Page 116 of Cherry on Top

“I got water and some chicken salad inside. Come in and cool down—”

Enzo opened his mouth, no doubt to argue about how little time he had for a break, but Will took his hand and began to tug him towards Cherry’s door. “I know,” he said. “You only have a few minutes. But you gotta take care of yourself in this heat.”

“How can I?” Enzo asked. “When you do such a good job of it for me?”

Will rolled his eyes but led him through the empty room and behind the counter.

Kate was working on prep for the day, slowly pouring ice cream mix into the big industrial ice cream machine. “Hey,” she said. “I’m finished with the chocolate and the vanilla, and then I’ll work on the cheesecake next, for the Fourth of July specials.”

Will nodded, distracted by his boyfriend next to him. “Sure thing. I’ll be done in a few.”

“Right.” Kate shot him a knowing look. “You just take your time.”

“Do you think,” Enzo said, slipping into the desk chair with a happy sigh as Will closed the door behind them, “that she really thinks we’re going to christen your desk?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Will flushed a little, just thinking about it. Remembering how many times he’d seriously considered it. Before they’d even had sex. The very first time Enzo had even been in here and he’d said, maybe we should go on a fake date.

He’d wanted him bad even back then.

“So you are gonna do some Fourth of July specials?” Enzo asked as Will pulled out two bottles of water and an ice-cold Gatorade, blue raspberry flavor, because one of the things he’d learned about Enzo was the faker the flavor, the more into it he was.

Made Will shake his head.

Made him love Enzo even more. Because now he knew those things about him.

“Yeah. The berry cheesecake, we’re testing that today. I was working on how to top the shake and I thought, what if I did a little cheesecake wedge, dipped in chocolate, nestled right on top of the glass? Right along with the other fresh berries?”

“You’re not one to go the easy route, are you?” Enzo asked, brown eyes twinkling as he took a long sip of water. Then picked up the fork and dug into the container of chicken salad that Will had slid in front of him.

“Not really,” Will admitted. “I fell for you, didn’t I?”

Enzo’s grin was blinding, and Will wanted to see it every day for the rest of his life.

Maybe it was early, but he knew Enzo was the man for him, deep down, in the same place where he’d known this was the right building for Cherry’s. That the tuxedo milkshake would be a bestseller. That the cherry brown butter brickle would be a special flavor he’d want to keep.

That the Fourth of July special—the glass striped with different berry compotes and filled with a cheesecake milkshake and topped with the little chocolate covered wedge of cheesecake—would mean they’d be busy every single moment of the long holiday weekend to come.

“You sure did. That does sound delicious, though. Not that you were really worried that it wouldn’t be.”

“True,” Will said. He rested a hip against the edge of the desk. “We’re going to be packed, with all the extra tourists, but you let me know when Joy’s celebration is, and I’ll make sure I’m available.”

“You’re sure?”

“Kate’s capable. She should be able to handle things for an hour or two.”

“Probably she could handle things for longer than that,” Enzo said cautiously.

Will looked over at him in surprise. “You think so?”

“She’s pretty good, Will. You hired her. Then you trained her. She couldn’t be anything less.” Enzo had looked worried when he’d pointed it out, like he hadn’t wanted to interfere with Will’s business. Will understood his concern; after all he’d just got done telling his parents to stop telling him how to run his business.

Was Enzo different?

Well, sort of. He did trust that Enzo wouldn’t say something if he didn’t believe it. If he didn’t believe Will needed to hear it.

He wasn’t saying it because he had ulterior motives either. Though Will supposed, he could. Because Enzo would want him to come along to his jobs sometimes. Frankly, Will wanted to come along to his jobs sometimes. He didn’t want to be what his dad said—only hanging around Indigo Bay, waiting for Enzo to come home.

“You have a good point,” Will agreed. “I’ll definitely be relying on her more.”

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