Chapter 413

In the evening, Celeste Harper came home with Leanne. The light upstairs in the study was already on—clearly, someone was home and hadn’t gone to the base. After hiding the cake, Celeste gave Leanne a little pat on the shoulder. “Mission time. Go upstairs and ask Daddy to tell you a story, stall him for a bit so Mommy can get something done. You got this?” Leanne’s face lit up. “No problem!” She walked her up to the study door and only turned back after making sure she went in. Then Celeste tiptoed downstairs to get everything ready for the birthday surprise tonight. She didn’t cook, so all the food was pre-ordered and just waiting to be delivered. Friends had already been invited in advance—Mr. Foster, the Blue Eagle team members and their families, Caleb Summers, Lily Garland, Alexander Lytton and his wife, and Martin Palmer. She’d filled a whole page with names. No way would one indoor table be enough, so she fixed up the backyard instead. The grill was already there, and once she s