Drop Dead Sexy

by Katie Ashley

  I pushed myself forward, wanting nothing more than to get to Catcher—my future husband. It was still hard for me to think I had finally found the one. The one who completed me and all that jazz. The truth was Catcher did more than complete me. He brought out the best in me. He challenged me to be the best person I possibly could. He didn’t want me to conform to what society’s ideas were about what a woman should be personally and professionally.

  But better than that was the fact he embraced all the worst in me—my insecurities, my sometimes klutzy moments, my embarrassing sex past, my years of datelessness. For some reason, he was attracted to every part of me—the good, the bad, and the ugly. When I hoped and prayed for someone to love, I couldn’t have imagined the good fortune I would be getting.

  As I made my trek down the aisle, I took in the faces of those standing in the pews. The church was packed with our friends and family. There were those I’d known since childhood, those from my career like Ralph and Todd and Earl, and those I had met with Catcher like Patricia Crandall, who thankfully had on a beautiful pink suit, rather than her birthday suit, and Olive and Jewell. Of course, Jill was absent from the pews because she was my matron of honor—yes, I had finally received that call that she and Chase were getting remarried in Vegas. Since I had a matron of honor, I had made Molly my maid of honor.

  Of course, my mother’s beaming face could have lit up the entire church. She sat on the first pew with her now husband, Harry. Tears of happiness streamed down her face. I could tell she was barely able to contain her happiness that I was finally getting married. I couldn’t hide my surprise that even Pease had happy tears sparkling in her eyes.

  On the other front pew was Catcher’s parents along with Jem and his wife and kids. Martin and Sarah Mains were going to be the best in-laws. I already loved spending time with them. Considering they were both English teachers, I had expected them to be stuffy and pretentious. Thankfully, I’d found them to be the complete opposite. Martin possessed the same irreverent humor that Catcher had, and dinners around their large, mahogany table had me in stitches with Catcher and Martin’s antics. Molly was fast becoming the little sister I never had, and I adored spending time with Catcher’s three nieces and two nephews. Of course, whenever I did, my biological clock went into overdrive.

  Although the commute was going to be hell, I was moving into Catcher’s house. On nights when we had a late visitation, I’d merely sleep upstairs in my old bedroom. Of course, Catcher’s grand vision was for me to open a second Sullivan’s closer to home. It was something I was considering, but for the time being, I was happy without having to preside over a chain of funeral homes.

  When I reached the altar, Catcher gave me a beaming smile. “You look so beautiful.”

  Tears filled my eyes at his words and the sincerity with which he spoke them. “Thank you. You do, too.”

  Catcher merely grinned at me alluding to him being beautiful, rather than handsome. He was beautiful both inside and out. Just like the vows we were reciting, I loved him for better or worse. Sure, he was a neat freak who got all huffy when I left my clothes and wet towels on the bathroom floor. He also tended to reek up the bedroom with gas after we had Mexican or Indian food. He could be bull-headed and stubborn and run as hot and cold as a woman on a hormone kick. But I loved every facet that made Catcher who he was. And now, he was going to be all mine.

  Reverend Patterson, who I was on good terms with both personally and professionally, smiled at Catcher and me. “Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to join Holden Caulfield Mains and Olivia Rose Sullivan in the bonds of holy matrimony.”

  After those initial words, the rest of the service seemed to fly by at warped speed. One second we exchanged vows, the next Catcher slipped a platinum band on my finger, and the next we were lip-locked to thunderous applause from the crowd.

  “Get ya some!” Pease shouted from the first bench.

  I jerked away and shot her a murderous look. After turning back to Catcher, I shook my head and whispered, “Can we just start the honeymoon now?”

  He grinned as he leaned forward to speak into my ear. “We gotta get through the reception first. You don’t want to miss me smearing cake down the front of your dress and eating it off like I did those cupcakes.”

  The image that flashed in my mind of his illicit cupcake feasting had me flushing head to toe. This man was the devil to make me think some impure thoughts on the altar of a church. Just as we were about to start down the aisle, Catcher said, “And by the way. Olive brought me a bottle of man-enhancer as a wedding gift.” He waggled his eyebrows. “So it’s going to be on like Donkey Kong.”

  My once male-neglected vagina cheered with happiness. We were both very, very lucky to have Catcher Mains. It had been a rough road to this moment, but all the great love stories have a few twists and turns and a dick…or maybe even two.

  Thanks to Todd Sanders for the mortuary knowledge and tour of the funeral home back room!

  Thanks also goes to Earl Darby for sitting down with me to answer my coroner related questions. Whatever poetic license I took for the story is in no reflection of what you or Todd taught me!

  Thanks to JB McGee at IndiePixel Studio for formatting. Especially since it’s always last minute!

  Thanks to photographer, Scott Hoover, and model, Colby Lefebvre, for an amazing cover shot.

  Thanks also to Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs for an amazing cover.

  Eternal gratitude to Marion Archer and Kim Bias for helping to make my books the best they can be through editing and beta reading. You guys are the wind beneath my wings, and I couldn’t put a book out without you. Thanks also to Kim for your daily writing check-ins and talking me down from the ledge!

  Thanks to my beta readers Jen Gerchick, Jen Oreto, and Cara Gadero for helping to make Drop Dead Sexy the best it could be.

  Thanks to Kiki Chatfield at Next Step PR for all her help on release promotion. Thanks to Jessica Alderette for the amazing graphics!

  Thanks to every blogger who took a chance on me being funny and agreed to read and review Drop Dead Sexy. I couldn’t do it without you!