean laundry sitting by the bed. Her socks were wrapped one inside the other in matched pairs; her panties were tidily folded; her running shorts were stacked one atop the other. So neat and ordered.
So unlike her immediate future if she went ahead with her plan to hitchhike into space.
She dressed in a pair of jeans, an apricot silk blouse, and a pair of socks decorated with little Halloween pumpkins. Then she picked up the telephone and called Dan Brady. Of all the people close to her, no one was better equipped to help.
* * *
By nine a.m., the coffee shop near the Arizona State University campus was crowded. She told Dan about the tall, rebel Vash, the argument she'd overheard in Congress, and what she wanted to do. As she'd hoped, he listened with interest and respect. "In other words," she concluded, "I've found the vehicle and the driver. Now I need the incentive."
Dan cradled a cooling latte in his hands and regarded her soberly. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't rather keep you here."
You're indispensable; everyone needs you. Jas let out a breath. She was leaving her children behind; she was disappointing Betty, her family, and now Dan. Steeling herself against a resurgence of doubt, she replied more harshly than she intended. "The plan is only for six months, Dan. Six months. For God's sake, people take cruises for longer than that."
"Hey." His expression gentled. «That wasn't said to make you feel guilty. I'll miss you, that's all."
Her fists clenched convulsively. "Sorry," she whispered.
He relaxed in his seat and stretched out his legs. "Now explain how it is you think I can help."
"It sounds like he expected to make money while he was here, but the others won't let him. That's where we come in. You've served on or headed up every major business association in town. You have plenty of contacts."
"I know the governor," Dan conceded. "So do you."
"I know his wife. We need more than that. And we don't have much time. Lahdo gave him a week to pack his bags and get out. And we've already lost a day. That leaves us six more. And there's the weekend to consider."
"No problem. I do quick work. Everyone seems to have their eye on space these days. If it's resources our Vash friend wants, he won't be lacking in Arizona economic and leadership support by the time we're through." He picked up the pad and pencil she'd laid on the table and began writing out a list. Flooded with gratitude, Jas stilled his busy hand. Dan must have seen the question in her eyes. "Yes, I'm doing this for you," he replied frankly. "But naturally I'm very, very interested in the outcome."
She shared his slow grin. "I can tell. Your capitalist heart is beating hard."
"Oh, yes," he said. "No doubt about that."
* * *
Jas wrapped her son in a fierce hug. Ian's Harley-Davidson T-shirt blotted the tears she tried to hold back. "Call Dana," she said
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