Page 119 of Cherry on Top

Enzo whipped out a paint brush. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s paint your mural.”

Will held up his hands. “No way. I’ve not got an artistic bone in my body. I’ll ruin it and then you’ll hate me.”

“Not possible. Either one. Seriously, it’s on your building, and it was your idea.”

“Do you ask the owners of every building you paint a mural on to contribute?”

Enzo shook his head. “No. But you’re special. Makes sense that I should.”

“If you’re sure . . .” Will trailed off, dubiously.

“I am sure. Come on,” Enzo straight up ordered this time, wrapping a hand around his forearm and tugging. “We got this. I wouldn’t let you do something to ruin it. I promise.”

“Alright,” Will finally agreed. Let Enzo lead him outside.

He was working on the current generation of buildings surrounding the story of Eliza and Nathaniel. “This should look familiar,” Enzo said, pointing with the brush to a building that had Cherry’s signature white and bright pink striped awning.

“Yeah, sure does.”

“I just want you to take this brush and paint the rest of the building. It’s just white. I’ll be adding the fine details later so no worries about that.”

“Okay.” Will took the brush and gingerly dipped it into the paint and even more carefully dabbed it onto the wall, right where Enzo had sketched out the outline of the building.

“How’s that?” Will asked apprehensively, but Enzo just laughed.

“You’re barely doing anything. Come on, paint it.”

So Will did, Enzo standing behind him coaching him through it with easy, judgment-free suggestions.

“See?” he asked. “Just like this.” He moved behind Will, mirroring his body with his own, and reaching out cupping his hand, guiding the brush. “Yeah, you’ve got it. Just keep going like that. Fill in the outline, and I’ll do the rest.”

Will kept going, and the more he did, the more confident he felt. There was a stray stroke or two that went out of the outline, but Enzo just brushed off Will’s worries. “Oh, I’m a much messier painter than you,” he said breezily, but Will wasn’t entirely sure.

Still, when he finally stepped back and the building was finally filled in, he felt an unexpected surge of satisfaction and accomplishment. He’d done that—and Enzo had been the one to suggest it in the first place, which was something he certainly hadn’t needed to do.

“Thank you,” he said, turning to Enzo, who was standing there grinning like he knew exactly the kind of gift he’d given Will.

“Of course. It’s your building. It’s your business. It made sense for you to do it.” He leaned in, dropping his voice a little. “But don’t tell anyone else. I wanted this to be special, just for you. Because I love you.”

Will met his kiss with one of his own, fierce and passionate, and ending way too quickly. “I love you too. Seriously. Thank you for this. It means a lot. More than I’d imagined.”

“I’ve got a few ideas how much,” Enzo mused, his gaze flicking up as he took a step back, looking over the entirety of what he’d created. “I didn’t know that I’d care so much about creating a mural in my hometown. I kinda wanted to forget my hometown existed at all—but you gave it back to me. All the good things, and none of the bad.”

“It’s both of ours, now,” Will said.

Enzo’s hope was by the time Fourth of July rolled around and the impromptu ceremony that Joy had talked him into, the mural would be done enough he’d be proud to stand next to it and take credit.

But as he did, Joy’s voice raising to carry to the small crowd that had gathered in front of the mural, he realized he was feeling even more than the normal amount of pride at his work being admired and displayed.

He hadn’t been exaggerating a few days ago when he’d told Will that this one was special.

Enzo glanced in the back of the crowd and met Will’s eyes. He looked stressed—but undeniably proud—as he stood in the back and gave Enzo a smile that told him exactly how much this meant to him.

How much Enzo meant to him.

There was Giana next to him. Beaming up at him like he’d done so much more than paint a wall. Or maybe that was Joy she was beaming at.

Or . . .maybe it was both of them getting that look.

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