Page 24 of The Grim, Me, and The Reaper Makes Three

“We will be back later then, darling.” Atticus approached her and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “Have a wonderful rest of your day.”

William gave Tati a hug, sighing as her soft body melted into his.Ours, he thought, his imaginings of their new eternity already shifting in his mind.

The light had faded, leaving the sky painted a deep violet by the time William and Atticus returned to the shop.

Tati had already cleaned up and was waiting for them.

Atticus greeted her with a kiss. “We have something to show you.”

Tati’s brows furrowed. “Where are we going?”

“It is a surprise, Tink,” William said with a low laugh. “Come on.”

The powers that had previously allowed Atticus to disappear and reappear at will had been relinquished along with his title as Reaper. So they walked on foot, each of them holding one of Tati’s hands, down the main street until they reached a narrow path that led off into the dark woods.

“If I weren’t already dead I would ask if you were planning to murder me,” Tati muttered as they entered the shadowy forest. William guided them, his eyes sharper as a result of his shifting. Even though he was no longer the Grim, he would retain his ability to shift for the rest of his existence.

They walked for a good ten minutes, the muted sounds of life in the woods surrounding them.

Pinpricks of light filtering through the thick undergrowth were the first signs that they’d reached their destination. The forest opened, allowing the glow of the early moonlight to illuminate a small stone house in the middle of the clearing. Trails of white smoke curled up from the chimney that rose from the center of the roof.

William felt Tati come to a stop beside him. “What is this?”

Squeezing her hand, William looked over her head at Atticus, who had a rare smile on his face. It was one of the smiles thatsoftened him, peeling back the steely exterior that he typically projected to the world. William would never forget the first time he’d discovered that Atticus, the Reaper himself, had fuckingdimples. Upon making that discovery, he’d spent a rather embarrassing amount of time licking them.

But now Atticus had retired the cloak, passing the scythe on to the next Reaper. Maybe, between William and Tatiana, they could nurture the softer parts of him, coaxing out the sweetness that lay hidden below the surface.

“This is your home, Tatiana,” Atticus said, pulling her toward the front door.

Tati whirled around to look at him. “Wait, how did you…”

“We called in a few favors.” Atticus pushed the door open. “Would you like a moment to explore?”

Glancing between them, William noticed a hint of pink coloring her round cheeks. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course, Tink.” William came up beside her, nudging her with his elbow. “Well go on, then.”

From his spot at her side, William was able to catch every gasp, every sigh, every exclamation that fell from Tati’s red lips as she took in the home that they had created for her.

Atticus hadn’t been wrong – they’d called in all sorts of favors to build her home in a matter of hours. But it was the Afterworld, and serving as the Reaper for over a century came with some lingering perks.

William knew that Atticus was a man of action, and after sending Tati away so callously, it was no surprise that he felt the need to do something both dramatic and deeply meaningful in an effort to communicate his regret.

And it was deeply meaningful. Every part of the home had been chosen with intention, with Atti recalling every wish that Tati had voiced that first night in the club. The huge fireplace in the center of the main room, with one side opening to the livingarea and the other opening into the kitchen. Large windows surrounded the space, all open, letting in the cool evening air and the faint scent of pine. Above them, skylights revealed the bright stars streaking across the sky.

William and Atticus stood back as Tati flitted about the kitchen, gesticulating wildly about the six-burner gas stove and the already-cured set of cast iron skillets that hung down from a rack. She was so beautiful with her flower-patterned skirt and soft cardigan, her expression bright and so full of joy that she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into laughter.

Finally she tore herself away from the kitchen to explore the rest of the house. She found the wall of cookbooks prominently displayed in the living room, the bedroom that more closely resembled a greenhouse with the glass walls and ceiling, the bathroom with the stone tub sunk down into the ground, and the brightly colored couches, chairs, and woven rugs that featured prominently throughout the house.

“One more spot, Tink,” William said, finding her with her nose buried in one of the cookbooks.

She frowned up at him, looking mildly annoyed at having been interrupted.

“It will be worth it, I promise,” he said, unable to keep his amusement from his voice. “Oh, and you should take your shoes off for this part.”

She was obviously confused but obliged, slipping her feet out of her sandals. Atticus and William had already taken off their boots in anticipation of this moment.

They each caught one of her hands, and together they walked to the French doors at the back of the house. William pushed them open, and the three of them walked out into the night.

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