Page 45 of Love’s Strongest Soldier

Now, standing in my doorway, I was starting to think the whole shit had been a setup. I stepped inside, kicked the door shut, and took another look around. Lil battery-operated candles lined the entertainment center, coffee table, and kitchen counter. Black-and-gold balloons floated near the ceiling. A banner hung crookedly across the wall.

Happy Birthday Ghost!

Wasn’t no way Luxe did all of this by herself in the short time I was gone. Somebody came in and helped her.

I stared at the banner then the balloons and then looked at the bags in my hands. “Man, what the fuck?”

“Surprise!”

My head snapped toward the hallway. Luxe stood there wearing one of my black T-shirts, her hair falling around her shoulders, and the prettiest fucking smile I’d ever seen. She lifted both hands, wiggling her fingers at me like she’d just pulled off the greatest heist in American history.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even think of a smart-ass remark. I just stood there, looking at her. She’d found out. Somehow, this nosy-ass woman had found out.

“How the hell you know it’s my birthday?”

Her smile widened.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yeah, actually. That’s why the fuck I asked.”

She laughed. I dropped my keys into the bowl by the door and slowly walked farther inside, taking everything in. There were framed pictures of us sitting on the entertainment center. One from the night we’d gone to dinner. Another she’d taken when I was asleep on the couch, her face pressed against mine while she threw up the peace sign.

That sneaky lil shit.

There was a cake on the kitchen island, too, with black frosting, gold lettering, and a miniature version of a Glock sitting on top. I walked over to it.

Happy birthday to my favorite problem.

A laughed escaped my lips. “Problem?”

She came up beside me, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

“Would you prefer pain in my ass?”

“Depends. You got a cake for that one too?”

She rolled her eyes, and I looked around again. “Babe, you did all this while I was gone?”

She nodded. I couldn’t believe she had pulled off something like this. No one had ever done anything like this for me before. I hadn’t celebrated my birthday in years, which was why I hadn’t even mentioned it. The shit was just another day for me, for real.

My mama called every year. Savion usually sent some smart-ass message. A couple of the guys might buy me a drink if they remembered. That was enough. I’d never needed balloons, candles, or a cake with my fucking name on it. At least, that was what I’d always told myself. Luxe reached for the bags.

“Did you get my panties?”

I looked at her, and she just stared back and then burst out laughing.

“Oh, you think this shit funny, huh?”

She nodded so hard her hair bounced.

I held the bags above her head when she tried to grab them.

“You sent me to three different stores!”

Her laughter grew louder.

“Three, Luxe!”