Page 111 of Cherry on Top

And not only why she’d pushed so hard to get him home, Enzo realized.

Why she’d pushed so hard with Will.

She was happy; she wanted him happy.

It was hard to be so frustrated and hurt, after that particular realization crossed his mind.

“You’re happy?” Enzo reached out and grasped her hand, squeezed it. “That’s all I care about. You happy.”

“I am. Happier than I’ve been . . .” Giana sighed then, and there were those Moretti heart-eyes, the ones he liked to tease Luca about all the time. The ones he probably shared with them now, whenever he looked at Will. “Probably in forever.” She paused. “No, the happiest I’ve been, period.”

“That’s all that matters.”

“Your father . . .” Giana trailed off.

But they didn’t need to talk about him. He’d never been present in their lives. Giana had raised him entirely on her own, and whenever he’d asked, as a precocious and inquisitive kid, where that half of the family was, she’d told him firmly that they were better off not knowing them.

He’d always believed her—and he believed her now.

“You don’t need to explain to me,” Enzo said.

She looked surprised. “No?”

Enzo had always known that things might’ve been a lot different if he hadn’t grown up in his idyllic town—admittedly a town that had driven him nuts, but still, he couldn’t complain about his childhood—if she’d allowed his dad’s family to be a part of their lives.

“No,” Enzo said firmly.

Some of the anxiety in her eyes dissipated. “So you’re not upset.”

“How could I be? What did you say to me when I came out to you? I was, what, twelve? Thirteen?”

“I said okay, I love you no matter what.”

“Exactly,” Enzo said. Paused. “Okay, I love you no matter what.”

She beamed, and there was the woman he knew.

“I mean, it’s going to be a little weird,” Enzo continued, giving her a wry grin. “Did you have to date Oliver’s mother?”

Giana laughed then. “I suppose it’s good you didn’t end up with him.”

“For many, many reasons,” Enzo said.

She patted his sandwich. “Eat your dinner. You’re practically wasting away in front of me.”

He hadn’t thought he’d want to, but his stomach was grumbling so he unwrapped half and began to eat. Between bites he said, “You know, Mom, just because you’re happy doesn’t mean you get to dictate other people’s happiness.”

“I didn’t,” she said, all false bravado. “You’re the one who fell for him.”

“I did, and I probably would’ve no matter what. But. But. You got lucky, Mom. You interfered and it could’ve been a total disaster.”

“But it wasn’t!” she interjected.

“But it could have been. And we could’ve been running around town, pretending to be in love but not even liking each other, because you wouldn’t quit hounding us about it.”

Enzo hated being so harsh with her, but he was going to be around Indigo Bay more. Around her more. He needed to re-establish their boundaries. Because he couldn’t risk her meddling in his relationship again. Not when Will meant so much to him. Not when he wanted it to work out so badly with him.

“I suppose . . .” Giana trailed off and sighed. “Joy told me I should leave you alone, that she left Oliver alone and he found Luca and it all turned out. I just worried that you wouldn’t find someone. Or you’d find someone and they’d be three thousand miles away and I’d never see you.”

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