Page 55 of Ace

She laughed again. Some of the other guys started catcalling, but she waved them away. “I don’t often tell this story.”

“Don’t listen to her. She tells it to anyone who will listen.”

“And if you don’t believe me, you can go to our flight training academy and see my name up on a plaque. Gianna West. Right there. Dex just isn’t on there.”

The laughter on the other end made her nod.

Omar gave her a thumbs-up, and the ground crew got ready for their last landing of the afternoon.

“So, we were both flying together in our final exercise as a class. Side by side, our planes were heading out. Ace saw the bogies first and dove right to engage them. I held back; something didn’t feel right. And that ended up being the best thing I could have done. Because instead of just two, like we thought, there were four. And Ace needed backup. Turns out he needed a heck of a lot more than backup.”

“Okay already, just tell the story.” Dex’s voice, coming from behind her, made her whip around. His eyes were intense, his expression serious. He stood at her side, looking into her face.

“So he pulled up behind the first jet, and that pilot was moving all over the place, staying just out of reach. I pulled up behind him, told him to dive right, and then I shot the guy myself.”

The small laugh on the other end told her Rocky was still there.

“Then a bogie came up behind me. He was closing in. I couldn’t shake him.”

“What did you do?” Rocky’s voice sounded more alive.

“Remember the movieTop Gun?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“I slammed on the breaks, dropped behind the plane, and shot him.”

“You serious?”

“No. But I gotcha.”

The groan on the other end further emboldened her. “No, what I really did was just outfly the guy. I dove and I turned and I climbed, and not once did I give up until I had him going in circles and he slipped up. I got around him. They will always slip up if you fly long enough.”

Dex got on another radio. “Blaze can outfly anyone. Just like you, Rocky. Now bring her home.”

The plane came at them, parallel to the horizon, smooth as can be.

“Looking good, Rocky. That’s some pretty flying.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate you talking me down.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

As soon as the plane stopped on the runway, she leaned against the tabletop, a lot of her energy leaving on a great exhale. “Whoa.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Omar held up his fist. “Welcome to the team, Blaze.”

“Thanks, man. I love it here.”

“Do you?” Dex’s question was, of course, laced with all kinds of other meaning. And she refused to acknowledge any of it. “Yeah. I think you have a great thing going. Helping pilots is awesome and important, and being around these planes again…” She shrugged. “I can see why you love it.”

A noise in the doorway pulled her eyes away from Dex, and she was grateful for the distraction. A tall pilot, so broad he almost filled the doorway, stepped into the room. “Where’s Blaze?”

She smiled and lifted a hand. “Are you Rocky?”

He nodded and almost ran to her, pulling her to him in a hug. “Thank you.” His whisper filled her ear and her heart.

“You’re welcome.”

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