Page 122 of Cherry on Top

“You didn’t have to do that for us, but I know both Will and I are appreciative.”

Enzo had fully expected that they’d have to do some house hunting a few months back during one of his breaks. He and Will had started talking about it only a few weeks after he’d moved in. They’d realized pretty quickly that his apartment, while cozy, was really too small for two.

The lack of a real kitchen had been hard, too.

But then Giana had suggested over the holidays that she and Joy were talking about her moving into the Inn—leaving the house Enzo had grown up in empty.

“It seemed like the best idea,” Giana said, sounding pleased, too. “You two deserve the ability to build a real life together.”

“Thanks, Mom. You too.”

“Anyway, it’s all set to move in when you come home. You’re going to be finished with your mural on time, then?”

“Yep.” Enzo smiled at the mural, thinking of the excited call he’d gotten to make to Will last night, telling him that he’d bought his ticket to fly home.

This had been a short-ish job on the Oregon coast—only a few weeks—but it was the last one he’d done in several months where Will hadn’t come with him.

He’d missed him even more than he’d thought possible.

“I bet Will’s thrilled. What day are you coming home, then? We should do a big family dinner the night you’re home—since you two will probably be too busy moving, after?” Giana asked slyly.

Enzo laughed. “If that’s what you want to call it. But yeah. Wednesday. We could do that.”

“I’ll set it up,” Giana said.

“You mean you’ll ask Luca to set it up,” Enzo teased.

“Well, yes, your cousin does love planning these sorts of things. Why should I deprive him of that joy?”

“Why should you?” Enzo mused. “Well, Mom, I gotta go. If I’m gonna go home next Wednesday, I’ve got work to do.”

“Send more pictures! And good luck, darling. Love you!”

“Love you too,” Enzo said and slipped his phone into his pocket.

He’d never imagined that he’d be happy to be going back to Indigo Bay, happy to be moving into his childhood home, wildly in love and ready to settle down.

But even settling down looked different to him and Will than it looked to others. He’d always be traveling, painting all over the country, though he was trying to prioritize jobs that were closer, these days. Will always told him not to do it—to take the jobs he wanted to take—but he knew now that their relationship was all about give and take.

He pulled his phone back and snapped a quick selfie, texting it to his boyfriend.

Love you. Miss you. Can’t wait to move in with you, again.

Will texted back almost instantly. Love you more. Miss you more. Can’t wait to christen every room in the new house.

When Enzo finally headed up to the mural, climbing up the scaffolding, he couldn’t stop smiling.

It had only been a year, but it was amazing how much had changed.

And even more amazing, how goddamned happy he was about those changes.

Will didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the surge of happiness he felt on the days Enzo came home to Indigo Bay.

To him.

He experienced them less frequently than he used to, because these days he often traveled with Enzo more often than not—but this time around, he’d been helping Kate finalize the summer specials, and the mural had been a smaller one, so he’d stayed.

Plus, he’d wanted to make sure that if Giana needed any help moving, he was around for her.

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