Page 161 of For Better or Hearse

Ash sinks her teeth into her bottom lip for a moment. Then she looks at him. “Nathaniel…when—when did you get all this?”

He sticks his hands in his pockets. “I sent out for it last night.”

“Sent out? So fancy.” But she’s smiling.

“I want to make you look like this all the time.”

Her lips part. She blinks. “How’s that?”

“Happy.”

Her eyes soften. “Keep this up, and I’m never leaving.”

“That’s the plan.”

A ping from his laptop.

Ash sits straighter. “Did you hear back? About the job?”

Her voice is steady, but she can’t hide the concern in her tone. He leaves soon.

Fuck. He has to tell her.

He doesn’t know how she’ll take it. He doesn’t know about anything except for her.

“No,” he says, moving to grab his laptop. He clicks into his email. “It’s not about that.”

He settles into bed beside her.

Ash curls up against him, feral and beautiful. She kisses his shoulder. “What is it?”

He turns the computer screen her way. His heart rate accelerates. Fuck, he hopes she likes it. “It’s your website.”

She blinks. Sits up. Her fingertips go to her lips. “Nathaniel…”

“I called in a favor,” he explains. “I thought this would help you get started on your death doula dreams. If you don’t use it, no big deal.”

Worry creases her face. “It is a big deal. It’s too much.”

“It’s not too much.” He presses his lips to her temple. “I can do things like this for you, Ash. So let me.”

He’s got her back. He believes in her. What she did for his grandfather, his family—he’s nothing short of thankful.

He runs a hand down her silky arm. “You were born to do this. I have all the faith in the world in you. I think you’d change a lot of people’s lives. You’ve already changed mine.”

He stares, worried he overstepped. Worried she hates it.

Expression incredulous, she inspects the computer screen. She pulls the laptop onto her lap, clicking through the site. The moody colors, the gothic font.

She smiles, and his breath hitches at the sight.

With a sigh, she throws her arms around him. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me before,” she whispers, burying her face in his neck.

Emotion clogs his throat. When she’s hard, she’s hard. When Ash lets go, she’s an absolute softie.

“You deserve it.” One hand cupping her cheek, he gazes at her gorgeous face. “Just do what you love, and I’ll make sure you’re happy.”

Her eyes fill with a softness he’s rarely seen. “I love it. Thank you, Nathaniel.”