Page 78 of Cadaver Lab: Mind Over Murder

“It is perfect. My favorite book so far. And I want to have a book release party right here in the shop. If you don’t mind, of course. It wouldn’t be for a while, and I’ll arrange everything. And I know today has been crazy already with you getting your ability back, but I couldn’t wait to ask you. So can I?”

“Of course you can.”

Harper hesitated. “There’s something else I want to ask you to…”

“Okay.”

“Stone and I finally set a date for the wedding and I know it’s a lot to ask and I promise I’ll try to keep it small, but do you think we could have it here, in your Victorian garden, next June when the roses are blooming?”

“What? Yes. Of course. Stone built the garden. He should definitely be able to get married there.”

“That’s what I thought too. And I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather get married. I mean what’s more appropriate for a writer than to get married at a book shop?” Harper smiled.

“I agree.”

“Great. Thank you so, so much. But I gotta run. There are a million things to do between getting this book to the publisher and then planning the wedding. Talk more soon,” Harper said as she ran out of the shop, leaving Natalie’s head spinning in her wake.

“Was that Harper’s voice I heard?” Liam asked, walking up behind her as she locked the front door.

“Yes. And you won’t believe this. Harper and Stone set a date for their wedding and they want to get married here at the shop. In the garden.” She turned back from the door and saw Liam’s frown.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Lips pressed tightly together, Liam grabbed her hand and said, “Follow me.”

He pulled her toward the apartment, giving her barely a second to hit the switch to turn off the lights in the shop. Not even giving her the option to count the cash drawer. She’d have to do that in the morning because for some reason, he was determined to get her in back this minute.

When she saw the kitchen table she understood why.

There were fresh autumn flowers in a mason jar set between what she recognized as the two emergency candles they’d bought at the hardware store for the big Mudville blackout.

“What is all this?” she asked.

He pulled her tightly against him, leaning close. “I’m being romantic.”

“I see that. Why?” she asked, suspicious.

He pulled back. “What do you mean why? Can’t I be romantic?”

Not usually, no. She didn’t say that. Instead she asked, “Did you order another brain and you’re trying to butter me up in case it came with another murderous ghost?”

A crease furrowed his brow. “No, and stop guessing or you’ll ruin it.”

“Ruin what?”

He let out a huff. “This.”

Liam leaned over and grabbed an empty champagne glass from the table. Or what she thought was an empty champagne glass.

He handed it to her and she heard the scrape of metal against glass as Liam mumbled, “I should have known better than to try and surprise you.”

She looked down into the glass and her eyes widened as the glint of a diamond caught the candlelight. Her eyes widened. “Liam…”

“Natalie Chase, you are the most exasperating, reckless, frustrating, trying, unbelievable, incredible, amazing woman I have ever met, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me? Even if Harper did completely steal my thunder by asking to get married here at your shop two minutes before I proposed.”

Tears blurred her vision, but she didn’t need to see Liam. She’d get to see him every day for the rest of her life because they were getting married!

“Yes.”