Page 26 of A Trident Christmas Baby

Ace paced the cold concrete floor of the airplane hangar, his boots echoing faintly in the cavernous space. It had been about thirty minutes since his call with Derek, and every second felt like an eternity.

Outside, the snow, thankfully, had stopped for the time being. But that didn’t help the situation of their plane getting into the air.

He rubbed a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. His thoughts were a chaotic mix of excitement and anxiety. The thought of missing the moment Alex brought their baby into the world made his stomach churn.

“Come on, Derek,” Ace muttered under his breath, glancing at his phone again.

Irish, sitting on a stack of crates nearby, watched him with a bemused expression. “You keep pacing like that, and you’re gonna wear a hole into the floor.”

“Can’t help it,” Ace said without stopping.

Before Irish could reply, Ace’s phone buzzed in his hand. Derek’s name lit up the screen. His heart jumped as he quickly answered.

“Derek,” Ace said, his voice tight.

“Ace, I’ve got good news,” Derek said without preamble. “I pulled some strings. Since the runways here are snowed in, I arranged for a helicopter to fly you and the team to Anchorage.From there, I got you all on a commercial direct flight into Richmond.”

Ace’s breath caught. “Richmond? That’s great, Derek. Thank you.”

“Once you land in Richmond, I reserved a van to take you the rest of the way,” Derek continued. “I’m sending all the travel details to your phone now. The pilots should be there in about ten minutes, so get your team ready.”

Ace felt a surge of relief but couldn’t shake the tension still coiled in his chest. “How’s Alex?”

“She’s doing fine,” Derek said reassuringly. “The doctor was just in again, and there has been no change. They are keeping her here, at least for the night.”

Ace closed his eyes for a moment, letting the news sink in. “Can I talk to her?”

“She’s out cold, Ace,” Derek said gently. “Poor thing has been overdoing it. But I’ll make sure she knows that I spoke with you and that you’re on your way.”

“Tell her...” Ace paused, swallowing hard. “Tell her I love her. More than anything. And that I can’t wait to see her.”

“I’ll tell her,” Derek promised. “Now focus on getting home. You’re gonna make it, Ace.”

“Thanks, Derek,” Ace said, his voice thick with gratitude.

“See you soon,” Derek replied before the call ended.

Ace lowered the phone and took a deep breath, his thoughts racing. He turned to the team, who had been watching him with expectant expressions.

“We’ve got a ride,” Ace announced, his voice steadier now. “Helicopter to Anchorage, then a direct flight to Richmond.”

“Hell yeah,” Irish said, standing up and clapping a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Let’s move, boys.”

As if on cue, two pilots dressed in flight suits walked into the hangar.

“You guys ready to roll?” one of them asked.

“Damn right we are,” Ace said, his determination shining through.

The team quickly gathered their gear, adrenaline kicking in once more. This time, it wasn’t for a mission—it was personal.

CHAPTER TEN

Ace ducked into the plane, his broad shoulders just clearing the overhead compartments as he moved down the narrow aisle. The team was scattered throughout the aircraft. He didn’t know who had helped Derek pull the strings to get them all on this flight at the last minute, but he wasn’t about to complain.

His focus was singular: getting home to Alex. Time was ticking, and their baby wasn’t waiting for anyone.

The plane was a seven-thirty-seven, with three seats on either side. Ace found his seat about halfway back, an aisle seat, much to his relief. He could stretch his legs at least a little, and after the nonstop pace they’d been keeping, even a smidge of comfort was welcome.

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